Get Moving

(Today's third update! Please bookmark and recommend!)

With Black's guidance, Mu Fan finally found a snap-button switch. He opened the two layers of Pressure Rotary Doors on the back and entered the cockpit.

It looked exactly the same as last time, except he had barely gotten a good look before Black had tinkered with it and switched it into Body Coordination mode.

Naturally, Black followed Mu Fan into the cockpit. As it flew around, it lectured him, "The mecha you'll be training with this time is still this EH01 Type."

Mu Fan muttered something under his breath, but Black caught it sharply.

"Why? Because it's broken enough and low-grade enough. Do you think you could handle something advanced?" Black flew through the air in a figure-eight pattern.

"The movements you made with the EH01 last time don't exist in reality at all—or if they do, they certainly aren't something you'd see easily. Without Liquid Metal Muscle Components, completing humanoid movements is more than ten times harder than you imagine! So don't even think about it before Sixth Generation Mechas." Lord Black felt its tone was incredibly cool. As it watched Mu Fan listen attentively, the smiling eyes on its spherical body flashed when it drifted behind him.

"What should I teach you today? Today, I'll teach you real mecha operation."

Mu Fan sat in the pilot's seat. On either side stood thirteen red-and-blue mechanical levers, while 178 control keys were arranged in a semicircle across the upper half of the keyboard before him.

"The purpose of a mecha is to create a machine based on an enlarged human body, then improve upon it. This mecha was a product of the human Earth Era. Being able to perform a relatively large number of human movements with 178 keys was already streamlined to the absolute limit."

Mu Fan grimaced. The first generation was already this streamlined, so what about the first generation, the second generation...

"Once you're familiar with this basic model, you'll start working with the next generation's 196-Key Control. I'll give you systematic training and instruction. Don't worry, you won't have a chance to use this mecha in the future anyway. I pulled it out specifically for you." Black explained according to its own train of thought, failing to notice what Mu Fan was thinking.

"Don't start thinking mechanical keys are outdated. That would be sheer ignorance! Even these low-generation mechas have components numbering in the thousands, not to mention high-generation mechas. Making machinery a hundred times heavier than a human body perform human movements was only the original intention, but don't forget that in real combat, you need to perform non-human movements as well!! Can you simulate those? Can you twist your joints? A true mecha master uses an existing frame to perform movements beyond imagination!" Seeing Mu Fan curl his lip at the mechanical-key control panel, the white sphere instantly turned red. Black was angry.

Skill corresponded to strength. When operating most mechas, the requirement for personal strength was zero; what mattered was physical endurance and mental sharpness. As Mu Fan listened to Black's principles, he felt that everything Black said was quite profound.

How could he have known that on this barren, ruined Edge Planet of the Federation, a robot was instilling in him the far vaster and more ancient mecha philosophy inherited from another parallel plane?

Under Black's instruction, Mu Fan pressed the start button. The screen in front of him lit up, and his palms began to sweat slightly. This was his first official time operating a mecha that felt so incredibly real.

His left hand pushed the Hydraulic Transmission Rod. "Buzz..." Mu Fan felt his whole body move along with the cockpit. His right hand—where was his right hand? He needed to quickly correct the horizontal force.

His left hand shot up and tapped A3, A7, B4, E5...

This was to make fine adjustments to the mecha's leg movements. Its toes were pointing downward. If it stepped down like that, the mecha would definitely fall.

E5... what came after E5?

Mu Fan flustered. What had been a fairly smooth opening movement quickly jammed up.

The White Skeleton in the base suddenly lifted its left foot and stepped forward. But while the foot was still in midair, the mecha's ankle abruptly twisted to the right. Then, in the posture of someone with a broken leg, it planted its foot.

Bang

The skeletal EH01 fell flat onto its back, the surrounding lights shining upon it like it was an exhibit specimen.

Mu Fan's face reddened a little. Black had explained for so long, and he had confidently declared that he could manage the first step.

"Mu Fan, that pose was so embarrassing! I took a picture. Look." As Mu Fan lay sideways along with the mecha, he saw Black fly over and project an image from its eyes.

The EH01 lay spread-eagled in the base, looking as ugly as could be.

So embarrassing! Mu Fan truly felt ashamed. He had bragged a little too much just now.

How could he have known that most mechas on the PO Battle Network had half their control keys removed, while the mechas Black gave him had all been restored one hundred percent according to real data? The shells looked identical, but their insides were entirely different.

"I... I'll try again." For the first time, Mu Fan did not feel so confident before Black.

"Hahahaha, all right. Since Lord Black is so kind-hearted, I'll explain it again. Come, I'll teach you how to get up. Push the red No. 2 control lever with your right hand 0.7 marks. Press A8, C6, and H1 on the control panel in sequence. At the same time, use your left hand to push the blue No. 1 and red No. 3 control levers. Wait two seconds, then switch levers with your right hand. Keep your hand steadier. Yes, just like that..."

Mu Fan did not take his first step, but under Black's guidance, he successfully controlled the mecha into standing up from its prone position.

He had finally succeeded. Mu Fan was moved to tears.

The skeletal EH01 Type swayed as it stood up inside the abandoned base. It took its first step!

Inside the cockpit, Mu Fan focused completely, his hands flashing back and forth between the control panel and mechanical levers.

"Don't look down! Remember every key you've pressed!"

When Mu Fan lowered his head to check the control panel keys, Black spotted him and began another round of scolding. His rhythm was interrupted by Black, and his hand trembled.

Bang! The EH01 Type fell to the ground again.

"Mu Fan, you idiot!"

"It fell again..."

"Oh heavens! Egg Lord! Can you stop embarrassing Lord Black?"

Black enthusiastically fired off reprimand after reprimand. It had thoroughly satisfied its urge to lecture today. Lord Black was mighty! The two eyes on the metal sphere narrowed completely, the sign that Black was happy beyond measure.

Two hours later, just as Mu Fan began to doubt himself, the mecha finally staggered through ten steps. That was the standard Black had set for him.

Mu Fan leaned back exhausted in the pilot's seat. This was even more tiring than fighting Fierce Beasts for his life outside. Just maintaining the mecha's balance while walking had nearly filled his mind with those densely packed control keys, much less using this mecha to fight in the future.

Wasn't there some simpler way to operate it?! Mu Fan complained. Why was this different from what he had learned before?

"No!" Black lied without changing expression. It would never tell Mu Fan that there would be Brain Coordination Instruments in the future. Those things simply were not suitable under harsh conditions. Yes, it would train him according to its own methods.

Poor Mu Fan still felt deeply guilty over his "terrible" results. Looking apologetically at Black, he said, "Black, have I disappointed you too much?"

After flying in a circle, Black answered with certainty, "Yes! Since you know you're weak, you should strive even harder! Work hard, young man!"

Mu Fan nodded with a resolute expression.