35. Fiery Sea
In the silent control room, the staff members fell into silence as they witnessed this action. The leader turned to the silent Shen Xingtang and cleared his throat, saying, "It seems that the members of KID are in good spirits, quite... adept."
Shen Xingtang: "..."
Near the base tower, Lin Yao quickly caught up with Ji Qingfeng ahead.
"Lin Yao, what were you doing?" Ji Qingfeng asked.
Lin Yao stored the dropped energy crystal in his storage space. "I just killed a level A rattlesnake. Almost forgot to take the energy crystal."
The appearance of the S-level Sand Lizard caught all the mecha pilots off guard. As it unleashed its domain, the control it had over the area around the base tower's C point vanished. Its information and control over the pollutant organisms were exposed, and its subjugation of other pollutants was lifted.
Especially when it suddenly opened up its spatial domain, strengthened by its unique characteristics, it formed an isolated and closed-off spatial barrier, like an invisible wall that separated the dispersed mecha pilots.
Although its control over pollutants was removed, it had trapped both pollutants and mecha pilots together, resembling a trapped situation. mecha pilots isolated in this manner would face the immense pressure of dealing with multiple pollutants on their own.
For a moment, all the mecha pilots fell silent.
"Is this Sand Lizard a student of geography or mathematics? It's so precise in creating these spatial divisions!" Hu Luobu couldn't resist a sarcastic remark. "If the Star Alliance doesn't award it the Annual Most Intelligent Pollutant award, I'll feel like it's being underrated!"
Zhao Lejie: "Thanks, can you please stop praising it? It's giving me a headache!"
Ke Lin's team was mostly located in the eastern area. Seeing the situation, he frowned and said, "We can't afford to be stuck in the same space as the pollutants. We can't shake them off now; we have to find a way to kill them."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the space subtly changed again. Some pollutants gradually gathered together with the shift in space.
"Wait a second! Are there more pollutants now!?" Zhao Lejie cursed.
Lin Yao noticed a change in the barrier ahead. He exclaimed, "Oh come on, this thing is like releasing dogs after closing the door! No, releasing pollutants after closing the door!"
Ji Qingfeng commented, "Compared to this, Centennial Orchid is just a little brother."
Ke Lin's expression immediately turned serious. "This is getting difficult."
The Sand Lizard seemed to be the master of the space, drawing more and more pollutants toward the mecha pilots' direction. It was as if it intended to wear down the mecha pilots in this space.
"What should we do about the increasing numbers? I can't kill so many, mecha energy isn't sufficient for that!" The newly arrived mecha pilots looked at the pollutants in the same space. They had rushed over from the farthest defensive zone, and their supplies were nearly depleted. While they had reserved backup energy, it wasn't a sustainable approach.
Other mecha pilots: "What?"
"What? You guys are out of energy?"
"Why didn't you say earlier? Go to the defensive zone to recharge."
The newly arrived Ke Lin and his group were slightly baffled. "What do you mean? Did the Bureau supply you guys?"
Qi Sicheng didn't know how to explain, so he simply said, "More or less."
Ke Lin fell silent. So they had traveled so far to the vicinity of the base tower, only to be trapped in a space with insufficient energy, while other mecha pilots were roaming around, continuously receiving energy supplies. What kind of differential treatment was this!?
"Base tower, can you provide specific coordinates?" Ying Chenlin asked.
Inside the tower, Liu Ge hurriedly shared the spatial distribution map that was affected by pollutants through the communication channel. After receiving the spatial map, Ying Chenlin's brows slightly furrowed. Amid the recent chaos, the Sand Lizard had already moved away from its original position. Currently, all the mecha pilots were within its domain. If this pollutant intended to wear them down, it could completely rely on this method to exhaust the mecha pilots.
Currently, mecha energy was sufficient, but pollutants were not constrained. Only they were trapped.
The longer time dragged on, the less energy they would have, and the more disadvantageous it would be for them.
After receiving the information, Ying Chenlin noticed that the Sand Lizard didn't immediately escape. Instead, it stayed three spaces away from him, its crimson eyes fixed on him, as if waiting for something.
Ying Chenlin paralyzed the pollutants below with a shot, and as he observed the pollutants gradually gathering toward his space, he realized that this pollutant wanted to wear him down.
Besides its spatial enhancement ability, the Sand Lizard didn't possess any other attacking capabilities.
"What about the pollutants' movement speed?" Ying Chenlin asked.
Liu Ge quickly replied, "Most of them are slower than before."
Ying Chenlin looked at the nearby pollutants, which hadn't slowed down as described at the base tower. On the contrary, they were moving even more frantically toward him. "It can't move."
Qi Sicheng asked, "What do you mean?"
"Ultimately, it's an S-Grade pollutant. It has used the majority of its energy to trap us, so its control over the pollutant area and pollutants has decreased." Ying Chenlin calmly explained, "The pollutants approach you naturally due to being attracted by energy. The Sand Lizard's control over its domain is limited. If it wants to trap us, it loses its direct mobility."
This pollutant was strong in its ability to manipulate space.
However, it was weak in terms of combat capabilities; it could only fight through subjugating lower-level pollutants for itself.
The reason it used such extensive spatial abilities was to wear down all the mecha pilots and pollutants, making them all its food.
You Su’s gaze landed in the distance, confirming Ying Chenlin's location. "Since it can't move, we should approach it."
Within the Tianyu Star Management Bureau, the staff members couldn't enter the mecha pilots' communication channel, so they had to contact the base tower. Witnessing such spatial changes, the combination of spatial and enhancement abilities in a pollutant was extremely rare. Not to mention its space manipulation on top of enhancement – this combination exponentially increased its spatial control, allowing it to essentially face a super-S-level spatial dominance if it gained the upper hand.
This was extremely disadvantageous for them.
"We can't continue like this. The Sand Lizard will wear down the mecha pilots."
"We need to find a way to support them. Have you managed to contact mecha pilots from other bases?"
Shen Xingtang stood before the control console, her gaze fixed on the screen where the anticipated armored suit was about to materialize.
The leader appeared anxious. Just then, someone from outside entered to report that an elite team from the Frontier Military had arrived to inquire about the situation.
At that moment, the leader recalled that he had already informed the Frontier Military not long ago about the situation of the armored suit pilots due to his concerns. "Quick, gather information from the Frontier Military!"
Shortly after the report, a man dressed in military attire entered the control room. The Frontier Military's uniform was entirely black. As he entered from the doorway, an air of seriousness and dignity followed him. The man leading the team appeared young but carried a grave expression that commanded respect.
Shen Xingtang's gaze met the man's, and after a brief moment, the man nodded towards her.
"How's the current situation?" the man inquired.
"Major Guo!" the leader exclaimed, as if he had found a lifeline. He hastily briefed the man on the current situation, and the man gestured for a soldier beside him to take over a control panel and display the current status of the entire Tianyu Star.
Just as the Frontier Military was preparing to assume temporary control of the defense system of Tianyu Star, an intense burst of gunfire suddenly erupted from a specific location within the Hive Space. Major Guo's sharp gaze immediately locked onto the source—an Artillery Mecha situated to the south of the tower.
The Artillery Mecha was of Type A, considered average in performance among the mechas available. However, its charging and operations displayed an unusually dominant prowess. Not only did Major Guo notice, but the others in the room also found themselves captivated by the images of this Artillery Mecha.
The leader expressed concern, "The mecha pilots are isolated in different sections. Tank mechas might hold up, but core mechas like Guardian Mechas have weaker defenses. Even with ample firepower, they won't last as long as others in this environment."
However, Major Guo remained focused and commented, "Something's amiss."
Just as everyone assumed he was preparing to bombard the pollutants below, the energy cannon's dispersion port on the Artillery Mecha closed, concentrating the stored energy into a point with a radius of less than a meter. Then, the energy was unleashed with a powerful explosion towards the sealed space.
The high-energy cannon discharged a single shot that cracked the previously sealed transparent space wall.
The force of the explosion caused the mecha to recoil a few steps, but it pressed forward. As the pollutants tried to mend the spatial wall, the Artillery Mecha fired again, and then once more.
The series of shots was too much for the wall to withstand, and it cracked open with a snap.
The Artillery Mecha was the first to break free from spatial confinement, charging into the adjacent space.
The leader observed in mild astonishment, "He actually forced his way through the space."
Moreover, closely following the Artillery Mecha, the other mecha pilots trapped in the space also attempted to breach the air wall. However, the air wall had a certain level of resilience. High-attack mechas like Artillery Mechas, Guardian Mechas, and Stealth Mechas could find gaps in the high-frequency attacks to break through. But Tank Mechas and Control Mechas could only remain within the air wall.
Breaking through the air wall only meant moving from one space to another. Pursuing the originator of the air wall, the S-Class Sand Lizard, was extremely challenging.
Major Guo's gaze remained fixed on the initial actions of the Artillery Mecha's operator. He felt a sense of familiarity with the operator's actions, as if he had seen them somewhere before. He was about to examine more closely when he unexpectedly caught sight of a Guardian Mecha three spaces away from the Artillery Mecha.
"An A-Class Guardian Mecha," Major Guo suddenly remarked, "Is this the mecha closest to the Sand Lizard?"
"Yes," a staff member quickly retrieved the data, "Kid Base's A-Class Guardian Mecha. When it landed in the Hive Space, it had already locked onto the position of the S-Class Sand Lizard."
The leader looked at Major Guo, "Is there a way to conduct a rescue?"
"It's difficult, they're too close," Major Guo's gaze remained on the S-Class Sand Lizard. He noticed a few mechas within a hundred-meter radius of the Sand Lizard, all located to the south of the tower. "Our weapons can indeed forcibly breach the barrier, but using widespread area-of-effect weapons would harm the nearby mechas."
Being too close, using high-intensity weapons would destroy everything in the vicinity.
If they attempted a more aggressive approach, they would be entering from the edge of this Hive Space, gradually advancing toward the Sand Lizard's position by breaking down the air walls step by step. However, this method was time-consuming and might alert the vigilant Sand Lizard.
"It's in a hunting posture now, thinking its prey is under control," Major Guo quickly analyzed, "But if we go in aggressively, it might choose to flee due to the overwhelming number of enemies."
For a pollutant with spatial capabilities, once it fled, it would be incredibly difficult to capture.
Major Guo found this approach unwise. "Either order the mechas to the south to retreat and launch long-range missiles, or leave it to those few mecha pilots to deal with the pollutant."
The pollutant might not easily give up its prey. Major Guo's gaze remained fixed on it. If it was willing to risk exposing its position, it must have an important reason for doing so.
Upon hearing this, the leader couldn't make a decision immediately. "Contact the tower and have KID Base's mecha pilots leave that area."
As he spoke, he suddenly saw several crawling figures within the contaminated area.
Inside the contaminated zone, mecha pilots from all sides were exerting their utmost effort.
Zhao Lejie was still struggling to break down the air wall. However, whenever he managed to create a crack, the wall's inherent repair abilities sealed it back up. Seeing Hu Luobu breaking through two spaces right next to him, he angrily shouted, "Old Hu, can't you bombard this side first and take me with you when you retreat!"
Artillery Mecha Hu Luobu glanced over, "Damn, you're three spaces away from me!"
Zhao Lejie retorted, "I was right next to you just now, and you didn't help me!"
Qi Sicheng, the Control mechaa pilot, was focused on the positioning data sent by the tower. Observing the multiple segmented spaces above, he quickly calculated the number of space breaches needed to reach the Sand Lizard's position. To get from this position to the Sand Lizard's location, he would have to breach at least twenty spaces. And not just him—other mecha pilots at different coordinates would have to break through air walls to get close to the Sand Lizard. Currently, only Kid Base was closest.
Ke Lin also noticed this: "Mecha pilots nearby, try to gather together for a faster breakthrough."
The others were a bit far apart, and when their radar signals were affected within the confined space, their observations of the distant battle situation were intermittent. At this moment, an Artillery Mecha arrived to assist Qi Sicheng, breaking through the air wall and taking him to the next space.
"It's been too long," Qi Sicheng yelled at Huo Yan, "Captain Hu, what's the situation on your end!?"
Huo Yan's voice was slightly urgent: "I'll tell you in a bit, I'm a bit busy!"
Ke Lin glanced in the direction to the south. Before they could arrive, controlling the Sand Lizard could only be entrusted to the Kid team.
However, could the Kid's mecha pilots handle it? Ke Lin wasn't sure about Kid's performance in the contaminated zone. His impression of Kid was from their previous encounter in a match. Kid's pace was sluggish, and once a breakthrough point was found, their vulnerabilities were easily exploited. Their individual strength fluctuated, and their overall strength was somewhat weaker, just barely making it into the top 32 teams.
Four tournament-level mechas, without Xu Yaojun, and two A-class mechas for support.
Preserving oneself in such an environment while trying to control the pollutants was truly difficult.
At this moment, a new positioning map arrived.
Ke Lin opened the map and was surprised to see that, only two space points away from the S-Class Sand Lizard's position, an A-Class mecha was present.
Kid-14258.
Kid was busy, and the external communication was too noisy. As the captain, Huo Yan immediately initiated an emergency communication with the remaining members of Kid.
Being located to the south of the S-Class pollutant, their surroundings were crowded with a large number of pollutants. Huo Yan was struggling to rendezvous with Lin Yao and trying to rescue the Control Mecha Lu Xi, who lacked the ability to breach the barriers, from another space.
Huo Yan's peripheral vision glanced at the location of Ying Chenlin, seeing that he was already on the verge of breaking through the second space, getting even closer to the Sand Lizard.
"Is it just my imagination?" Ji Qingfeng wondered aloud, "Why does this air wall seem to be getting harder to breach?"
Lu Xi observed and said, "We should be getting closer to its core position, making it difficult to break the air wall due to the higher concentration of pollutants."
Lin Yao exclaimed, "These pollutants are getting on my nerves. It's so hard to get closer!"
Currently, the Kid team was divided into three groups, all located near the south of the tower. Ying Chenlin was the closest to the Sand Lizard, followed by You Su, and finally the recently assembled members of Kid. You Su's speed in breaking through the air wall was incredibly fast. Ji Qingfeng had originally planned to rendezvous with him, but as soon as he managed to dismantle one wall, You Su had already leaped into another space, making it impossible to catch up.
The Sand Lizard remained outside a space, its crimson eyes fixated on Ying Chenlin. It had recently detected the scent it liked on this mecha, but now that scent was gone. Its expression grew somewhat impatient. It bared its teeth in Ying Chenlin's direction, almost wishing to tear the massive figure apart and retrieve what it desired.
Ying Chenlin saw that the Sand Lizard was getting closer and closer. The energy blade on his mecha was fully charged, ready to slice open the last air wall.
But just then, a gigantic spider suddenly emerged in front of him—an A-Class mutant pollutant, Venomous Spider!
The Venomous Spider spewed white silk towards Ying Chenlin. He leaned to the side, avoiding it. The silk adhered to an invisible air wall, and more and more strands were produced. The initially cramped space became even more obstructed, and even the wall was soon covered in spiderwebs spun by the Venomous Spider.
"A-Class mutant Venomous Spiders," Ying Chenlin exclaimed as a warning, "Be careful!"
Even without Ying Chenlin's reminder, the other teammates around had also noticed this group of spiders. No wonder the Sand Lizard was so confident—it turned out that there was a group of Venomous Spiders guarding by its side. These Venomous Spiders all possessed the same ability, generating silk. However, the silk they produced was not only adhesive but also poisonous, capable of ensnaring prey while releasing a neurotoxin to paralyze enemies.
Originally, they would have been easy to deal with, but unfortunately, this place had been forcibly compressed into an independent space by the Sand Lizard. The mechas had limited flight capabilities, making it incredibly challenging to evade the Venomous Spiders' attacks in this confined space.
"Damn it!!! How come you guys are hiding a bunch of Venomous Spiders there!?"
Huo Yan, along with Zhao Lejie, quickly broke through. The cooperation between the Tank and Artillery allowed them to bombard without hesitation. However, when they finally managed to turn towards the south of the tower, they were met with Venomous Spiders crawling on the air wall.
Zhao Lejie exclaimed, "Are you drunk? Your mecha's swaying all over the place!?"
Ji Qingfeng's blade had accumulated quite a few spider threads. He muttered while lamenting the state of his beloved weapon, "If you're capable, then come and try! Just avoiding their attacks is already a challenge!"
Huo Yan's Artillery Mecha then blasted through another wall. However, as soon as the wall cracked, a Venomous Spider that was closest to them seemed to notice something. It spewed a layer of white silk in their direction.
Zhao Lejie shouted, "Damn it! Run! Those spiders have no mercy!"
Huo Yan was puzzled, "??? Even from this distance, it can see me? What kind of vision does it have?"
The Sand Lizard had probably released control over the other pollutants, focusing all its efforts on controlling this batch of spiders. At least ten Venomous Spider pollutants were by its side. Apparently, the area where it had taken position was the nest of these spiders. As the large spiders ran out, a small portion of B-Class spiders followed suit. These Venomous Spiders acted as a united group, regarding both mechas and other pollutants as enemies. This wasn't just subordinate control; the Sand Lizard seemed to be cooperating with this group of spiders!
More and more silk was spewed out, extending outward from the vicinity of the Sand Lizard.
You Su glanced at Ying Chenlin's location and cautioned, "Be careful on your end."
Ying Chenlin acknowledged with a grunt and then suggested, "I have an idea, but it's a bit challenging to execute."
Huo Yan inquired, "What is it?"
Ying Chenlin said, "Gather around my location. Remember, fly around from the bottom to the top, weaving through as many spiderwebs as possible."
Lin Yao was puzzled, "Weave through them?"
Ying Chenlin clarified, "Yes, fly around and weave through. The more, the better."
Ji Qingfeng added, "Watch me make a series of twists and turns like a mountain road!"
Kid's team had a plan. Meanwhile, on the other side, the mecha pilots were still struggling to squeeze towards the south of the tower.
Qi Sicheng chose to break through from a different angle. When he managed to distance himself from the area, what he saw was the situation to the far south.
The positioning map on the communication channel had been updated from the tower to the latest version. Seeing the nearby pollutants, his eyebrows furrowed tightly.
Ke Lin: "Encountering Venomous Spiders in this spatial anomaly makes the difficulty unprecedented."
"Difficult to handle," Qi Sicheng, utilizing long-range vision, observed the white spider silk weaving across the air wall and the several mechas moving within it. Just as he was contemplating a solution, he saw the closest mecha to the Sand Lizard quickly maneuvering.
The speed at which the Venomous Spiders spewed silk was incredibly fast. This person was utilizing the spiders' silk from different angles, guiding them from bottom to top. The white silk entangled the pollutants moving below, layer upon layer, from the bottom up. Kid's Guardian Mecha's movements were brisk yet systematic, as if it could see all perspectives, calmly dealing with the situation.
Kid-14258, Ying Chenlin.
This individual's reflexes were remarkably swift, possessing an outstanding grasp of the big picture and operational awareness. Even if their skill level didn't reach the peak standard of active-duty mecha pilots, various details displayed by this person indicated a professional level. In the current mecha battle league, very few pilots possessed such qualities. The research at the Gale Base covered all the prominent players across the star systems of the Star Alliance. The well-known names were mostly in the known lists. Through Huo Yan, they learned that this pilot should be quite young, ruling out the possibility of a retired pilot. There was simply no similar potential target in the mecha battles that matched the caliber of Ying Chenlin. The only remaining possibility was another field – solo mecha pilots.
Inside the management bureau, Major Guo also took note of Kid-14258's operations. He furrowed his brows deeply, "Kid-14258... this pilot."
This wasn't the approach of a typical mecha pilot in team battles. Team battle mechas leaned towards conservatism, so their sensitivity to the surrounding environment was generally average. They would adapt to coordinate with their teammates' viewpoints. However, this pilot, Kid, demonstrated a cautious and comprehensive operational style, seeking cooperation with teammates to maximize benefits.
Only someone fully alert to the surroundings could evade all attacks in this situation – this was the approach of solo combat.
Just then, Major Guo turned his head slightly and spotted a certain Artillery mecha in his field of vision. This mecha was moving at an extremely high speed, with the energy cannon in its hands appearing like a child's toy. It swiftly blasted and weaved through the air, its trajectory different from before.
Previously, this Artillery mecha's aim was to get close to the Sand Lizard rapidly. Now, its direction has changed. Instead of approaching the Sand Lizard, it circled swiftly around the outermost space.
Shen Xingtang observed the actions of You Su, his gaze slightly narrowed, "His energy cannon didn't expel the spider silk."
At this moment, Major Guo suddenly noticed something, "Zoom in on his mech!"
The staff hurriedly switched the feed. Below the mech, it seemed that some liquid was dripping down, "Energy fluid!?"
Everyone's attention was focused on the situation in the south, including the approaching mecha pilots. Qi Sicheng and Ke Lin's eyes were glued to that direction, witnessing the increasing white spider silk forming a sea of silk threads in their field of vision, completely obscuring Kid and his companions within.
Qi Sicheng had no choice; even though he had reached the edge now, facing so many spider threads and the air wall, it was difficult. If their complete squad was present, it would be manageable. However, currently, he and Zhao Lejie were separated. Breaking through into that area was nearly impossible... To catch that S-Class Sand Lizard, they could only rely on Kid now.
But could Kid pull it off?
Suddenly, within Qi Sicheng's field of vision, he saw the figure of a mech, as if breaking through something, entering a certain space. Simultaneously, he noticed the 100% charged energy cannon gathering its power, merging with the emerging sunrise on the distant horizon.
Boom!
A massive explosion ensued!
Zhao Lejie's evasive action slowed by two steps, and warnings about energy exceeding limits sounded within his mech. He hurriedly raised a shield to protect the Huo Luobu behind him, then turned around in shock, "F*ck!!! Did he blow up his mech's energy chamber? Such a massive fluctuation!!"
Zhao Lejie: "Hu Luobo, get close to me!!! The fire's coming!"
Hu Luobu retorted angrily, "I'm called Hu Luobu, not Hu Luobo(carrot)!”
The firelight quickly spread through the entire space obscured by spider silk, and the high-temperature combustion of energy created an unusual brilliance. With a swift brush, the fire's spread was exceptionally rapid, consuming everything in its path – including the air wall and the spider silk. It seemed determined to incinerate everything to ashes.
Ke Lin widened his eyes, "The outer shells of other mechas can't withstand such an explosion!"
Everyone felt like Kid had gone mad. The energy's fluctuation ruptured the air wall over a vast area with a loud crack, and the flames surged outward.
When the firelight faded, a burnt smell permeated the air, a mix of the scent of pollutants burning and the odor of leaked energy.
At this moment, amidst the haze, a dimly glowing protective shield shone. The shield's exterior had several fractures, and Kid's other five mechas were all within the protective range of Huo Yan's shield.
Amid the booming explosions, a voice, young and tender yet steady, seemed to emanate from the depths of his mind.
"Chenlin," the voice said, "Eight o'clock, on the flank."
Ying Chenlin's light blade detached from his mech's hand and was swiftly hurled towards the eight o'clock direction.
You Su noticed something and looked in the direction of the sound.
Amidst the smoke, the light blade of the Guardian Mecha pierced through the S-Class Sand Lizard's back, pinning it in place.
TN:
AAAAAH KID may be insane adrenaline junkies but they sure do know how to utterly incinerate pollutants! Also whose voice is that?
jjwxc tutorial here.
Author Support Project here.
35. Fiery Sea
In the silent control room, the staff members fell into silence as they witnessed this action. The leader turned to the silent Shen Xingtang and cleared his throat, saying, "It seems that the members of KID are in good spirits, quite... adept."
Shen Xingtang: "..."
Near the base tower, Lin Yao quickly caught up with Ji Qingfeng ahead.
"Lin Yao, what were you doing?" Ji Qingfeng asked.
Lin Yao stored the dropped energy crystal in his storage space. "I just killed a level A rattlesnake. Almost forgot to take the energy crystal."
The appearance of the S-level Sand Lizard caught all the mecha pilots off guard. As it unleashed its domain, the control it had over the area around the base tower's C point vanished. Its information and control over the pollutant organisms were exposed, and its subjugation of other pollutants was lifted.
Especially when it suddenly opened up its spatial domain, strengthened by its unique characteristics, it formed an isolated and closed-off spatial barrier, like an invisible wall that separated the dispersed mecha pilots.
Although its control over pollutants was removed, it had trapped both pollutants and mecha pilots together, resembling a trapped situation. mecha pilots isolated in this manner would face the immense pressure of dealing with multiple pollutants on their own.
For a moment, all the mecha pilots fell silent.
"Is this Sand Lizard a student of geography or mathematics? It's so precise in creating these spatial divisions!" Hu Luobu couldn't resist a sarcastic remark. "If the Star Alliance doesn't award it the Annual Most Intelligent Pollutant award, I'll feel like it's being underrated!"
Zhao Lejie: "Thanks, can you please stop praising it? It's giving me a headache!"
Ke Lin's team was mostly located in the eastern area. Seeing the situation, he frowned and said, "We can't afford to be stuck in the same space as the pollutants. We can't shake them off now; we have to find a way to kill them."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the space subtly changed again. Some pollutants gradually gathered together with the shift in space.
"Wait a second! Are there more pollutants now!?" Zhao Lejie cursed.
Lin Yao noticed a change in the barrier ahead. He exclaimed, "Oh come on, this thing is like releasing dogs after closing the door! No, releasing pollutants after closing the door!"
Ji Qingfeng commented, "Compared to this, Centennial Orchid is just a little brother."
Ke Lin's expression immediately turned serious. "This is getting difficult."
The Sand Lizard seemed to be the master of the space, drawing more and more pollutants toward the mecha pilots' direction. It was as if it intended to wear down the mecha pilots in this space.
"What should we do about the increasing numbers? I can't kill so many, mecha energy isn't sufficient for that!" The newly arrived mecha pilots looked at the pollutants in the same space. They had rushed over from the farthest defensive zone, and their supplies were nearly depleted. While they had reserved backup energy, it wasn't a sustainable approach.
Other mecha pilots: "What?"
"What? You guys are out of energy?"
"Why didn't you say earlier? Go to the defensive zone to recharge."
The newly arrived Ke Lin and his group were slightly baffled. "What do you mean? Did the Bureau supply you guys?"
Qi Sicheng didn't know how to explain, so he simply said, "More or less."
Ke Lin fell silent. So they had traveled so far to the vicinity of the base tower, only to be trapped in a space with insufficient energy, while other mecha pilots were roaming around, continuously receiving energy supplies. What kind of differential treatment was this!?
"Base tower, can you provide specific coordinates?" Ying Chenlin asked.
Inside the tower, Liu Ge hurriedly shared the spatial distribution map that was affected by pollutants through the communication channel. After receiving the spatial map, Ying Chenlin's brows slightly furrowed. Amid the recent chaos, the Sand Lizard had already moved away from its original position. Currently, all the mecha pilots were within its domain. If this pollutant intended to wear them down, it could completely rely on this method to exhaust the mecha pilots.
Currently, mecha energy was sufficient, but pollutants were not constrained. Only they were trapped.
The longer time dragged on, the less energy they would have, and the more disadvantageous it would be for them.
After receiving the information, Ying Chenlin noticed that the Sand Lizard didn't immediately escape. Instead, it stayed three spaces away from him, its crimson eyes fixed on him, as if waiting for something.
Ying Chenlin paralyzed the pollutants below with a shot, and as he observed the pollutants gradually gathering toward his space, he realized that this pollutant wanted to wear him down.
Besides its spatial enhancement ability, the Sand Lizard didn't possess any other attacking capabilities.
"What about the pollutants' movement speed?" Ying Chenlin asked.
Liu Ge quickly replied, "Most of them are slower than before."
Ying Chenlin looked at the nearby pollutants, which hadn't slowed down as described at the base tower. On the contrary, they were moving even more frantically toward him. "It can't move."
Qi Sicheng asked, "What do you mean?"
"Ultimately, it's an S-Grade pollutant. It has used the majority of its energy to trap us, so its control over the pollutant area and pollutants has decreased." Ying Chenlin calmly explained, "The pollutants approach you naturally due to being attracted by energy. The Sand Lizard's control over its domain is limited. If it wants to trap us, it loses its direct mobility."
This pollutant was strong in its ability to manipulate space.
However, it was weak in terms of combat capabilities; it could only fight through subjugating lower-level pollutants for itself.
The reason it used such extensive spatial abilities was to wear down all the mecha pilots and pollutants, making them all its food.
You Su’s gaze landed in the distance, confirming Ying Chenlin's location. "Since it can't move, we should approach it."
Within the Tianyu Star Management Bureau, the staff members couldn't enter the mecha pilots' communication channel, so they had to contact the base tower. Witnessing such spatial changes, the combination of spatial and enhancement abilities in a pollutant was extremely rare. Not to mention its space manipulation on top of enhancement – this combination exponentially increased its spatial control, allowing it to essentially face a super-S-level spatial dominance if it gained the upper hand.
This was extremely disadvantageous for them.
"We can't continue like this. The Sand Lizard will wear down the mecha pilots."
"We need to find a way to support them. Have you managed to contact mecha pilots from other bases?"
Shen Xingtang stood before the control console, her gaze fixed on the screen where the anticipated armored suit was about to materialize.
The leader appeared anxious. Just then, someone from outside entered to report that an elite team from the Frontier Military had arrived to inquire about the situation.
At that moment, the leader recalled that he had already informed the Frontier Military not long ago about the situation of the armored suit pilots due to his concerns. "Quick, gather information from the Frontier Military!"
Shortly after the report, a man dressed in military attire entered the control room. The Frontier Military's uniform was entirely black. As he entered from the doorway, an air of seriousness and dignity followed him. The man leading the team appeared young but carried a grave expression that commanded respect.
Shen Xingtang's gaze met the man's, and after a brief moment, the man nodded towards her.
"How's the current situation?" the man inquired.
"Major Guo!" the leader exclaimed, as if he had found a lifeline. He hastily briefed the man on the current situation, and the man gestured for a soldier beside him to take over a control panel and display the current status of the entire Tianyu Star.
Just as the Frontier Military was preparing to assume temporary control of the defense system of Tianyu Star, an intense burst of gunfire suddenly erupted from a specific location within the Hive Space. Major Guo's sharp gaze immediately locked onto the source—an Artillery Mecha situated to the south of the tower.
The Artillery Mecha was of Type A, considered average in performance among the mechas available. However, its charging and operations displayed an unusually dominant prowess. Not only did Major Guo notice, but the others in the room also found themselves captivated by the images of this Artillery Mecha.
The leader expressed concern, "The mecha pilots are isolated in different sections. Tank mechas might hold up, but core mechas like Guardian Mechas have weaker defenses. Even with ample firepower, they won't last as long as others in this environment."
However, Major Guo remained focused and commented, "Something's amiss."
Just as everyone assumed he was preparing to bombard the pollutants below, the energy cannon's dispersion port on the Artillery Mecha closed, concentrating the stored energy into a point with a radius of less than a meter. Then, the energy was unleashed with a powerful explosion towards the sealed space.
The high-energy cannon discharged a single shot that cracked the previously sealed transparent space wall.
The force of the explosion caused the mecha to recoil a few steps, but it pressed forward. As the pollutants tried to mend the spatial wall, the Artillery Mecha fired again, and then once more.
The series of shots was too much for the wall to withstand, and it cracked open with a snap.
The Artillery Mecha was the first to break free from spatial confinement, charging into the adjacent space.
The leader observed in mild astonishment, "He actually forced his way through the space."
Moreover, closely following the Artillery Mecha, the other mecha pilots trapped in the space also attempted to breach the air wall. However, the air wall had a certain level of resilience. High-attack mechas like Artillery Mechas, Guardian Mechas, and Stealth Mechas could find gaps in the high-frequency attacks to break through. But Tank Mechas and Control Mechas could only remain within the air wall.
Breaking through the air wall only meant moving from one space to another. Pursuing the originator of the air wall, the S-Class Sand Lizard, was extremely challenging.
Major Guo's gaze remained fixed on the initial actions of the Artillery Mecha's operator. He felt a sense of familiarity with the operator's actions, as if he had seen them somewhere before. He was about to examine more closely when he unexpectedly caught sight of a Guardian Mecha three spaces away from the Artillery Mecha.
"An A-Class Guardian Mecha," Major Guo suddenly remarked, "Is this the mecha closest to the Sand Lizard?"
"Yes," a staff member quickly retrieved the data, "Kid Base's A-Class Guardian Mecha. When it landed in the Hive Space, it had already locked onto the position of the S-Class Sand Lizard."
The leader looked at Major Guo, "Is there a way to conduct a rescue?"
"It's difficult, they're too close," Major Guo's gaze remained on the S-Class Sand Lizard. He noticed a few mechas within a hundred-meter radius of the Sand Lizard, all located to the south of the tower. "Our weapons can indeed forcibly breach the barrier, but using widespread area-of-effect weapons would harm the nearby mechas."
Being too close, using high-intensity weapons would destroy everything in the vicinity.
If they attempted a more aggressive approach, they would be entering from the edge of this Hive Space, gradually advancing toward the Sand Lizard's position by breaking down the air walls step by step. However, this method was time-consuming and might alert the vigilant Sand Lizard.
"It's in a hunting posture now, thinking its prey is under control," Major Guo quickly analyzed, "But if we go in aggressively, it might choose to flee due to the overwhelming number of enemies."
For a pollutant with spatial capabilities, once it fled, it would be incredibly difficult to capture.
Major Guo found this approach unwise. "Either order the mechas to the south to retreat and launch long-range missiles, or leave it to those few mecha pilots to deal with the pollutant."
The pollutant might not easily give up its prey. Major Guo's gaze remained fixed on it. If it was willing to risk exposing its position, it must have an important reason for doing so.
Upon hearing this, the leader couldn't make a decision immediately. "Contact the tower and have KID Base's mecha pilots leave that area."
As he spoke, he suddenly saw several crawling figures within the contaminated area.
Inside the contaminated zone, mecha pilots from all sides were exerting their utmost effort.
Zhao Lejie was still struggling to break down the air wall. However, whenever he managed to create a crack, the wall's inherent repair abilities sealed it back up. Seeing Hu Luobu breaking through two spaces right next to him, he angrily shouted, "Old Hu, can't you bombard this side first and take me with you when you retreat!"
Artillery Mecha Hu Luobu glanced over, "Damn, you're three spaces away from me!"
Zhao Lejie retorted, "I was right next to you just now, and you didn't help me!"
Qi Sicheng, the Control mechaa pilot, was focused on the positioning data sent by the tower. Observing the multiple segmented spaces above, he quickly calculated the number of space breaches needed to reach the Sand Lizard's position. To get from this position to the Sand Lizard's location, he would have to breach at least twenty spaces. And not just him—other mecha pilots at different coordinates would have to break through air walls to get close to the Sand Lizard. Currently, only Kid Base was closest.
Ke Lin also noticed this: "Mecha pilots nearby, try to gather together for a faster breakthrough."
The others were a bit far apart, and when their radar signals were affected within the confined space, their observations of the distant battle situation were intermittent. At this moment, an Artillery Mecha arrived to assist Qi Sicheng, breaking through the air wall and taking him to the next space.
"It's been too long," Qi Sicheng yelled at Huo Yan, "Captain Hu, what's the situation on your end!?"
Huo Yan's voice was slightly urgent: "I'll tell you in a bit, I'm a bit busy!"
Ke Lin glanced in the direction to the south. Before they could arrive, controlling the Sand Lizard could only be entrusted to the Kid team.
However, could the Kid's mecha pilots handle it? Ke Lin wasn't sure about Kid's performance in the contaminated zone. His impression of Kid was from their previous encounter in a match. Kid's pace was sluggish, and once a breakthrough point was found, their vulnerabilities were easily exploited. Their individual strength fluctuated, and their overall strength was somewhat weaker, just barely making it into the top 32 teams.
Four tournament-level mechas, without Xu Yaojun, and two A-class mechas for support.
Preserving oneself in such an environment while trying to control the pollutants was truly difficult.
At this moment, a new positioning map arrived.
Ke Lin opened the map and was surprised to see that, only two space points away from the S-Class Sand Lizard's position, an A-Class mecha was present.
Kid-14258.
Kid was busy, and the external communication was too noisy. As the captain, Huo Yan immediately initiated an emergency communication with the remaining members of Kid.
Being located to the south of the S-Class pollutant, their surroundings were crowded with a large number of pollutants. Huo Yan was struggling to rendezvous with Lin Yao and trying to rescue the Control Mecha Lu Xi, who lacked the ability to breach the barriers, from another space.
Huo Yan's peripheral vision glanced at the location of Ying Chenlin, seeing that he was already on the verge of breaking through the second space, getting even closer to the Sand Lizard.
"Is it just my imagination?" Ji Qingfeng wondered aloud, "Why does this air wall seem to be getting harder to breach?"
Lu Xi observed and said, "We should be getting closer to its core position, making it difficult to break the air wall due to the higher concentration of pollutants."
Lin Yao exclaimed, "These pollutants are getting on my nerves. It's so hard to get closer!"
Currently, the Kid team was divided into three groups, all located near the south of the tower. Ying Chenlin was the closest to the Sand Lizard, followed by You Su, and finally the recently assembled members of Kid. You Su's speed in breaking through the air wall was incredibly fast. Ji Qingfeng had originally planned to rendezvous with him, but as soon as he managed to dismantle one wall, You Su had already leaped into another space, making it impossible to catch up.
The Sand Lizard remained outside a space, its crimson eyes fixated on Ying Chenlin. It had recently detected the scent it liked on this mecha, but now that scent was gone. Its expression grew somewhat impatient. It bared its teeth in Ying Chenlin's direction, almost wishing to tear the massive figure apart and retrieve what it desired.
Ying Chenlin saw that the Sand Lizard was getting closer and closer. The energy blade on his mecha was fully charged, ready to slice open the last air wall.
But just then, a gigantic spider suddenly emerged in front of him—an A-Class mutant pollutant, Venomous Spider!
The Venomous Spider spewed white silk towards Ying Chenlin. He leaned to the side, avoiding it. The silk adhered to an invisible air wall, and more and more strands were produced. The initially cramped space became even more obstructed, and even the wall was soon covered in spiderwebs spun by the Venomous Spider.
"A-Class mutant Venomous Spiders," Ying Chenlin exclaimed as a warning, "Be careful!"
Even without Ying Chenlin's reminder, the other teammates around had also noticed this group of spiders. No wonder the Sand Lizard was so confident—it turned out that there was a group of Venomous Spiders guarding by its side. These Venomous Spiders all possessed the same ability, generating silk. However, the silk they produced was not only adhesive but also poisonous, capable of ensnaring prey while releasing a neurotoxin to paralyze enemies.
Originally, they would have been easy to deal with, but unfortunately, this place had been forcibly compressed into an independent space by the Sand Lizard. The mechas had limited flight capabilities, making it incredibly challenging to evade the Venomous Spiders' attacks in this confined space.
"Damn it!!! How come you guys are hiding a bunch of Venomous Spiders there!?"
Huo Yan, along with Zhao Lejie, quickly broke through. The cooperation between the Tank and Artillery allowed them to bombard without hesitation. However, when they finally managed to turn towards the south of the tower, they were met with Venomous Spiders crawling on the air wall.
Zhao Lejie exclaimed, "Are you drunk? Your mecha's swaying all over the place!?"
Ji Qingfeng's blade had accumulated quite a few spider threads. He muttered while lamenting the state of his beloved weapon, "If you're capable, then come and try! Just avoiding their attacks is already a challenge!"
Huo Yan's Artillery Mecha then blasted through another wall. However, as soon as the wall cracked, a Venomous Spider that was closest to them seemed to notice something. It spewed a layer of white silk in their direction.
Zhao Lejie shouted, "Damn it! Run! Those spiders have no mercy!"
Huo Yan was puzzled, "??? Even from this distance, it can see me? What kind of vision does it have?"
The Sand Lizard had probably released control over the other pollutants, focusing all its efforts on controlling this batch of spiders. At least ten Venomous Spider pollutants were by its side. Apparently, the area where it had taken position was the nest of these spiders. As the large spiders ran out, a small portion of B-Class spiders followed suit. These Venomous Spiders acted as a united group, regarding both mechas and other pollutants as enemies. This wasn't just subordinate control; the Sand Lizard seemed to be cooperating with this group of spiders!
More and more silk was spewed out, extending outward from the vicinity of the Sand Lizard.
You Su glanced at Ying Chenlin's location and cautioned, "Be careful on your end."
Ying Chenlin acknowledged with a grunt and then suggested, "I have an idea, but it's a bit challenging to execute."
Huo Yan inquired, "What is it?"
Ying Chenlin said, "Gather around my location. Remember, fly around from the bottom to the top, weaving through as many spiderwebs as possible."
Lin Yao was puzzled, "Weave through them?"
Ying Chenlin clarified, "Yes, fly around and weave through. The more, the better."
Ji Qingfeng added, "Watch me make a series of twists and turns like a mountain road!"
Kid's team had a plan. Meanwhile, on the other side, the mecha pilots were still struggling to squeeze towards the south of the tower.
Qi Sicheng chose to break through from a different angle. When he managed to distance himself from the area, what he saw was the situation to the far south.
The positioning map on the communication channel had been updated from the tower to the latest version. Seeing the nearby pollutants, his eyebrows furrowed tightly.
Ke Lin: "Encountering Venomous Spiders in this spatial anomaly makes the difficulty unprecedented."
"Difficult to handle," Qi Sicheng, utilizing long-range vision, observed the white spider silk weaving across the air wall and the several mechas moving within it. Just as he was contemplating a solution, he saw the closest mecha to the Sand Lizard quickly maneuvering.
The speed at which the Venomous Spiders spewed silk was incredibly fast. This person was utilizing the spiders' silk from different angles, guiding them from bottom to top. The white silk entangled the pollutants moving below, layer upon layer, from the bottom up. Kid's Guardian Mecha's movements were brisk yet systematic, as if it could see all perspectives, calmly dealing with the situation.
Kid-14258, Ying Chenlin.
This individual's reflexes were remarkably swift, possessing an outstanding grasp of the big picture and operational awareness. Even if their skill level didn't reach the peak standard of active-duty mecha pilots, various details displayed by this person indicated a professional level. In the current mecha battle league, very few pilots possessed such qualities. The research at the Gale Base covered all the prominent players across the star systems of the Star Alliance. The well-known names were mostly in the known lists. Through Huo Yan, they learned that this pilot should be quite young, ruling out the possibility of a retired pilot. There was simply no similar potential target in the mecha battles that matched the caliber of Ying Chenlin. The only remaining possibility was another field – solo mecha pilots.
Inside the management bureau, Major Guo also took note of Kid-14258's operations. He furrowed his brows deeply, "Kid-14258... this pilot."
This wasn't the approach of a typical mecha pilot in team battles. Team battle mechas leaned towards conservatism, so their sensitivity to the surrounding environment was generally average. They would adapt to coordinate with their teammates' viewpoints. However, this pilot, Kid, demonstrated a cautious and comprehensive operational style, seeking cooperation with teammates to maximize benefits.
Only someone fully alert to the surroundings could evade all attacks in this situation – this was the approach of solo combat.
Just then, Major Guo turned his head slightly and spotted a certain Artillery mecha in his field of vision. This mecha was moving at an extremely high speed, with the energy cannon in its hands appearing like a child's toy. It swiftly blasted and weaved through the air, its trajectory different from before.
Previously, this Artillery mecha's aim was to get close to the Sand Lizard rapidly. Now, its direction has changed. Instead of approaching the Sand Lizard, it circled swiftly around the outermost space.
Shen Xingtang observed the actions of You Su, his gaze slightly narrowed, "His energy cannon didn't expel the spider silk."
At this moment, Major Guo suddenly noticed something, "Zoom in on his mech!"
The staff hurriedly switched the feed. Below the mech, it seemed that some liquid was dripping down, "Energy fluid!?"
Everyone's attention was focused on the situation in the south, including the approaching mecha pilots. Qi Sicheng and Ke Lin's eyes were glued to that direction, witnessing the increasing white spider silk forming a sea of silk threads in their field of vision, completely obscuring Kid and his companions within.
Qi Sicheng had no choice; even though he had reached the edge now, facing so many spider threads and the air wall, it was difficult. If their complete squad was present, it would be manageable. However, currently, he and Zhao Lejie were separated. Breaking through into that area was nearly impossible... To catch that S-Class Sand Lizard, they could only rely on Kid now.
But could Kid pull it off?
Suddenly, within Qi Sicheng's field of vision, he saw the figure of a mech, as if breaking through something, entering a certain space. Simultaneously, he noticed the 100% charged energy cannon gathering its power, merging with the emerging sunrise on the distant horizon.
Boom!
A massive explosion ensued!
Zhao Lejie's evasive action slowed by two steps, and warnings about energy exceeding limits sounded within his mech. He hurriedly raised a shield to protect the Huo Luobu behind him, then turned around in shock, "F*ck!!! Did he blow up his mech's energy chamber? Such a massive fluctuation!!"
Zhao Lejie: "Hu Luobo, get close to me!!! The fire's coming!"
Hu Luobu retorted angrily, "I'm called Hu Luobu, not Hu Luobo(carrot)!”
The firelight quickly spread through the entire space obscured by spider silk, and the high-temperature combustion of energy created an unusual brilliance. With a swift brush, the fire's spread was exceptionally rapid, consuming everything in its path – including the air wall and the spider silk. It seemed determined to incinerate everything to ashes.
Ke Lin widened his eyes, "The outer shells of other mechas can't withstand such an explosion!"
Everyone felt like Kid had gone mad. The energy's fluctuation ruptured the air wall over a vast area with a loud crack, and the flames surged outward.
When the firelight faded, a burnt smell permeated the air, a mix of the scent of pollutants burning and the odor of leaked energy.
At this moment, amidst the haze, a dimly glowing protective shield shone. The shield's exterior had several fractures, and Kid's other five mechas were all within the protective range of Huo Yan's shield.
Amid the booming explosions, a voice, young and tender yet steady, seemed to emanate from the depths of his mind.
"Chenlin," the voice said, "Eight o'clock, on the flank."
Ying Chenlin's light blade detached from his mech's hand and was swiftly hurled towards the eight o'clock direction.
You Su noticed something and looked in the direction of the sound.
Amidst the smoke, the light blade of the Guardian Mecha pierced through the S-Class Sand Lizard's back, pinning it in place.
TN:
AAAAAH KID may be insane adrenaline junkies but they sure do know how to utterly incinerate pollutants! Also whose voice is that?
jjwxc tutorial here.
Author Support Project here.
