Shrek Academy, mecha control simulation room.
Beneath an enormous silver-white dome, dozens of brand-new white mechas stood in neat rows, gleaming with a cold metallic sheen. Although Wu Changkong had already explained that battle armor was their ultimate goal, mechas, as the current mainstream fighting force of the Soul Master World, remained a required course.
After all, the threshold for battle armor was too high. For most Soul Masters, mechas were still the best way to improve their strength. Especially for Support System Soul Masters whose own combat abilities were weak, a mecha often meant a transformation from "the protected" to "the fighter."
"All right, that's enough theory for now."
The teacher in charge of the practical mecha class was a burly middle-aged man named Duan Shang. Standing on a raised platform, he swept his gaze over the students below and said in a deep voice, "A mecha's structure is primarily divided into the power compartment, cockpit, and weapon mounting points. Now, everyone board your mechas and begin basic walking and balance tests."
At his command, the students climbed into their mechas.
Tang Wulin settled into the cockpit with practiced ease. The instant the neural interface activated, he felt as though he had become one with the cold machine.
"Gu Yue, how does it feel?" Tang Wulin asked over the communications channel.
"A little sluggish," came Gu Yue's cool voice. "Compared to the seamless connection of battle armor, mecha command transmission has a delay of at least 0.5 seconds. And it's too cumbersome."
"True." Tang Wulin nodded. "But as transitional equipment, it's decent enough."
As they spoke, their mechas had already risen steadily to their feet, moving as smoothly as real people taking a stroll.
In stark contrast to their breezy composure, however, everyone else's side had become a "disaster