The Melee Begins
This was the first time Mu Fan had ever touched a real mecha. His emotions were still running high. He stroked the metallic control panel and looked at the real-life manifestation of the virtual mecha in the PO Battle Network. His fingers brushed over the familiar 208 keys. His palms even broke out in a little sweat. This was not nervousness, but excitement!
"Power restored!" Seeing the voltage back to normal, the officer didn't hesitate and quickly issued the order, "Mechs, sortie!!"
"Countdown begins, 15 seconds, 14 seconds..."
A dark voice suddenly rang out in the cockpit. "Control system of this mech has been taken over. Mu Fan, launch!"
"Attack!" Mu Fan's eyes revealed a hint of excitement as he pressed down the start button.
"Mech self-check program initiated, energy reserve 100%, mech readiness 85%, warning: missing firepower!" Mu Fan paid no attention to the warning, skillfully pushing the mechanical lever, and a set of action settings keys were refreshed.
The last RX-16 in the Mecha Hangar moved first. With seven seconds left on the countdown, the maintenance technician operating the robotic arm behind it was startled, then shouted, "The guns! The guns aren't loaded yet!!"
The officer over there, hearing the shout, looked over and felt like his face was about to explode with anger. Who was the pilot of that mech? If they found out, that person would be locked up! Time was of the essence, so he glared fiercely and gave the final order over the loudspeaker, "Attack!"
So, amidst the fierce gazes of the officers and the stunned stares of the maintenance workers on the platform, the mech raised its Heavy Shield and took the lead in stepping forward!
The two RX-16 pilots at the front had just started up when they saw the back of Mu Fan's mech stepping out of the hangar platform on the combat screen, their faces beaming with excitement.
"Macas, have you taken the wrong medicine today? Where's your gun?" When the voices of the other two pilots rang out in the cockpit, Mu Fan quickly realized that they were referring to the soldier who had been knocked unconscious and put into the Escape Pod.
With no other option, Mu Fan simply turned on voice silence.
"This kid has gone silent."
"Awesome!"
The two pilots watched with admiration as the bare mech with its sword and shield disappeared from their sight, and then quickly gave chase.
The exit of the Mecha Hangar was already open, and a corridor ten meters high led Mu Fan to carefully maneuver his mech forward.
The moment the mecha took its first step, Mu Fan sensed something was wrong. It was a manifestation of real gravity. With each step the mecha took, he could feel the feedback from the cockpit, even after being filtered through layers of filters.
This realistic feedback creates a constant, subtle movement throughout the cockpit. Compared to PO Battle Network, even if the difference lies only in this subtle sensation, it completely transforms the experience.
Virtual, real!
"Mu Fan, get familiar with the passage as soon as possible. It's 120 meters long, and the exit is on the back side of the mountainside. You don't have long-range firepower, so you need to take evasive action as soon as you get out." Hei noticed that Mu Fan's route was slightly distorted through the airborne view, so he reminded him.
"Understood!" Mu Fan's powerful muscle control ability was perfectly demonstrated at this moment!
Although he no longer has the same high level of synergy as he did in the stable environment of PO Battle Network, his superior physical abilities can finally play a significant role.
Every button on the control panel had a slightly different feel, and Mu Fan forced himself to quickly adapt his muscles to each area.
The combat screen already shows that we are about to leave the passage.
"Mu Fan, Textbook Maneuver 17 - Evasive Launch!" came the black voice.
Mu Fan swept his right hand, synchronizing three sets of four keys in succession! The RX-16 mech slowly sank down, holding its shield in front of its chest, its legs bent, but the airflow emanating from its legs indicated that the hydraulic components had entered a 100% load state.
Crouch down, shield in hand, charge! Leap forward.
The pilot of the No. 1 rx-16 Mecha behind him was stunned. Was this still his comrade-in-arms? To have such awareness and such skillful and standard movements when they were almost at the cave entrance, had Macas been hiding his true abilities all along?
"Kelly, what are you doing? Why aren't you moving?" A teammate's voice suddenly came through the channel. Kelly was startled and immediately continued moving forward, replying in a puzzled voice, "Is that kid Macas holding back? Why do his movements remind me a bit of what I felt when I watched the instructor?"
"You've regressed! We're almost there, get ready to defend yourself!"
With a precise defensive maneuver, the two RX-16s behind them rushed out of the passage and stood on either side with their shields raised.
Why is Macas continuing his charge?
"Why aren't you even providing tactical cover?!" The two pilots were getting angry. He had absolutely no sense of teamwork. What was wrong with this guy today? This was irresponsible towards his teammates' lives.
Little did they know that Mu Fan rolled down immediately after crashing through the crowd because Hei had alerted a Surveillance Camera mech had begun attacking the Jiahe Avenue Manor No. 4, the Fuwen Family's stronghold!
When just one mech rushed out, it didn't attract much attention. However, when the RX-25 artillery-type mech appeared, it finally caught the attention of the space pirates. Then, accompanied by a cannon shot from a small escort ship, the military directly engaged the space pirates in combat.
"Fire Support! RX-33, move out!" The two melee mechs concentrated their energy on their Heavy Shield and activated their fire protection mode. Five RX-25s lined up in a row and bombarded the sky with their firepower.
By then, the escort ship realized it was too late when the military officially began its counterattack. Three RX-33 fighter jets, trailing blue flames, soared into the sky.
Coordinate calibration, data link correction, fire control synchronization! Trinity spiral fire! The three air combat mechs fully demonstrated their A-level air combat capabilities, showcasing their presence with a standard military-grade mech combo attack.
The three-unit spiral burst of the Falcon Air-to-Air Active Missile, combined with the Beam Gun, tore through the side armor of the small frigate. After a spin, the three mechs fired another round, and the High-Pressure Internal Combustion Bomb directly hit the interior of the frigate. With a burst of fire, the crew inside the small frigate were wiped out and exploded in the sky.
"Well done!" The major in the base watched the screen with excitement.
"Hmph! Unreliable Wen family, cruiser firepower coverage, District 2 Pirate Group Reaper Mecha, move out!" Upon learning that one of his small escort ships had been destroyed, Poison Scorpion's smile vanished, and he coldly issued the order.
Squads of brown mechs with scythe-like arms and six-tube missile launchers on their backs were launched from the air.
Mu Fan, who was running down the hillside, had no time to cooperate with the military. His screen showed a scene that had been temporarily switched on: several mechs were sweeping through the city center. The sudden resistance from the Fuwen Mountain Villa caught the mechs off guard, but they quickly became enraged and began to attack. At this moment, their firepower was being poured onto the manor's Energy Shield.
The entire villa was like a leaf swaying in a downpour, teetering on the brink of collapse!
Wait for me!
Mu Fan silently recited a phrase in his mind, adjusted his direction, and rushed straight towards the manor like an arrow!
************
ps: Thanks to the book friend "Occupy Her" for the 200-coin reward! Thanks to the book friend "Kiss Everywhere￥" for the 100-coin reward!
Thank you to readers "Yesterday's Beauty", "Huan Qianyun", and "Soviet Armored Infantry" for their 10-coin donations!
(On a side note, the climax of Volume One has officially begun! Is this Adventure Grade mecha actually Mu Fan's vehicle? I wonder if any observant readers have noticed any clues.)