"Old Ji, we’ve lost contact with the base too. But don’t worry, it’s a normal occurrence. We’ll regain communication once we pass through this area."The voice of Lame Man was light and unconcerned, showing no sign of tension. After all, he was a Federation First-Class Mech Warrior with twelve gold stars on his mech. He had to act calm and collected, especially because he was with the Federation’s oldest new recruit.The words "oldest" and "new recruit" seemed unrelated, almost contradictory. But when it came to Ji Xinghe, the title of the oldest new recruit was justifiable.Ji Xinghe wasn’t nervous at all. On the contrary, he was filled with unprecedented excitement. This excitement was not about piloting a mech for the first time on an alien planet. It was the fact that, after long periods of controlling the mech, he felt no fatigue; instead, he experienced a long-lost vitality.It wasn’t physical vitality—his physical condition had always been good, barring a certain period. It was
Except for Ke Xinghe, no one knew what happened in the moment of the collision. Even the Imperial gorilla mech that collided with him had no idea. Blind and Cripple should have been very curious, but they had no time to ask at this critical juncture."Old Ke, retreat.""Retreat now."Five seconds is a very short time. Ke Xinghe, who had just turned around, was already very close to the second Imperial mech. It was like an ancient cavalry charge; when a cavalryman reached peak speed, their lance became an unparalleled penetrating force. Compared to the best horses in the world, the power and explosiveness provided by mechs far surpassed them.One of the standard weapons of the Imperial mechs was the lance, averaging 6.5 meters in length. Combined with their speed and strength, these lances often pierced the critical spots of Federation mechs before the first collision occurred. Not the heart or kidneys, as mechs had neither, and their frontal armor could withstand shell impacts unscath
From being hunted by three Imperial mechas alone to now turning the tables and chasing down an Imperial mecha with his comrades, Blind Man felt unprecedented exhilaration. It was even more exhilarating than when he first installed his mechanical eye and saw the world anew.“Where the hell do you think you're running, you piece of crap?”This kind of profanity didn't suit Federation First-Class Mecha Warrior Lieutenant Li Lin's status, but it was the most genuine expression of Blind Man's feelings at that moment. There was something he had wanted to say in his pre-recorded final message: Dad, I don't want to die. Mom, I'm so scared.The three mechas raced through the canyon, skillfully avoiding areas that could trap them, but still unable to escape their fate. Amidst the pounding sounds, Cripple was the first to catch up with the last Imperial mecha, as he hadn’t reduced his speed since activating full-power mode. This Imperial mecha, like Blind Man's, had braked suddenly upon realizin
"Zhaizi, what are you daydreaming about? I know Old Ji's moves were slick, clean, and crisp, but now's not the time to be in awe," reminded Cripple.Blind Man, who was deleting his final words, hastened his pace. He was somewhat relieved there was no satellite communication signal here. If his final words had already been transmitted and he hadn't died... it wouldn’t be shameful, just awkward."Weren't you just dazed too? Scared stiff by Old Ji, right? A solo duel, a near-instant kill, did you see that? Only a special-grade mecha warrior can achieve that near-instant kill," Blind Man, a first-grade mecha warrior, continued to marvel at the recent battle. After Ji Xinghe caught up, he and Cripple intended to help, but Ji Xinghe gave them no chance, quickly gaining absolute dominance and completing another near-instant kill while they watched in astonishment.This was the third time. The first undisputed instant kill was seen clearly by both Cripple and Blind Man. The second battle, tho
With a cracking sound, the hatch of Ji Xinghe's mech opened. Because the air inside the cockpit had already been evacuated, there was no airflow disturbance. Wearing his protective helmet, he had about an hour of activity time.Oxygen supply was one aspect; the other was that the thin protective suits specifically for mech warriors provided relatively weak protection.The protective suit, weighing more than ten kilograms, felt light on Ji Xinghe. He jumped out of the cockpit without leaving any noticeable footprints. The green indicator light on his suit represented his current good condition. If the light turned red, it would indicate that his physical condition was problematic or that his activity time was running out.The Limping Man piloted his mech nearby, helping by turning on the mech’s lights, allowing Ji Xinghe to work at the bottom of the dim canyon."Old Ji, should I drag that other Imperial mech over here? It would save you from having to cross over and disassemble it late
The dismantling work proceeded smoothly. After returning to his mech, Ji Xinghe marked the map and left with the parts he had removed. If he got the chance, he would return to retrieve the three Imperial mechs. The base, upon receiving the news, could also send a team to pick up the mechs during a lull in the fighting.After crossing the five-kilometer stretch, communication was fully restored. Both Lame and Ji Xinghe established contact with the base. Blind had already explained the situation, so they didn't need to say much—just supplement and transmit the mech's records."Sergeant Ji Xinghe, please confirm your physical condition, as well as your mech's mobility and combat capability."The voice over the communicator made Ji Xinghe pause. Sergeant already? Indeed, the speed of promotions during wartime could only get faster, not slower, depending solely on the intensity of the battle and one's ability. After Blind completed his report and transmitted his mech's recorder data, Base
Base Three is located within a mountain, with entrances for spaceships and other vehicles hidden from sight. The combination of optical camouflage technology and holographic projection technology allows the Federation's bases on the alien planet to remain hidden from the Empire's regular detection.From a distance, it looked as if the three mechas were about to crash into the mountain wall, but in the next moment, they all disappeared without a trace. The ground beneath them turned into a metal surface resembling an aircraft carrier deck. This large area, similar to a landing pad, was almost identical in structure to Base Six.After passing through several metal gates and undergoing routine procedures such as disarming, cleaning, disinfection, and medical examinations, Ji Xinghe and his two companions finally entered Base Three. Although there are no native organisms on the alien planet theoretically posing no risk of infectious diseases, the bodies of the Imperial apes might carry un
"I'm sorry, I don't have time," Ji Xinghe said honestly. He truly didn't have much time as he planned to leave Base 3 as soon as his mech was repaired.The Level 1 mech warrior who had spoken earlier was taken aback, then looked at the Special Level mech warrior beside him."Don't misunderstand, I'm not trying to provoke you. I just heard that you defeated Han Li and watched the video of your mech fighting three opponents in the canyon. I really want to give it a try."Jackson, standing over two meters tall, looked more like a bodybuilder than a mech warrior. However, the badge on his chest indicated that he was a Special Level mech warrior, a testament to his undeniable strength. As he spoke, he took two steps forward, standing in front of Ji Xinghe, his presence imposing, contradicting his claim of non-provocation.Blind and Lame frowned and stepped forward, standing half a step behind Ji Xinghe.Ji Xinghe frowned. "I haven't fought three opponents at once, and I really don't have t