67. IQ
The energy cannon compressed and struck the S-level monster once again. The red Artillery mecha swiftly switched between charging attacks.
As the Artillery mecha used artillery fire to close in on the S-level monster, it immediately changed to rapid-fire mode.
You Su had detected the arrival of the red Artillery mecha on his radar and noticed the operator's habits when switching energy cannons. He immediately understood the newcomer's intentions.
The S-level monster was continuously bombarded from behind by the artillery fire, and it let out an annoyed growl. With yellow-green eyes fixed on both the prey in front of it and the one behind, it suddenly turned and charged toward the red Artillery mecha at the rear.
With the two mechas working in coordination, they quickly alleviated the deadlock above.
All eyes in the arena were focused on the newly arrived red Artillery mecha. Ke Lin furrowed his brows slightly, paying attention to the smooth operation. Was this the Artillery mecha pilot for KID, or was it someone from another team who had requisitioned KID's mecha?
Hu Luobu saw the red-patterned KID mecha and turned to the KID pilot next to him. "Is this your team's reinforcement? Does KID have a reserve pilot?"
The members of the KID team looked bewildered, but it was indeed their team's mecha.
Ji Qingfeng stated truthfully, "An Artillery mecha pilot is so costly; our team's owner can't afford two of them."
Lin Yao, "We don't have a reserve pilot; we only have one mechanic."
Hu Luobu raised his head in confusion and looked at the smoothly operated Artillery mecha. "Isn't your maintenance specialist piloting a Guardian mecha?"
At this moment, the red Artillery mecha had unknowingly flown above them, and an external communication came through with a familiar voice. "How's YDS's energy situation?"
The YDS mecha pilot immediately responded, understanding that this person had come to provide support, and reported the energy reserves of all the mechas.
Hearing the familiar voice, Lin Yao reacted. "Chen Lin!"
"It's me," Ying Chenlin was about to respond when the S-level monster had already closed in on him. He immediately said, "Lin Yao, catch!"
Catch? Catch what!?
Before the others could react, Lin Yao, piloting the Guardian mecha, had already rushed up next to him.
Following that, the red Artillery mecha passed by swiftly, and something fell from its storage compartment.
YDS members, "!"
Wait a minute!? Isn't that an energy conduit???
Ji Qingfeng: "!!!"
Lin Yao activated his thrusters and swiftly grabbed the airborne energy conduits. If he couldn't grab them, he hugged them. With quick and precise maneuvers, he secured three energy conduits. He quickly tossed them to Ji Qingfeng beside him and said, "Da Feng, catch."
Ji Qingfeng, after catching them, wore an expression of pain. "Do you realize this is a highly volatile projectile? And can energy conduits be thrown like this? Do you know how expensive these are?"
Ying Chenlin took a moment to explain, "It's not from our team; it's from the Qiu Jin Management Bureau."
Ji Qingfeng's pained expression instantly changed, and he said, "Well, that's different then."
Other YDS members: "???"
Hu Luobu was shocked. "Is this about money or not?"
Could energy conduits even be thrown? If they couldn't catch them, wouldn't it cut off their energy supply?
Ji Qingfeng asked again, "How many conduits did the Alliance provide, and will they bill us for this later?"
Hu Luobu, "... The Alliance isn't as stingy as you!"
As Ying Chenlin flew in the air and saw that the S-level monster had been drawn away by You Su's artillery fire, he turned and flew over Lin Yao. "Lin Yao, come again!"
Lin Yao reacted incredibly fast and had already soared up. "Coming!"
YDS: "???"
He's doing it again!
After handing over all the energy conduits to the other mechas, Ying Chenlin quickly retreated from the area above the mountain. While hovering in the sky above the mountain, his attention was on the magnetic field sensing system inside the mech. The disrupted magnetic fields were affecting all intelligent judgments, causing fluctuations in the energy waves emitted by the mecha drivers and attracting more and more pollutants in their direction.
Ying Chenlin frowned slightly. The sudden appearance of the Blood-Devouring Crows and the report of three S-level monsters led him to almost certainly conclude that this situation was related to the Black Hole. Dealing with S-level pollutants was manageable, but where was the Super-S-level Black Hole? How could it be captured? How should they handle it?
He had very limited information about Black Holes, and the summary data could only provide a rough idea.
If the Black Hole is appearing not only in areas with contamination levels above 6000, then the report from the future might just be a summary. Or perhaps the Alliance didn't consider all the factors related to the Black Hole, or maybe they've already found a way to control the Black Hole within areas with a contamination level of 6000.
The biggest mystery is why the Black Hole appeared in Qiu Jin and not in FS. After appearing in Qiu Jin Grand Canyon, could there also be problems in FS? The contamination levels in the FS zone are higher, with Qiu Jin Grand Canyon following closely behind. The only explanation could be that FS and Qiu Jin are relatively close to each other.
Ying Chenlin, while avoiding attacks from the S-level monster, continued to think rapidly. However, the systems within the mecha weren't precise enough to capture the fine movements of the magnetic fields. They could only test a general range but couldn't finely track the direction of the magnetic field's movement.
They needed a solution.
In the Qiu Jin Grand Canyon Central Control room, all the events on the field were under their surveillance. They were particularly concerned when they saw KID's red mecha performing high-altitude projectile throws. The leader in charge of rear-line support had his heart in his mouth until he saw KID's other two mechas catching them.
"Can't we connect to their communication channel?"
"We can connect, but it seems like they're using external communication... no established communication channel."
"What's going on with these people? External communication? Are they relying on shouting for coordination?"
The responsible person raised an eyebrow. "Let's set up a communication channel for them."
"What's going on with KID's support mech? Did KID send a reserve mecha pilot?"
At that moment, the Central Control room received an urgent communication request from the mecha area.
The operator responsible for handling communications hesitated for a moment. "Director, it's a communication request from KID's support mecha."
"Accept it," the director quickly responded.
Once the communication was established, they heard a young voice on the other end.
"This is Mecha KID-JUKG, KID mechanic Ying Chenlin," Ying Chenlin explained the situation as best as he could. "Could you continuously monitor the abnormal magnetic field's movement direction?"
Upon hearing Ying Chenlin's name, the director was momentarily stunned, then immediately switched to work mode. "The magnetic field has been moving, but its intensity has been decreasing."
This magnetic field seemed to have appeared out of thin air, carrying a bunch of pollutants that suddenly appeared in Qiu Jin Grand Canyon, overlaying the existing magnetic field there and severely affecting the overall environment of Qiu Jin.
"Can you record its energy characteristics?"
Ying Chenlin said, "We might need to determine how it appeared in Qiu Jin."
The director grabbed the communicator and continued, "We've been recording everything from the beginning. Now, we have Alliance experts on-site. Let me briefly explain our current analysis results. The magnetic field appeared out of nowhere, and before it appeared, there was some influence on Qiu Jin. KID's explosion happened precisely at the point where the magnetic force was strongest."
In a way, there are many factors within the competition area that can cause changes in the magnetic field, such as pollutants, battles between mecha pilots, or celestial events on the planet.
These are all minor issues that will disappear with time. However, this unique magnetic field was hidden among these changes. It had already appeared, and even because of its influence, the response of the S-level pollutants had weakened.
If it weren't for KID's explosion indirectly affecting the area and enhancing the base station signal function due to the Celestial Star Event, the management bureau wouldn't have been able to identify this strange magnetic field. They might have noticed the appearance of the S-level pollutants as an abnormal phenomenon only after the magnetic field's influence had completely disappeared.
For the management bureau, it was unclear whether KID's actions were due to good luck or bad luck. They had, however, managed to find the cause of the subsequent abnormal events in advance. What was good was that they could easily eliminate this strange anomaly.
Ying Chenlin asked, "So, you mean this strange magnetic field existed in advance?"
"Yes, it was indeed our negligence," the director said. "Some time ago, there was a meteor impact, and Qiu Jin's defense system intercepted a small part of the impact, causing some areas to experience abnormal magnetic fields."
"A meteor impact...?" Ying Chenlin began, "Can you provide me with the trajectory of those meteors—"
Before he could finish speaking, the male voice paused, followed by the rapid sound of the mecha operating. He quickly continued, "We can talk about it later."
The director reacted and looked at the virtual reality scene. He saw Ying Chenlin's mecha being affected by the S-level monster's extremely long forelimbs, forcing him to retreat quickly.
An operator said, "Mr. Ying has entered combat, and communications are temporarily interrupted."
At this moment, another staff member rushed in from outside and reported, "Director, you asked me to find Mr. Ying. Coach Jiang told me—"
Before he could explain further, he looked up at the virtual reality scene displaying the battle. KID's mecha was chasing the rapidly flying monster in a high-speed pursuit.
The director of the Qiu Jin management bureau's central control was suddenly enlightened. "Wait a minute?! Why is KID's mechanic in the battlefield?!?"
On the battlefield, Ying Chenlin frowned as he watched the relentless pursuit of the S-level monster. He was thinking about how to get rid of it when, in the distance, a sniper shot hit the monster right on target. He raised his eyes and saw You Su, situated in the rear. Then, a long Conduction Hammer came from the side and entangled the monster, dragging it backward.
It was Ke Lin's transmission Conduction Hammer.
[Invite from YDS-Ke Lin to join the communication channel]
High-speed flight made external communication sluggish. Ying Chenlin didn't hesitate and joined the channel. He then heard Ke Lin's voice, "I've created a team operations channel. We need to find a solution for this monster as soon as possible."
Ying Chenlin replied, "We must deal with it quickly. There are three S-level pollutants in the entire competition area."
Ke Lin was surprised. "Three of them?"
Before they could exchange any more words, the monster grabbed Ke Lin's Conduction Hammer, swung its body, and threw Ke Lin away with tremendous force. Its size was close to that of a mech, but its body length was longer, and its speed and strength far exceeded that of an A-level pollutant.
This was a completely different class of monster from the S-level Sand Lizard they had encountered earlier. The Sand Lizard excelled in spatial manipulation and enhancement abilities but didn't possess much attacking power. However, the monster before them was incredibly fast and powerful, and each strike of its forelimbs generated a tremendous gust of wind.
Once it touched them, their mechas' defenses would be completely inadequate.
Ke Lin frowned as he assessed the situation. In the aerial battlefield, there were only him and KID's two artillery mechas. He could control this S-level monster, but not for an extended period. He looked down at the flattened mountain below, where more and more pollutants were gathering. KID and YDS's remaining mecha pilots were dealing with the pollutants below and couldn't provide support.
He was a control-oriented Guardian mech, and the key to dealing with this mecha was to rely on KID's two artillery mechas.
He knew You Su's capabilities, but he had only researched Ying Chenlin's Guardian mech; he had never seen him pilot an artillery mech.
Ke Lin had a strategy in mind. Just as he was hesitating to try it out, Trace, who was piloting the Artillery mecha from a distance, fired a shot in the direction of the monster. This shot used 100% of the energy, and the moment it hit the monster, it went berserk and charged toward Trace.
Inside the cockpit, Theo was focused on the field of vision ahead, with various data screens displayed. During the flight, Ying Chenlin had been continuously adjusting the operational parameters of the mech, particularly the sensitivity, which he had set very high. This was the first time Theo had seen someone perform such intricate adjustments during flight, but Ying Chenlin seemed to adapt well to this kind of live situation.
Seeing this person adjust the values of the Artillery mecha to an extreme, lowering defense and focusing all energy on movement and attacks, Theo couldn't help but think of You Su.
You Su also liked to do this, adjusting parameters to the extreme every time.
"Is it adjusted?" You Su suddenly spoke.
Ying Chenlin, "Two minutes."
You Su, "Guardian, can your Conduction Hammer expand outward?"
"Yes, I can coordinate with you," Ke Lin noticed the positions of You Su and Ying Chenlin and understood. "Is it kite-flying? I can coordinate with you."
Inside the Central Control room, ever since they learned that KID's mecha pilot was a repairman, everyone had been on edge. Particularly when they saw the mecha being chased by the monster, they couldn't help but feel anxious.
Initially, when they saw KID-Trace pulling the monster away, they had breathed a sigh of relief. Little did they know that immediately afterward, Ying Chenlin initiated a long charge and launched another attack on the S-level monster.
In the next second, both of KID's mechas quickly took to the air.
The red mech's flying speed was even faster than when it had entered the battlefield. In its high-speed flight state, it didn't use the long-charge energy cannon anymore. Instead, it switched to rapid-fire cannons with shorter charge times and faster attack rates. These rapid-fire cannons, used during high-speed flight, had significantly reduced accuracy due to the constantly changing wind conditions.
However, at the moment the first projectile from the rapid-fire cannons was launched, the red mecha raised its weapon higher, and the trajectories of the projectiles in the air overlapped precisely, hitting the S-level monster with pinpoint accuracy.
On the other side, KID's Trace captured the moment of impact and, during the distraction of the S-level monster, timed a charged shot perfectly, following Ying Chenlin's rhythm and firing at the monster.
On the StarNet broadcast, all the viewers focused on the Qiu Jin area noticed that a large number of pollutants were gathering in Sector A-14. The accumulation of pollutants had made the situation uncontrollable. Qiu Jin was originally a high-risk contamination zone, and the pollutants inside were only cleared during matches. Now, influenced by the changing environment, the pollutants were going wild.
When they shifted their attention to Sector A-14, they could see two red mechas swiftly flying through the air.
These two mechas were separated by more than a kilometer in the air, yet their coordination was seamless.
One flew on the left side of the monster, drawing its attention, while the other attacked. Their collaborative roles shifted rapidly between the two of them.
"My goodness... they're so fast."
"I've been keeping an eye on this artillery mecha for a while. Is it KID's substitute?"
"KID doesn't have a substitute, right? This person is incredible. Maintaining such accuracy while flying, are these two guys demons?"
"It's terrifying. I've seen that S-level monster grab them several times."
"Is this an Artillery mech? This is the first time I've seen an Artillery take on something head-on."
In the Gale Base, Qi Sicheng affirmed, "This person should be KID's repairman."
Zhao Lejie had observed his combat up close in the Tianyu Star's contamination zone and had seen Ying Chenlin's exceptional proficiency with the Light Blade. He said in amazement, "He's great with guardians, but this is artillery, right?"
"He has a weapon on his left hand, and unlike Trace, he's continuously using rapid-fire cannons," Qi Sicheng watched their movements, "When he piloted the guardian mech, he used a Thunder Magnetic Cannon, and back then, his Thunder Magnetic Cannon's accuracy was close to 100%. The rapid-fire cannons have a charge speed similar to the Thunder Magnetic Cannon, so it's not surprising he can use them."
Zhao Lejie couldn't blink his eyes; he didn't want to miss any of the action. "But this is quite a leap. One's close combat, and the other is long-range. Moreover, his right arm is mechanical. Can he handle such high-precision combat?"
In team battles, close combat and long-range mechas were entirely different in nature, from the fundamental design of the mechas to their weaponry.
Not only did they have to adapt to different weapons, but also to the different styles of mecha operation, which was not as simple as changing weapons.
"He won't be able to hold on for too long; high-intensity combat demands a lot of physical stamina," Qi Sicheng said in a deep voice. "So Trace's speed has also been increased. They want to finish this quickly."
But most importantly, it was Ying Chenlin's talent. His talent was exceptionally high.
"Talent. Ying Chenlin's talent is incredibly high," Qi Sicheng sensed a strong presence. In just a few months of not seeing Ying Chenlin in action, he could perceive a devilishly fast rate of improvement in his operations.
Outside the General Bureau meeting room, Shen Xingtang was holding a light-brain, her attention focused on the cooperation inside the arena.
She knew Ying Chenlin was a retired Individual Soldier mecha pilot, and during his active duty, he had a high level of operational skill.
However, when she saw this level of coordination, she couldn't help but admire Ying Chenlin's adaptability. Individual Soldier mecha pilots typically balanced their mech's parameters, not favoring exceptionally high defense like Tank mechas or high output like Artillery mechas. This balance allowed most Individual Soldier mecha pilots to carry both close combat and long-range weapons to deal with various unexpected situations.
When Ying Chenlin originally carried the Thunder Magnetic Cannon and the Light Blade, she knew he could operate both close and long-range weapons. But now, seeing him use long-range weapons, she witnessed a different aspect of Ying Chenlin's combat skills. His attack posture had changed, and he maintained a nearly terrifying precision. This level of operational skill was rare among Individual Soldier mecha pilots in Dawn Galaxy.
In the arena, the battle pace never slowed down. Ke Lin was responsible for slowing down the monster, and his Conduction Hammer, when expanded, created a magnetic effect that could control the monster for one or two seconds. This helped alleviate the pressure on the two mechas in front.
Monsters like this, with enhanced speed and strength, were easier to handle than the ability-enhanced pollutants. To deal with them, the artillery mechas needed to keep their distance and effectively kite them.
When the monster chased one mech, it was the other mech's turn to engage in combat. However, this kind of battle was rapidly changing, and the rhythm between the two mechas had to be maintained consistently. They needed fast flight, quick charge-ups, and the highest possible hit rate in such an atmosphere.
Ke Lin was following them, reducing the intervals of control, and he could clearly feel the pace accelerating.
The confrontation between the two mechas and the S-level monster reached its peak with each volley of projectiles.
You Su's abilities weren't surprising, given his resonance with the S-level mech, Theo.
However, KID's Ying Chenlin, these kinds of data were entirely unexpected in his initial observations.
The speed kept increasing, and Theo's perspective shifted along with it. At one moment, it almost felt like it was You Su sitting in the cockpit.
"Something's not right," Ying Chenlin suddenly said.
You Su replied, "Its speed has increased too."
Their attack rhythm was getting faster, but the S-level pollutant's speed was also rising.
At this moment, the monster let out a roar and, at an incredibly fast speed, charged towards You Su.
You Su decisively gave up charging and brushed past its claws. The sharp wind that swept by made him furrow his brow involuntarily.
Ying Chenlin suddenly said, "It's observing us."
S-level pollutants had intelligence and abilities far beyond A-level ones. This monster was gradually breaking through its limits and observing their combat rhythm as they fought.
In the next second, the S-level monster's long limbs swung again, sweeping toward You Su's mech.
Recognizing this familiar combat rhythm, just like when he was in the Frontier Contaminated Zone before, You Su asked, "Are you saying this pollutant appeared here out of nowhere?"
Ying Chenlin replied, "Yes."
"In that case, I might know where it came from," You Su's tone turned cold. "This thing's intelligence is similar to the monsters in the Frontier Contaminated Zone."
The Frontier Contaminated Zone... The channel fell silent for a moment.
That was a place rarely ventured into by mecha pilots, always under strict military control.
You Su asked, "How much longer can you hold on?"
Since the battle began, Ying Chenlin had been using his left hand, and with prolonged high-intensity combat, he was already feeling fatigued in his left hand a minute ago.
During flight, he swiftly switched to his right hand for control, and the empathetic pressure from the weapon immediately transferred to his right hand.
Ying Chenlin calmly replied, "30 minutes."
---
In the distance, inside the Central Control Room of the Tianyu Star Management Bureau, several staff members were busy. Virtual screens displayed densely packed data, all related to environmental data on Tianyu Star over the past few months. From the time of the accident to now, contamination zones had been under investigation for source tracing.
At this moment, the staff received a communication request from the Contamination Zone Control Center. "Hello, this is the Tianyu Star Contamination Zone Control Center—"
Before they could finish speaking, the leading researcher appeared on the screen, looking anxious. He interrupted, saying, "Immediately send an urgent report to the Alliance."
"We've detected abnormal pollutant energy reactions on the body of the Sand Lizard. After matching environmental energy reactions and analyzing pollutant residue, we've concluded that the environmental response on the Sand Lizard's body doesn't match any environmental conditions within the Dawn Galaxy, including Tianyu Star."
The researcher's expression was grave. "We speculate that this Sand Lizard may have come from the Frontier Contaminated Zone."
67. IQ
The energy cannon compressed and struck the S-level monster once again. The red Artillery mecha swiftly switched between charging attacks.
As the Artillery mecha used artillery fire to close in on the S-level monster, it immediately changed to rapid-fire mode.
You Su had detected the arrival of the red Artillery mecha on his radar and noticed the operator's habits when switching energy cannons. He immediately understood the newcomer's intentions.
The S-level monster was continuously bombarded from behind by the artillery fire, and it let out an annoyed growl. With yellow-green eyes fixed on both the prey in front of it and the one behind, it suddenly turned and charged toward the red Artillery mecha at the rear.
With the two mechas working in coordination, they quickly alleviated the deadlock above.
All eyes in the arena were focused on the newly arrived red Artillery mecha. Ke Lin furrowed his brows slightly, paying attention to the smooth operation. Was this the Artillery mecha pilot for KID, or was it someone from another team who had requisitioned KID's mecha?
Hu Luobu saw the red-patterned KID mecha and turned to the KID pilot next to him. "Is this your team's reinforcement? Does KID have a reserve pilot?"
The members of the KID team looked bewildered, but it was indeed their team's mecha.
Ji Qingfeng stated truthfully, "An Artillery mecha pilot is so costly; our team's owner can't afford two of them."
Lin Yao, "We don't have a reserve pilot; we only have one mechanic."
Hu Luobu raised his head in confusion and looked at the smoothly operated Artillery mecha. "Isn't your maintenance specialist piloting a Guardian mecha?"
At this moment, the red Artillery mecha had unknowingly flown above them, and an external communication came through with a familiar voice. "How's YDS's energy situation?"
The YDS mecha pilot immediately responded, understanding that this person had come to provide support, and reported the energy reserves of all the mechas.
Hearing the familiar voice, Lin Yao reacted. "Chen Lin!"
"It's me," Ying Chenlin was about to respond when the S-level monster had already closed in on him. He immediately said, "Lin Yao, catch!"
Catch? Catch what!?
Before the others could react, Lin Yao, piloting the Guardian mecha, had already rushed up next to him.
Following that, the red Artillery mecha passed by swiftly, and something fell from its storage compartment.
YDS members, "!"
Wait a minute!? Isn't that an energy conduit???
Ji Qingfeng: "!!!"
Lin Yao activated his thrusters and swiftly grabbed the airborne energy conduits. If he couldn't grab them, he hugged them. With quick and precise maneuvers, he secured three energy conduits. He quickly tossed them to Ji Qingfeng beside him and said, "Da Feng, catch."
Ji Qingfeng, after catching them, wore an expression of pain. "Do you realize this is a highly volatile projectile? And can energy conduits be thrown like this? Do you know how expensive these are?"
Ying Chenlin took a moment to explain, "It's not from our team; it's from the Qiu Jin Management Bureau."
Ji Qingfeng's pained expression instantly changed, and he said, "Well, that's different then."
Other YDS members: "???"
Hu Luobu was shocked. "Is this about money or not?"
Could energy conduits even be thrown? If they couldn't catch them, wouldn't it cut off their energy supply?
Ji Qingfeng asked again, "How many conduits did the Alliance provide, and will they bill us for this later?"
Hu Luobu, "... The Alliance isn't as stingy as you!"
As Ying Chenlin flew in the air and saw that the S-level monster had been drawn away by You Su's artillery fire, he turned and flew over Lin Yao. "Lin Yao, come again!"
Lin Yao reacted incredibly fast and had already soared up. "Coming!"
YDS: "???"
He's doing it again!
After handing over all the energy conduits to the other mechas, Ying Chenlin quickly retreated from the area above the mountain. While hovering in the sky above the mountain, his attention was on the magnetic field sensing system inside the mech. The disrupted magnetic fields were affecting all intelligent judgments, causing fluctuations in the energy waves emitted by the mecha drivers and attracting more and more pollutants in their direction.
Ying Chenlin frowned slightly. The sudden appearance of the Blood-Devouring Crows and the report of three S-level monsters led him to almost certainly conclude that this situation was related to the Black Hole. Dealing with S-level pollutants was manageable, but where was the Super-S-level Black Hole? How could it be captured? How should they handle it?
He had very limited information about Black Holes, and the summary data could only provide a rough idea.
If the Black Hole is appearing not only in areas with contamination levels above 6000, then the report from the future might just be a summary. Or perhaps the Alliance didn't consider all the factors related to the Black Hole, or maybe they've already found a way to control the Black Hole within areas with a contamination level of 6000.
The biggest mystery is why the Black Hole appeared in Qiu Jin and not in FS. After appearing in Qiu Jin Grand Canyon, could there also be problems in FS? The contamination levels in the FS zone are higher, with Qiu Jin Grand Canyon following closely behind. The only explanation could be that FS and Qiu Jin are relatively close to each other.
Ying Chenlin, while avoiding attacks from the S-level monster, continued to think rapidly. However, the systems within the mecha weren't precise enough to capture the fine movements of the magnetic fields. They could only test a general range but couldn't finely track the direction of the magnetic field's movement.
They needed a solution.
In the Qiu Jin Grand Canyon Central Control room, all the events on the field were under their surveillance. They were particularly concerned when they saw KID's red mecha performing high-altitude projectile throws. The leader in charge of rear-line support had his heart in his mouth until he saw KID's other two mechas catching them.
"Can't we connect to their communication channel?"
"We can connect, but it seems like they're using external communication... no established communication channel."
"What's going on with these people? External communication? Are they relying on shouting for coordination?"
The responsible person raised an eyebrow. "Let's set up a communication channel for them."
"What's going on with KID's support mech? Did KID send a reserve mecha pilot?"
At that moment, the Central Control room received an urgent communication request from the mecha area.
The operator responsible for handling communications hesitated for a moment. "Director, it's a communication request from KID's support mecha."
"Accept it," the director quickly responded.
Once the communication was established, they heard a young voice on the other end.
"This is Mecha KID-JUKG, KID mechanic Ying Chenlin," Ying Chenlin explained the situation as best as he could. "Could you continuously monitor the abnormal magnetic field's movement direction?"
Upon hearing Ying Chenlin's name, the director was momentarily stunned, then immediately switched to work mode. "The magnetic field has been moving, but its intensity has been decreasing."
This magnetic field seemed to have appeared out of thin air, carrying a bunch of pollutants that suddenly appeared in Qiu Jin Grand Canyon, overlaying the existing magnetic field there and severely affecting the overall environment of Qiu Jin.
"Can you record its energy characteristics?"
Ying Chenlin said, "We might need to determine how it appeared in Qiu Jin."
The director grabbed the communicator and continued, "We've been recording everything from the beginning. Now, we have Alliance experts on-site. Let me briefly explain our current analysis results. The magnetic field appeared out of nowhere, and before it appeared, there was some influence on Qiu Jin. KID's explosion happened precisely at the point where the magnetic force was strongest."
In a way, there are many factors within the competition area that can cause changes in the magnetic field, such as pollutants, battles between mecha pilots, or celestial events on the planet.
These are all minor issues that will disappear with time. However, this unique magnetic field was hidden among these changes. It had already appeared, and even because of its influence, the response of the S-level pollutants had weakened.
If it weren't for KID's explosion indirectly affecting the area and enhancing the base station signal function due to the Celestial Star Event, the management bureau wouldn't have been able to identify this strange magnetic field. They might have noticed the appearance of the S-level pollutants as an abnormal phenomenon only after the magnetic field's influence had completely disappeared.
For the management bureau, it was unclear whether KID's actions were due to good luck or bad luck. They had, however, managed to find the cause of the subsequent abnormal events in advance. What was good was that they could easily eliminate this strange anomaly.
Ying Chenlin asked, "So, you mean this strange magnetic field existed in advance?"
"Yes, it was indeed our negligence," the director said. "Some time ago, there was a meteor impact, and Qiu Jin's defense system intercepted a small part of the impact, causing some areas to experience abnormal magnetic fields."
"A meteor impact...?" Ying Chenlin began, "Can you provide me with the trajectory of those meteors—"
Before he could finish speaking, the male voice paused, followed by the rapid sound of the mecha operating. He quickly continued, "We can talk about it later."
The director reacted and looked at the virtual reality scene. He saw Ying Chenlin's mecha being affected by the S-level monster's extremely long forelimbs, forcing him to retreat quickly.
An operator said, "Mr. Ying has entered combat, and communications are temporarily interrupted."
At this moment, another staff member rushed in from outside and reported, "Director, you asked me to find Mr. Ying. Coach Jiang told me—"
Before he could explain further, he looked up at the virtual reality scene displaying the battle. KID's mecha was chasing the rapidly flying monster in a high-speed pursuit.
The director of the Qiu Jin management bureau's central control was suddenly enlightened. "Wait a minute?! Why is KID's mechanic in the battlefield?!?"
On the battlefield, Ying Chenlin frowned as he watched the relentless pursuit of the S-level monster. He was thinking about how to get rid of it when, in the distance, a sniper shot hit the monster right on target. He raised his eyes and saw You Su, situated in the rear. Then, a long Conduction Hammer came from the side and entangled the monster, dragging it backward.
It was Ke Lin's transmission Conduction Hammer.
[Invite from YDS-Ke Lin to join the communication channel]
High-speed flight made external communication sluggish. Ying Chenlin didn't hesitate and joined the channel. He then heard Ke Lin's voice, "I've created a team operations channel. We need to find a solution for this monster as soon as possible."
Ying Chenlin replied, "We must deal with it quickly. There are three S-level pollutants in the entire competition area."
Ke Lin was surprised. "Three of them?"
Before they could exchange any more words, the monster grabbed Ke Lin's Conduction Hammer, swung its body, and threw Ke Lin away with tremendous force. Its size was close to that of a mech, but its body length was longer, and its speed and strength far exceeded that of an A-level pollutant.
This was a completely different class of monster from the S-level Sand Lizard they had encountered earlier. The Sand Lizard excelled in spatial manipulation and enhancement abilities but didn't possess much attacking power. However, the monster before them was incredibly fast and powerful, and each strike of its forelimbs generated a tremendous gust of wind.
Once it touched them, their mechas' defenses would be completely inadequate.
Ke Lin frowned as he assessed the situation. In the aerial battlefield, there were only him and KID's two artillery mechas. He could control this S-level monster, but not for an extended period. He looked down at the flattened mountain below, where more and more pollutants were gathering. KID and YDS's remaining mecha pilots were dealing with the pollutants below and couldn't provide support.
He was a control-oriented Guardian mech, and the key to dealing with this mecha was to rely on KID's two artillery mechas.
He knew You Su's capabilities, but he had only researched Ying Chenlin's Guardian mech; he had never seen him pilot an artillery mech.
Ke Lin had a strategy in mind. Just as he was hesitating to try it out, Trace, who was piloting the Artillery mecha from a distance, fired a shot in the direction of the monster. This shot used 100% of the energy, and the moment it hit the monster, it went berserk and charged toward Trace.
Inside the cockpit, Theo was focused on the field of vision ahead, with various data screens displayed. During the flight, Ying Chenlin had been continuously adjusting the operational parameters of the mech, particularly the sensitivity, which he had set very high. This was the first time Theo had seen someone perform such intricate adjustments during flight, but Ying Chenlin seemed to adapt well to this kind of live situation.
Seeing this person adjust the values of the Artillery mecha to an extreme, lowering defense and focusing all energy on movement and attacks, Theo couldn't help but think of You Su.
You Su also liked to do this, adjusting parameters to the extreme every time.
"Is it adjusted?" You Su suddenly spoke.
Ying Chenlin, "Two minutes."
You Su, "Guardian, can your Conduction Hammer expand outward?"
"Yes, I can coordinate with you," Ke Lin noticed the positions of You Su and Ying Chenlin and understood. "Is it kite-flying? I can coordinate with you."
Inside the Central Control room, ever since they learned that KID's mecha pilot was a repairman, everyone had been on edge. Particularly when they saw the mecha being chased by the monster, they couldn't help but feel anxious.
Initially, when they saw KID-Trace pulling the monster away, they had breathed a sigh of relief. Little did they know that immediately afterward, Ying Chenlin initiated a long charge and launched another attack on the S-level monster.
In the next second, both of KID's mechas quickly took to the air.
The red mech's flying speed was even faster than when it had entered the battlefield. In its high-speed flight state, it didn't use the long-charge energy cannon anymore. Instead, it switched to rapid-fire cannons with shorter charge times and faster attack rates. These rapid-fire cannons, used during high-speed flight, had significantly reduced accuracy due to the constantly changing wind conditions.
However, at the moment the first projectile from the rapid-fire cannons was launched, the red mecha raised its weapon higher, and the trajectories of the projectiles in the air overlapped precisely, hitting the S-level monster with pinpoint accuracy.
On the other side, KID's Trace captured the moment of impact and, during the distraction of the S-level monster, timed a charged shot perfectly, following Ying Chenlin's rhythm and firing at the monster.
On the StarNet broadcast, all the viewers focused on the Qiu Jin area noticed that a large number of pollutants were gathering in Sector A-14. The accumulation of pollutants had made the situation uncontrollable. Qiu Jin was originally a high-risk contamination zone, and the pollutants inside were only cleared during matches. Now, influenced by the changing environment, the pollutants were going wild.
When they shifted their attention to Sector A-14, they could see two red mechas swiftly flying through the air.
These two mechas were separated by more than a kilometer in the air, yet their coordination was seamless.
One flew on the left side of the monster, drawing its attention, while the other attacked. Their collaborative roles shifted rapidly between the two of them.
"My goodness... they're so fast."
"I've been keeping an eye on this artillery mecha for a while. Is it KID's substitute?"
"KID doesn't have a substitute, right? This person is incredible. Maintaining such accuracy while flying, are these two guys demons?"
"It's terrifying. I've seen that S-level monster grab them several times."
"Is this an Artillery mech? This is the first time I've seen an Artillery take on something head-on."
In the Gale Base, Qi Sicheng affirmed, "This person should be KID's repairman."
Zhao Lejie had observed his combat up close in the Tianyu Star's contamination zone and had seen Ying Chenlin's exceptional proficiency with the Light Blade. He said in amazement, "He's great with guardians, but this is artillery, right?"
"He has a weapon on his left hand, and unlike Trace, he's continuously using rapid-fire cannons," Qi Sicheng watched their movements, "When he piloted the guardian mech, he used a Thunder Magnetic Cannon, and back then, his Thunder Magnetic Cannon's accuracy was close to 100%. The rapid-fire cannons have a charge speed similar to the Thunder Magnetic Cannon, so it's not surprising he can use them."
Zhao Lejie couldn't blink his eyes; he didn't want to miss any of the action. "But this is quite a leap. One's close combat, and the other is long-range. Moreover, his right arm is mechanical. Can he handle such high-precision combat?"
In team battles, close combat and long-range mechas were entirely different in nature, from the fundamental design of the mechas to their weaponry.
Not only did they have to adapt to different weapons, but also to the different styles of mecha operation, which was not as simple as changing weapons.
"He won't be able to hold on for too long; high-intensity combat demands a lot of physical stamina," Qi Sicheng said in a deep voice. "So Trace's speed has also been increased. They want to finish this quickly."
But most importantly, it was Ying Chenlin's talent. His talent was exceptionally high.
"Talent. Ying Chenlin's talent is incredibly high," Qi Sicheng sensed a strong presence. In just a few months of not seeing Ying Chenlin in action, he could perceive a devilishly fast rate of improvement in his operations.
Outside the General Bureau meeting room, Shen Xingtang was holding a light-brain, her attention focused on the cooperation inside the arena.
She knew Ying Chenlin was a retired Individual Soldier mecha pilot, and during his active duty, he had a high level of operational skill.
However, when she saw this level of coordination, she couldn't help but admire Ying Chenlin's adaptability. Individual Soldier mecha pilots typically balanced their mech's parameters, not favoring exceptionally high defense like Tank mechas or high output like Artillery mechas. This balance allowed most Individual Soldier mecha pilots to carry both close combat and long-range weapons to deal with various unexpected situations.
When Ying Chenlin originally carried the Thunder Magnetic Cannon and the Light Blade, she knew he could operate both close and long-range weapons. But now, seeing him use long-range weapons, she witnessed a different aspect of Ying Chenlin's combat skills. His attack posture had changed, and he maintained a nearly terrifying precision. This level of operational skill was rare among Individual Soldier mecha pilots in Dawn Galaxy.
In the arena, the battle pace never slowed down. Ke Lin was responsible for slowing down the monster, and his Conduction Hammer, when expanded, created a magnetic effect that could control the monster for one or two seconds. This helped alleviate the pressure on the two mechas in front.
Monsters like this, with enhanced speed and strength, were easier to handle than the ability-enhanced pollutants. To deal with them, the artillery mechas needed to keep their distance and effectively kite them.
When the monster chased one mech, it was the other mech's turn to engage in combat. However, this kind of battle was rapidly changing, and the rhythm between the two mechas had to be maintained consistently. They needed fast flight, quick charge-ups, and the highest possible hit rate in such an atmosphere.
Ke Lin was following them, reducing the intervals of control, and he could clearly feel the pace accelerating.
The confrontation between the two mechas and the S-level monster reached its peak with each volley of projectiles.
You Su's abilities weren't surprising, given his resonance with the S-level mech, Theo.
However, KID's Ying Chenlin, these kinds of data were entirely unexpected in his initial observations.
The speed kept increasing, and Theo's perspective shifted along with it. At one moment, it almost felt like it was You Su sitting in the cockpit.
"Something's not right," Ying Chenlin suddenly said.
You Su replied, "Its speed has increased too."
Their attack rhythm was getting faster, but the S-level pollutant's speed was also rising.
At this moment, the monster let out a roar and, at an incredibly fast speed, charged towards You Su.
You Su decisively gave up charging and brushed past its claws. The sharp wind that swept by made him furrow his brow involuntarily.
Ying Chenlin suddenly said, "It's observing us."
S-level pollutants had intelligence and abilities far beyond A-level ones. This monster was gradually breaking through its limits and observing their combat rhythm as they fought.
In the next second, the S-level monster's long limbs swung again, sweeping toward You Su's mech.
Recognizing this familiar combat rhythm, just like when he was in the Frontier Contaminated Zone before, You Su asked, "Are you saying this pollutant appeared here out of nowhere?"
Ying Chenlin replied, "Yes."
"In that case, I might know where it came from," You Su's tone turned cold. "This thing's intelligence is similar to the monsters in the Frontier Contaminated Zone."
The Frontier Contaminated Zone... The channel fell silent for a moment.
That was a place rarely ventured into by mecha pilots, always under strict military control.
You Su asked, "How much longer can you hold on?"
Since the battle began, Ying Chenlin had been using his left hand, and with prolonged high-intensity combat, he was already feeling fatigued in his left hand a minute ago.
During flight, he swiftly switched to his right hand for control, and the empathetic pressure from the weapon immediately transferred to his right hand.
Ying Chenlin calmly replied, "30 minutes."
---
In the distance, inside the Central Control Room of the Tianyu Star Management Bureau, several staff members were busy. Virtual screens displayed densely packed data, all related to environmental data on Tianyu Star over the past few months. From the time of the accident to now, contamination zones had been under investigation for source tracing.
At this moment, the staff received a communication request from the Contamination Zone Control Center. "Hello, this is the Tianyu Star Contamination Zone Control Center—"
Before they could finish speaking, the leading researcher appeared on the screen, looking anxious. He interrupted, saying, "Immediately send an urgent report to the Alliance."
"We've detected abnormal pollutant energy reactions on the body of the Sand Lizard. After matching environmental energy reactions and analyzing pollutant residue, we've concluded that the environmental response on the Sand Lizard's body doesn't match any environmental conditions within the Dawn Galaxy, including Tianyu Star."
The researcher's expression was grave. "We speculate that this Sand Lizard may have come from the Frontier Contaminated Zone."
