Genius Mechanic: Chapter 184

Agaman Sea Star Contaminated Zone (Galactic Ranking Competition)

184. Rushing Headlong In Agaman

Proofread by Cloud Chip Cake and An Zheee 

In the live stream, the audience was stunned when the Sea Rock Giant Fish’s swallowing action suddenly stopped.

“The Sea Rock Giant Fish seems to have encountered an issue; its movements have stopped.” The commentator hesitated before continuing, “It hasn’t attacked KID’s Tank. It seems like it might be stuck on something.”

【This fish? Could it be that it opened its mouth too wide and exerted too much force?】

【I think I saw KID’s Yan and Lucy shoot something into its mouth.】

【…Come to think of it, despite its large size, there’s still a gap between its mouth and build.】

The Sea Rock Giant Fish’s crimson eyes stared, it seemingly struggled to close its mouth. The surrounding sea was churned by its wide swinging movements, causing waves to crash repeatedly. Even as it plunged its head into the water, its mouth still wouldn’t close.

As the audience realized what was happening, it became clear that it wasn’t about getting stuck on something but rather an inability to control its jaw.

“This situation seems a bit familiar…”

The commentator said, “It looks like the fish has dislocated its jaw.”

【Could this fish have dislocated its jaw?】

【Can a fish even dislocate its jaw?】

【It seems possible. I heard that ornamental fish can dislocate their jaws… This pollutant is a type of fish, so maybe?】

【Is KID this ruthless? Not only are they killing the fish, but they also dislocated its jaw.】

The live stream fell silent, and even the director’s camera focused on KID’s rest area.

At this moment, their coach, Jiang Simiao, was sitting upright while wearing glasses, with a stern, expressionless face, as if KID’s ruthless actions were a testament to his dedicated coaching.

“Jiang Ge, do you want some water or a break?” Gu Xiaotian asked cautiously.

Jiang Simiao was numb with anxiety, so much so that his entire body felt numb. “…No need.”

At the Management Bureau, the staff monitoring KID’s battle looked at the situation where the Sea Rock Giant Fish had its mouth wide open but couldn’t close it puzzled, and turned to the bureau’s director.

The bureau director glanced slightly to the side, “What’s going on?”

The pollutant expert, who had never seen this situation before, said, “Well… Our data doesn’t provide detailed information on the Sea Rock Giant Fish. Its lineage is special and differs from other fish. However, based on its appearance, its mouth structure should be different from that of ordinary fish. If its internal skeletal structure is unique, it’s theoretically possible for this situation to occur.”

The director asked, “Theoretically?”

The data indicated that the Sea Rock Giant Fish typically ingested food by simply opening its mouth and sucking it in. There was no detailed information on how wide its mouth could open. Furthermore, this pollutant’s size ranked in the top three within Agaman’s seas. Normally, it just opens its mouth to eat. Who would have expected it would open its mouth so wide just to swallow a tall Tank?

“From what we’ve seen, it seems like KID’s Tank and Control have bombarded the inside of this pollutant’s mouth. Considering the special circumstances, it’s highly likely that their weapons caused an impact inside the pollutant’s mouth…” The pollutant expert deliberated briefly and explained, “This pollutant has been in hibernation for too long and might be extremely hungry. It likely couldn’t control its mouth properly, and the impact caused a physiological dislocation.”

The director: “……”

The staff: “……”

This was an S-level pollutant, and now because it’d been starving for 40 years and had become desperate for food, its jaw was dislocated because of KID?

The pollutant expert said, “This is indeed quite remarkable. If we get a chance, we should study the physical structure of this pollutant.”

Everyone both inside and outside the arena was stunned by this situation. They had never seen such a unique circumstance before. They had seen pollutants with broken bones continue to fight, but never one with a dislocated jaw and a wide-open mouth.

【Outrageous.】

【Sorry, my S-level pollutant filter is shattered.】

The situation in the arena continued to evolve. KID had no idea that those outside were blaming the Sea Rock Giant Fish’s loss of control over its mouth on them. Seeing the pollutant staying still, KID’s Tank and his surrounding teammates took immediate action to regain control of the pollutant.

The Sea Rock Giant Fish’s mouth remained open and wouldn’t close. Its proud suction power was ineffective against the mechas. With its mouth unable to close, it couldn’t suck in any prey.

Huo Yan resisted the suction force of the Sea Rock Giant Fish, “If it can’t bite, is it relying on suction?”

Ji Qingfeng: “How stupid. How can a pollutant dislocate its own jaw?”

Lin Yao: “Is this a fake S-level? We’ve never fought one this dumb before.”

The Sea Rock Giant Fish stared at the surrounding mechas with its eyes wide open. Its entire body began to thrash wildly, it was trying to use its teeth to attack the mecha in front of it. However, with its jaw so restricted, its movements became sluggish due to KID’s control.

“Just said a couple of words and it’s already losing its mind.” Ji Qingfeng said, “Has this fish really lived for 40 years? It feels like it’s even dumber than a three-year-old child ah.”

“The official data says it’s been dormant for 40 years, but considering its growth rate, its actual lifespan may have exceeded a hundred years,” Ying Chenlin continued maintaining his balance and proceeded to occupy the flag point.

The Sea Rock Giant Fish’s movements had stalled. Its wide-open mouth severely affected its actions. It tried to close its mouth, but at this moment, KID’s Guardian mecha charged forward and planted the Long Staff right inside its mouth. Already in immense pain and unable to bite, the fish’s mouth couldn’t close due to the special object holding it open.

“Sh*t, Yao Bao, that’s impressive!” Ji Qingfeng praised.

Lin Yao: “Hold it for now, let’s secure the flag point first.”

【???】

【KID, regarding ruthlessness, you’re still the most ruthless.】

【What’s going on? I’m starting to feel sorry for this pollutant.】

“I’ve heard that fish-type pollutants don’t have much brains,” Lin Yao said, hovering near the Sea Rock Giant Fish’s large, sharp teeth, “Isn’t it said that fish have only 7 seconds of memory? So S-level pollutants are like that too?”

Ji Qingfeng: “Those teeth look pretty good, quite sharp.”

With its control over its mouth lost, the Sea Rock Giant Fish’s combat effectiveness dropped significantly. KID’s task of subduing it became much easier. Overwhelmed and exhausted, it struggled with less force.

Taking advantage of this good opportunity, Ying Chenlin, who was on the pollutant’s back, completed the flag point’s occupation, and all three flag points were lit up on the system. The information on the lit flag points was shared with the other live streams, and the other mecha teams in the arena also received the news.

“KID is really fast,” Zhao Lejie observed the system information. “It’s very likely we’ll face them tomorrow.”

Qi Sicheng had noticed the slowdown in the flag point’s movement speed earlier and guessed that KID might have caught up with the pollutant. However, he didn’t expect them to be this quick. Just an hour had passed since the flag point’s movement slowed down, and they had already secured that moving flag point.

From the start of the match until now, they hadn’t faced KID head-on, and both sides were unfamiliar with each other’s weapons.

When KID occupied the flag point, the spectators outside saw the critically injured and still open-mouthed Sea Rock Giant Fish and no longer believed anyone could compete with KID for that flag point.

【Is that fish still alive?】

【It must be alive; it looks like the KID team hasn’t done much to it.】

【Isn’t being alive a humiliation? Just end its misery already.】

After capturing the flag point, KID didn’t release the pollutant but instead used the opportunity to study it.

It was a marine pollutant, which Ying Chenlin had rarely encountered before, as he had seldom come across large marine areas despite visiting most Contaminated Zones. He wasn’t familiar with this type of pollutant. As he occupied the flag point on the Sea Rock Giant Fish’s back, he observed its condition. It had likely been hungry for a long time; its previous struggles on the sea surface were vigorous, but now its combat ability had clearly declined.

You Su’s Sniper Cannon took a different position to attack, and from the creature’s reactions, he concluded: “Its defense has weakened a bit.”

If the Sea Rock Giant Fish’s inherent defense hadn’t changed significantly, its defense might be a physiological characteristic. Its current decreased defense was likely due to the creature’s stamina dropping, leading to an inability to sustain its abilities.

“That should be a strengthening-type ability.” Ying Chenlin observed the pollutant beneath him. As a pollutant with a strengthening ability, this creature was unusually unique, with a speed that didn’t match its size and defense as solid as a fortress. Alongside the immense force it could exert on the sea surface… If it was a strengthening ability, then it didn’t just enhance its defense but also its speed and power.

Such multi-faceted strengthening abilities were very rare among pollutants.

Whenever KID had a moment, they began researching how to transport the Sea Rock Giant Fish. With such a rare and unique pollutant, how valuable must its components be? Their storage facilities seemed to have no available space for it.

“Can we negotiate with the Management Bureau about this?” Ji Qingfeng suggested. “We helped them deal with an S-level pollutant, so once the match is over, shouldn’t this thing belong to us?”

Lin Yao: “But there’s no space left in the storage facilities.”

Lu Xi: “…This pollutant is too large; even if there was space, it seems impossible to fit it in.”

After a moment’s thought, Huo Yan said, “Normally, the ownership of the S-level pollutant after its processing would belong to us. This should be something we can discuss with the Management Bureau.”

The situation with this S-level pollutant was special; unlike A and B-level pollutants, which could be handled directly by the mecha pilots and stored in their storage facilities, this one’s special nature might require further negotiation. If it couldn’t be transported, they might need to apply for ownership with the Management Bureau afterwards.

Lin Yao: “Can we really do that ah?”

“Special handling is required,” Huo Yan said thoughtfully. “This would need to be specially applied for through the competition committee.”

As Lin Yao was removing the Spatial Staff stuck in the giant fish’s mouth, he suddenly noticed the waves in the sea had grown larger. “Has the wind picked up? The waves seem to be getting bigger.”

At that moment, an urgent message suddenly popped up on every KID member’s competition system.

[Attention: A large number of A-level pollutants are approaching!]

Ying Chenlin was stunned by the sudden situation and immediately switched to the pollutant detection radar. Enlarging the detection range, he saw numerous red dots moving towards their direction. “It looks like a large number of pollutants are coming this way.”

A large number of pollutants were approaching!? Lin Yao glanced sharply at the Sea Rock Giant Fish. “Is this thing summoning lower-level pollutants?”

The previously calm sea began to stir, with waves rolling in from the distance and the surrounding wind gradually intensifying. The live stream viewers saw the emergency notification and, with their broader perspective, the official commentary switched to a wider view of the sea surface and seabed. It revealed various pollutants moving with the ocean currents towards KID’s position.

【What the hell? Dragon Tooth Sharks??】

【And not just that… there are also Spike Fish Dragons. Even the Whale Hunters are rushing over?】

“Sea Area VB-142 is experiencing a significant increase in pollutant activity, with these pollutants moving toward the Sea Rock Giant Fish’s location,” the commentator said, his expression changing slightly. “Their common target is the Sea Rock Giant Fish.”

In the Management Bureau, staff were busy retrieving the pollutant data.

There were too many pollutants this time. The Sea Rock Giant Fish, which originally had the ability to command lower-level pollutants, was now controlled by KID and unable to obtain food. It could only use its lower-level command ability to lure nearby pollutants to feed on. However, if there were only B-level pollutants, it would be manageable. The problem was that many A-level mutated pollutants were approaching, and the Sea Rock Giant Fish’s ability to command lower-level pollutants was limited against higher-level ones.

A few might be manageable, but how could there be so many pollutants approaching?

The pollutant expert noted, “This might be related to KID.”

“They previously used the blood of various pollutants as bait to attract the Sea Rock Giant Fish. In these waters, most mutated pollutants have a very sensitive sense of smell. They might’ve detected the scent from several kilometers away or even further.”

Most critically, KID used A-level pollutant blood, which has a certain status in the deep sea. Its scent would attract pollutants of the same or higher levels. For example, it might attract higher-class S-level Sea Rock Giant Fish and A-level mutated pollutants sensitive to prey information.

The director: “…”

The pollutant expert: “They might be surrounded by pollutants.”

In the arena, the situation was rapidly changing. Ying Chenlin flew off the Sea Rock Giant Fish’s back and frowned as he saw the approaching pollutants. With the increasing number of pollutants, they couldn’t stay here for long or risked being surrounded. “We can’t stay here,” he said.

“What should we do about this?” Lin Yao looked at the still-untouched Sea Rock Giant Fish. “Are we just leaving this S-level pollutant behind?”

“No, we’re taking it with us.” Ying Chenlin’s gaze fell on the Sea Rock Giant Fish. “We’ll use it to break through. Qingfeng, you handle it!”

“But I don’t have a Binding Lock!” Ji Qingfeng replied, “How can we drag something this big along?”

You Su squinted slightly, his tone cold. “Just lead it along.”

The massive pollutants stayed in the middle of the sea, with more and more pollutants advancing towards the Sea Rock Giant Fish. The audience in the livestream saw the emergency notifications and the pollutant detection system’s report, which showed a large number of A-rank mutated pollutants approaching, in addition to the common B-rank pollutants.

【Wow, so many!】

【Did this S-level call them here?】

【KID should just forget about this S-level and fly away while the airborne pollutants haven’t arrived yet.】

Agaman Sea Star, a Contaminated Zone with an 85% pollutant coverage, typically had pollutants scattered around it. Seeing so many pollutants gather now made even the Management Bureau more concerned, leading them to send several warnings to KID about the approaching pollutants.

“At this point, ignoring the S-level and focusing on getting away first is best.” The commentator said. “KID has already captured the flag point. Letting go of the Sea Rock Giant Fish means other teams might not seize the flag point.”

On the contrary, on the fifth day, if they engaged in battle with such a large number of pollutants, their wear and tear would increase, making it even harder to fight the other teams later on.

【KID hasn’t left yet!?】

【What are they planning!? They can’t take that pollutant with them, forget it!】

Suddenly, several KID mechas began to move simultaneously. The first to act was KID’s Control mecha, Lucy. She switched her weapon to the Spider Silk Cannon, skillfully maneuvering in front of the Sea Rock Giant Fish. She adjusted the silk’s diameter to the largest setting and wrapped the web around the giant fish’s mouth. The silk tightly wound around the pollutant’s mouth.

Spider silk is relatively fragile, but Lucy used the thickest silk available, which had some toughness. Multiple layers of this silk could barely function as rope, covering the Sea Rock Giant Fish’s upper lip and pulling its mouth open. Eventually, the silk ended up in KID’s Stealth’s hands.

Moreover, careful observation revealed that the silk was also tangled around several fish fins on the pollutant. A slight tug would entangle the silk in the fins. As is well known, marine fish use their fins to control their movement direction.

【Spider silk???】

【Is this spider silk really that tough?】

【It doesn’t matter how tough it is. This pollutant can’t even close its mouth right now.】

At this moment, KID’s Stealth mecha took out a relatively large piece of pollutant remains from the storage compartment and hung it right in front of the Sea Rock Giant Fish’s upper lip. The remains rubbed against the Sea Rock Giant Fish’s teeth, and the scent of food spread out in close proximity.

The Sea Rock Giant Fish, already on the brink of death due to KID’s actions, could no longer resist the scent and immediately swam toward it. With no KID Tank obstructing its path, it lunged forward but missed its target. It couldn’t help but lunge again in the same direction.

At this point, a large number of pollutants had already arrived. As an S-level pollutant, the Sea Rock Giant Fish had a certain deterrent effect. When it opened its large mouth to swim out, the nearby pollutants that hadn’t yet managed to swim away were suddenly sucked in.

Having tasted flesh, the Sea Rock Giant Fish became even more eager and moved toward the scent. It seemed to come back to life, aggressively inhaling the pollutants in front of it. Meanwhile, KID’s Stealth mecha wasn’t having an easy time. It carefully manipulated the spider silk near the fish’s fins, causing the Sea Rock Giant Fish to instinctively swim in the opposite direction when it felt threatened near its fins.

It opened its mouth wide and swallowed the nearby pollutants as well.

Although the spider silk couldn’t be used to restrain the pollutants, it was perfect for disturbing and luring the fish.

【??? This actually works? Qingf didn’t bring the Binding Lock, right?】

【This isn’t a Binding Lock… It’s a distraction lure!】

The Sea Rock Giant Fish, driven by hunger, lunged forward. KID and the others clung tightly to it, using its momentum to break through the ring of pollutants.

Ji Qingfeng tried it for the first time with ease. “Holy sh*t! It works!”

“Ah! Let it eat more!”

Lin Yao asked, “If it eats more, can we take it out with us, including what’s in its stomach?”

Lu Xi: “It sounds like it’s possible? But what if it gets digested?”

You Su lifted his eyes slightly. “Complete digestion takes time. We just need to kill it before it digests everything.”

Huo Yan: “I think that works.”

Hearing his teammates, Ying Chenlin checked the radar for directions. “Qingfeng, can you move left? There are more A-level variant pollutants that way.”

“So many! Does its stomach have a large capacity?” Lin Yao said. “Let’s circle around and let it eat all of them!”

As more and more pollutants approached KID’s direction, KID remained calm, even as the Sea Rock Giant Fish’s mouth couldn’t close. Its gaping mouth acted like a giant vacuum cleaner, sucking in a large number of pollutants, while KID continued to lure it outward.

The A-level variant pollutants, seeing the S-level pollutant, were a bit intimidated and didn’t dare to get too close. However, the Sea Rock Giant Fish showed no mercy, eagerly sucking up the food delivered to it.

The live stream viewers: “?”

The commentator: “???”

How is this even possible?

Not only was KID using the Sea Rock Giant Fish as a tool to break through, but they were also pushing it further. The Sea Rock Giant Fish was known for its enormous stomach, and after being hungry for 40 years, it finally had the chance to gorge itself with food after much difficulty. So even though it knew it was bait, it still ran along contentedly.

Seeing this situation, the large number of pollutants rushed to flee in panic. The hungry Sea Rock Giant Fish moved with KID toward the outer areas, breaking through the pile of pollutants. After clearing the initial wave, they took a turn and began hunting the A-level pollutants swimming in the sea.

【？？？】

【I don’t understand.】

【This is a bit like the retro snake game I used to play.】

As the radar showed fewer and fewer pollutants, the viewers who were initially worried about KID calmed down, directing their sympathy towards the pollutants being devoured by the Sea Rock Giant Fish on the radar.

The people in the Management Bureau were silent, watching the scene and the gradually decreasing pollutant readings.

The pollutant expert: “This is the survival of the fittest in the ocean. There’s an old saying: ‘Natural Selection, it’s all fate.’”

The director looked at the increasingly deranged KID: “What are they trying to do?”

The staff member: “I don’t know.”

The author has something to say:

KID (kindly): Eat more.

The Sea Rock Giant Fish (nom nom): Delicious.

TN:

The fact the leaders thought they were safe because they were in the water💀. KID are the pollutant god’s favorite children okay?!

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