As Jixinghe marched forward alone, he was not truly by himself. Su Chuanyun, Andrei, Deaf, and Lame were behind him, piloting their mechas, spreading out and ready to charge at any moment.“Have you ever played chess?” Jixinghe's voice came through the shortwave communication channel of the five-man squad.All four responded immediately.“Yes.”“Old Ji, you underestimate us.”“Except for Andrei, we’re all from Longzhou. Who doesn’t know how to play chess?”“What? You think us Xiongzhou folks don’t play chess? We have chess, too, alright? I even play Go.”“Time is short, so I'll get straight to the point,” Jixinghe continued. “I’ll be the chariot, and you’ll be the pawns. Can you do that?”“Yes.”“No problem.”“Old Ji, you saved my life.”“A cripple like me piloting a mecha again is all thanks to you. Enough talk, Old Ji, let’s do this.”Jixinghe gave his orders directly: “You four, hold off those two and keep yourselves safe.”No need to specify which two. Among the five Imperial mech
Sure! Here's the translation with context:Remaining energy: 91%.Fighting at full power mode consumes a significant amount of energy, but Ji Xinghe's mecha still has plenty of energy left. This is thanks to the most advanced mecha nuclear fuel cell installed in the 16th generation Federation standard mecha, modified by Shen Mu.If he had been using the mecha from his previous battle, the remaining energy would have been around 70% by now. The quicker pace of this battle also contributes to the difference. The saying "sharpening the axe doesn't delay the work of chopping wood" emphasizes the importance of having a good tool.The mecha is undamaged, and with energy and a sharp blade, Ji Xinghe swings his sword like chopping wood.The two Imperial noble mechas had been separated slightly due to Su Chuanyun and his team's earlier interference. While changing formations with Ji Xinghe, the experienced Su Chuanyun and his comrades did not entirely release the two Imperial mechas from their
"Ji Xinghe, what are you trying to do? You're marching towards your death, do you realize that? Get back to the frontlines immediately!"The captain of the Xinyue Fox spacecraft demanded as soon as he established communication with Ji Xinghe. He didn't have much time; the two-kilometer distance was negligible for a mecha."Only mechas can fight against mechas," Ji Xinghe replied calmly, unaware of who was on the other end. "They will either split their forces to deal with us, reducing the pressure on your frontlines, or ignore us and let me destroy that spacecraft."Ji Xinghe said "me" instead of "us," but the captain of the Xinyue Fox didn't catch that detail—he was too angry."They'll definitely split their forces to deal with you. If you get completely separated from us, you're dead, do you understand?"Previously, Ji Xinghe's battlefield was on the flank of the frontlines. The imperial mechas could rush over to attack them, and the federation mechas could naturally rush over to su
"Ji Xinghe has defied orders again."In the command hall of Base No. 6, someone whispered a report to Lieutenant Colonel Tang Qiao, causing him to frown."What did he do?""He left the convoy.""What?"The Empire had launched a full-scale assault, but Base No. 6 was unable to join the fight. Launching missiles would reveal the precise location of the base, and deploying troops risked detection by the Empire's extensive network of reconnaissance drones, as well as spaceships and warships that had taken to the skies without regard for losses. If the true location of Base No. 6 were exposed, the Federation could lose two of its living bases in this war.Living bases were extraordinarily expensive to build and took a long time to construct. The interstellar war had been ongoing for over twenty years, and combined with the time before the war when humans first landed on the alien planet, the Federation had only managed to successfully construct nine living bases on the alien world. Longzho
Jì Xīnghé was unaware that many eyes were watching him, but even if he knew, he wouldn't care. In his current state of movement, he began issuing orders as soon as he spotted an opportunity."Reduce speed, prepare for a maneuvering turn.""Yes.""Deaf, number them.""Yes... numbering complete."On Jì Xīnghé's visual display, a number appeared above the head of each of the twelve mechas, from one to twelve. The numbering was based on the proximity of the Imperial mechas to them. At the moment, mechas numbered one to six were in pursuit, while the other six Imperial mechas were circling around to block them off, three on each side."If we go after the mechas on either side, they'll definitely retreat and try to pin us down, leading us into a trap," Jì Xīnghé explained briefly before giving the combat order. "So we turn back. Six against five—they'll only dare to engage us if they have the advantage. Su Chuanyun, take number three. Andrei, number four. Deaf, number five. Cripple, number
The situation on the front line remained grim. Without the ability to provide a preliminary firepower coverage and without an absolute numerical advantage, it was already challenging for the Federal mecha pilots to achieve a one-for-one exchange against the Imperial mechas.At the beginning of this frontal battle, the Imperial mechas held an absolute numerical advantage, causing considerable damage to the Federal mechas. If it weren’t for Jì Xīnghé’s appearance, the captain of the Xīn Yuè Hú would have had no choice but to detonate the nuclear warhead he had been authorized to use once the Federal mechas were nearly annihilated and the Imperial mechas were about to breach the Xīn Yuè Hú battleship.“Fortunately, their dog emperor is afraid of death. The nuclear warheads are only available to those damned Imperial Royal Guard units. Otherwise…”Despite the dire situation on the front line, the captain of the Xīn Yuè Hú felt a sense of relief. His usually stern expression softened a bit
“There are no new enemy reports within a 200-kilometer radius. We are safe; everyone, please don’t worry.”The voice from the reconnaissance vehicle did little to reassure those who had been transferred from Base 6 to Base 5. Their convoy was missing one person. They were safe, but was that person safe? Was he still alive?Ji Xinghe, who was supposed to guard the convoy, had left, but no one in the convoy blamed him for abandoning them. The value of a battleship is hard to overstate, and Ji Xinghe’s courage to go against the odds commanded respect.Aside from Su He, Shen Mu, Ji Rong Xinyue, and Brother Left Hand, no one believed that Ji Xinghe could make any difference in such a battle, even though they had witnessed his miracles before.Shen Mu wanted to ask about Ji Xinghe’s condition, but he feared the answer might be bad. Not sitting in the same transport vehicle as Ji Rong Xinyue and Su He, he was still very concerned about Ji Rong Xinyue’s state.Su He and Ji Rong Xinyue were in
Su Chuanyun and his three comrades parted ways with the Ji Xinghe Squad and joined the frontline. They couldn't keep up with Ji Xinghe, and even if they could, they wouldn't be able to exert the same level of deterrence as he did. Ji Xinghe did not stop them, because it was their own choice, their responsibility, and their duty. Compared to Ji Xinghe, who could only operate on the periphery of the battle, Su Chuanyun and the others could integrate well into the Federation's mecha formations and cooperate with the supporting soldiers. With the severe losses on both sides, their addition to the battle made a significant impact. As the first batch of mecha warriors officially incorporated into the Xinghe Squad by Base No. 5, they had personally participated in the Squad's battles from its inception, which might be one of the reasons their abilities had undergone a qualitative change. With the Federation now possessing a deterrent that the Empire's mechas couldn't ignore, and w
Having decided to participate in the orbital drop mech warrior test, Ji Xinghe did not leave Base Five immediately. It wasn’t that he had hesitated again; the “education” from Ji Rongxinyue had been very effective. The delay was simply because the necessary equipment required time to manufacture.“Lieutenant Ji Xinghe, we have reviewed your relevant physical data and estimate that it will take ten days to customize your orbital drop mech suite. Please confirm once again if you want to continue using the Federal standard 16th generation mech?”“Yes, I want to use the Federal standard 16th generation mech.”Ji Xinghe confirmed his choice. If possible, he would have preferred to pilot the Federal 1st generation standard mech, the one he first encountered and used the most. However, the initial models, still usable in the game Starry Glory, had long been phased out on alien battlefields. Therefore, he chose the 16th generation standard mech, which he was second most familiar with.In term
Ji Xinghe and his Xinghe Squad finally returned to Base No. 6, but they didn’t have much time to reunite with Master Liu and the others. As soon as they arrived, the transfer convoy between Base No. 3 and Base No. 6 was already prepared, and they received orders to depart immediately.“Thank you, and take care.”Ji Xinghe accepted the gift they had prepared for Ji Rong Xinyue, waving goodbye without saying "see you again," because he knew that "goodbye" might mean "forever."The journey was uneventful, and the transfer convoy took three days to finally reach the relatively safe Base No. 5. Despite the sudden influx of people, Base No. 5 did not face any resource shortages as the Federation had already made preparations.Ji Rong Xinyue was very happy to receive the gift, but even happier to see that Ji Xinghe had returned unharmed.“Grandpa, what does orbital drop mean?”For many, this information was still classified, but Ji Xinghe revealed it to Ji Rong Xinyue without reservation, ev
At the start of a video conference, all the elite mecha warriors participating watched footage from a battle recorder. The footage showed Ji Xinghe’s fight in the canyon.In this battle, he single-handedly destroyed fourteen Empire mechas, bringing his total number of gold stars to thirty-six, placing him at the middle rank among the Federation’s three hundred and twenty-seven active elite mecha warriors.The first scene depicted a pale blue energy shockwave bursting from a diamond-shaped metal object, sending Federation Level Two mecha warrior Zuo Qiyu flying. He then got up and chose to charge forward.The combat recorder’s audio had not been removed, so all 116 elite mecha warriors participating in the video conference could hear Left Hand’s voice: “Go, Old Ji, don’t look back, run, run fast, I can hold them off.”Through Ji Xinghe’s mecha’s perspective, the elite mecha warriors watched the Federation mecha charging at the Empire mechas and heard the pilot’s shout. Even though all
Inside Base Six, many people were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the convoy from Base Three, hoping to reunite with familiar faces.The surface area of this alien planet couldn't compare to the Blue Planet, and the Federation's controlled area wasn't vast. But the extreme difficulty of transportation and the scarcity of resources meant that many people who met and became familiar on this alien planet might never see each other again after parting.They had promised to reunite on the Blue Planet after winning the war, but some would never return. Even their ashes could only remain on this alien planet, buried deeper and deeper under the orange-red dust, until no one would remember where they were buried.Perhaps one day, when humanity fully occupies this planet, technology will advance enough to change the planet's environment, creating a real atmosphere. Seeds will be scattered across the alien land, taking root and sprouting, carried by the wind to spread new life.When countless se
A squad of nine mechas was moving swiftly through the canyon. They were a support unit, initially tasked with escorting a convoy to a designated area before returning. However, unexpected developments forced them to turn back.“Have we established contact yet?”“No, the Xinghe Squad is still out of contact.”“Damn it, what the hell are they doing? I could understand if Ji Xinghe and Left Hand went silent, but why did the support team, Blind Man’s group, also go dark? Couldn't they have left someone outside the blackout zone to maintain communication?”When the Xinyue Fox battleship bombarded the area from space, this mecha squad did not advance at full speed. But when a flare illuminated the alien night sky, they accelerated to maximum speed. The flare, following the bombardment, indicated ongoing enemy presence, necessitating immediate support.But they had no intel.“It's a new team after all, lack of experience is understandable. I heard that Blind Man and his group came from the R
One, two, three.Faced with encirclement by eight Imperial mechas, Ji Xinghe seized every opportunity he could. After single-handedly taking down three Imperial mechas, he finally ran out of chances. There were still five mechas left in pursuit, with enough distance between them for him to take them out one by one, but the canyon held more dangers than just those five. While Ji Xinghe wasn’t sure how long it would take to completely destroy the rhomboid metal construct, the Imperial mechas’ previous caution suggested it wasn't invulnerable to mecha attacks.The six Imperial mechas assigned to destroy the construct could join the pursuit at any moment. If Ji Xinghe waited until they appeared, he would lose his chance to escape.He didn’t want to die, so he chose to run before the opportunity vanished completely.At full speed, the sixteenth-generation Federation standard mecha dashed through the dark canyon, kicking up a trail of dust. Behind him were eleven Imperial mechas that had al
Six Federation mechas gathered together, now in full power mode, advancing quickly in an assault formation toward the depths of the canyon. The previously lively communication channel had fallen silent, with only the faint sound of each other’s breathing audible.They had already increased their speed once when they entered the canyon, shifting from reconnaissance mode to fast-advance mode. But when the signal flare's light pierced through the dark canyon and exploded in the night sky, their speed reached its peak.If they wanted to go faster, they would have to charge, but now was clearly not the time for that."We are about to enter the communication blackout zone. All units, take note: if the enemy's numbers are overwhelming, Niuma, Heavy Cannon, immediately retreat to maintain communication. If necessary, withdraw at full speed."Blind Man’s command was met with no objections, not even from Su Chuanyun, who had just become Niuma. Despite his personality, he didn’t argue. He knew v
As Ji Xinghe once again destroyed three Imperial mechas, the total number of Imperial mechas in the canyon didn't decrease; instead, it increased.Twenty-two, exactly matching the number of golden stars on Ji Xinghe's mecha."The warp gate has disappeared. They're gone. They've stopped."Left Hand exclaimed in surprise. In his sight, the diamond-shaped metal warp gate vanished suddenly, as if it had run out of energy, just as the thirtieth Imperial mecha descended from it. The diamond-shaped metal reverted to being an inert metal ingot.Their reinforcements were gone, and they had stopped moving.After breaking eight Imperial mechas in total, the third batch of four Imperial mechas chasing Ji Xinghe and Left Hand finally halted. They chose not to continue their charge, maintaining a safe pursuit distance from Ji Xinghe and Left Hand's mechas.The eighteen Imperial mechas guarding the diamond-shaped metal also remained motionless, as if their systems had shut down.But Ji Xinghe showed
“Old Ji, you should have run, really.”Left Hand stared at the three Imperial mechas two hundred meters away, which had stopped their charge, and the ten more mechas near the rhombus-shaped metallic structure further back. He still believed Ji Xinghe should have run.The two Imperial mechas he was holding off had been destroyed the moment Ji Xinghe joined the battle. Up to this point, the two of them had already taken down five Imperial mechas, and neither of their mechas had suffered any substantial damage. It was a rare and complete victory, but the number of Imperial mechas remained overwhelming, and they kept increasing.“We still have time to run,” Left Hand continued to persuade. “We’re right near Base No. 3. They’ve got heavy defenses there, and Blind and the others are ready to back us up. If we run together, we might be able to link up with them. By then, with eight mechas fighting together, they might just give up chasing us. Plus, once we get to a zone where communications