The Strongest Brain in the Interstellar

This level of movement was bordering on abnormal. Judging by the timeline since the second round of supplies began, it was about the right time. Most participants had likely used up their first round of energy charges and were now darting around aimlessly…

The situation had finally reached its peak — and with it, their most “dangerous” moment.

“Lockdown. Movement detected,” Huan Xian’s telepathic alert instantly transmitted into the minds of the other four.

As someone with a unique ability and training in command systems, Huan Xian’s intelligence and warnings were unanimously given top priority by the team.

From within their trench positions, surrounded by a desert of sand and rocks providing cover, the team members—unable to see one another’s faces—exchanged silent, knowing glances through the void.

Perfect timing. They were so bored they’d almost started swatting flies. This would be an ideal chance to stretch their muscles.

R36—an ambitious and determined team.

They were one of the earliest teams to form and had managed to remain in the game. Many of the formal teams formed both before and after them had already been eliminated, yet R36 still held their ground. When it came to survival in this training field, this team could be considered highly experienced.

Even though none of their five members ranked within the top ten, the best performer was only ranked 17th, while the others fell somewhere in the 30s and 40s.

However, despite their relatively average overall abilities, this team was driven by an ambitious spirit. Their strong determination and teamwork had allowed them to push through challenges and persist until now.

They hadn’t had much luck, failing to secure an energy point right from the start. Later, they attempted to claim several spots but repeatedly found themselves caught in chaotic battles along the way, unable to break free.

After a long journey through various energy points, they finally arrived at L4. Unfortunately, L4’s energy reserves were only at about 40%—neither high enough to be valuable nor low enough to abandon easily. Worse still, the area was surrounded by dangers on all sides, making it a precarious place to stay. It was the kind of resource that was frustratingly mediocre—unappetizing to consume yet hard to discard.

Adding to the complication, by the time they reached L4, the energy points had already entered their phase of active or passive rotations. The personnel shifts around them became visibly more frequent, and the team’s ambitions were sparked once more.

Just then, the situation at L6 and L11 shifted dramatically. The leaderboard’s top team—whom everyone was looking for—had appeared nearby, and their position was remarkably close. Was this not the perfect opportunity for R36 to make a name for themselves?

Although this upheaval prevented them from settling peacefully at L4, it also gave them a new plan of action.

Since fate didn’t seem to want them to charge their energy peacefully, why not aim for something bigger?

With this in mind, under the direction of their captain, Beck, the team packed up and left L4, heading straight toward Jiang Hui and her group.

They were realistic enough to know they couldn’t directly take on R186, let alone eliminate them outright. After all, one glance at their opponent’s rankings made it clear—they simply weren’t equipped for such a task.

But they weren’t cowards either. While they couldn’t confront R186 head-on, plenty of other participants weren’t as clear-headed as they were. So why not camp out nearby and set an ambush for less cautious teams?

If, by chance, they could stumble upon a chaotic battle between R186 and other powerhouses, their opportunity to strike would be even better.

They thrived on chaotic battles. Back when the training grounds were crowded, they had frequently capitalized on the chaos of team skirmishes, scavenging victories from the wreckage. Over time, they became quite experienced in this kind of opportunistic approach.

Of course, they weren’t oblivious to the risk of failing spectacularly. After all, the field was teeming with skilled players. Any misstep could mean disaster, and the risks weren’t minor.

But this was, after all, a competition—a battlefield where factions clashed, and survival often came at someone else’s expense. Danger was everywhere; there was no avoiding it. If they lived in fear, hesitant to act, what assurance did they have that they wouldn’t fall prey to another team seeking to claim their heads as trophies?

In this cutthroat competition, standing still meant falling behind. They refused to be the ones retreating.

So, despite their worries, they pressed forward.

Perhaps it was this spirit of determination and ambition, coupled with a little luck, that rewarded them. They managed to pick off stragglers and weaker teams along the way, turning them into valuable points for their own scoreboard. Compared to their earlier aimless wandering on the training grounds, this was much more effective.

The thrill of their growing success pushed them further, making them increasingly heedless of their surroundings. Unknowingly, they had ventured close to the borders of L11.

“We should backtrack a bit; this is far enough,” their leader, Beck, reminded the group.

Their team hadn’t obtained the advanced Stibium Sand Table, so they relied on a basic directional compass. This rudimentary tool only gave them approximate bearings, requiring them to estimate time and distances on their own.

However, Beck was from the Command Division’s first class, excelling in both mental acuity and foundational physical abilities. He also possessed a unique command-related ability: Perception Linkage.

This ability, common among command-specialized teams, allowed Beck to extend his own mental power to the mental energy fields of his teammates. By connecting with their fields, he could gather comprehensive information from their perspectives.

Of course, the range of his extensions was limited to those who accepted his mental energy marks willingly. Forcing a connection could result in backlash and harm to himself.

Beck used his ability to link his team’s collective mental energy fields, creating a large, mobile sensory zone capable of detecting mental energy fluctuations within a two- to three-mile radius. This allowed them to easily identify nearby energy points and assess their surroundings.

It was this capability that had given them a strategic edge in chaotic skirmishes, enabling them to strike decisively and defeat their enemies with precision.

But this time, they had run into their nemesis—a situation where their advantage became irrelevant.

Although no active mental energy fields were detected nearby, Beck felt an unshakable sense of unease. He began to question whether they should cut their losses and leave. After all, several powerful and unpredictable teams were rumored to be lurking in the vicinity.

They were eager to snatch victory from the jaws of danger but had no intention of engaging such formidable opponents directly. It seemed wise to retreat now while they still had the chance.

Just as the group began to act on Beck’s order to retreat—

“Bang!” A distant gunshot tore through the silence, breaking the stillness of the area.

“?!?”

“Captain?!”

“Captain, are you okay?!”

The bullet had grazed Beck’s left shoulder, missing his training uniform by mere millimeters.

Beck, however, knew this was no accident. The shot hadn’t missed—it had been aimed directly at his chest. The only reason it hadn’t struck was because, in the split second he sensed it, he managed to shift slightly. Even then, he barely escaped the line of fire, a testament to the sharpshooter’s precise targeting.

What terrified him more was that, within his current two-mile sensory range, he hadn’t detected any active mental energy fields.

As his teammates’ frantic voices echoed in his ears, Beck shivered violently, jolting out of his daze. His trembling lips parted as he suddenly stood up, his mental energy surging outward in desperation, trying to confirm his fears.

“Retreat! Get out now!” he shouted urgently.

In his panic, even his mental transmission seemed to carry a faint tremor.

The rest of the team quickly realized something was wrong and worked together to retreat from the area. However, it was already too late—

—

Author’s Note:

Please keep in mind that this is a competition with varying and unequal conditions. Different participants face different challenges with different resources, which means their strategies for dealing with enemies or difficulties will naturally vary—it’s not a flat, one-size-fits-all situation.

Some readers may think Jiang Hui and her team are too lucky. I won’t deny that, and part of it is because she’s the protagonist. But it’s not entirely about that. As the protagonist, it’s inevitable that I write about her overcoming hardships, growing stronger, and encountering extraordinary opportunities. That’s the essence of a protagonist and the core of this story.

However, I hope readers will see that Jiang Hui isn’t just about luck. While she does have her share of a protagonist’s aura, fortune, and abilities given by the author, she also endures more challenges and suffering than others. Everything that has happened to her—and will happen later—is consistent with her character and growth trajectory. These are her ‘choices’.

In my opinion, Jiang Hui’s success up to this point stems more from her ‘choices’ than the author’s manipulation. Sometimes, even I, as the author, lose control over where the characters’ decisions take them, forcing me to scrap and rebuild for a more logical direction. Jiang Hui, as my protagonist, has worked hard, and I’ve worked hard to craft her story. I hope for a little more support from you all.

That’s just a little discussion about character creation so far, written for those who are interested. Feel free to skip it if it’s too long—I admit I feel a bit incoherent after writing it myself!