Genius Mechanic: Chapter 228

Slared Contaminated Zone(Territory-Wide Abnormal Move)

228. Heavy Weapon

Proofread by Cloud Chip Cake

Before Ke Lin and the others could respond, Wei Changyang was already flying with the Frontier Army toward the edge of the ice cave’s entrance. Simultaneously, the airborne mechas deployed large-scale communications equipment, and as they landed, a temporary, adult-sized communications base was firmly anchored on the solid snow layer.

“How can I leave? Lao Zhao and the others haven’t made it out yet—I’ll leave when they do,” Hu Luobu said, staring unblinkingly into the depths of the ice cave. “I’m not leaving. I haven’t seen signals from the others yet—what if their mechas are damaged?”

Ke Lin understood Hu Luobu’s concern, and despite the Frontier Army’s urging, he remained in place.

With the Frontier Army covering Lu Xi’s entry, the surface of the ice cave became an ominous gray abyss, visibility fading into complete darkness. Around them, mecha pilots from several teams held their ground, each worrying about their comrades still trapped underground.

“Move,” Huo Yan’s gaze shifted away from Wei Changyang’s mecha as he spoke with firm resolve. “Staying here is just wasting the Frontier Army’s resources. Most units should evacuate. If you’re truly worried, leave one or two mecha pilots behind, but everyone else should pull out immediately.”

“If we keep dragging our feet, the Frontier Army will be responsible for rescuing more than just the mechas underground—we’ll be holding them back, too.” For once, Huo Yan’s stance was unyielding. Forcing himself to look away from the ice cave, he shouted, “The pollutants’ self-detonations will continue, and the temporary jump point up above can’t hold out much longer. The more people that stay, the more pressure we’ll put on the temporary jump point. At this point, the Frontier Army is better suited to handle the situation. Go!”

Huo Yan was right. Staying here would only increase casualties, making the rescue mission harder for both the Frontier Army and their own teams.

Alex cast a sidelong glance in Huo Yan’s direction. “Leave two mechas behind; the rest, evacuate.”

WHG, GBK, and SLY’s rescue teams began reorganizing as well.

Aegis’ people unexpectedly glanced at Huo Yan below. An Aegis mecha pilot asked Wu Qingshuang for instructions, and with a wave, Wu Qingshuang led the Aegis personnel to retreat under the Frontier Army’s cover. One by one, the mecha pilots lifted off, and the Frontier Army swiftly escorted them to the jump point.

For the first time, Ke Lin seriously studied KID’s usually easygoing captain. In countless previous collaborations, Huo Yan’s cheerful, open, and accommodating demeanor had made a lasting impression. But now, for the first time, Ke Lin saw Huo Yan display a rare, unwavering determination.

“Huo Yan?” Ke Lin asked.

Huo Yan didn’t respond immediately. After a long pause, he finally said, “Back when I served with the Frontier Army, I had teammates who sacrificed themselves right in front of me.”

Military orders couldn’t be defied. After leaving the Frontier Army, he had thought about it for a long time: To protect those behind him, he had to stand in front.

As a portion of the mecha pilots withdrew, Wei Changyang received a report from his soldiers. “Who is that?”

“A mecha pilot from Dawn Galaxy’s KID, Huo Yan,” the soldier replied. “Before joining the Mecha Alliance, he served with the Dawn Galaxy Frontier Army.”

Wei Changyang’s gaze softened as he affixed a signal booster onto the ice layer, his tone carrying a hint of respect. “He’s been a great help.”

As the Frontier Army shielded the mecha pilots during the evacuation, the underground energy response entered an erratic phase. Although the retreating mecha were making it out smoothly, the difficulty of setting up a temporary signal-boosting base station soared. The avalanche and loosening of soil created visible cracks along the walls of the excavated ice cave. The only silver lining was that the original cave dug by the Star Alliance mecha pilots was large enough to prevent the fallen ice and snow from completely burying it.

“The temporary communication base station can remain stable for around ten minutes,” a soldier reported quickly. “We’re fine on this side, but I’m not sure if those underground can pick up our signal.”

Wei Changyang’s gaze focused on the faint coordinate marker. He remembered the ID “Sink,” belonging to someone who was both a mecha pilot and a mechanic. If that pilot managed to set up a signal marker so quickly, it meant he’d likely anticipated the issue with signal degradation and failing coordinates. “From here on, we can only rely on that mechanic’s response. This is as far as we can go.”

—

Deep in Slared’s underground, in a narrow crevice of fractured ice, nineteen mecha struggled to survive in the makeshift refuge. Their internal pressure systems were pushed to the limit, but the ice layer’s downward force was inching closer to them.

“Lao Zhao, are you alright?!” Ji Qingfeng’s raspy voice rang out, though in the cramped space, it was hard to pinpoint his location.

Qi Sicheng didn’t let go, gripping Zhao Lejie’s mecha by the wrist. “The mecha’s wear is already at 80%. Even if he shouts, we wouldn’t hear him.”

“What about You Ge?” Ji Qingfeng asked. “I haven’t heard a sound from him.”

“He’s at the very bottom,” Chi Lizi knew You Su’s position. Earlier, in the most dangerous moment, You Su had pushed Zhao Lejie up, saving them from completely losing contact with Zhao Lejie.

The 80% wear wasn’t limited to Zhao Lejie’s mecha; Lin Yao’s remaining 3% finally gave out, now Ji Qingfeng was hauling him along. WHG had already lost two mechas, and the remaining WHG Tank was struggling to bear the pressure of the ice for the group of survivors… but the level of wear to all of their mechas had exceeded 70%. Some mechas had severe surface damage, with cold drafts seeping into the interiors, pushing dangerously close to the cockpit.

The voices in the channel were dwindling. Ying Chenlin was still working on building up the signal. He’d improvised a communication system on Yuan’s control platform, scattering signal boosters taken from the other mecha pilots throughout the ice layers. These signal boosters, lodged in the ice, were now performing their final function.

Sweat dripped from Ying Chenlin’s brows as more error alerts flashed before him. A dull headache throbbed in his brain from the intense use of his mental power; keeping Yuan operational was already taxing enough. Now, to strengthen the connection between Yuan and the scattered signal devices, he had to increase his mental output further.

“Chenlin,” Yuan’s voice weakened as it automatically shut down non-essential functions, aiming to reduce Ying Chenlin’s mental strain. “We can only last about half an hour more.”

Ying Chenlin didn’t respond, pressing on with his signal management, trying to synchronize with the external signal.

The communication channel quieted down; it seemed like everyone’s voices had softened.

Ying Chenlin lowered his gaze, the fatigue from the intense use of mental power weighing on him. He tried to suppress the exhaustion, hoping he might still reach the signal outside.

“We’re not receiving any signal. There’s a good chance the comm station above has collapsed,” You Su’s voice sounded in the private channel.

His tone was softer than usual, carrying his signature laziness. When Ying Chenlin first heard his voice, he almost imagined they were back in the KID maintenance room, with You Su casually passing by after work, greeting him as usual.

Ying Chenlin paused slightly in his actions but said nothing.

“You’re not a savior,” You Su said. “You don’t need to put so much pressure on yourself. Live a little more freely.”

Ying Chenlin replied softly, “I live freely enough.”

“You know, we’ve known each other for two years now,” You Su continued.

It sounded like he was adjusting something. “But you rarely have the kind of youthful vigor someone your age should have.”

Ying Chenlin’s eyes shifted slightly, and his fingers tapping on the virtual console slowed down. In his dazed mind, a hint of clarity emerged. He heard his teammates chatting about various things around him—Ji Qingfeng started talking about wanting to eat the delicacies of Mingguang Star, while Chi Lizi mentioned he still hadn’t done a promised anomalous crystal giveaway for his stream’s followers. Not a single one of them asked about the signal; their attentions seemed focused on other things.

Just as You Su maximized Theo’s permissions, preparing for any potential surprises, he suddenly heard Ying Chenlin’s voice coming from the other end of the communication channel, asking a completely unrelated question.

“What are the Contaminated Zones at the frontier like?” Ying Chenlin asked.

You Su: “Places of barbarous ¹ growth.”

“I’ve never seen them.” Ying Chenlin closed his eyes slightly. “These past two years have been the freest years of my life. I’ve traveled to many places with all of you.”

In his previous life, after his severe injury left him disabled, he could only sit in a wheelchair in the maintenance room, gazing at landscapes from a distance but never able to enter their vast openness.

Ying Chenlin was almost starting to forget he had been reborn in this world. Only now, in this life shaped by butterfly effects and a different trajectory, did he truly feel like he was living again. When he first entered the Mecha League, what he longed for was boundless freedom.

Upon his rebirth, he’d set strict rules for his new life: Focus on health, manage his physical well-being, eliminate the risks from genetic illness, and strive to pilot a mecha for as long as possible. Yet, the moment he could enter the Contaminated Zones, all those self-imposed rules faded from his mind.

It was as if he’d lived ten more years than anyone else, yet remained forever stuck at a single moment, with no real progress.

Ying Chenlin exhaled heavily. “You Ge, chat with me for a bit.”

You Su paused. “What should we talk about?”

“Anything’s good.” Ying Chenlin tried to clear his mind more, saying, “I’m so tired.”

Hearing this, You Su paused, then asked Theo, “What are some conversation topics?”

It was the first time Theo’s pilot had asked him such a question, so he immediately started offering ideas: “In life-and-death moments like this, you could ask him what he wants to eat, where he’d like to go afterward, or what his dreams are—any wishes he hasn’t had time to fulfill. Oh, and ask if he wants any cool parts, or—right, if he’s interested in auctions, let’s go check out the auction house in the Third Star Domain after we get out. We must’ve made a ton of money this time—”

The more You Su listened, the more he frowned. Before he could pick a suitable topic from Theo’s suggestions, he caught the faint sound of a thump. “Ying Chenlin?”

“…It’s fine, just hit my hand,” Ying Chenlin muttered, accidentally bumping his arm against the nearby control stick.

“Ying Chenlin.” You Su suddenly said, “When this match is over, I’ll take you to a Contaminated Zone on the frontier.”

Ying Chenlin was momentarily taken aback before finally responding after a long moment, “Okay.”

“Can we get in?” Ying Chenlin asked softly.

You Su: “You’re with me, so yes.” 

Ying Chenlin countered, “A professional mecha pilot trespassing in the frontier could get banned from competition.”

You Su, undeterred, answered, “I’ll get you in through a backdoor.”

There was silence from the other side of the communication.

You Su’s brows furrowed, his voice taking on an edge, “Ying Chenlin?”

“Ying Chenlin!?”

“We have a signal!”

Ying Chenlin stared blankly at the radar, watching the faint, flickering signal. His exhausted mind suddenly sharpened. Without hesitation, he pursued the signal, doing his best to link their signal with the faint one.

[Connection Failed…] [Connecting… Connection Failed…] [Connection Successful!]

As the words “Connection Successful” flashed, the signal above the icy cavern became crystal clear.

The other mecha pilots trapped in the ice cave also noticed the incoming signal from above—the nearest one was a mecha coordinate just 21 kilometers away.

WHG’s Tank froze momentarily. “Wait!? That’s not close enough!”

“No… that’s Xi Mei’s coordinate!” Ji Qingfeng abruptly looked at Ying Chenlin. “Chenlin, the target location!”

Atop the ice layer 21 kilometers away, Lucy’s coordinates appeared, shimmering faintly against the transparent ice as it struggled to get closer. Ying Chenlin’s voice trembled slightly; clenching his teeth to counter the pressure from the surrounding ice, he retrieved the Spatial Displacement Staff from the weapons compartment. “Everyone, hold tight!”

Squeezed into the narrow ice crevice, the 19 mechas pressed close together. As the red glow from the Spatial Displacement Staff spread, the pilots huddled within the glow’s range with their damaged teammates. At the very edge, You Su pushed Zhao Lejie’s mecha forward, guiding both Qi Sicheng and Zhao Lejie’s mechas into the red circle above.

Wen Yi shouted with difficulty, “Is everyone in range?!”

“We’re all in up here!” Alice called back. “Have the bottom ones entered?”

Ying Chenlin held back the activation of the Spatial Displacement Staff, watching as the red glow’s energy was continuously drained at the lower levels. He glanced at the bottom-most position, where You Su’s coordinates were, right below Zhao Lejie. “You Su!”

“Go!” You Su fired his Energy Cannon at the ice, using its powerful propulsion to thrust himself into the red circle.

At that moment, the red light from the Spatial Displacement Staff enveloped all the mechas. Every bit of energy in Yuan’s system was being channeled into this displacement. Gritting his teeth, Ying Chenlin steadied his mental power and activated the displacement once he confirmed everyone was within the range.

Above Slared’s ice cave, the makeshift communications relay station trembled under the fierce wind and snow. Several Frontier Army mechas were stationed above the ice cave, with the few remaining Star Alliance mechas standing guard at the forefront. Huo Yan didn’t dare blink, as all his teammates were down below.

“Commander—” A soldier looked at the officer in charge of the rescue. “The avalanche is closing in; the others need to evacuate.”

Wei Changyang’s expression remained unchanged. “Wait another three minutes.”

In the Slared United Front channel, everyone’s attention was fixed on the rescue site. A few mecha pilots couldn’t bear to look at the coordinates anymore. They had done everything possible, even setting up a signal booster, and now all they could do was wait for the pilots below to respond.

“Xingtang.” Jiang Simiao looked at Shen Xingtang.

Shen Xingtang’s eyes were glued to the radar monitor, ignoring the voices around her. Suddenly, one mecha signal after another began lighting up on the radar. Her pupils dilated. “They’re online.”

Jiang Simiao snapped his gaze to the monitor.

Zhang Ge swore as he saw the signals of the other mechas all light up, immediately spotting Qi Sicheng and Zhao Lejie’s coordinates nearby with 80% damage. “Fuck, they’re still alive—all of them!”

Inside Slared’s ice cave, Lu Xi’s voice trembled slightly as she saw over a dozen mechas appear in front of her. Using her thrusters, she quickly reached Ji Qingfeng and grabbed hold of her heavily damaged teammate.

“They’re all here! Everyone’s over here!”

“Two mechas over here—there are injured.”

“Commander, reporting: The Slared rescue is complete. All 19 mechas accounted for, no one left behind.”

From his high vantage point, Wei Changyang received the report just as the avalanche began to surge forward. “Evacuate immediately; the avalanche will hit in two minutes!”

As Ying Chenlin shook off the dizziness from the displacement, he instinctively looked down, searching for a specific target. The disconnection of his mental power caused Yuan to drop about ten meters.

The sudden descent alerted the surrounding frontier soldiers, but at that moment, a red-and-white mecha rose from below, grabbing onto the falling Yuan and lifting it back up.

Ying Chenlin looked up. “You Su.”

“We’re not safe yet—don’t lose focus.” You Su engaged his thrusters, lifting them both upward. “We need to escape.”

The mechas still operational began ascending in pairs as the frozen ground and ice layers around them started collapsing. All the mechas pushed to fly higher, toward the cave’s upper exit. With news of the successful underground rescue, a brief wave of relief swept over Huo Yan, but he quickly grew vigilant again. “With injured on board, our flight speed isn’t great, and the avalanche’s coming in faster.”

Alex stayed behind, scanning their surroundings after hearing Huo Yan’s concern. “Change the terrain, slow the avalanche down!”

Frontier soldiers still fought to delay the snow, and Alex, noticing their positioning, adjusted his own and joined in, doing everything he could to buy more time. The remaining long-range mechas followed suit, adding their efforts to hold back the avalanche.

Moment by moment, under the cover of the Frontier Army, 19 mechas emerged from the ice cavern.

Seeing each mecha flying out, the Star Alliance mechas who’d stayed behind rushed to help.

Ji Qingfeng, with damage nearing 76%, paused at the sight of Huo Yan. “Lao Huo.”

Huo Yan quickly took Lin Yao from Ji Qingfeng’s hands. “I got him. You keep going up—the rescue ship’s above!”

Ke Lin steadied Qi Sicheng. “You good?”

Qi Sicheng glanced down at Zhao Lejie. “I’m fine, and Lejie’s holding up. We need to get out fast.”

Hu Luobu called out to Zhao Lejie.

Unable to activate his mecha, Zhao Lejie gave the armor plating of his cockpit a hard kick, producing a loud bang.

“Seems he’s got some strength left,” Qi Sicheng chuckled.

Zhao Lejie: “…”

Their brief exchange was interrupted by the sound of an explosion above. The shockwave blasted through them, pushing the already damaged mechas backward. Ji Qingfeng’s mecha issued an alert as he stared at the now-unrecognizable Snowy Mountains. “I was underground for a day—and it turned into this mess!?”

“The impact could damage our mechas.” Wen Yi scanned their surroundings. The conditions were far worse than anticipated. “Move out, now!”

The frontier rescue ships swooped lower, closing the distance with the mecha pilots.

“Go!” a frontier soldier shouted.

Without hesitation, the pilots headed toward the rescue ships.

Ying Chenlin, still flying with You Su’s help, eased his output of mental power as he glanced over the devastated Snowy Mountains and the faint silhouettes of frontier mechas in the distance. He’d seen the Dawn Galaxy’s process for clearing the Black Hole: First activate the defense system, then strike with heavy weaponry.

The Third Star Domain’s Frontier Army were about to activate Slared’s highest defense protocol. Once everyone evacuated, they’d use heavy weapons to annihilate Chronos.

It was currently the only feasible way to eliminate this pollutant.

Yet a nagging sense of unease remained, as though he’d missed something.

Amidst the frontier mechas, he spotted a black mecha farthest away to his front-left, marked with symbols different from the Third Star Domain’s frontier insignia. Is that the frontier commander—

“You still with me?” You Su’s voice snapped him back. “Ying Chenlin, don’t pass out on me now.”

“I can still hold on,” Ying Chenlin minimized his energy consumption as much as possible. “Do the others have enough power left? We’ll need energy to make the jump, and if our energy—”

Wait. Energy?

You Su: “Ying Chenlin?”

“Is there enough energy?” Ying Chenlin’s gaze snapped to Slared’s upper-level defense system. “We need to check the energy supply.”

Wei Changyang analyzed the situation and sent word of the successful rescue. Now, the priority was to get the mecha pilots out and then deploy heavy weaponry to deal with Chronos.

Above, pollutants continued to hammer Slared’s defense system, and the energy waves generated by these pollutants’ explosions disrupted many of the Frontier Army mechas’ flight. A constant stream of damage reports flooded in. “All damaged frontier mechas, withdraw. Others, take their place.”

He flew up and contacted the frontier control room. “Send in the heavy weponry—we’re out of time.”

“Commander, the heavy weponry are on their way,” a soldier reported. “Our losses are severe; the warp channel has been destabilized by the explosions, and our damage reports are 30% higher than expected!”

“I understand. Get everyone out as soon as possible.” Wei Changyang locked onto the cavern below, now mostly buried under snow. “Chronos is at the base of these Snowy Mountains. Direct the heavy weponry here.”

At that moment, Wei Changyang received an unfamiliar communication request.

“This is Star Alliance Special Mission lead Wei Changyang. State your concern—”

“Commander.”

Amidst his other responsibilities, Wei Changyang suddenly heard a young, unfamiliar male voice. He glanced at the mecha identifier; it was that damaged S-Class mecha, Yuan. The pilot ID was Sink, someone he vaguely remembered.

“There’s not enough energy,” Ying Chenlin’s voice was hoarse as he relayed what he knew. “Slared’s energy supply has already been partially absorbed by plant roots underground, and the volcanic rock below is actively siphoning energy. The underground energy reserves might be depleted. The remaining energy isn’t enough to support the highest level of the defense system.”

“If a heavy weapon detonates here, it’ll blow up all of Slared, and everyone will be affected.”

Wei Changyang’s expression shifted slightly. Before he could confirm with the Frontier Army, his aide-de-camp sent an urgent communication.

While Ying Chenlin was speaking, the Frontier Army of the Third Star Domain also inspected the underground energy reserves across Slared’s system. Calculations showed that a considerable portion of energy had been siphoned away by the volcanic rock below. With Slared’s current energy deficit, the highest level defense system could be activated, but it might not reach its full defensive stance.

“Are you certain?” Wei Changyang asked.

The aide-de-camp confirmed, “We’ve double-checked. Heavy weaponry may not be usable.”

Within four hours, despite the Frontier Army’s quick arrival for rescue, the Slared Contaminated Zone had suffered an unavoidable catastrophe. If Chronos could create one Slared, there would be more in the future.

“Utilizing all available energy from the Third Star Domain’s frontier fleet,” Wei Changyang said coldly. “How long can it hold?”

The aide-de-camp hesitated, “We could divert energy from the fleet, but with the number of injured—”

“Wait! We’ve received reinforcements.”

Wei Changyang paused. “Who?”

“The First Star Domain.” The aide-de-camp replied, “Dawn Galaxy starships from the First Star Domain have arrived.”

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Translator Notes

1. Wild and savage[↩]