Genius Mechanic: Chapter 225

Slared Contaminated Zone(Territory-Wide Abnormal Move)

225. Energy Disappearance

Proofread by Cloud Chip Cake and An Zheee 

As the shield weakened, everyone’s expressions shifted sharply. When a mecha’s energy levels drop below 80%, its defense system activates, relying on the remaining energy for emergency protection. This feature is crucial in dangerous settings where pilots can’t leave the cockpit, allowing them to survive until rescue by teammates or others.

Under normal circumstances, in Contaminated Zones with manageable pollution and environmental conditions, pilots can replace mechas in the field or retrieve them safely. 

But Slared’s environment was harsh, with the underground of the Snowy Mountains being a high-pollution, low-temperature environment that made it impossible for a human to survive outside the cockpit. This meant they could only keep moving for extended periods using E.M’s Artillery mecha. Normally, as long as enough energy remains, or the reserve energy source is intact, the mecha should be able to last until they exit the zone.

“No way! I’ve been protecting him carefully; the shield shouldn’t be damaged.” E.M’s Stealth exclaimed, his expression growing tense. “He didn’t take any hits during the battle either!”

Lin Yao’s mecha had taken substantial wear, but Ying Chenlin had ensured its protection during his fight with the shadow pollutant, confirming it hadn’t suffered further damage. His spatial field had even blocked the explosion’s impact at the end. “It shouldn’t be this worn down.”

If wear wasn’t the issue, then there was only one other possibility—

Energy depletion.

A thought struck Ying Chenlin, and he quickly flew over to the E.M Artillery mecha. Sweeping away the shattered ice with his Flowing Fire Sword, he noticed volcanic rocks scattered around the mecha. Frowning, he cleared these rocks further away, then connected the Medical mecha’s specialized repair lines to the Artillery mecha. The readings indicated massive internal energy consumption.

“This could be a problem,” Claude observed, before continuing, “This mecha has accompanied you on multiple moves, and you mentioned earlier being forced into periods of accelerated movement. Under normal circumstances, the mecha’s energy consumption would rely on backup power tubes, but we’re unsure of this mecha’s initial energy reserves. If it was also in an accelerated environment, its self-defense shield would be consuming energy at a faster rate.”

The energy depletion—none of the pilots from Dawn had accounted for it, given the abundance of energy tubes they carried. They usually had a sense of each mecha’s consumption rate and wouldn’t check energy levels until the rate approached a critical threshold.

Qi Sicheng glanced at the remaining energy in his mecha and said gravely, “The situation may be less optimistic than we thought. My mecha’s energy consumption rate has doubled. I checked the mecha’s status—no acceleration, and the output rates for both weapons and the mecha itself haven’t changed, but the energy output has drastically increased.”

“Shit! When did this happen?!” Zhao Lejie exclaimed as he noticed his own energy drain. “We thought we were operating under normal output, but our energy output has doubled. How is this even possible?”

Energy depletion has always been a major problem for trapped pilots, and now there was an inexplicable energy drain on top of that. Worse, it was happening without them even realizing it. Even with ample energy reserves, this unpredictable consumption was unsettling. Where was all that energy going?

“Did you figure it out?” You Su asked.

Theo completed a rapid self-check of his mecha and quickly reported, “No internal energy malfunction. All functions are within the normal output rate range. The only issue is that the frequency of energy flow across the mecha’s surface has increased; it’s an automatic adjustment, consuming large amounts of energy there.”

The cockpit display showed the energy output environment, a feature in mechas designed to automatically adjust for environmental resistance. Normally, this minimal energy drain is negligible and not something pilots worry about. Yet, now it had become the primary source of energy consumption.

The other pilots completed their diagnostics as well, and Theo added, “I just checked with the other S-Level mechas; they’re facing the same issue.”

You Su frowned, “This isn’t good.”

“It’s not just the accelerated movement…look at the ground; it’s covered in volcanic rock.”

Ying Chenlin looked down at the cracked ice layer underfoot, which was littered with volcanic rock.

Volcanic rock has the ability to absorb energy, and the transformed energy from the Blue Heart had also been absorbed by these volcanic rocks spread across Slarad’s underground. Mechas have a self-protective shield extending about a meter around them, so normally, without contact with volcanic rock, energy wouldn’t be absorbed this rapidly.

“These volcanic rocks might not be the ordinary type we know,” Ying Chenlin remarked. “They’re absorbing our energy at an accelerated rate.”

Upon realizing the issue with the volcanic rocks, all the mechas ascended higher to increase their distance from the icy ground, but it seemed height alone wouldn’t stop the energy drain. The depletion had become inevitable.

“We have enough energy for now, and plenty of tubes to spare,” Wen Yi said, glancing at E.M’s Artillery mecha. “We can handle the consumption rate, but he can’t. A mecha forced into defense mode can be carried along, but with its defensive layer still up, we can’t recharge it externally. And even if we could, there’s no guarantee that the energy would reach the defensive system.”

Medical mechas are incapable of performing repairs; they can only support mechas with less than 60% wear. For those with over 80% damage, they need to be sent to logistics for repair by mechanics. This would usually be an easy fix. Under any other conditions, they’d pry open the cockpit and pull the pilot out. But here, in this hostile environment, they couldn’t open the cockpit or repair the mecha—an utterly unsolvable dilemma.

“It hasn’t reached its limit yet,” Ying Chenlin said. “Immediately contact your base’s maintenance department and ask if his mecha still has the old program—the default 90% protocol!”

E.M.’s Stealth. “…What’s this 90% default protocol?”

“Just ask! Don’t you want to save your brother?!” Ji Qingfeng, still engaged with the spiky creature, urged, “Hurry up!”

Without further delay, E.M.’s Stealth contacted his team captain, relaying Ying Chenlin’s words. The message was forwarded to the E.M. logistics team, and soon, the base mechanic responded with confirmation. “Yes…our base has retained the 90% default protocol.”

“Then he’s in luck.” Ying Chenlin closed his eyes briefly in thought, then opened them decisively. “It’s possible to save him. If we can get into his mecha, we can adjust the defense system’s command protocol to extend the threshold to 90%. This would restore some operational functionality, giving us enough time to modify all the settings and rescue him.”

“That’s impossible!” Bai Xuyan quickly objected. “The external environment is far too hostile for a human body. Attempting any mecha repairs is pure fantasy. If you step out of the cockpit, you’ll pass out within five seconds. Without the mecha’s protective shell, exposing yourself would be suicide.”

Everyone opposed Ying Chenlin’s risky decision. Repairing the mecha could indeed save E.M.’s pilot, but under such extreme conditions, repairs were out of the question. If they could exit the cockpits safely, they wouldn’t need to repair the mecha—they’d simply extract the pilot and transfer him to another mecha. They wouldn’t even need to worry about energy depletion; if the mecha broke, they’d switch to a spare.

But this was the heart of an ice cave, where even the mechas were nearly frozen, let alone a pilot exposed to the elements.

“Lin Yao, lift his mecha and face its back toward me,” Ying Chenlin suddenly instructed.

Upon hearing the command, Lin Yao hoisted up E.M.’s Artillery mecha. “Like this?”

With the mecha lifted, its back was fully exposed to Ying Chenlin. Controlling the energy output on his Flowing Fire Sword, he positioned the blade tip precisely at a joint on the armor plate. Channeling energy to the blade tip, he increased the output, causing it to function like a cutter, triggering a reaction from the defensive shield.

The blue light grew increasingly radiant in an instant. Ying Chenlin gritted his teeth, abruptly accelerating, breaking through the fragile protective barrier and detaching an armor panel from the back of the mecha, which crashed to the ground, revealing a unique rear access port on the mecha’s back—

This was a maintenance port reserved for mechanics.

You Su disapproved, saying, “Ying Chenlin.”

“It can be fixed. I have a way to enter the mecha without exposure,” Ying Chenlin responded calmly, severing the sensory link with Yuan and switching the mecha to autopilot mode, cutting off part of the energy tank’s supply. A maintenance duct exclusive to Yuan’s structure opened up.

Yuan was Ying Chenlin’s mecha and was still semi-modified, with its internal modification conduits partially intact.

This modification duct connected directly to the rear maintenance port of the cockpit, ensuring that Ying Chenlin could reach the rear channel without exposure to the external environment. Fortunately, Yuan was still a semi-modified mecha; otherwise, the pre-installed conduit would have been removed, leaving no means of connecting to the mecha’s maintenance passage.

There was no way to pry open the cockpit from the outside under these conditions, nor could it be done safely.

But if he could enter from a specialized supply conduit to the rear of the cockpit, he would reach an interface for connecting to the cockpit’s control system.

“Can you provide a stable environment? I just need 15 minutes,” Ying Chenlin said. “I need the key to this mecha.”

-*

When the situation from beneath the ice cavern reached E.M’s Logistics Department, everyone was closely monitoring the Artillery mecha’s energy consumption. Logistics could observe the damage status of their mecha, and the more they looked, the more they understood the dire situation their mecha pilot was facing. In such a hazardous environment, running out of energy meant the mecha would cease functioning entirely. Without temperature regulation and oxygen supply, the Artillery pilot’s chances of survival underground were low.

“If the energy cuts out completely, how long can he hold out?” E.M.’s head coach asked, his face grim. “Can he survive until we get him to the surface?”

“No chance. When energy is cut entirely, the internal temperature of the mecha will start dropping continuously,” the head of E.M’s maintenance department replied. “In these conditions, the balance system would collapse in under 10 minutes, and the cockpit temperature would plummet to sub-zero, with only the basic defenses intact. In ordinary conditions, that wouldn’t be an issue, but here, he won’t last until our rescue arrives.”

“How did this happen? Under regular 80% energy depletion, he should’ve lasted a day at least,” someone remarked. “How could the energy deplete to this level? Such consumption is unsustainable.”

“Dawn recently inquired about the 90% default protocol, but even with that, this issue can’t be resolved.”

E.M’s mechanics understood why the Dawn mechanic had asked about the old program. At 80% depletion, the mecha should initiate its self-preservation protocol per League regulations, preserving enough power to extend operational time. The remaining 20% could keep the mecha running longer even if damaged.

The 90% threshold, however, was from outdated League regulations before revisions. If the old protocols were retained, a mecha reaching the 80% self-preservation state could still use a program key to activate the previous program, temporarily restoring some manual control. By activating manual control, certain functions could temporarily resume, allowing for external energy transfer and other interference options.

Modifying such programs is complex, and without maintenance experience, mecha pilots cannot make these changes—only mechanics can.

Additionally, mechanics need access to the cockpit to perform repairs; without entry, these operations are impossible.

“Recharging and repairs are relatively simple operations for a mechanic,” said E.M.’s mechanic. “The challenge is that in that environment, no one can operate outside the mecha, so a mechanic can’t carry out the work.”

Inside E.M.’s starship, the staff all wore grim expressions. They hadn’t anticipated a Super-S-Level scenario, nor did they expect such extreme energy depletion. Even with the Super-S situation and a pollutant riot, as long as the mecha’s protective layer remained intact, it could hold out for rescue. As things stood, if Alex and the other mecha pilots continued digging for two more hours, they could open a path to the surface, but E.M.’s Artillery mecha wouldn’t last two hours.

“The Dawn pilot has requested a key ¹…” a staff member turned to the others. “He intends to carry out repairs.”

In the Third Star Domain’s warship, support soldiers dispatched by the Frontier Army had already entered Slared’s territory, providing ongoing assistance to mecha pilots across various locations. In the Snowy Mountains of Slared, newly arrived soldiers joined the effort to suppress the pollutant riot, accelerating the purge of contaminants. However, pollutants continued to surge upward, relentlessly attacking large numbers of mecha pilots.

“We’ve located Dawn’s mecha pilot, Lucy. She and her teammate are handling an S-Level Pale Butterfly.”

“Team Three has entered the outer area for cleanup. They’ll reach her position in 10 minutes, and we’ll do everything to escort her to the excavation team.”

“Excellent. Prioritize rescuing the mecha pilots,” the Third Star Domain’s Frontier Army operation commander ordered before turning to the Star Alliance’s mission commander beside him, who had been monitoring energy levels closely. “Lao Wei.”

It was he who had first responded to this incident and had initiated the request for Frontier Army reinforcements from the Third Star Domain.

Without his swift action to mobilize the Frontier Army, they wouldn’t have reached Slared so quickly, nor provided immediate support and rescue.

The Star Alliance Mission General Commander—Wei Changyang—was formerly the Deputy Chief of Operations for the Frontier Army of the Third Star Domain and was recently reassigned as the Star Alliance’s mission commander.

A seasoned mecha pilot who had long dealt with pollutant riots, he had participated in three missions specifically targeting Chronos.

“Chronos’ energy reaction is primarily occurring beneath Slared, with the strongest concentration in the Snowy Mountains.” Standing before the main control panel, Wei Changyang observed the energy fluctuations across Slared with a calm expression. “Our assumption was correct; it’s in this Snowy Mountains region, in this precise section.”

He highlighted an area on the map, the same location where the mecha pilots were trapped.

Tracing back all the energy reports pointed to this area as the source, and it was still expanding outward.

“Lao Wei, if it really appears in this area, it won’t be easy,” a Third Star Domain officer commented. “Based on our estimates of Chronos’ capabilities, if it truly is here, the pilots have no chance of escape. It can completely control the flow of time. Once it fully applies its temporal abilities on the mechas, the pilots won’t be able to run.”

“It’s already affecting the mechas.”

Wei Changyang confirmed that this pollutant was located within the icy cave of the Snowy Mountains. The sheer number of pollutants surrounding the mechas and the irregularity of the mechas’ escape speed strongly suggested that Chronos was manipulating the situation. “I have a bad feeling,” he said. “If it can influence the mecha pilots, why not attack them directly? Given its abilities, it could easily go after the mecha pilots instead of controlling other pollutants to do it for it. That approach is far too slow.”

The riot incited by Chronos was widespread, covering all of Slared, and its purpose seemed unusually specific.

It felt as though this riot served some other unknown objective.

Wei Changyang said, “You Su is also underground. He’s encountered Chronos before. The fact that we haven’t received an alert from him yet indicates that Chronos hasn’t fully approached them and that its influence over their time flow is limited.”

“You Su?” The Third Star Domain officer paused, quickly scanning through the images of trapped mecha pilots until he recognized You Su’s face. “Why is he back in the Third Star Domain again? This is the second time! We only resolved the incident from three years ago not long ago, and now, with so many eyes on him—”

If the influence on time flow was limited, that suggested a matter of distance.

Did Chronos have limited range in its time manipulation abilities, or was it stationary?

Wei Changyang realized something and directed his gaze toward the depths of Snowy Mountains beneath Slared.

“Commander, we have a problem.” The staff member monitoring rates spoke up. “We’ve detected a massive drain on underground energy, with it all concentrating at the core of Slared. The volcanic rock’s energy is rapidly depleting.”

Slared’s underground was rich in volcanic rock because this Contaminated Zone initially formed as a volcanic Contaminated Zone. Over time, environmental shifts transformed it into four distinct regions. This volcanic rock stored significant energy from the Blue Heart, whose roots leaked energy, keeping the energy levels stable after the core pollutant was destroyed.

Half an hour ago, the energy levels in the volcanic rock started declining. Initially, staff thought it signaled energy stabilization, but instead of slowing down, the depletion rate had accelerated, as though a massive vacuum was swiftly siphoning energy from Slared’s volcanic rocks.

“What’s going on?” The officer’s expression darkened.

“I found it strange before; with this much energy available, how could that plant pollutant fail to evolve?” Wei Changyang rested his hand on the control panel, his gaze quickly sweeping over the data. “This place might have been Chronos’ storage facility for food long ago. The riot in Slared ten years ago was probably due to it as well.”

“It could command so many pollutants of lower rank; even before evolving into a Super-S class, it already possessed formidable abilities.” Wei Changyang pointed to Slared’s core area. “The unique energy pollutant we discovered is likely under its control as well. It’s harnessing all of Slared’s resources, providing itself with a continuous food source. It’s not those plants that are evolving; the real energy-consuming pollutant here is Chronos.”

They had verified the purity of the energy converted by the Blue Heart; otherwise, it wouldn’t have drawn so much attention from the various mecha bases.

Now, if all the gathered energy over this period was channeled to this Super-S class pollutant, triggering its evolution three years ago, it makes sense why Chronos evolved so quickly. The Frontier Army knows all too well that if Chronos, frequently active along the frontier, has found a way to move in and out of Slared, using this area as a hidden reserve, it would explain its rapid evolution.

“Then the rapid energy depletion now is—?” a staff member asked.

Wei Changyang immediately opened an urgent communication channel and said gravely, “The core pollutant that supplied it with energy is dead, and now it’s absorbing energy from the volcanic rocks to drain all of Slared.”

The room erupted in a clamor.

“There’s no time for hesitation. Are Slared’s abandoned functions operational? Activate the defense system from the Slared Management Bureau, enable emergency warp points at each base station, and notify all mecha pilots to evacuate.” Wei Changyang said coldly, “We must eliminate this pollutant here while ensuring the safety of the mecha pilots. Its growth potential is terrifying, and even if we fail to capture it, we must at least severely wound it.”

Frontier troops began mobilizing, and the emergency intel on Slared was reported to the Third Star Domain and Star Alliance Headquarters.

Wei Changyang handed over command to another and exited the central command room. “Open the docking platform; I’m heading to Slared myself—”

“Commander, there’s a very troubling development,” a staff member reported. “The trapped mecha pilots are also within the volcanic rock’s area, and their energy reserves are depleting rapidly… With luck, the energy they’re carrying might be enough, but one of the E.M. mecha pilots may not make it. He’s critically drained, and there are no on-site rescue options.”

Wei Changyang’s expression shifted, and he frowned deeply.

“Wait—” another staff member interjected, “We’ve received an update from E.M. One of the mecha pilots is performing on-site repairs.”

Wei Changyang’s steps quickened upon hearing this news as he left the command center.

On-site repairs!? Are they insane?

The Third Star Domain officer spoke sternly, “Stop him; there’s no need for needless sacrifice.”

“The mechanic handling the repairs is Junior Mechanic Ying Chenlin. He entered the damaged mecha through a specialized repair pipeline.”

The staff was slightly taken aback and said, “He’s already out there.”

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Translator Notes

1. A key in cryptography is a piece of information, usually a string of numbers or letters that are stored in a file, which, when processed through a cryptographic algorithm, can encode or decode cryptographic data.[↩]