Innate Resonator

Luo Yan's mind was in a haze.

He still hadn't recovered.

He didn't know how long had passed before he vaguely heard someone asking a question.

"Hey, kid. What's your name? I'm asking you."

Luo Yan looked up blankly and saw several people standing around him.

A few soldiers in dark armor, and one man wearing something like a diving suit covered in sensors.

This was a middle-aged man, with sharp features and a hard, rigid demeanor.

He spoke up: "This kid probably hasn't recovered from the Empathy yet. Take him to the medical vehicle and let the doctor have a look."

"Yes, Commander Di."

Several soldiers walked over, two of them hoisting Luo Yan up and carrying him away.

Compared to before, their movements were noticeably gentler.

The man called 'Commander Di' turned to glance at the silver mech beside him, then quickly climbed into an armored vehicle.

The soldiers inside the armored vehicle all stood up and saluted: "Greetings, Commander Di!"

Commander Di made a gesture and said, "Play back the footage of that 'White Dragon' battle for me."

Soon, he saw this scene on the screen: Luo Yan making various movements on the ground, while the silver mech codenamed 'White Dragon' mirrored those same movements in perfect sync.

"Commander Di Zheng, he should be just like you—an 'Innate Resonator'." A soldier beside him said in a low voice.

The commander, whose full name was Di Zheng, nodded: "Without any training, yet able to connect to the Empathy System—he really is an 'Innate Resonator'. It seems he's a better fit for 'White Dragon' than Yang Rong."

"Once he recovers, I'll ask for his opinion. If he agrees, I'll take him back to the underground city."

"No!"

A voice suddenly rang out.

Di Zheng turned around as a person climbed into the armored vehicle.

It was the black-haired, brown-eyed pilot Yang Rong.

He had just gotten out of his mech and come to the command vehicle when he heard Di Zheng's words.

Without caring about protocol, he spoke up to stop him.

Di Zheng looked at him with calm eyes.

Yang Rong said excitedly, "Commander, we can't take some kid with an unknown background to the underground city."

"Besides, he has 'Red Poison'. His eyes are all red—he's not far from death."

"In short, he's worthless!"

Di Zheng said flatly, "Are you done? If you're done, please leave. This isn't a place for you."

Yang Rong's eyes surged with intense unwillingness. He wanted to speak again, but Di Zheng asked calmly in return.

"Do I need to say it a second time?"

Yang Rong didn't dare to talk back anymore. He lowered his head and left the armored vehicle.

On his way to his own rest vehicle, he felt as if people were pointing at him.

But what bothered him most was Di Zheng's words: 'He's a better fit than Yang Rong'!

No!

Absolutely not!

I won't allow it!

Murderous intent flashed in Yang Rong's eyes.

Inside the medical vehicle, after a series of checks, Luo Yan finally recovered.

But he was still very weak.

However, when he saw the nurse about to give him an injection—

He suddenly jumped up.

Instinctively resisting.

Just then, a voice rang out: "Sit down nicely. You have 'Red Poison', so your constitution is weak. And you just resonated with 'White Dragon', draining your spirit and energy."

"This injection will boost your vitality and ease the 'Red Poison'."

"Don't worry, it won't kill you."

Luo Yan then saw the man called 'Commander Di' walk in.

He said, "My name is Di Zheng, Commander of the Ground Exploration Corps."

"What's your name?"

Luo Yan hesitated, then spoke hoarsely.

"My name is Luo Yan."

At that moment, the nurse injected the syringe for him and, under the doctor's instructions, temporarily got out of the vehicle.

Only Luo Yan and Di Zheng remained in the carriage.

Di Zheng pulled up a chair and sat down. "We come from an Underground City, built before the Giant Beast Calamity. It has complete living facilities, and fifty thousand humans work and live there."

"You are an Innate Resonator. Without needing any instruments, you can share senses with a mecha."

"You are a born mecha pilot. Therefore, I want to invite you to the Underground City."

"Of course, you haven't undergone training and lack basic knowledge."

"After arriving at the Underground City, you must undergo three years of study."

"And as a mecha pilot, you will enjoy many 'benefits,' one of which is the treatment of your Red Poison."

"So, are you willing?"

Luo Yan's heartbeat quickened.

Just as he had guessed before.

These people really could treat Red Poison.

This one condition alone was enough that Luo Yan couldn't refuse.

Not to mention, he also wanted to find his family.

But carrying Red Poison, without weapons, had forced him to merely survive in this city, unable to take a single step forward.

Now, he finally saw hope!

But before he could respond, Di Zheng spoke again.

"However, I must warn you of one thing."

"Although through my recommendation, you can enter the Underground City and study at the Mecha Training Academy,"

"this also means you and I will be on the same side."

"Whether you like it or not, others will see you that way."

"And for certain reasons, I have quite a few 'enemies' in the Underground City."

"If you agree, then while you gain an opportunity, you will also gain some 'enemies.'"

Hearing Di Zheng say this, Luo Yan hesitated no longer.

"I'm willing."

"I want to live."

"Besides, I'm not afraid of making enemies."

In three years on the surface, he had faced and killed quite a few 'enemies.'

Moreover, there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Luo Yan understood this truth.

If he wanted a chance to survive, then naturally, he had to pay a certain price!

This exploration team leader laying the cards on the table actually gave him a sense of trustworthiness.

Di Zheng's face was cold as he nodded. "Good. Rest for now. Tomorrow we'll head back."

That afternoon, the third mecha finally returned.

Along with the mecha came a truck.

The truck's cargo bed held something unknown, wrapped tightly in waterproof fabric.

It looked like it had been hauled back from the Galaxy Stadium, from that Taotie's lair.

This made Luo Yan, sitting on a low stone by the vehicle, very curious.

Soon, night fell.

A woman with a gorgeous face, wearing a uniform, came smilingly to Luo Yan's side.

She set down several food cans and said to Luo Yan, "Kid, these are for you."

Luo Yan glanced at her but said nothing.

Over these years, he had learned one thing—

not to casually eat food from strangers.

Besides, the more beautiful a woman is, the more dangerous she is.

Seeing that Luo Yan didn't even budge, the woman snorted and sat down.

She moved closer to Luo Yan.

Instantly, a wisp of Ethereal Fragrance drilled straight into Luo Yan's nostrils.

"What's the matter, kid? Afraid I'll hurt you?"

"I wouldn't have come in person if I'd known, big sister."

"By the way, tell big sister, how did you operate the 'White Dragon'?"

Luo Yan lifted his head, casting a questioning look. "White Dragon?"

"That mecha Pilot Yang Rong was driving."

"Oh."

Then Luo Yan fell silent again.

He didn't know how he'd managed to operate it either.

He figured it must have something to do with what Di Zheng called an 'Innate Resonator.'

Seeing Luo Yan's cold, almost inhuman indifference, the woman snorted, got up, and left.

After she was gone, Luo Yan opened the can.

The meat's aroma instantly stirred his cravings.

But he restrained himself and casually splashed the canned meat around nearby.

A few stray dogs poked their heads out, sniffing around.

Luo Yan pretended not to notice.

The dogs plucked up their courage, ran over, and scrambled to eat the meat on the ground.

Luo Yan took out his own bread and ate in silence.

Suddenly, the dogs beside him let out pained whines.

Luo Yan turned to see them collapsed on the ground, foaming at the mouth, convulsing all over.

He narrowed his eyes.

"Damn brat, doesn't appreciate a woman's charms at all. Serves him right for dying."

"Heh, pull this off, and I'll get the basic Visualization Technique Pilot Yang Rong promised. If I can achieve Aperture Opening, I might enter the Mecha Academy and become a pilot."

"No more groveling to anyone!"

The flashy woman's mind raced with fantasies, smug in her own cleverness.

Finally, she slipped into her single-person tent.

The night grew deep.

Half-asleep, the woman suddenly felt her throat tighten, nearly choking.

She snapped her eyes open and saw a dark figure beside her.

Then she heard the shadow say, "If you so much as scream, I'll kill you right now."

Next, a chill touched her face, followed by the sting of skin being sliced.

The woman nodded frantically, not daring to talk back.

The shadow then asked, "Why did you give me a poisoned meat can?"

Instantly, she knew who it was.

Luo Yan!

That kid who looked so young—how dare he sneak into her tent?

He wasn't dead?

He hadn't eaten the canned meat?

How was that possible!

Didn't these surface survivors shove anything edible into their mouths without a second thought?

After a moment of panic, the woman's eyes darted around.

She didn't dare implicate Yang Rong, so she whispered, "Poisoned? You've got it wrong."

Luo Yan grabbed one of the cans, opened it, pried her mouth open, and started tipping the contents in.

The woman hadn't expected him to be so ruthless and quickly said, "I'll talk, I'll talk! It was Yang Rong."

"Pilot Yang made me do it!"

Yang Rong...

Luo Yan's mind instantly flashed to the image of that gloomy pilot.

"Good."

Luo Yan released his grip.

The woman had cheated death and relaxed.

Then a torrent of vicious methods flooded her mind—all the ways she could make Luo Yan pay.

But at that moment, a piece of fragrant artificial meat, soaked in rich gravy, slid into her mouth!

Luo Yan dumped the contents of the can into the woman's mouth, then clamped his hand firmly over her lips.

She struggled wildly, her eyes bulging as if they might pop out.

But in the end, she foamed at the mouth.

Dead.

Luo Yan pulled out a sharpened piece of iron, slit the woman's artery, filled the empty can with blood, and slipped away.

He left the convoy.

Along the way, he dripped the woman's blood.

Before long.

Some Wolf Ticks caught the scent and came.

They charged into the convoy.

Into the woman's tent.

This roused the warriors, and a brief skirmish broke out.

The Wolf Ticks were all killed.

But the woman had also been 'unfortunately' torn apart by them.

Watching this, Luo Yan took a deep breath of the cold night air and returned to his assigned tent.

The next day, the convoy set off.

They quickly left 'Flower City'.

Heading north.

At dusk, they stopped to rest under a large bridge.

Three trucks loaded with mechas opened their cargo bays, and maintenance crews began their daily upkeep.

Every mecha pilot treasured their machine like a precious gem, insisting on watching over the maintenance to feel at ease.

Yang Rong was no exception.

And he was in a foul mood, giving the maintenance crew no good face.

"Watch yourselves. If you break anything, I'll make sure you regret it."

"Are you an idiot? Who told you to use lubricant like that!"

Luo Yan sat nearby, watching as the truck bed rose, propping up the mecha's upper body.

Yang Rong stood beneath the mecha, pointing and criticizing.

Occasionally, he glanced at Luo Yan, his gaze dark.

Luo Yan ignored him, closed his eyes, and sought out the feeling from yesterday.

Soon, he heard that powerful heartbeat again.

As if the mecha were alive, not a metal construct.

Luo Yan instantly connected with the mecha, achieving resonance.

At the corner of his 'vision', Yang Rong's figure appeared.

Luo Yan gave a quick jolt.

On the heavy truck, the mecha 'White Dragon' suddenly tilted, snapping several mooring cables, and crashed to the ground.

Yang Rong had just turned to leave and didn't see it in time.

But he heard the maintenance workers' shouts.

Then a massive shadow loomed over him.

Bam!

The mecha slammed heavily onto the ground.

Beneath the silver-white armor, blood began to seep out.

The camp fell silent for a moment.

Then cries of alarm erupted everywhere.

A pilot drove a pitch-black mecha over to help.

But when the 'White Dragon' was lifted, all anyone saw was Yang Rong reduced to a pool of blood plasma.

Luo Yan took out the last bread he had brought from the 'Doghouse'.

He took a bite.

Mm, so fragrant!

Little Newbie's new book is out, brothers and sisters, please take good care of me. During the new book period, collections, recommendation tickets, and monthly tickets are all very important to me, I beg for your support~