Thank you to liuxnoob senior, Yuxuanjun senior, Qiji senior, Wulianzhishu Lian senior, Xiangpinizhishen senior, Qimao Shuyou_081499489756 senior, Qimao Shuyou_081252489910 senior, and all the seniors who left comments and enjoyed this book.
Wishing all seniors smooth sailing, soaring like dragons, auspicious beginnings, peace in all seasons, abundance of blessings, great fortune, celestial favor, wealth from all directions, united hearts, perfection in all things, and success in a hundred, a thousand, and ten thousand endeavors!
...
Before Xu Jie’s eyes, an orange-red information panel displayed the frigid temperature of the sea.
The sea breeze struck like a sharp blade.
He stood on the shoulder of a majestic and peculiar mecha, gripping the armor, his expressionless face fixed on the sea.
The mecha was slowly flying towards the battlefield front line.
At the boundary where sea blue met sky blue, countless flashes of fire erupted and extinguished, dissipating into white smoke.
Amidst the innumerable bursts of flame, the mechas, like swarms of dancing insects, converged densely, inseparable.
“We’ve arrived,” Xu Jie stated mechanically.
The pedal beneath his feet split into four sections and retracted into the armor, a miniature lift platform carrying him down into the mecha’s interior.
Before his eyes, the world transformed from blue to black.
Suddenly, cold silver-gray light bands illuminated the surroundings. In the narrow, dim cockpit, Xu Jie stood in the center.
Several restraint straps extended from behind the pilot's seat, locking Xu Jie firmly in place.
Numerous fine interfaces opened on his bionic body.
Hundreds of fine communication cables emerged from the four walls of the mecha cockpit, snaking forward like serpents, locating their respective connectors on Xu Jie's body and plugging in.
“Docking successful,” Xu Jie said calmly.
“Hiss—!” The cockpit suddenly expelled icy gas, freezing everything.
Only Xu Jie’s sharp, cold gaze remained.
[Synchronization Rate: 37%... 45%... 78%]
Why did I agree to that woman…
Wouldn't it be better to be dead…
After all, no one in this world cares about me.
No, I must live.
To reclaim what I desire.
To kill someone who deserves to die.
[Synchronization Rate 91%]
[Exceeding historical record, continuously rising]
It's becoming more painful…
[Synchronization complete, mecha operational rate near peak, error... zero]
The thrusters on the back of this black armored, majestic mecha began to deform.
The original two exhaust ports, as thick as giant pillars, separated to the sides, and two more thruster units rose from the mecha’s back.
Four dark, gaping maws suddenly erupted with a fierce, earth-brown flame.
The seawater vaporized in the flames, sending up sprays of water and white steam.
Like a monstrous beast emerging from the sea, the black mecha rose steadily from the water, charging towards the front battlefield.
...
“Ye Ying, you’ll be responsible for luring the enemy, I’ll be responsible for the kill,” Lan Jing said coldly.
Ye Ying responded with silence, piloting her mecha to fly head-on.
Not far ahead, five enemy mechas were ganging up on two friendly units, appearing close to achieving their goal.
Halfway through her flight, the Nightingale's thrusters suddenly cut out. She glided downwards at a steep angle below an enemy mecha, then suddenly ignited her limb and main thrusters, charging upwards into the enemy.
The Peregrine flew up swiftly, its twin swords slashing in unison, bringing down the enemy mecha.
“One down,” Lan Jing said coldly.
The Nightingale released the enemy mecha and charged towards another.
The remaining four enemy mechas seemed to have changed their target, adopting counter-defensive stances and surrounding the Nightingale.
Ye Ying's gaze was calm as she quickly manipulated the controls, calling up combat commands.
The Nightingale’s body suddenly spun, its white beam saber creating a whirlwind, mercilessly cleaving through the enemy mecha's armor.
The Peregrine swooped down with incredible speed, its sword edge inward, rapidly circling the outer perimeter of the four enemy mechas.
Torn apart from both inside and out, the four enemy mechas lost power, their armor scattering like snowflakes, emitting thick smoke, and plummeting towards the sea.
“Five down,” Lan Jing stated.
“We’re saved!”
“Thank you! Which company are you from?”
Ye Ying and Lan Jing did not respond. They flew upwards together, searching for their next target.
The current front battlefield was like a brutal, bloody abattoir.
New mechas were constantly joining,
And mechas were falling.
The shockwaves and explosions thinned the air, with smoke mingling within, creating a turbid, chaotic atmosphere.
Long-range offensive mechas hovered at the periphery of the battlefield, waiting for opportunities to snipe isolated enemies.
Light and medium combat mechas acted like kamikaze warriors, fiercely engaging every enemy they encountered.
From sea to sky, above this sea area spanning twenty kilometers,
It was like a battle between gods and demons.
This battle had been raging for a week, with no end in sight.
“Ye Ying, watch your right flank,” Lan Jing warned.
At this moment, in the far distance of the sky to the right, a large number of Black Star mechas were gathering,
Led by heavy defensive mechas, with light and medium combat mechas for close-quarters fighting on their flanks.
They protected the mechas capable of long-range, high-damage attacks in the center.
“The enemy intends to launch a push,” Ye Ying said calmly.
Lan Jing looked in the direction of the formation; it was precisely the Sky Star Island they were defending.
“No new combat orders. We continue to engage in free combat,” Lan Jing murmured.
Suddenly, countless missiles flew from the left horizon.
The missile rain streaked over the heads of the Nightingale and the Peregrine, leaving trails of burning exhaust, like ten thousand arrows, streaking rapidly towards the newly formed enemy formation.
The leading defensive mecha quickly reinforced the left flank of the formation,
Deploying beam defense shields against the missile rain.
As the missile rain struck the left flank of the enemy formation, a series of brilliant orange explosions erupted, followed by black impact smoke.
The first wave of ordnance was blocked, followed by a second wave.
Mechas that had lost the protection of heavy defensive units scattered in all directions.
Enemy mechas that couldn't escape in time were hit by missiles, turning into fireballs and crashing into other enemy mechas.
In an instant, the newly formed assault formation was shattered, no longer resembling an effective offensive tactic.
At this moment, new combat orders arrived in Ye Ying and Lan Jing’s communicators.
The two mechas flew towards the scattered enemy formation with unspoken coordination, preparing to engage in combat.
Ye Ying, having not eaten for two days, maintained vigorous energy due to the special military stimulant drugs.
Since meeting her new teammate Lan Jing last time, they had only returned to the hangar once.
After a mere two hours of rest, replenishment of fresh water and food, they received new combat orders.
The entire Lou Hai campaign had devolved into chaos, a sustained white-hot conflict,
With cruel tug-of-war battles one after another.
Mecha wreckage was visible everywhere on the sea surface, and salvage ships worked tirelessly.
Ye Ying gazed at the enemy mechas, suddenly thinking of Gu Ya. If he were here, how would the war be?
His skills were superior.
Moreover, he possessed mysterious technology that allowed him to summon mechas out of thin air.
Thinking of Gu Ya, Ye Ying chuckled softly.
But in the next second, she cleared her mind and charged unhesitatingly towards the enemy.
The Nightingale mecha’s agile and unpredictable movements made it impossible for the enemy to discern,
Paired with Ye Ying’s superb skills, the Nightingale was like a nimble assassin, continuously reaping enemy lives.
The Peregrine mecha possessed superior acceleration and rapid kill capabilities, able to slash enemies at four times the speed of sound.
He was like a phantom swordsman, striking fear into the hearts of enemy mechas.
From dawn till dark, the enemy's final effective push was finally repelled by the defenders.
The dim sky was devoid of any firelight.
Ye Ying stared into the darkness, which seemed like a giant hand controlling the sea, calm and eerie.
“Above has ordered us to withdraw to the hangar for rest,” Lan Jing said coldly.
Ye Ying asked softly, “What will the combat orders be tomorrow?”
“I don’t know. Combat orders are issued temporarily to prevent interception by the enemy.”
“Let’s go, it’s time to eat something.”
In the vast, brightly lit hangar, mechanics quietly awaited the return of the warriors.
After a long while, the Nightingale and the Peregrine slowly glided into the hangar and parked steadily.
The two mecha pilots slumped wearily into their chairs, handing their control sticks to the mechanics, who then went about their work.
Once the effects of the special drugs wore off, fatigue descended like a mountain, assaulting every cell, as if every joint in their bodies had rusted and they could no longer move.
Ye Ying recalled that she hadn't felt this tired in a long time.
Previously, when fighting alone in the Yadaya region, she could go for three days without eating.
Lan Jing slowly turned his head and asked coldly, “Are you alright?”
Ye Ying lowered her head and said softly, “I don’t want to talk.”
“I’ll go get us some hot food,” Lan Jing said, pushing himself up from the armrests. Judging by his appearance, he must have been exhausted too.
Mecha combat not only tested the mental acuity of the pilots but was also a physically demanding task.
Simply pressing each button quickly and accurately, and calling up the correct mecha movement commands, was enough to keep them busy.
They also had to constantly monitor the mecha’s various parameters and respond to sudden dangers.
In the continuous fierce mecha warfare, the mecha was no longer an invincible steel war god.
It was more like a cage that bound the pilot.
As long as the person lived, the mecha lived; if the mecha was destroyed, the person died.
“No need,” Ye Ying said faintly. She didn’t want to accept kindness from any man other than Gu Ya.
“I can manage myself.”
“You surprise me. You’re so slender yet so strong,” Lan Jing said coldly, looking at Ye Ying.
Ye Ying shot him a glance, ignored his words, and walked towards the automated catering unit alone.
As soon as she put the heated instant meal into her mouth,
The system announcement in the hangar rang out again.
All the mechanics quickly tidied up the tools they had just placed, moved the repair platforms, and the mechas, having just exited the inner hangar, were returned inside.
A mechanic hurried over, returning the control sticks to the two pilots.
“Thank you for your hard work!” the mechanic said with a somber expression.
Ye Ying placed her food on the table, took the control sticks, and walked towards her mecha.
As she walked, she took out a dose of medicine from her pocket and drank it.
[Notice: Enemy formation has deployed mechas of exceptionally high combat power, advancing towards our positions.]
[All mecha pilots receiving this directive are to ascend immediately to intercept the enemy.]
“Damn it,” Lan Jing cursed coldly, took out a vial of medicine, and gulped it down. Three seconds later, the fatigue vanished.
He glanced at Ye Ying from afar and muttered to himself, “Does this girl have no emotions?”
The Nightingale and the Peregrine restarted, their thrusters emitting a faint glow.
The hangar door slowly opened. All ground personnel retreated to safe positions.
A sudden burst of flame erupted, and the two mechas tore through the night sky, flying towards the battlefield.