Nightmare Strikes

Kunlun's successful activation definitely turned heads. The other Jaeger workgroups and pilots on the first floor of the Shatterdome had all gathered around, united in celebrating the birth of a new comrade.

"Hmph... another dead weight has shown up," Seti said with a hint of disdain.

He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, gazing at Kunlun with boredom.

The Tang brothers, on the other hand, seemed a bit excited. Their status as pilots wasn't very high, and having another Series 7 Jaeger, an elder brother figure, meant an extra layer of security for them.

"With one more comrade, humanity has one more hope of winning, doesn't it?"

The short man who had been standing with the trio also spoke up. He was the new pilot of "Huangshan" – Zhang Wenhu.

He wasn't tall, appearing to be in his early twenties, and his build was slender. However, Huangshan was the Series 7 heavy Jaeger with the strongest close-combat capabilities, and no one dared to easily question the skill and power hidden beneath Zhang Wenhu's small frame.

Behind the four men were their respective Jaeger workgroups. Thousands of people looked at Kunlun, discussing it noisily.

Angie and Lin Yin were also watching this scene. They were closer, on the transparent corridor of the residential area directly in front of Kunlun. The red light emanating from Kunlun's single eye even made their faces flush.

"Wow, is that Kunlun, which has been sealed for a year?" Angie exclaimed, her whole body pressed against the glass, her eyes full of stars.

Then she turned to Lin Yin and asked, "Is this the Jaeger Rosen used to pilot?"

"Yes," Lin Yin nodded expressionlessly. "It's a shame that guy Rosen didn't seize his chance."

"Oh..."

Angie sighed regretfully upon hearing this, but then she suddenly remembered something—

Didn't Rosen borrow a pilot suit from me precisely to pilot a Jaeger?

So... is it possible... even if there's only a one percent chance...

Angie looked back at Kunlun.

Could it be that Rosen was inside right now?

"Angie, the one inside is Rosen, isn't it?" Lin Yin suddenly said out of the blue, startling Angie.

"Sister, how could that be..."

"Didn't you lend Teacher's pilot suit to him a few days ago?"

Seeing Lin Yin's eyes that wouldn't tolerate lies, Angie's breath caught. Then, she stuck out her tongue and nodded, her face flushed red.

"You..." Lin Yin didn't really intend to scold her. She just sighed helplessly and then shifted her gaze back to Kunlun.

The two continued to observe Kunlun.

However, after a short while, both of them frowned. They noticed something was wrong.

They turned to look at each other and asked, "Why isn't Kunlun moving?"

When Rosen's eyes opened again, Mike finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The red light representing the engine on the control panel finally lit up, signifying that Rosen had successfully activated the behemoth – this also proved Mike's hypothesis was correct. Under normal circumstances, a Sync Rate below 70% would make it impossible to activate a Jaeger.

"Buddy, you did it!" Mike immediately congratulated Rosen.

But strangely, Rosen showed no reaction. He just stared straight ahead, his body stiff.

"Rosen?"

Mike nudged Rosen, but he still didn't respond, as if he were a corpse.

"Don't scare me." Mike released the handrails and intended to walk to the front to see what was wrong with Rosen.

Just then, Rosen's right hand twitched, and Kunlun shook – the giant Jaeger raised its right arm.

The violent shaking made Mike lose his balance. His foot slipped, and he immediately slid off the motion platform, falling downwards!

Below the motion platform was the gyroscopic stabilizer assembly. If he fell in, he would inevitably be crushed by the high-speed rotating gears!

Fortunately, Mike was quick-witted. He desperately grabbed a corner of the motion platform, leaving him dangling in the air – Mike could even feel his feet touching the constantly rotating stabilizer shaft. It felt like the Grim Reaper was beckoning him.

Mike struggled to breathe, desperately inching his way up.

After a long while, he finally escaped from the clutches of death. Before he could even catch his breath, the communicator rang again.

"Who is piloting Kunlun?!" Jiang Tianzheng's angry voice came through the communicator. "Why is your Sync Rate only 50%? Answer me!"

It's over. Mike thought. This is it. But Rosen did successfully activate Kunlun, didn't he?

As long as he and Rosen didn't say anything, no one would know. Might as well... try to bluff his way through.

Mike walked to the communicator, took a deep breath, and then said, "This is Mike Kane. I'm the one piloting. Perhaps the detector is malfunctioning. My current condition is..."

Mike intended to say he was in good condition, but when he turned his head and saw Rosen's eyes—

The rest of the sentence died in his throat.

Rosen's eyes were vacant and blood-red, like... Mike suddenly couldn't find any words to describe it.

Right, he thought. They were just like Kunlun's eyes.

"This..." Mike muttered in disbelief, shaking his head.

"No... this is really over."

An electronic female voice announcing successful activation echoed in Rosen's ears.

Finally successful... Rosen thought happily.

From the Synaptic Link just now, Rosen once again experienced the majestic and imposing figures of the Jaeger pilots. Although he had been away for a year, it felt as if he had never left. It was even more like Kunlun still remembered him, happily welcoming Rosen's return.

He waited for me for a year, and now, I will repay him. From today on, I am a true Jaeger pilot. Kunlun, you and I will soon achieve great things together.

Rosen happily opened his eyes. The scene displayed on the holographic head-up display in front of him immediately came into view. He seemed to see Lin Yin and Angie watching him from the transparent corridor in the distance.

Angie...

Angie's eyes were very much like Raleigh's, always so clear and bright, which always reminded Rosen of his mentor.

Raleigh Beckett, he was always so strong, optimistic, and invincible.

But in the end, he too slept forever beneath the deep sea.

Slept forever...

Will I die too? Like my teacher?

Rosen suddenly thought of death, causing Kunlun to twitch—it raised its right hand.

Rosen frowned, sensing something was wrong. He thought to himself, Don't overthink it, quickly clear your mind...

...Strangely, the scene on Rosen's display screen suddenly vanished.

In its place appeared a giant, dark red eye, emitting a certain radiance, staring intently at Rosen.

This scene was all too familiar; Rosen almost cried out.

A year ago, just a year ago, in the instant before he fell into a coma, this eye had appeared.

Then, Rosen found that the black combat suit he was wearing had turned white—

It was the one that belonged to him a year ago.

The interior of the cockpit began to rapidly rewind, looking more and more like it did a year ago.

"Oh, no, no—"

Rosen screamed in his mind.