Yán Fú

Mecha?

They built mecha?

When the broadcast came through, Luo Yan thought he'd misheard.

After all, that kind of thing had only ever existed in movies before.

At that moment, the truck compartment he was in hummed overhead, and the roof panel actually split open to both sides!

Through the opened compartment, Luo Yan caught a glimpse of the sky.

In the sky, at an infinitely distant height, a black outline slithered.

Its shape was like a tree branch.

It suddenly stretched wide, tearing open a 'crack'.

Looking into the 'crack', there was an abstract world beyond description, impossible to articulate.

In a dimension above reality, countless black shadows wandered, and soon a flat, ever-changing shadow approached the 'crack'.

It seemed to be pulled away by some invisible force, gradually seeping out from the 'branch'-like crack.

This phenomenon.

Was not unfamiliar to Luo Yan.

When the 'Giant Beast Calamity' erupted, the 'branch'-like cracks in the sky were even more numerous, even denser.

They shrouded the sky.

Crisscrossing into a vast, despair-inducing 'tree shade'.

One by one, giant beasts were dropped from those 'tree shade' shadows, from that unknown space.

Because the shape of that alien space resembled a colossal tree that blotted out the sky.

It was officially named 'Jambu Realm Space'.

The Dirgha Agama Sutra says: "In Jambudvipa, there is a great king of trees, named Jambu, with a girth of seven yojanas and a height of a hundred yojanas."

Quite fitting.

By now, Luo Yan's compartment was fully open.

He quickly scrambled into the waterproof tarp.

Then he heard the broadcast in the compartment continue.

"The spatial boundary has been breached."

"The giant beast is about to unfold in three dimensions!"

"Detecting a blue energy spectrum. Beginning database match."

"...Match complete. Confirmed beast drop is 'Lili'."

"Rank: Lower Tier 2."

"Type: Shedded Worm."

"Traits: Immense Strength, excels at charging!"

As the broadcast sounded, the ropes binding the waterproof tarp in the compartment snapped and came loose one after another.

As the front floor panel of the compartment rose, the massive curtain-like tarp fell down.

Luo Yan hurriedly crawled out, or else he'd be crushed underneath, likely suffocating.

When he finally emerged from the tarp, he suddenly realized a massive shadow loomed over him.

Luo Yan spun around.

The raised compartment floor panel now served as a fixed support frame.

It held up a 'giant'!

A silver-white coating covered in scratches, an engine humming to life on its chest, emitting a faint blue glow...

Broad shoulders, thick arms—all forged from some alloy Luo Yan didn't recognize.

Mecha!

There really was mecha!

Just then, Luo Yan's vision suddenly rose.

The world spun.

When he crashed back onto the compartment floor, he realized he'd been thrown by the shockwave.

He saw, in the distant block, several buildings kick up clouds of dust and tilt, collapsing slowly but steadily!

The broadcast in the compartment continued: "The giant beast has landed. Repeat, the giant beast has landed."

"'Lili' is beginning its advance."

"Based on its movement trajectory, it will enter 'Galaxy Stadium' in two minutes!"

A commotion erupted outside the vehicle.

Luo Yan realized he couldn't stay here any longer.

He was about to leave.

Suddenly someone shouted: "Civilians! Civilians found in Cargo Pod No. 3!"

Luo Yan immediately lunged out of the vehicle.

"Stop right there!"

"Don't move!"

"Or we'll open fire!"

Voices came from behind.

Luo Yan had no choice but to halt.

These people were nothing like scavengers.

They were professionally trained soldiers.

Luo Yan believed they wouldn't miss.

They'd blow his head off with a single shot.

He quickly raised his hands.

"Get down, put your hands where I can see them!"

Luo Yan complied.

Soon his arms were twisted behind his back, and he was yanked up.

Only then did he see two fully armed soldiers in Dark Battle Armor beside him.

"What the hell are you people doing?"

A voice rang out, full of displeasure.

"Letting a civilian get onto a transport vehicle."

"Hurry up and take him away. I need to start up the mech."

Luo Yan looked over. A man wearing something like a wetsuit, but covered in round sensor patches, was staring back with a grim expression.

His brownish eyes swept over Luo Yan, contemptuous, even disgusted.

"Yes, Pilot Yang Rong. We'll take him away immediately." One soldier responded, then roughly shoved Luo Yan out of the cargo hold.

Luo Yan fell from the two-meter-high compartment.

He hit the ground hard.

Just then, the roar of machinery started up inside the hold.

Then the sky above him darkened.

A colossal 'foot' appeared over Luo Yan's head.

He could see the intricate framework and complex machinery beneath this 'foot.'

Luo Yan quickly rolled to the side.

But the foot shifted slightly sideways, then stomped heavily onto the ground, shaking even the heavy truck.

Then the 'giant' inside the hold stood up.

Backlit by the light, Luo Yan couldn't make out the full shape of the mech.

But the roar of the engine and the heavy weight of metal brought him an unprecedented sense of pressure.

The broadcast continued.

"Captain Di Zheng and Pilot Cai Hua have already arrived at the stadium."

"Pilot Yang Rong, please stand by."

At that moment, Luo Yan was picked up by the two soldiers.

They brought him to an SUV.

The soldiers didn't mistreat him—or rather, this convoy had no mood to bother with a civilian like Luo Yan right now.

But with several gleaming gun barrels right beside him, Luo Yan didn't dare to run.

Suddenly.

From deep in the city.

From the direction of the stadium, a dull roar sounded.

Luo Yan looked over.

He saw 'Galaxy Stadium' collapse like a stack of toy blocks.

Collapse!

The earth shook violently.

Faint beastly roars rang out.

Then the convoy's radio crackled to life.

"Attention!"

"The Giant Beast 'Lili' is heading toward the convoy!"

Hearing the broadcast, Pilot Yang Rong's Silver-White Mecha stepped forward a few paces, drawing from its back a heavy, futuristic rifle with the same silver-white paint job.

Luo Yan heard a soldier beside him mutter, "Just a Lower Tier 2 Giant Beast. Pilot Yang Rong can handle it alone."

At the same time.

Luo Yan saw dust and smoke billowing.

Within the haze, a Giant Beast resembling a wild boar—one-eyed, thick-skinned, and sturdy—charged forward.

Suddenly.

Luo Yan's eyes felt a faint heat.

In his vision.

Besides the gray light mass representing 'Lili'.

Behind that Giant Beast.

There was another mass of gray light!

Luo Yan instantly understood: Lili wasn't heading toward the convoy.

Rather.

Something was chasing it!

"There's another one!"

Luo Yan shouted, "There's another Giant Beast!"

No one paid attention.

Or rather, everyone's focus was drawn to the Giant Beast called 'Lili'.

They ignored Luo Yan.

Just then.

From the smoke behind Lili, another figure—equally massive but noticeably leaner and longer—lunged out.

It had a head like a goat's, with two curved black horns covered in mysterious patterns.

Its body was human-like, but the skin was a dark, greenish-black, thick and wrinkled.

It spread its arms, and on its human-like hands grew rows of claws that gleamed with a metallic sheen under the sunlight.

It grabbed Lili in an instant.

The charging Giant Beast ran a short distance with the goat-headed, human-bodied monster clinging to it, then seemed to lose strength.

Its front legs gave way, and it tumbled to the ground.

The monster on it flipped nimbly a few times, landed on its feet, and quickly turned back to pounce.

Its mouth stretched wide, revealing a blood-filled maw lined with fangs.

It bit down on Lili's neck.

Ripping and tearing wildly.

Lili was cruelly devoured, its marrow sucked dry—a bloody scene.

Luo Yan's mind went blank.

It wasn't until the convoy's radio suddenly blared that he snapped back to reality.

"Orange spectrum! It's an Orange spectrum!"

"Immediately cross-reference with the archive database!"

"...Match complete!"

"Attention, this is 'Gluttony'!"

"Rank: Mid Tier 3."

"Type: Shedded Worm."

"Traits: Energy Absorption, Gluttony, Swift Movement, Invisibility!"

"Weakness: between its legs!"

As if drawn by the broadcast's sound.

The Giant Beast called 'Gluttony' stopped not far away, turned around, and looked toward the convoy.

The four small eyes on either side of that goat head narrowed into slits.

Then it charged forward.

Its speed was incredible!

The lone mecha in the convoy, a silver-white giant, strode forward, its tech-laden rifle aimed at the giant beast.

Open fire!

Bang bang bang bang!

The gunshots boomed like thunder.

One after another, gleaming brass casings engraved with special patterns clattered to the ground.

Each casing was the size of an oil drum!

Though hollow, they still struck the earth with shocking force.

One casing even rolled right up to Luo Yan's SUV.

With each ejected casing, the silver-white rifle spat out streaks of orange-red fire—the 'trails' left by bullets scraping through the air.

They shot straight toward the giant beast.

Gluttony stopped abruptly.

Its massive mouth opened.

It sucked in hard!

The fire streaks hurtling toward it suddenly twisted, all funneling into the beast's maw.

In an instant, the rifle's magazine ran empty.

The gunfire ceased.

Gluttony closed its mouth, 'accepting' every bullet.

This was 'Gluttony'!

Bang!

A magazine nearly the size of an SUV slammed to the ground as the mecha swiftly swapped in a fresh one.

But by the time the new magazine was loaded, Gluttony was nowhere to be seen.

It had turned invisible!

Luo Yan's eyes burned hot.

The world around him dimmed.

To the left of the humanoid machine, Luo Yan spotted a long, thin gray mass stirring restlessly.

"It's on your left!"

Luo Yan pointed to the mecha's left side.

Too bad.

The pilot inside the machine couldn't hear his warning.

Boom!

Suddenly, the silver-white mecha took a heavy blow, stumbling backward.

Each step it took sent dirt and rock exploding in all directions!

A massive shadow fell over Luo Yan and the SUV.

He abandoned all caution, shouting as he threw himself to the ground.

Behind him, the SUV was crushed like a toy under the mecha's stomping foot!

The mecha kept sliding back.

When it finally stopped, Gluttony had silently reappeared on its right.

The goat head's mouth gaped wide, and from that pitch-black maw, the fire streaks it had swallowed moments ago flew back out.

They raked across the ground, slashed through the mecha's left knee joint, and tore through several SUVs.

Boom!

The mecha's knee exploded, orange flames spewing from within as massive armor fragments scattered everywhere.

This forced the Silver Giant to drop to one knee.

Gluttony seized the moment, pouncing nimbly onto the mecha's body, spinning around, and kicking hard with a leg.

Thud!

With a dull impact, the external armor on the mecha's chest engine caved in, sparks and fire erupting from its upper body as the giant groaned and collapsed.

The ground shook violently, crushing who knew how many buildings.

The broadcast sounded again.

"The pilot is unconscious!"

"The Empathy System has disconnected!"

"The ejection hatch is jammed—can't launch the escape pod!"

"Captain Di Zheng is on his way back."

Amid the cascade of alerts, Luo Yan's ears rang.

He shook his head and stood up.

Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine.

Luo Yan turned slowly.

He saw Taotie lying on the ground, slowly rising to stand upright.

Throughout the entire process, the four small eyes on that goat's head were all fixed on Luo Yan.

In an instant, overwhelming fear and despair surged in Luo Yan's heart.

Am I going to die here?

Just then.

He seemed to hear a powerful heartbeat.

Thump.

His vision was suddenly replaced by a blur of light and shadow.

Within that blur, Luo Yan vaguely saw a burning earth.

He saw countless beastly silhouettes.

He saw figures wielding blades, releasing lightning and thunder.

They were fighting those beasts.

Then he heard voices.

A language he did not recognize.

Yet Luo Yan understood some of the words.

"...get up... fight..."

He seemed to see a man drenched in blood, pushing himself up again.

Roaring, he charged at a beast.

Tragic, desolate, unyielding.

A rush of heat surged into his heart.

For a moment, Luo Yan couldn't tell if it was himself or someone else.

His vision returned to normal.

He saw Taotie, now standing upright, had raised its foot, as if about to crush an ant.

And it stomped down.

I am not an ant!

I will not die here!

Never!

Luo Yan roared, reaching out his hand toward the giant foot descending above his head.

As if to block Taotie's attack.

Everyone who saw this scene felt a sense of "overreaching."

Just as Taotie was about to crush Luo Yan flat.

Suddenly.

Bang.

Taotie was knocked away!

A massive silver figure burst into everyone's field of vision.

A mech!

The silver giant that had fallen moments ago now had blue light blazing in its eyes as it charged forward.

It slammed into the Giant Beast.

The convoy's broadcast crackled to life again.

"The Empathy System is online!"

"Huh... this signal, this signal isn't Pilot Yang Rong's."

"What's this foreign signal doing here?"

"How is it connecting to the system?"

For Luo Yan at this moment, the broadcast's voice, the Taotie's roars, even the crowd's shouts—

all faded into background noise.

He was looking up at the Taotie from below.

But in his mind, there was another perspective—

one at eye level!

The Taotie rolled over, vanished, and lunged at the mecha.

Luo Yan's eyes burned. In his Mystic Vision, he saw the gray light representing the Giant Beast.

He let out a shout, spun around, and reached out an arm.

The mecha beside Luo Yan mirrored the motion exactly!

The mecha's hand shot out, then clenched tight.

It seized something.

The next second, the Taotie's form materialized in the air.

Its neck was caught in the mecha's grip!

Luo Yan raised his right hand. He felt as if he were holding a rifle.

He had merged with the mecha.

He was the mecha!

The nearby soldiers saw the Silver-White Mecha press the rifle between the Taotie's legs.

That was the weak point.

Fire!

Bang bang bang bang bang!

Massive shell casings clattered to the ground one after another.

This time, the orange-red muzzle flash had barely left the barrel before it struck the Taotie, hammering its body.

The humanoid Giant Beast, its neck locked in the mecha's grip, kept jerking.

Sacs bulged one after another on the skin of its hindquarters.

Seconds later, a stream of fire erupted from the Taotie's rear.

Then more streams!

One after another, the fire lines blasted the Taotie's body in two!

The lower half, still attached to its legs, slid to the ground.

From the break in the upper half, a dark gray spine dangled down!

The mecha lifted the rifle again, pressing it against the Taotie's chest to fire.

But after only a few shots, the magazine ran empty.

Luo Yan slammed his left hand toward the ground.

The mecha did the same, smashing the half-bodied Taotie hard into the earth.

Then it reversed the rifle, gripping the hot barrel with both hands, and beat the stock viciously into the Taotie's goat-like face.

Again and again.

The soldiers' faces went pale.

They watched the crazed mecha, using utterly savage motions, gradually batter the Taotie's head out of shape.

Blood splattered continuously. Fangs fell one after another. Finally, one of the four tiny eyes on the Taotie's face was squeezed out, dangling beside its now-caved and deformed cheek.

At that moment, the convoy's broadcast crackled back to life.

"It's gone..."

"The Taotie's energy signature is gone."

"It's dead!"

On any normal day, the soldiers would have cheered.

But now, they edged back, step by step.

The silver-white giant still didn't stop.

Only when the Taotie's head was smashed to pieces did the mecha finally halt.

Then, the blue light in the mecha's eyes dimmed and died.

At the same time, Luo Yan seemed to lose all his strength.

His legs gave out.

He collapsed to the ground.

That already deformed rifle remained lodged diagonally in the Taotie's head.

Like an unyielding battle flag.

This scene was witnessed by a mech that had just arrived—its form agile, its armor themed in red and blue.

Note: Luǒ (same as naked) insect, one of the "five insects" in ancient times, a general term for animals without feathers, scales, or shells to cover their bodies.