C6 New Training
In the end, a synthetic voice, reminiscent of a computer's, was the only sound left, repeating itself incessantly.
As the echo slowly dissipated, Gu Xian's head, which had been buzzing from the vibration, found tranquility once more.
The scene around him shifted yet again.
Countless mechas, as if meticulously placed within a showcase, rose in unison from the ground and stretched rapidly towards the heavens.
It was as though bookshelves of towering height had sprouted in every direction, except these shelves were laden with real, towering mechas in a spectrum of colors—reds, golds, blues...
Gu Xian had never laid eyes on any of these mecha models before, not a single one!
Each stood nearly 20 meters tall, each with a distinct style.
Some exuded grace, others commanded presence, some appeared fierce, while others were simply beautiful.
They were arrayed in neat rows upon these colossal shelves, their heights unknown, their reach indeterminate, extending to the sky and spreading to the horizon, forming an infinite wall that shrouded the area.
Tens of thousands of mechas seemed to uniformly gaze upon the central clearing, upon Gu Xian himself.
His vision swam, his heart fluttered.
Drawn as if under a spell, he approached the mechas, examining them with great detail.
To him, these mechas were akin to divine gifts, sparking an innate fondness deep within.
Their styles were a stark departure from contemporary mechas, with wildly different designs and bizarre weaponry, yet they possessed a harmonious and lavish beauty.
Some of the mechs were familiar, ones he had encountered on the battlefield moments ago, while others were entirely new to him.
The mechas perched at the highest tier seemed to survey the land from the clouds, their forms obscured from view.
Those at the lowest tier were vividly presented before him.
Their alloy frames exuded a mechanical beauty, brimming with latent, explosive force.
Upon closer inspection, however, he noticed that their exteriors were fractured, pieced together like mosaics of countless shards.
Once more, the mechanical synthesized voice filled the air.
"Successor No. 2, welcome to the Eon Training Camp. Before you lies the Eon Empire, birthed from the Mecha Civilization—a civilization that the cosmos has left behind, a testament to both legacy and memorial. No. 2, are you prepared?"
Gu Xian inhaled deeply.
The training camp.
Just the mention of those words triggered an instinctive urge to flee within him.
Neither the allure of the Eon Empire nor the fascination with Mecha Civilization could entice him.
To Gu Xian, those words felt like a dousing of ice-cold water, extinguishing his once fervent desire for mechas.
Memories of endless days and nights at the Eon Training Camp flooded back.
The phrase he heard most from his instructor was a chilling directive: "You should know how to kill him."
But he had no desire to kill. Who would willingly plunge a bayonet into another's belly, scramble their insides, or wish to have their own guts mangled?
Resistance surged within him.
No, I refuse!
A low growl erupted from Gu Xian's core as his whole being rebelled.
I will not join the training camp.
I want no further ties with any such place.
All I wish is to honor Old Charlie's dream and lead a simple life.
"Go away, go away! Seek out your new successor, leave me be!"
"Number 2, are you prepared?" The synthetic voice of the machine inquired, unflappable as ever.
No, I am not ready, not now, not ever. Go away!
"Number 2, are you prepared?"
The relentless mechanical voice echoed again.
"Go away, go away! Release me, let me leave!"
Disgust welled up in Gu Xian as he flailed his arms, shut his eyes, and then snapped them open.
Before him stood a mecha.
The Bladebreaker-12 Engineering Mecha.
Its drab gray-white color and squat, awkward stature made it look unremarkable next to the sleeker combat mechas.
The left hand, fitted with a Glowing-C2 Laser Cutter, was delicate, while the right arm, equipped with a Clint 77P forceps-shaped clamp, was robust and powerful.
It was the spitting image of the mecha Gu Xian had operated at 33 Bay Road.
What in the world was happening?
He was utterly confounded.
Lost in thought, he was jolted by a clicking noise from behind.
"What's happening?" Gu Xian turned to look and, to his astonishment, there stood another Bladebreaker-12.
What does this mean?
Before Gu Xian could even process the situation, he saw the Bladedge wielding a Bladedge-C2 laser cutter come to life with a sizzling sound. A robust laser beam shot out, sweeping directly toward him.
Gu Xian's instincts, honed by countless battles, kicked in and saved his life.
In a split second, he arched backward, narrowly avoiding the laser, and sprang up from the ground, swiftly diving into another Bladedge-12.
The two engineering mechas, each ten meters tall and four meters wide, stood like silent beasts.
Then, without warning, the Bladedge sprang into action.
The Bladedge swung its laser cutter at Gu Xian with the ferocity of a laser sword.
If Gu Xian was still trying to figure out what was happening, he would be doing a disservice to the skills he'd developed at the Eon Training Camp.
He snapped into combat mode, activating the Bladedge's forceps-shaped clamp and laser cutter.
With a flick of his right hand, the forceps-shaped clamp shot out toward his adversary. Simultaneously, the Bladedge's laser cutter switched to overload mode, its beam intensifying into a blinding white light.
The Bladedge's armor wasn't particularly thick, but it was made of a material far superior to mere steel.
Even with the Bladedge's power, slicing through steel was a challenge, let alone the C-type super-light alloy used for mecha construction.
He was confident that the Bladedge facing him wouldn't inflict any fatal damage, but the overloaded Bladedge in his own hands was a different story.
The forceps-shaped clamp clamped down on the opposing Bladedge's right arm. Under Gu Xian's command, the Bladedge's main engine thundered to life, its right leg thrusting against the ground to propel him forward.
With a load-bearing capacity of 130 tons within ten meters, and the Bladedge weighing in at 125 tons, Gu Xian knew that, with his control, there was no chance for the opposing Bladedge to break free.
Yet, the unexpected occurred.
Just as Gu Xian's Bladedge was about to close in on the other's cockpit, the opposing Bladedge's laser cutter detached. In the same moment, the forceps-shaped clamp grabbed the laser cutter and thrust it forward.
The red light transformed into a blinding white in an instant, hurtling straight toward him. It seemed Gu Xian had unwittingly walked right into a trap.
A prickling sensation crawled across Gu Xian's scalp as he hastily maneuvered the forceps-shaped clamp in an attempt to flee.
Yet, the very clamp he had intended to use to constrain his opponent now became his own restraint.
His adversary had every opportunity to sever the clamp with a molten slash, but chose not to. Instead, they turned the tables, effectively sealing off Gu Xian's escape route.
Having overused his tactic, it was now too late for Gu Xian to sever the clamp himself.
The laser cutter made contact with his cockpit.
He could almost feel the scorching heat capable of vaporizing him.
He had misjudged the situation.
His opponent was formidable!
This was the first true master Gu Xian had encountered since leaving the Eon Training Camp, and unexpectedly, he still couldn't shake off its influence.
In a clash of titans, a split second was all it took, and now he could only await his demise.
But the anticipated searing heat never arrived. Instead, after a brief plunge into darkness, the scene reset to its initial state.
Gu Xian looked down, almost as if in a dream. Yes, he was still piloting the Pioneer, his brain wired to the control device.
"What's happening?"
As though in response to his confusion, the synthesized computer voice he had heard earlier resounded once more.
"Beginner mecha combat training, second battle, commencing."
"Training?" Gu Xian's eyes sharpened. He inhaled deeply, his concentration peaking. Years of ingrained habit kicked in, allowing him to snap into readiness, his previous aversion to the training camp locked away in an instant.
The instructor had said, "Don't let anything affect your battle, especially not your emotions."
The Pioneer crouched down, the forceps-shaped clamp oscillating before the mecha.
The Glow morphed into a laser sword, now held across his chest.
Training, that was something he knew inside out.
...
Battle after battle, Gu Xian was thoroughly defeated.
He had never imagined he could be beaten so soundly.
Nor did he ever expect to be bested by an antiquated engineering mecha.
If he were to tell the instructor and Old Charlie that the Pioneer-12 was a formidable combat mecha, would they laugh until their teeth fell out?
Gu Xian was the picture of serenity. Despite being defeated repeatedly, his mind only sharpened with each setback. He was on a path of continuous growth, and these defeats illuminated flaws he had previously been blind to—flaws that, in a real battle, could prove lethal. One slip, and it would be over for him. Yet, here he was, 'dying' over and over in training, not in actuality. What could be more marvelous than this second chance? Gu Xian was so elated, he nearly burst into song.
He came to realize that his skills were not inferior to his opponent's. Rather, his adversary was adept at harnessing every ounce of power from the Pioneer-12. Take the forceps-shaped clamp, for instance. Gu Xian knew its load-bearing capacity within ten meters, which gave him the confidence to scale buildings and engage in combat with it. But his opponent seemed to have an intimate knowledge of the clamp's capacity at every length—a mastery that had cost Gu Xian dearly more than once. It left him wondering if the other mechanist specialized in this very tool.
Then there was the matter of engine strength. The Pioneer-12 was equipped with one main engine for propulsion and two auxiliary engines for movement adjustments. For an engineering mecha, this trio sufficed for its less complex combat maneuvers. Gu Xian prided himself on his peak control over these engines, a skill even the elite engineering mechanists of Aelley had acknowledged. But faced with this particular Pioneer, his prized control paled in comparison. His opponent could extract every last drop of potential from the engines, even adding a flourish of finesse.
Moreover, the Mocha III revolving wheel and the Molten Laser Cutter were transformed in the hands of this mechanist, becoming extensions of their own being. Gu Xian was awestruck. He was rapidly assimilating combat experience, growing exponentially. Before he knew it, his movements echoed those of the Pioneer, his reactions quickened, and his thoughts crystallized with clarity.
