Genius Mechanic: Chapter 118

118. Burrow

Proofread by Cloud Chip Cake

In the distance, Ji Qingfeng and Lin Yao had just finished cleaning up pollutants and rushed into the fire. Lu Xi, who landed behind them, remarked, “Deputy Zhao seems to be following…”

“Dang!” Ji Qingfeng turned his head and shouted, “Old Zhao, I just borrowed a pollutant from you, do you really need to follow?”

“Taking without asking is stealing. What do you need the pollutant for? Explain yourself clearly!” Zhao Lejie’s speed surged as he quickly caught up, following closely behind the KID trio dragging the massive object.

“Desperate times call for desperate measures!” Ji Qingfeng replied, pushing his thrusters to the fullest. “I’ll explain later!”

Originally close to catching up, Zhao Lejie saw the group up ahead accelerate and had to push his accelerator to keep up. “Stop!”

Things happened too suddenly. The pollutant in front of them was snatched up, and his deputy vanished in an instant. The Artillery mecha pilot stood still, staring blankly at the approaching Qi Sicheng, and reported, “Captain Qi, the deputy followed KID!”

Qi Sicheng, who had just arrived, responded with confusion, “?”

The Artillery mecha pilot continued, “Captain.”

“Stay and continue cleaning up here,” Qi Sicheng said, frowning slightly as he looked in the direction Zhao Lejie had left. “There may be a need for manpower over there, and Lejie can provide support.”

As the aftermath of the explosion lingered, the entire administration was thrown into a new frenzy upon receiving Lieutenant Lu’s message.

The discussion between the Lieutenant General and Old Qiu was interrupted, and Old Qiu hurriedly began to assess the situation: “Bring up the abnormal energy situation for analysis.”

Seeing the empty interior of the base station, all mech pilots were engaged in clearing pollutants around the perimeter. The staff’s hearts were also tense. Just as they had finished dealing with a large number of pollutants, it wasn’t time to relax yet, as those strange tentacles were still lurking around.

Various energy analyses appeared on the consoles in the control room. The Frontier Army corps outside the Restricted Zone were rushing in, while the damaged mechs inside the Restricted Zone were still holding their positions. Everyone’s actions were accelerated at this moment.

“What do you mean? Is Sink related to the Frontier Army? It’s unlikely to be that surname Ying, right?” Zhang Ge asked quietly.

“The things we heard here today.” Shen Xingtang glanced at him from the corner of her eye. “It’s best if neither of us talks about it.”

Zhang Ge: “…”

He felt that staying in the lounge with Black Crow and YDS’ leaders might be a better choice now.

But Shen Xingtang’s mind lingered on the words Old Qiu had said not long ago. Yuan was designed by Ying Songshan, there was no need to mention anything else. Just this relationship alone seemed to add another layer of undisclosed connections to the enigmatic past of Ying Chenlin.

Compared to Station Chief Ying Songshan, Shen Xingtang thought of Major General Ying who had battled pollutants for twenty years.

Regarding most of the rumors about Major General Ying, she had heard a little when she was serving as a battlefield mechanic in the Frontier Army. However, by the time she entered the Frontier Army, Major General Ying had already sacrificed himself. The most common explanation within the Frontier Army about his sacrifice was that Major General Ying sacrificed himself during the mutation in the Coria Contaminated Zone. Major General Ying had risen to fame at a young age and had a great talent for mecha piloting. He had once led the most sharp-witted special forces in the Frontier Army.

Since Yuan was designed by Station Chief Ying Songshan… Station Chief Ying could obtain this peculiar crystal from Major General Ying’s hands.

Certain relationships were indescribable. The Star Alliance was vast, with many citizens sharing the same names and surnames. A single surname couldn’t serve as a definitive link for a relationship. However, when this layer of relationship was coupled with a mech that played a crucial role, informed individuals couldn’t overlook it.

But she didn’t have time to ponder the situation further. Soon, something else in the control room attracted everyone’s attention.

Soon, several locations with energy reactions were reported by the Frontier Army squad stationed at the Restricted Zone’s system. Amidst the thick black smoke, a huge tentacle still lay on the ground, with only minor damage. Compared to other pollutants burnt by the fire, it had almost no impact. When the Frontier Army squad saw it, it suddenly reacted to the pollutant blood on their mechs and pounced at them fiercely.

“Old Qiu, what’s going on!?” Coria’s Director looked at Old Qiu.

Old Qiu furrowed his brows tightly. “The thing underground is no longer what we understood it to be.”

“What is that thing after all? Even if it’s a weapon or a pollutant, how can it have no reaction at all!?”

“Yeah, with the high melting point generated by the explosion, even the defense system is almost scrapped. This thing has no reaction to such an explosion at all. So what kind of weapon can kill it!?”

“With such resistance, it’s impossible for it to be a weapon…” Old Qiu looked at the reports coming in from various places. All the situations matched Ying Chenlin’s bold speculation. Perhaps Ying Chenlin intended to use the explosion not only to eliminate the pollutants but also to clearly see what that thing underground really was. “It should be a pollutant.”

“It’s impossible for it to have no reaction to fire. Originally, it was a highly explosive integrated weapon… Given the current situation, either it has extremely strong regenerative capabilities, or it’s a fire-type pollutant immune to fire…” At this point, a terrifying thought suddenly flashed in Old Qiu’s mind. “Can it be!?”

On another part of the communication screen, a man in a black military uniform stood with his hands behind his back, surrounded by busy soldiers.

On the virtual screen on the other side of the communication was the current condition of the Coria Restricted Zone. All the information was transmitted in real-time and shared with the headquarters of the Frontier Army in the First Star Domain.

“Lieutenant General, the starship bound for Coria is ready. We can depart now.”

The man looked at the officer beside him and ordered, “Keep track of the situation in Coria in real-time. Notify me immediately if there are any problems.”

The officer immediately saluted, and the man turned and left the command room.

In the spacious corridor, the sound of military boots echoed as the man walked, with his adjutant following closely behind.

He handed over another set of documents to him. “As per your instructions, we’ve gathered all available information on Ying Chenlin.”

Without stopping his stride, the man glanced down at the messages on the data pad. “All the data?”

“Yes,” the adjutant replied. “We found the last known whereabouts of Ying Songshan. It was indeed on Mingguang Star.”

The man remained silent as he continued to review the data while walking until he boarded the starship, where he finally handed the data pad to the adjutant.

Observing the man in front of him, even though he always wore a stern expression, the adjutant, based on his years of knowing his superior, sensed a sense of urgency in his actions since he ordered the retrieval of the data. “General? Should we send someone to investigate Mingguang Star?”

“If Ying Chenlin is truly the child taken away by Ying Songshan back then.”

After a long silence, the man finally said, “I have an obligation to take care of him on behalf of Ying Lingfeng.”

The adjutant, considering the relationship between his superior and Major General Ying, couldn’t help but speak up. “It will take half a day for the starship to arrive.”

---

In the Coria Restricted Zone.

Outside Base C-147, amidst the flames and black mist, the three KID mechs struggled against the tentacles. The pollutant corpse dropped by You Su did catch the attention of the tentacle. However, instead of immediately retreating after seizing the pollutant, the tentacle, with the pollutant in tow, charged straight at the two.

Ying Chenlin’s eyes narrowed slightly. He noticed that this tentacle had a high tendency to attack him. When he piloted other mechs before, this tentacle didn’t have such a high intent to attack. Even after obtaining the desired pollutant, it didn’t leave immediately.

However, one thing was clear: even though it had an intention to attack Ying Chenlin, when it saw the pollutant’s corpse, it would still prioritize attacking the pollutant.

It was like programmed behavior, with a higher priority given to its attraction to pollutants. Since they were interested in pollutants, they could only use the stored pollutant corpses as bait to divert its attention. However, the effectiveness of the bait was limited. The area nearby was just a blast crater, and everything was burnt to a crisp, leaving no usable pollutants.

Ying Chenlin frowned slightly. The tentacle emerged from the channel, leaving him with no way to avoid it and reach the end of the channel.

You Su tossed another pollutant corpse out of his storage compartment, but this tentacle had limited reactions to the external environment. Small pollutants couldn’t divert its attention away from Ying Chenlin. “They’re too small. Haven’t you found anything useful over there, Huo Yan?”

“Not yet,” Huo Yan dodged an attack. “But I’ve called Da Feng. They should—”

Just as the conversation was unfolding, a voice came from afar.

Ying Chenlin abruptly turned his head and saw a large pollutant being dragged by two mechs, heading straight towards them.

Ji Qingfeng shouted through the external speakers, “Old Huo, we’re coming over!”

Huo Yan and You Su, who were in the midst of battle, turned abruptly and saw Ji Qingfeng and Lin Yao holding an enormous pollutant. Their airborne movements came to a halt, and Huo Yan exclaimed, “How did you manage to get such a big one?!”

“Huh? Wasn’t it you who told Lu Xi that you wanted a bigger one?” Ji Qingfeng halted the mech, puzzled. “Isn’t this big enough?”

Before he could finish speaking, something suddenly surged from the thick smoke. Ji Qingfeng and Lin Yao had to swiftly retreat with the pollutant.

“!!!”

Seeing this, You Su chuckled lightly. “Indeed, this one is quite good as bait.”

Zhao Lejie quickly responded to Qi Sicheng’s contact and chased after the KID mechs, crossing the sea of flames along the way. However, just after crossing the sea of flames, he saw something looming in the thick smoke and flames. It was a charred yet active giant tentacle, and he had to dodge its attack by flipping backward.

Seeing the scene before him, Zhao Lejie was taken aback. “What are you guys planning to do?! Are you using this pollutant to feed the tentacles or something?”

Ji Qingfeng saw the tentacle rushing towards them. “It seems so, Old Zhao. We’ll just have to put it on credit for now.”

“Old Zhao, behind you!” Huo Yan heard the noise.

“What the hell! Why are your KID mechs causing so much trouble!” Zhao Lejie had already dodged, but upon hearing this, he turned around to see the tentacle charging towards the pollutant. He immediately activated his shield to protect Ji Qingfeng from a frontal attack.

Ying Chenlin, seeing Zhao Lejie blocking the tentacle’s attack, suddenly realized something. “Zhao Lejie, how much energy output did you set for your shield just now?”

“30%…” Zhao Lejie answered, then realized, “F*ck, Laozi’s shield is almost at its limit. I can’t activate it if it’s over 40%!”

“I’ll fix it for you,” Ying Chenlin said to him. “I promise to completely repair your shield.”

Zhao Lejie was stunned by his words. “Are you serious!? With my shield damaged like this, even the top mechanics at our base might not be able to—”

“I guarantee to restore it to its original state,” Ying Chenlin interrupted.

Stunned by this offer, Zhao Lejie, even though the top mechanics at their base couldn’t guarantee a 100% repair, felt tempted by Ying Chenlin’s skill. “Is this for real? How much do you want for it?”

“It’s free.” Ying Chenlin quickly distanced himself. “Maintain your shield’s energy output at 40% and follow us.”

Zhao Lejie didn’t expect it to be this simple. “And then?”

Ying Chenlin shouted in Ji Qingfeng’s direction, “Da Feng, Lin Yao, don’t let go. Let the tentacle grab onto it!”

Ji Qingfeng, who was pulling the pollutant, said, “Don’t let go and let the tentacle grab it?!”

Just as Ji Qingfeng was trying to understand what this operation was all about, the tentacle had already come crashing towards them. It let go of its previous prey and immediately grabbed the pollutant being dragged by Ji Qingfeng and Lin Yao. As soon as it tightened its grip, Ying Chenlin promptly stuck to the pollutant.

At a close enough distance, the tentacle grabbed the pollutant and seemed to have sensed Ying Chenlin’s mech as well, immediately starting to retract. Upon seeing this, You Su and Huo Yan immediately understood what Ying Chenlin was planning and followed suit.

“Zhao Lejie, come closer!” You Su shouted.

Huo Yan added, “Activate the shield!”

Ji Qingfeng and Lin Yao’s dragging slowed the tentacle’s speed down slightly, giving Zhao Lejie the chance to rush in front of Ying Chenlin and activate his shield. The expanded shield protected the surrounding three mechs. The pollutant was large enough to allow two mechs to stand side by side.

At this moment, the rapidly retreating tentacle, along with the pollutant, swiftly retracted back to a certain destination.

Suddenly, Zhao Lejie remembered something. “Wait a minute!? Is it trying to drag us back to that hole?”

“Yes,” Ying Chenlin shouted from behind. “Da Feng, Lin Yao, let go and move back!”

As Ji Qingfeng and Lin Yao let go, Huo Yan instructed, “Hold onto me, each person grabs onto another, try to minimize the cross-sectional area.”

Zhao Lejie turned his head and saw a KID mech towing another mech behind him. “Wait a minute!? Are you guys playing ‘hawk catching a chick’?”

With one hand pulling the pollutant and the other pulling Zhao Lejie, Ying Chenlin said, “I’m counting on you; you’re the driver.”

Zhao Lejie, “?”

At that moment, You Su in the rear immediately set up his Sniper Cannon. “Get down!”

Everyone immediately saw the destination of their journey. In the distance on the ground, there was a huge trench. It seemed to have dragged large pollutants back before. The trench was no longer the small one they had initially seen, and the opening of the hole was getting closer—

“Wait!” Zhao Lejie’s pupils suddenly dilated, shouting, “We’re going to crash!”

“Prepare the shield,” Ying Chenlin said, his eyes fixed ahead, tightly gripping Zhao Lejie, “Stay steady!”

The Sniper Cannon in the rear suddenly hit the opening of the trench, blasting the scorched earth open wider. At this moment, Zhao Lejie’s shield slammed into the opening of the trench and, with the collision, pressed against the surrounding walls of the hole. At this critical moment, Dawn Galaxy’s strongest shield played a huge role. With the tentacle’s tremendous force pulling on them, the group of mechs, along with the pollutant, drilled into the opening leading underground.

Zhao Lejie, “F*ck!!!!”

Author’s Note:

Zhao Lejie: Forget about repairing this shield!

We’re climbing the charts again in the new month (peeking out)

Wuwuwu if anyone has any extra nutrients, please throw them at me, don’t pity me, I’ll work hard to pay off the debts in the new month!

TN:

The releases aren’t showing up on NU for some reason and I need to manually add them which again takes time and I might forget. You can join discord to get the notifications in the meantime until this issue is sorted.

If you're enjoying the story don't forget to support the author! You can also support me on KOFI for site maintenance, raws purchase or as an energy boost~ 

 

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