Genius Mechanic: Chapter 165

Kemu Cave Contaminated Zone(Galactic Promotion Competition)

165. KID are delicious cakes (sth in high demand)

Proofread by Cloud Chip Cake and An Zheee

The commentator exclaimed in an excited voice, “KID forcefully intervened in the battle between Black Crow and BZZL1, and they’ve started snatching the exploration point amidst the crossfire!”

Snatching the point? How are they snatching it?!

Inside the arena, Black Crow looked at the gigantic pollutant standing before them, and so did BZZL1, who had previously been wary of Trace. Neither of the two mecha teams reacted to the appearance of this Green Armor Beast.

Even Wen Yi, who had always been cautious and elegant, was stunned for a few seconds. “A Green Armor Beast?! How did KID bring this pollutant here?”

Chi Lizi pointed to the Stealth mecha behind the Green Armor Beast. “It seems to be more than that; they’re riding it.”

In BZZL1’s communication channel, the Artillery mecha responsible for observing exclaimed, “Captain, QingF is riding a pollutant and charging up!”

BZZL1’s commander: “Are you kidding me, riding a pollutant??”

The Artillery continued, “Not only are they riding a pollutant, but they’re also activating the exploration point.”

The commander: “F*ck!!!”

When KID’s mining team emerged from underground, they directly reached the location of the exploration point. Moreover, Huo Yan and Lu Xi, who were originally positioned above the battlefield, also entered the passage from the cave entrance to support. Now, beside the exploration point, with Huo Yan’s shield on one side and the Green Armor Beast pulled by Stealth mecha Ji Qingfeng on the other, they perfectly blocked the gunfire from Black Crow and BZZL1 from both sides, providing Sink with the time to activate the exploration point.

“Trace is tempting BZZL1 to attempt an attack, pulling BZZL1 backward,” Qi Sicheng spoke while observing the broadcast room. “There happened to be a downward passage where Huo Yan was lurking, but this passage was above BZZL1’s position. If they didn’t trick them into moving back a bit, Huo Yan’s sudden entry would’ve been too risky.”

KID had calculated everything perfectly. They let the exploration team determine the coordinates of the exploration point first, collect weapon information from BZZL1 and Black Crow, and then drew BZZL1 a bit further away to find the right entry point for their mining team and Tank pilots.

Trace gambled on the opponent’s attempt to probe him. He held the furthest distance, utilizing BZZL1’s willingness to control him through short-distance movement and test KID’s psychology, causing BZZL1 to unwittingly move several dozen meters away while also delaying time for the mining team’s mechas.

Zhang Ge said, “How come KID manages to pull everything off! They don’t wait for the others to deplete their resources before entering?”

Qi Sicheng replied, “They intend to activate the exploration point and then exit the maze. Don’t forget, they now have a pollutant that ignores the maze map in their hands.”

But that’s not all; the sounds of battle between the two sides would mask some of the mining noises.

For the surprise attack, KID’s Stealth mecha’s anti-stealth force field hid the coordinates of the pollutant and their mechas, making it impossible for anyone engaged in normal combat to anticipate the Green Armor Beast’s presence as a variable!

【KID???】

【Awesome! KID, you can slice through like this, f*cking awesome!】

【I haven’t even been watching the mining for over ten minutes, and they’ve already dug up to the exploration point’s origin directly, f*ck.】

【Snatching…awesome!】

Originally, it was a battle between the two sides, but after KID’s move to snatch the point, the three strongest teams in the Kemu Cave Contamination Zone engaged in close-range combat. The destructive behavior of the Green Armor Beast directly collapsed the ground beneath the exploration point, and the powerful excavation force caused localized collapses in the ground everywhere. The battlefield was filled with the smoke of gunfire and the sound of rocks and minerals crumbling down.

How could BZZL1 allow KID to activate the exploration point? Once KID activated the exploration point, their team, which was at the bottom of the scoreboard, would be in a passive and dangerous situation once the exploration point is activated. Seeing KID initiating the activation process, they unleashed their firepower on Huo Yan as if their lives depended on it.

Huo Yan was equipped with the Counter-Damage Shield, and BZZL1’s attacks on the shield were quickly deflected back, colliding with their own attacks. Instead of causing substantial damage to Huo Yan, BZZL1’s attacks were stalled by the rogue rebound attacks from the shield.

“Huo Yan’s Counter-Damage Shield can only block one side; he’s blocking our side, but why isn’t Black Crow attacking!?”

“Black Crow is attacking too, but they’re using the pollutant as a shield.”

“??? That works too!?”

“Trace disappeared!”

“Don’t engage head-on; go down the cave and flank them from below.” BZZL1 quickly reacted. “Use the cave we came from.”

“Commander, we can’t go through! The path has collapsed.” BZZL1’s Stealth mecha also wanted to flank from behind, but who knew that the Green Armor Beast KID rode would dig a path and collapse the surrounding roads, blocking their route to attack from below. Moreover, the cave above happened to be near Huo Yan’s position. If they went around that way, they would still face Huo Yan’s Counter-Damage Shield. Without breaking the shield, they wouldn’t be able to overpower it.

The audience in the live broadcast was stunned; the destruction caused by the Green Armor Beast disrupted both Black Crow and BZZL1’s attack rhythm completely.

【I really admire KID. How do they manage to change their tactics every time?】

【I never expected them to snatch it amidst the battle! Using pollutants to block attacks? Amazing!】

The activation of the exploration point required a relatively long time. While Sink was activating it, KID’s channel was in complete chaos.

Lin Yao’s spatial ability was disrupted once again. He waited for thirty seconds before reactivating his stick. “Da Feng, is your son doing okay?”

Ji Qingfeng exerted effort to hold onto his son, who kept trying to run away, and gritted his teeth. “He’s fine. A bear child like him needs tough love. If you don’t let him experience the dangers of society, how will he learn? Is Chenlin’s side still not good?”

The durability of Huo Yan’s shield was decreasing rapidly. “The Counter-Damage Shield can’t hold on much longer. Is it okay yet?”

Ying Chenlin looked at the countdown timer for the activation of the exploration point while observing the surrounding situation. “Almost there, just 5 seconds left!”

【F*ck! KID succeeded in snatching!】

【KID is awesome ah!】

The 5-second countdown passed in an instant, and the moment the exploration point was illuminated, the entire battle escalated into a frenzy.

BZZL1 saw the entire area around the exploration point light up, and KID’s score increased once again. They had no choice but to do their utmost to keep KID here and prevent them from leaving the maze.

In the distance, the six mechas of Black Crow had already split up, with their Stealth mecha Chi Lizi exploring through another passage while the other mechas were attempting to press forward. Black Crow indeed needed to make a decision: either team up with BZZL1 to eliminate KID, or let KID leave the maze, thus ensuring their own advancement to second place.

Wen Yi frowned deeply, his gaze fixed on KID’s Green Armor Beast and the peculiar yellow space. “Has KID’s weapon information been fully revealed?”

“We’ve seen everything that’s visible, but we haven’t seen them use their second weapon,” said another Black Crow mecha pilot. “And we’ve noticed that Sink’s Energy Gun isn’t the special magnetic field that Lizi mentioned.”

Chi Lizi rebutted, “But he does have a special magnetic field!”

Wen Yi wouldn’t sit back and wait to be defeated. “Choosing either path has its pros and cons for us. It doesn’t hinder our back-up plan. Let’s stick with KID for now.”

BZZL1’s full firepower came crashing down. Ji Qingfeng had just pulled on the pollutant and started digging a hole above them when he saw Huo Yan’s lightning-fast movements, blocking BZZL1 on one side while swiftly moving to block Black Crow on the other.

Nevertheless, many stray bullets still hit Ji Qingfeng.

Huo Yan said, “Black Crow’s attack rhythm has slowed down.”

Ying Chenlin shot his Energy Gun at Huo Yan, providing him with energy support. “Black Crow is considering whether to stand with the other team.”

“Does it make a difference whether they stand with the other team or not?” Lin Yao asked.

Ying Chenlin replied, “It does, because even if they help BZZL1 fight us, they’ll still become competitors.”

Lin Yao asked, “Competitors in what?”

“Competitors for our kills!” Ji Qingfeng said. “If the scores don’t reset and we have 7 points, they either have to tie with us at 7 points or secure more than 7 points to win. In the latter case, BZZL1 needs to win by getting 4 points, and Black Crow wants to win by getting 3 points. There is only 6 of us to kill in total, so they don’t have enough points!”

Lin Yao suddenly realized, “We’re delicious cakes!”

Ji Qingfeng said, “Of course, why else would we take the risk to get this exploration point?”

What the other two teams thought was not KID’s concern. Repairing highly damaged mechas required more funds, and even though their advantage was significant, they wouldn’t foolishly give away kills to the other two teams. Now that they had the opportunity to advance, they would find a way to charge directly upwards.

“You Ge, have you reached your position?” Ying Chenlin asked.

You Su took a longer route after leaving BZZL1’s attack range. It would take some time to reach KID’s position through the upper passage. “On the way, about 5 minutes.”

BZZL1 at full firepower was not to be underestimated. The Green Armor Beast had to go up to avoid being caught in the crossfire between Black Crow and BZZL1.

Ji Qingfeng exerted all his strength to pull the Green Armor Beast upward. Finally, the route up was dug through. “It’s through.”

As the route up was dug through, the surrounding walls cracked and rocks fell. Huo Yan immediately made a decision. “I’ll protect Qingfeng and dig the path. You guys figure out a way to suppress BZZL1’s firepower first.”

They had already expended a lot of energy fighting Giant Bear earlier. Even with Huo Yan’s strong shield, it couldn’t withstand such concentrated firepower, so they had to split up the heavy firepower.

“I’ll go find You Ge. Lu Xi and Lin Yao, go together,” Ying Chenlin quickly said. “The competition rules don’t require the entire team to leave the maze. Your goal is to keep moving upward without worrying about us. We’ll draw the fire away from you.”

Ji Qingfeng said, “Take care!”

Lin Yao added, “Will do, repairs are too expensive.”

In an environment filled with sand and debris, Lu Xi’s Enhanced Cannon with its quicksand effect would be particularly useful for assisting Lin Yao with control.

Meanwhile, on You Su’s side… Ying Chenlin noticed his energy consumption and knew he had to get over there.

The competition had only been going on for a day, and it was already reaching its climax.

The spectators watching from outside had not expected the maze Contaminated Zone to produce such a fast-paced battle.

【Damn? KID dares to split up like this.】

【They’re spreading the firepower to let Qingfeng leave the maze first, right?】

The people in the Contaminated Zone didn’t know, but those outside could see the precarious situation clearly. The positions of the three teams were already in the upper levels of the maze, close to the exit up top. With the Green Armor Beast’s digging speed, KID would definitely reach the maze’s vicinity in about an hour. Once KID got out, the game would be over.

【Sh*t, BZZL1’s team path intersected with Trace.】

【Look at Sink, he’s going to help Trace!】

KID’s Artillery mecha was located on the side passage next to BZZL1. At this moment, BZZL1, sensing danger, had already chased them through the maze. The bottom passage had been destroyed by KID, but the upper passage remained intact. BZZL1, being more familiar with this part of the maze than KID, quickly caught up with Trace by taking a detour.

BZZL1’s communication channel was buzzing with urgency: “Stopping KID is important, but so are the points. Eliminate Trace first.”

Trace was one of KID’s cores. Losing their Artillery mecha would significantly weaken KID’s combat effectiveness.

BZZL1’s main Artillery was still pressuring KID head-on, while their Stealth and Control mechas had silently flanked Trace. As BZZL1’s two core mechas, their coordination could easily deal with an Artillery mecha without a counter-control weapon.

Being in third place was too disadvantageous; they had to seize the opportunity.

You Su hadn’t reached his position yet but was already intercepted by two mechas.

Two mechas had detoured to block his path. As soon as they came into view, BZZL1’s Stealth mecha activated its stealth field, disappearing from You Su’s sight. BZZL1’s Control mecha stayed in front, armed with a Rapid-Fire Cannon and a Hydro-Magnetic Cannon, one for high attack and one for wide-area control.

You Su’s gaze lingered on the Control mecha’s Hydro-Magnetic Cannon. The moment he saw it switch to the Hydro-Magnetic Cannon, he immediately fired his Energy Cannon to create distance. BZZL1’s Control mecha had rich combat experience. Having been tricked by You Su before in Qiu Jin, this time, the pilot wouldn’t risk falling into the same trap. His goal was simple: to apply control and firepower on Trace.

【F*ck, Trace is so strong. He’s holding his ground against BZZL1.】

【He’s maintaining distance, right? Avoiding the control range of BZZL1’s Hydro-Magnetic Cannon. If Trace gets controlled, it’s over.】

In just five minutes, You Su had already exchanged several blows with BZZL1.

The cave environment severely restricted movement. You Su’s Energy Cannon’s scattershot lost power over long distances, while BZZL1’s Control mecha’s Hydro-Magnetic Cannon released numerous magnetic bubbles within a confined space. This weapon had a 100% coverage rate; once within its range, the target would be continuously controlled… and You Su’s energy consumption was immense.

In the promotion round, the amount of energy a mecha pilot could bring was minimal, unlike in the knock-out round.

Earlier, when he forcefully eliminated Giant Bear’s Tank, the Tank’s defense was extremely high, and its shield was an S-Class resistance anomalous ability weapon core. Breaking that shield had already drained his energy reserves.

BZZL1’s Stealth mecha, having been exposed by the rocks You Su felled in Qiu Jin, now knew better and kept hidden, avoiding close combat as long as You Su was not under control.

BZZL1 was well-prepared, while Trace lacked resources and was under siege.

An Artillery mecha had strong firepower but weak defense.

Now, without teammates to assist him, no matter how strong his individual abilities were, it was hard to withstand such a situation, being flanked with control tactics. Constantly draining his energy would inevitably wear him down.

In the dark environment, BZZL1’s Control mecha’s advantage became increasingly apparent. He suddenly noticed that Trace’s cannon fire had weakened, “His energy might be low. I’ll push him towards your direction—”

【If Trace’s mecha is taken down, BZZL1 and Black Crow will be tied.】

【Good friends, this is going to turn into a full-on fight, isn’t it?】

【Black Crow never gave up. Didn’t you see they’re already moving towards KID’s location? Lucy and Yao are there buying time for their teammates.】

In the darkness, You Su noticed the Control mecha closing in. He had to retreat a bit, using his Energy Cannon’s scatter to fend off the ambush from the Stealth mecha. But it was no use; the Energy Cannon lost effectiveness against the cave walls, and with so many caves around, the Stealth mecha was surely lurking in one, waiting for an opportunity.

You Su roughly understood the opponent’s strategy: using the Control mecha’s Hydro-Magnetic Cannon to suppress him, forcing him towards the hidden Stealth mecha.

Retreating further would lead to a more complex area with multiple cave passages, where his Energy Cannon’s scatter couldn’t suppress the Stealth mecha effectively due to the multiple directions.

As You Su pondered his strategy, trying to find a suitable direction for to breakout and counterattack, Ying Chenlin’s voice suddenly came through, “You Ge, set up your cannon and fall back.”

Upon hearing the voice, You Su’s body moved instinctively. His mecha stepped back, just in time to see a mecha leaping down from a high passage. As the red-covered mecha descended, its Rapid-Fire Cannon was already aimed at the spot behind You Su. The Stealth mecha, which had been about to ambush You Su, realized something was wrong. The next second, the Rapid-Fire Cannon and Trace’s Energy Cannon’s scatter unleashed a full-coverage barrage, with no dead angles.

With only Trace, the Stealth mecha could still evade, but now with the addition of a Rapid-Fire Cannon from the Medical mecha, it couldn’t dodge both directions.

The Stealth mecha didn’t have time to retreat into the cave. It took a direct hit, its form flickering.

The BZZL1 Stealth mecha shouted, “Sink! Sink is here!”

Ying Chenlin, after helping You Su lock down one direction, switched his Rapid-Fire Cannon to the Energy Gun. He fired the Energy Gun at You Su’s mecha, the concentrated energy replenishing You Su’s energy reserves through the external interface.

Standing close to You Su, side by side with their backs to each other, You Su identified the direction BZZL1’s Stealth mecha was in. His Energy Cannon scattered again, fully revealing the Stealth mecha.

You Su switched to his Sniper Cannon, “Cover me.”

Ying Chenlin nodded and switched to his Rapid-Fire Cannon, “The Hydro-Magnetic Cannon’s control duration is 4 seconds. I can block it for 2 seconds. Is that enough?”

“1 second is enough.” With his energy replenished, You Su paused briefly and reminded, “Remember to lower your head a bit.”

Ying Chenlin seemed surprised by You Su’s reminder, “Got it. I’ll dodge.”

Ji Qingfeng, “What’s this? You Ge, you never reminded me to dodge when you blasted me before.”

Huo Yan chuckled, “Chenlin is his energy supply now. He can’t just blast him indiscriminately.”

Ji Qingfeng, “I can carry an Energy Gun too!”

Huo Yan glanced at the map, aware of the power of BZZL1’s Hydro-Magnetic Cannon. In these narrow passageways, dodging was nearly impossible, making a breakthrough incredibly difficult, especially since neither Ying Chenlin nor You Su had brought control weapons.

He assessed Ying Chenlin’s position, “Qingfeng, have your ‘son’ dig diagonally, towards the side.”

Ji Qingfeng, now the height of two passageways away from Ying Chenlin, started pulling the pollutant downwards, “Towards the side, right?”

Hearing Huo Yan’s suggestion, Ying Chenlin instantly understood his intention.

On the other side, Trace’s counterattack against BZZL1’s Stealth mecha prevented the enemy from getting close.

“F*ck!” BZZL1’s Stealth mecha shouted, “I can’t ambush them.”

BZZL1’s Control mecha called out, “Stay calm. Their two mechas are together. The Hydro-Magnetic Cannon can work.”

As he spoke, Sink and Trace simultaneously shifted positions, creating a safe distance and firing several shots at BZZL1’s Control mecha.

At this moment, BZZL1’s Control mecha advanced, launching a wide-range attack with the Hydro-Magnetic Cannon towards the KID mechas. However, Sink made a critical move, altering his stance to take the brunt of two Hydro-Magnetic Bubbles, stopping abruptly.

【WTF? Sink’s body control is incredible. He’s blocking the control for Trace.】

【The Hydro-Magnetic Cannon’s control is continuous. Normally, anyone facing such an attack would get hit by at least 4 control effects.】

【Standing against the wall to stay still, that reaction speed is incredible.】

【Wait, Trace!】

BZZL1’s Control mecha was quite shocked but didn’t stop his actions. After controlling Sink, he immediately switched to his Rapid-Fire Cannon. However, Trace, who had been aiming at the Stealth mecha, swiftly changed his aim and shot. His sniper shot flew right over Sink’s head and hit BZZL1’s Control mecha directly in front of Sink.

【What the hell!? He can blind snipe like this?】

【It’s not a blind snipe. Sink forced BZZL1’s Control mecha to move before getting controlled. Trace just aimed at his path.】

At this moment, Sink’s control duration ended. He raised his Rapid-Fire Cannon again and aimed at the distant BZZL1 Control mecha.

“Sh*t, how are these two reacting so fast? They managed to fire two shots in the time it takes for my Hydro-Magnetic Cannon to control.”

BZZL1’s Control mecha evaded awkwardly and fired another Hydro-Magnetic Cannon shot.

This time, Sink repositioned himself, blocking Trace. Trace used the same tactic, changing his aim swiftly.

The Hydro-Magnetic Cannon was a control-type weapon with low damage. Ying Chenlin’s Medical mecha had high defense, and the damage it took from fighting Giant Bear was already reduced. Taking damage from the cannon only increased his wear and tear slightly.

Using this alternating attack strategy, they forced BZZL1’s Control mecha to retreat.

【Good thing BZZL1 brought a Hydro-Magnetic Cannon, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to suppress these two powerful mechas.】

【Am I the only one surprised that Sink is giving Trace energy? I thought he only used it for himself…】

【But why are they pushing BZZL1 in that direction? Doesn’t that bring them closer to Qingfeng?】

In Gale’s base, Qi Sicheng realized what was happening, “Huo Yan wants to collapse the terrain here and let the Green Armor Beast cause a landslide.”

“A landslide won’t solve the problem. The mechas can climb out quickly,” Zhao Lejie said.

Qi Sicheng replied, “No, it will solve it.”

Originally, the exploration point had already caused a small landslide around it, but since they were digging straight up, the landslides were localized. However, if KID changed directions, it would be different. The disturbances from the Green Armor Beast’s digging would affect a larger area, causing the entire region above and below to collapse.

A collapse would change everything, meaning that falling rocks and minerals would pile up below, while the space above would expand.

Then, BZZL1’s Hydro-Magnetic Cannon wouldn’t be able to block Sink and Trace.

At this moment, during the 2v2 skirmish, a rumbling sound came from above. Sink and Trace simultaneously flew upward.

BZZL1’s Control mecha was startled. He looked up to see the top crumbling and rocks falling down. “The top is collapsing.”

BZZL1’s Stealth mecha exclaimed, “F*ck, they’re using that digging beast to cause a collapse in this entire area!”

This wouldn’t just affect them but also the other BZZL1 mechas in the lower tunnels.

“Retreat, retreat!”

“Fly upward!”

“KID, those maniacs!”

The entire livestream had been tense, focusing on the battle, but upon seeing this, they switched to Ji Qingfeng’s position. The huge Green Armor Beast’s claws were on the rock wall, causing the entire area to tremble successively. The cracking walls collapsed, filling the tunnels with dust and debris, forcing all mechas to adapt on the fly.

Ji Qingfeng grew more exuberant, “Charge, son! Our goal is to create a broad and open road!”

The falling rocks carried minerals downward, and KID and BZZL1 could only fly upward with all their might.

From afar, Black Crow could see a large-scale collapse happening on the other side, inexplicable giving off the feeling of a rebirth after disaster.

【F*ck, KID is crazy enough!】

【They don’t care about whether the attack hits their enemies or not…】

【Sh*t, did they bury their enemies by collapsing the ground? Their teammates are over there too!】

Inside the Kemu Cave maze’s caverns, the already unstable maze had become even more precarious due to the relentless digging of the Green Armor Beast. With the beast’s intense movements, the entire area looked like it was on the verge of collapse. Seeing this, the leader of the Management Bureau couldn’t bear to look directly.

Just then, the Green Armor Beast digging the tunnel suddenly paused, as if the massive collapse it had caused was its final effort. It slumped forward, motionless on the gleaming rocks.

Ji Qingfeng, partly frantic, exclaimed, “Son?”

Huo Yan had a bad feeling, “Could it be?”

The sounds of digging suddenly weakened. As Ying Chenlin emerged from the rubble of the collapse, he asked, “What happened?”

Ji Qingfeng looked at the motionless Green Armor Beast on the ground, his tone carrying a mix of sadness and regret, “Chenlin, bad news. My son, I don’t know if he died from overeating or exhaustion, but he’s not moving.”

Ying Chenlin: “?”

You Su: “…”

Author’s Note:

KID: Dead (painful mask)

The Management Bureau and other teams: Dead??? (suddenly ecstatic)

TN:

The daughter ran away from home and the son died. Da Feng, it’s clear you’re not cut out to be a father😭.

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