Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

The number of Stellar Districts across the Milky Way is countless. The core member countries of the Star Alliance are limited to those chosen few, and of course, not every country can claim a spot—it's not even guaranteed that every Stellar District will have representation.

Therefore, to join this core competition, each Stellar District naturally needs to select the representatives from countries that can best embody their internal strength.

The projects for participation are quite straightforward...

In a scenario where large-scale wars are impossible to conduct, the only standards of this competition rely on a comparison of individual capabilities, national technologies, and resource reserves.

Mecha! It is the one solution under these circumstances.

Not to mention, under non-large-scale battle conditions, the mobile units formed by mecha warriors are already symbols of a nation's comprehensive strength. Even in large-scale battles, aside from massive interstellar warships, the performance of mech warriors remains critical.

Mech warriors who pilot mechas are, in fact, the backbone and foundational force of every nation in the universe.

In the real battles occurring on tournament grounds, the damage rate of mechas is exceptionally high. The ability to provide sufficiently reliable advanced mechas or offer prompt and efficient repair logistics is also a reflection of a nation's technological prowess.

Taken together, the prowess mech warriors can display on the battlefield indirectly represents a nation's overall strength.

Even knowing its own limitations, Bauhinia Republic remains highly enthusiastic about such competitions.

Any nation aiming for development in the vast cosmos would not miss this chance to showcase its abilities in front of everyone and interact with other powers.

At the same time, such opportunities are also the perfect chances for Bai E to familiarize himself with the universe's other nations and forces.

If Bauhinia Republic's team could be fortunate enough to break through their Stellar District's competition and win tickets to the Star Alliance selection event, it would grant them the chance to step into the Milky Way's center and witness the array of interstellar civilizations.

By then, Bai E could tag along, making comprehensive preparations for his planet to connect with the galaxy's society.

"This is a good prospect," Bai E's eyes sparkled.

In competitions representing the pinnacle of the universe, participants embodying the leading standard of this cosmos are bound to emerge.

Even if they aren't the few at the very top, they are certainly an elite force in the galaxy.

By observing the standard of these individuals, Bai E could better position himself, as well as others from his primitive planet, in the scope of the universe.

"When do we depart?"

"The Stellar District selection will take place in about half a month. In fact, the news was revealed earlier—but at the time, I was away exploring unfamiliar Star Domains with an expedition fleet. Now that I've returned, I've just learned their intention was for me to lead the team in this competition."

Catherine's eyes shifted fleetingly, as though there were words she hesitated to express.

The expression was far too conspicuous, prompting Bai E to smile and ask outright, "What's wrong? Is there something else you're considering?"

Catherine gently bit her lip, hesitating, "Although I'm one of Bauhinia Republic's rare two Legendary Mechanics, representing a nation in such an event... it almost always boils down to Legendary Mechanics by the end. Unless a country doesn't aim for a good rank, the best choice is to put together a team with the highest possible configuration. My teacher, though also a Legendary Mechanic, is too old and has already surpassed Star Alliance's age cap for participants. If I'm the only Legendary Mechanic leading the team, I'm worried that Bauhinia Republic won't be able to stand out in the Stellar District selection, let alone shine in the Star Alliance tournament."

Between individuals, morals may have a place, but in interstellar politics, interactions between nations are purely dictated by strength.

If you can perform impressively in a tournament, every nation will hold you in high regard.

Only then will Bauhinia Republic receive respectful attention from those nations it hopes to befriend; otherwise, why would other higher-ranked nations show regard for a small country hidden away in some obscure corner?

Dream on!

In such apex-level competitions, relying on just one Legendary Mechanic, Catherine evidently lacked sufficient confidence.

"They've given me full authority over the team selection, so besides myself, I still need to find at least seven other members. If you could help us..." Catherine paused mid-sentence but hurriedly turned her thoughts to highlight the benefits, "After achieving good results, it's entirely possible for them to allocate a long-distance capable spaceship directly under your personal name. Whatever you choose to do with it afterward—no one will question you at all."

To return to his primitive planet, Bai E first needed a reliable interstellar spaceship.

And a spaceship capable of long-distance interstellar travel—purchasing one outright required a sum of money so astronomical, it was beyond what an ordinary person could comprehend in their lifetime.

Bai E had contemplated becoming a bounty hunter to accumulate money through tasks... only to realize that outright stealing might be a faster solution.

As for manufacturing one himself... the technology could be learned, but the multitude of resources required to gather enough components, while easier than buying a ship, still posed financial challenges beyond what most people could imagine.

Summing it all up... stealing seemed preferable.

But if Bai E ruled out the option of simply stealing, Catherine's offer might actually be his fastest route to acquiring his own interstellar spaceship.

At the same time, it was also an opportunity to witness or even personally experience cutting-edge combat power in the universe.