Genius Mechanic: Chapter 194

Slared Contaminated Zone(Star Alliance Mission)

194. Slared Chaos Zone

Proofread by Cloud Chip Cake and An Zheee 

Their current destination was Dongnuo Galaxy in the Third Star Domain, with a travel time of a day and a half.

The spaceship had rooms set up for rest, two people per room. Naturally, Ying Chenlin was paired with You Su, Shen Xingtang shared a room with Lu Xi, Huo Yan with Jiang Simiao, and Ji Qingfeng with Lin Yao, as usual. The room with the scenic view once again fell to Ying Chenlin and You Su.

KID had seen this spaceship ferrying Gale to competition venues every day. It wasn’t until now, sitting on the spaceship themselves, that they realized just how much Gale had been enjoying it.

Ji Qingfeng asked, “When we have enough money, can we get our own spaceship?”

Jiang Simiao shattered his daydream, “We’ll talk about that when we actually have the money.”

Their room was a bit far, so Ying Chenlin followed the corridor to find the room he and You Su were assigned to. As soon as they entered, You Su walked to the inner bed, leaving the window-side spot with a scenic view for Ying Chenlin.

After everyone had put away their luggage, Shen Xingtang gathered them in the spaceship’s conference room for a meeting. The other mecha bases’ teams had settled into their rooms before KID, so they were all in the conference room when the meeting began.

Since Ying Chenlin and You Su’s room was far away, they were the last to arrive.

When they entered, the conference room was already full. Ying Chenlin found an empty seat and quietly called to You Su, “Over here.”

You Su didn’t go far and naturally took the seat next to Ying Chenlin.

Sitting across from them, Zhao Lejie saw the two enter and turned to Ji Qingfeng, who was sitting nearby, asking, “Trace and Sink are rooming together?”

“Yeah,” Ji Qingfeng, who had been talking to Lin Yao about food, explained, “Didn’t we all come here together?”

Zhao Lejie was full of questions with no place to ask them. When he turned his head, he saw the same confused look on Huo Luobu’s face.

Once everyone was present, Shen Xingtang got straight to the point, “The reason I didn’t mention the special mission before was that the mission notice was only issued three days ago, so we have very limited information.”

The Star Alliance’s Special Mission System wasn’t always open; it selected a specific region to open at certain intervals.

This time, the location for the Star Alliance Special Mission was the Dongnuo Galaxy in the Third Star Domain. This galaxy had a resource level that was slightly above average for the Third Star Domain, with many Contaminated Zones.

There was a special Frontier Contaminated Zone in Dongnuo Galaxy. This zone was originally classified as a high-risk Contaminated Zone, but after the Third Star Domain’s border incident, it connected with a Frontier Contaminated Zone, causing a large influx of pollutants into the Dongnuo Galaxy.

The border had since been secured by Dongnuo Galaxy’s Frontier Army, but this high-risk Contaminated Zone turned into an uncontrollable area after that riot. The original Contaminated Zone system collapsed, and numerous ships and starships passing through that area disappeared, leading the Star Alliance to mark it as a forbidden zone, which hadn’t been opened for years.

As Shen Xingtang spoke, the mission announcement appeared in front of everyone, displaying the mission location in the Third Star Domain’s Dongnuo Galaxy—Slared Contaminated Zone.

After seeing the map’s scope, Lin Yao remarked in surprise, “The area is huge!”

Ying Chenlin traced the uncontrolled Contaminated Zone on the map, noting how it had expanded from the original Contaminated Zone into space and even spread to other planets. It had now become a vast, highly complex region.

“To be precise, it was originally called Slared, but now it’s a large-scale chaotic area with the Slared Contaminated Zone at its core,” Zhang Ge explained. “The Management Bureau’s system collapsed, and pollutants leaked out. What you see now is the scale after the Star Alliance’s emergency containment.”

“So, are many strong teams going to this area to carry out missions?” Huo Yan asked.

“You could say that. The Star Alliance’s Special Mission System gathers missions within a certain area, but only opens a portion of it each time. This is to improve the efficiency of each galaxy’s teams, and on the other hand, if something goes wrong, the smaller area makes it easier for the Star Alliance to respond quickly,” Zhang Ge replied.

Shen Xingtang pulled up some more data and continued, “In this Contaminated Zone, there’s no comprehensive Management Bureau system, meaning the usual support provided by a Management Bureau will be nearly nonexistent. You need to be prepared for this.”

Without the Management Bureau’s system, all the teams dispatched by the mecha bases would arrive at the Contaminated Zone, rest for a while, and then enter the zone.

This situation leads to many mecha teams gathering together for missions, which often results in competition for mission completion. Weaker teams not only face the risk of other teams completing missions first but also the dangers posed by the Contaminated Zone, which could threaten their lives.

Chi Lizi asked, “So that means teams from all over the Star Alliance will be competing for missions?”

“You could say that,” Shen Xingtang paused for a moment before pulling up another document. “We’ve already organized detailed information on the Contaminated Zone, which you can review later. For now, let’s focus on the mission’s scoring system. The points vary based on the mission’s difficulty. After each mission period, the Star Alliance ranks the teams by points. The First Star Domain awards wildcard slots based on these rankings.”

The Star Alliance Special Mission is only open for a limited time, so they had to earn as many points as possible within that time.

Points weren’t fixed; if their ranking was too low, they wouldn’t secure a slot in the First Star Domain. They needed to rank high, and ideally, their points should be higher than those of other galaxies participating in the mission from the First Star Domain.

“The teams participating in the Star Alliance missions change every year. We’ve listed the mecha bases that regularly participate,” Jiang Simiao added, attaching another set of data. “We’re unsure about other Star Domains, but according to insider information from Chairman Li, five teams from the First Star Domain are participating this time.”

“Only five?” Ji Qingfeng was surprised, expecting a dozen or so.

“The First Star Domain always has few participants each year,” Wen Yi shared what he knew. “Aside from us, the other four teams are well-known in the First Star Domain’s competition, ranking at the top. They’re not here for slots but to acquire valuable resources and gather information on strong teams.”

Across Star Domains, data on matches between these top teams was scarce.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the strong teams will probe each other to gather special information before the Star Alliance Competition.

Zhao Lejie:  “But don’t worry, strong teams won’t waste energy probing us, a galaxy that doesn’t have a rank at all.”

“The strongest galaxy in the First Star Domain is the Aries Galaxy, represented by the Aegis base,” Jiang Simiao continued. “We don’t expect you to surpass Aegis, but try to complete as many missions and earn as many points as possible. That way, we can at least secure some slots when we return.”

After introducing the destination and goals, each mecha pilot was given a data pad containing a wealth of information. Following a brief discussion about the battle details, the mecha pilots returned to their rooms to rest.

Once the mecha pilots left, the expressions of the base leaders grew serious.

They had shared all the intelligence they had with the mecha pilots, but the Dawn Galaxy was participating in a Star Alliance Special Mission for the first time. After registering through the First Star Domain, all they received was access to the Star Alliance’s mission system, the mission gathering time, and a set of coordinates.

The Star Alliance required participating teams to arrive at the designated coordinates within the specified time, but provided no further information.

The leaders of Black Crow and YDS were initially very tense, but their anxiety vanished when they saw KID’s mecha pilots leaning out the windows, discussing the local specialties of Dongnuo Galaxy.

Hu Luobu: “You’re already thinking about local specialties before the mission has even started? We’re heading to a chaotic area; there won’t be any shopping malls there.”

“It’s not easy to come to Dongnuo,” Ji Qingfeng explained to Hu Luobu. “Just think about how hard it is to get a spaceship ticket. The cost of coming here is so high; how can we go back without bringing something along?”

Zhao Lejie sneered and said, “If we earn a lot of points, forget about buying Dongnuo specialties. I’ll have the captain cruise the entire Third Star Domain when we return.”

Zhang Ge passing by: “…” 

Are you the one who pays for the spaceship’s fuel and energy? Stop making random promises!”

KID took it seriously, so they started paying attention to the specialties outside Dongnuo Galaxy.

This lighthearted atmosphere eased the tension in the spaceship. The mecha pilots might have relaxed, but the team staff couldn’t afford to.

To prepare for any unexpected situations, the three major bases, along with Dawn, jointly sponsored a lot of resources. A large amount of energy tubes were just basic provisions; the rest were special materials that might be needed. Additionally, each mecha pilot was equipped with a backup mecha. Dawn’s goal was to secure slots while ensuring the safety of the mecha pilots, so they were well-prepared in this regard.

—

The day and a half of travel passed quickly and quietly.

This calm persisted until Gale’s spaceship entered Dongnuo Galaxy’s Chaos Zone, and everyone realized the situation was far more difficult than they had imagined.

Ying Chenlin was woken up in the middle of the night by the commotion outside the spaceship. When he opened his eyes, instead of seeing the beautiful starry sky of the universe, he was greeted by an endless asteroid belt and dangerous flight paths. As soon as he became fully alert, he noticed that the bedroom door in his room was open, and You Su, who was on the other bed, had already reacted before him.

The impact of asteroids colliding with the spaceship caused intense vibrations, and the ship’s internal systems were buzzing with alarms.

The pilot of Gale’s spaceship, with over ten years of flying experience, truly showcased his skills in navigating through the asteroid belt. He maneuvered the ship through the asteroids with precision, causing the mecha pilots, who had been sleeping in their beds, to be shaken onto the floor.

Ying Chenlin held onto the wall as he stood up. When he reached the corridor, he found that everyone else was awake too, all crowded together in the hallway.

They all looked half-asleep but were immediately jolted awake by the shaking.

Huo Yan asked, “What’s going on? Are we having trouble with the navigation?”

“No,” You Su replied, looking out the window. “We’ve entered the Chaos Zone.”

At that moment, several streaks of light shot past the window, drawing the attention of the mecha pilots.

In the asteroid belt, besides Gale’s spaceship, there were starships on the side and diagonally ahead that were much larger than Gale’s. The sight of all these starships navigating through the Chaos Zone was incredibly awe-inspiring.

Ji Qingfeng, who had just arrived in the corridor, saw a massive starship flying overhead, exclaiming, “WTF? That thing is huge!”

Lin Yao looked up and said, “That thing is ten times our size!”

Everyone looked in that direction and saw a special emblem painted on the starship. Ke Lin frowned and said, “That’s E.M.’s starship.”

E.M. was the top-ranked team battle mecha base in the Star Alliance.

After E.M.’s starship passed, a series of other spaceships and starships flew over Gale’s spaceship, leaving trails of exhaust in the asteroid belt. The various energy fluctuations caused Gale’s spaceship to shake even more violently, and it was soon left behind, trailing in the wake of the other ships.

In the ship’s cockpit, Gale’s old captain was still firmly controlling the helm.

Beside him, Zhang Ge was pale, holding onto a trash can as he vomited, weakly asking how much farther they had to go.

Shen Xingtang was assisting in stabilizing the ship, her gaze fixed on the asteroid belt ahead of the control console. “How long until we reach the coordinates?”

“Five minutes!” the captain of Gale replied. “But this environment is way too harsh—”

Just then, a special system suddenly lit up inside the ship. It was connected to the Star Alliance’s Special Mission System.

The system, which had been inactive until now, was fully activated after they entered Dongnuo’s Chaos Zone. A virtual screen appeared in front of everyone in the cockpit, displaying a large navigation map and a blinking coordinate position.

Shen Xingtang quickly reacted, “Follow the new coordinates! This coordinate has already calculated a trajectory to avoid the asteroids—”

Before she could finish speaking, she noticed messages popping up on the system. Multiple screens lit up in the spacious cockpit, displaying a dense array of special system functions. At the center of the original map, a certain red zone was specially marked, and a clear blue boundary line appeared directly in front of the spaceship’s flight path.

“What is this!?”

[Team No. 125, you have entered Slared Chaos Zone. The Slared Defense Line will open in 5 minutes. Please make the most of your time.]

“Wait, what does that mean!? The defense line will open??” Black Crow’s leader was taken aback. “Isn’t there a designated gathering point?”

At that moment, the co-pilot beside the console suddenly noticed several figures emerging from the large starship in the distance. “Something’s off, Lao Zhang… Those starships up ahead seem to be making a move.”

The next second, the suddenly zoomed-in view showed the massive starship representing E.M. hovering just behind a certain asteroid belt. Mechas poured out of the starship, charging straight towards the Slared Defense Line. Once all the mechas had departed, the massive starship immediately turned around and headed out of the asteroid belt, moving in another direction.

The bewildered members of Dawn couldn’t make sense of the situation. At that moment, the mission system helpfully popped up a reminder—

[Please note: Slared’s location is unique, and parking spots are limited. Teams must find their own parking spots for their supply and logistics starships/spaceships.]

“Everyone, snap out of it! Put on your combat suits and head to the spaceship’s mecha docking bay immediately,” Shen Xingtang said as she grabbed the communicator, her voice reaching every room through the spaceship’s broadcast system. “All resources have been fully loaded for you. In 3 minutes, all mechas must leave the spaceship, quickly!”

The mecha pilots in the corridor were utterly confused. Qi Sicheng caught a glimpse of a mecha flying past the window and shouted, “Don’t just stand there stunned, move it!”

Ying Chenlin and You Su turned around to grab their gear, and the other mecha pilots quickly followed suit.

“I haven’t even shaved or washed my face yet!” Ji Qingfeng shouted as he ran back to his room. “Crap, Yao Bao, where’s my combat suit?”

Lin Yao threw the suit at Ji Qingfeng and sprinted off faster than anyone else. “Hurry up!”

Zhao Lejie was pulling up his pants as he ran out, stopping only to pick up a boot along the way. “Luobo, your boot!!”

Hu Luobu was running barefoot ahead. “Pick it up for me.”

The mecha pilots scrambled towards the docking bay, barefoot, unwashed, and with clothes haphazardly thrown on. A few pieces of sleepwear were even left scattered in the corridor.

Zhang Ge, who had been vomiting miserably, weakly lifted his head and listened to the commotion in the cockpit. “What’s going on?”

Gale’s old captain gripped the steering wheel, ready to go full throttle. “Isn’t it obvious!? We’re going to fight for a parking spot!”

Author’s Note:

The mecha pilots (forced to disembark)

The old captain and his crew (fighting for parking spots)

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