Mu Fan sped away in a cloud of dust. He felt even more at ease in the dense forest than in the city. Only after returning to his own hideout, to this heap of industrial scrap, did he finally feel settled.
There was no one here but himself.
He needed to explain everything to Black. He needed to raise his abilities as much as possible in the shortest time!
The star pirates were coming! The major exam was approaching!
These two major events had one thing in common: both required great strength!
Mu Fan's desire to grow stronger had never been so urgent. He needed to find Black as soon as possible.
He lit a bonfire in the corner, leaned against the wall, put on his Helmet, and directly entered the PO Battle Network's 341 Base.
"Mecha Piloting Training."
Familiar with the place, Mu Fan shouted as soon as he entered the base, "Black, get out here, now!"
A swaying metal sphere appeared before Mu Fan. Its electronic eye looked at him with a smile. "What is it, Mu Fan? Did you miss me?"
"Black, is there any fastest way to improve my strength?" Mu Fan looked seriously at Black.
"Could you explain why? Your training plan has already been set." Black circled around Mu Fan curiously.
Mu Fan said in a deep voice, "The star pirates are about to attack. They killed my adoptive parents back then. I need enough strength to survive, then personally kill my enemies! I don't know when the next chance will come."
Black suddenly stopped. Its eyes returned to normal as it looked at Mu Fan. "Host request accepted. Searching for a solution."
Beyond the range of human sight, an invisible ripple spread from Black's location in the PO Battle Network, gradually covering every open civilian interface on Luoqie Star's PO Battle Network.
"Which star pirate group?" Black's voice became mechanical.
"Broken Axe!" Mu Fan ground out the two words through clenched teeth.
"Search complete. The Broken Axe Star Pirate Group's records in government documents are as follows:
A-grade threat. Total membership: 120 to 150. Possesses two small destroyers and one transport ship.
Leader: Poison Scorpion. Records indicate a Level 19 physique. He has mastered one A-grade Combat Skill and more than three B-grade Combat Skills.
According to the government military assessment report, the Broken Axe Star Pirate Group rose to prominence because it possesses two non-mass-produced Warrior Grade mecha: the Air Combat Type Wind Thief and the Land Combat Type Thunder Slash. They are equipped with a six-and-a-half-generation engine and a Sixth-Generation Engine respectively. Due to the Federation military's lack of attention toward fringe regions, the strongest force stationed on Luoqie Star consists only of standard Adventure Grade mecha with Fifth-Generation Engines, incapable of effectively suppressing the star pirates with ground firepower."
Black immediately continued, "This is fundamentally different from the PO Battle Network's classifications. In reality, the Federation classifies mecha by capability as Travel Grade, C-grade and below; Adventure Grade, B-grade; Warrior Grade, A-grade; Super Series, S-grade; Ultimate Series, SS-grade; and Emperor Series, SSS-grade. If the two highest of a mecha's four major attributes exceed a certain grade, it is classified at that grade. For example, Wind Thief and Thunder Slash each have two attributes above A-grade in government evaluations, meaning their parameters far exceed those of Adventure Grade Military Mecha."
"And then?" Mu Fan asked directly.
"Therefore, the host's training objective is to pilot a Fifth-Generation Engine Adventure Grade Military Mecha and defeat the Warrior Grade Wind Thief and Thunder Slash. According to publicly available network data, there are thirty-seven Military Mecha stations on Luoqie Star. Once conflict breaks out, please choose the nearest station."
"What am I choosing the nearest station for?" Mu Fan had a bad feeling about this.
"Seize a Military Mecha and engage the star pirate group in a Final Battle. Calculations indicate that if the mecha battle is lost, the overall chance of victory is 15%. If the mecha battle is won, the overall chance of victory is 85%. The chance of defeating a Warrior Grade mecha while piloting an Adventure Grade mecha is 30%." Black gave Mu Fan an answer that left him speechless.
First, he had to seize a Military Mecha through layers of security, then fight the enemy. After somehow winning with a one-in-ten chance, he would have an 85% chance of crushing the star pirate group. The more he listened, the less reliable this plan sounded.
But Mu Fan did not think any further. He agreed immediately. "All right!"
The moment Mu Fan said those words, a green light flashed across Black's body. Its tone instantly returned to normal, becoming the emotional intelligent life Mu Fan knew—Black.
"Mu Fan, don't worry too much. I didn't calculate the win rate when I enter the mecha myself. I'll assist with your operations then, so rest assured."
"Also, now that I've given you all that information, you need to break through Level 40 gravity training in reality soon and raise your strength level to at least Level 18. That may be much easier for you than mastering a mecha. According to my search, the current models on Luoqie Star belong to the RX General-Purpose Series: the RX-16 Land Combat Type, the RX-25 Artillery Warfare Type, and the RX-33 Small Fighter."
Black's eyes projected a gigantic light screen displaying the appearances of the three machines: the sword-and-shield-wielding RX-16, the RX-25 carrying a long-barreled cannon and capable of transforming into a self-propelled artillery unit, and the aircraft-shaped RX-33.
"Mu Fan, these three mecha are the Federation's strongest forces on this planet. Their piloting systems are all different, and time is tight. I suggest choosing the first model. Also, buy a miniature wireless earpiece tomorrow. I'll take full control of every surveillance camera within twenty kilometers of you. If conflict breaks out, I'll arrange the shortest route to the nearest military station."
Mu Fan nodded and pointed to the first model without hesitation. "I choose this one, the RX-16."
"Received." The other two models vanished from Black's light screen. Then the remaining RX-16 gradually solidified before Mu Fan's eyes, appearing directly in front of him.
A red diamond-shaped Heavy Shield stood before its left arm, while its right hand gripped a broad silver-white Metal Greatsword that gleamed coldly. Its square, sturdy torso was patterned in blue and white, with reinforced protection around its vital areas. Two energy-furnace exhaust ports on its back angled downward, hidden within reactive armor. The mecha's overall style was imposing and steady. Eight lateral locking clamps on its feet firmly supported its heavy body. A one-handed Rapid-fire Gun was mounted on its back for establishing firepower networks in team combat.
It was a standard military combat mecha. It had not even undergone any extra modifications beyond the most basic configuration. Its rugged, commanding style made it hard for Mu Fan to find anything to dislike. It was countless times better than the EH01 Type he had encountered. But this was only an Adventure Grade mecha. What would a Warrior Grade mecha be like? Mu Fan became curious about the Warrior Grade mecha he had yet to see. As for the even more distant Super Series, Ultimate Series, and Emperor Series... what kind of existences were they?
Black quickly interrupted his thoughts. "Mu Fan, in this base, I can create anything that can be displayed in the PO Battle Network. From now on, familiarize yourself with this mecha here."
"Also, through calculation, I found four mecha operating skills in the Fantasy Combat Zone that you can master through training." Black spoke as calmly as ever, and Mu Fan did not notice anything unusual. How could he have known what Fantasy Series skills meant... They were skills that existed only in people's imagination. The little fatty had not explained them in detail, and Mu Fan cared even less about such things.
So when Black said this solemnly, Mu Fan even answered gratefully, "Thank you, Black."
"No need to thank me, Mu Fan. You are the host. Under any circumstances, your personal safety comes first. Now please enter the cockpit. The cockpit uses a 208-key control panel." Black's tone was becoming increasingly human. Mu Fan thought he heard a trace of emotion in it, though perhaps it was only an illusion.
"Next, begin the first training item—Footwork Technique, Phantom Flash!"
P.S. Thanks to readers "Dusty Seas, Changing Times" and "Yesterday's Beauty" for the 10-coin rewards!
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