Genius Mechanic: Chapter 240

Asta Contaminated Zone(Star Domain Tournament: Start)

240: Scatter Tactics

Proofread by Cloud Chip Cake

A tool man for a Stealth mecha!? Everyone watching the KID livestream froze instantly. In team battle mecha competitions, six types of mechas had emerged to be the standard system, and Stealth mechas were the highest-damage dealing melee attackers. They possessed extremely high attack speed, mobility, and a unique stealth system, typically playing the role of primary damage dealer in team battles.

【Wait, what? A Stealth mecha without offensive weapons? What are they using the Stealth for!?】  

【Mobility support!? That would mean KID has three supports now?】  

In team battles, the main support roles were typically the Tank, Control, and Medical, with clear positions for the front, middle, and rear lines. It’s rare for a Stealth mecha to take on a support role. On the one hand, Stealth mechas had very weak defenses, and on the other hand, using a Stealth mecha as a utility unit leaves a critical damage-dealing position vacant.

But KID not only did it—they let the Stealth mecha run directly within the sights of three powerful teams’ encirclement!?

In the livestream, the Stealth mecha’s coordinates weren’t exposed to the enemy mechas. It skillfully used the floating gravel and mining equipment as cover, weaving between the conveyor belts at varying heights. Its exceptional stealth and high mobility caused the pursuing mechas to lose track of its position. By the time they realized it, attacks from above were already raining down.

DAJ’s Stealth was forced to put some distance between itself and KID’s Artillery. Looking up from the conveyor belt, it saw a mecha moving parallel at higher ground. In the low-visibility sand and gravel, and with the mechas sharing similar appearances, if not for the radar indicating that no teammates were nearby, DAJ’s Stealth might have been fooled into believing the illusion of cooperative support.

“Captain, I can’t hit him.” DAJ’s Artillery reported, having lost sight of Qingf. “He disappeared.”

Illusion-based weapons were rare in team battles but not unheard of. DAJ and many strong teams had encountered numerous illusion weapons before. Such weapons confuse pilots’ visions by exploiting supernatural deception and bypassing a radar’s intelligent scanning.

Breaking illusion-based weapons isn’t overly complex; most are area-based. If it’s a long-range illusion weapon, breaking the illusion suffices. If it’s a close-range illusion weapon, the weapon user is typically within the illusion’s range. While deception might work briefly, understanding the weapon’s operating mechanism can neutralize it. However, the problem lies in their inability to pinpoint the Stealth mecha’s location.

Under the influence of the illusion, KID’s Stealth mecha seemed entirely fused with its environment, blending seamlessly into the sand and mining equipment’s visuals. This made prolonged aiming and tracking impossible. Most critically, it simulated the appearance of mechas from other teams.

DAJ’s captain, noticing the challenge, immediately ordered their Stealth to retreat.

But as they pulled back, KID’s Artillery, Trace, seized the opportunity. Swiftly switching to an Energy Cannon, he targeted DAJ’s Stealth the moment it attempted to escape. The Steel Wind Cannon’s blast hit directly in front of DAJ’s Stealth, blasting it off the edge of the conveyor belt.

DAJ’s Stealth used its zipline in the extreme situation to hook abruptly onto the next conveyor belt.

“Damn, that guy reacts so fast!” Ji Qingfeng, running higher up, caught a glimpse of the scene. “He’s strong.”

“The Star Domain Tournament is full of strong teams. If we want to fish in troubled waters, we’ll have to rely on skill.” Huo Yan backed away, avoiding the sights of descending mechas. “More mechas are coming down. Stay hidden and don’t get exposed!”

Lin Yao added, “A Stealth mecha that can escape from You Ge’s Steel Wind Cannon is definitely top-tier.”

Lu Xi asked, “So that’s how you judge the pilots of those mechas?”

Before they finished speaking, a second Steel Wind Cannon shot came sweeping in, knocking the just-stabilized DAJ’s Stealth down again.

Ji Qingfeng took back his earlier praise. “He’s worse than me.”

“Qingfeng, bring the mechas from above into the fray,” Ying Chenlin observed the surroundings, noticing an increasing number of mechas entering the chaotic battlefield. “We need stronger firepower.”

“Got it!” Ji Qingfeng used his claw to teleport, immediately changing direction and moving to the upper conveyor layer.

In this intricate jungle of conveyor belts, where all mechas were flight-restricted, short-range mobility weapons had their maximum utility. KID’s Stealth used its rapid-strike claw to switch from one conveyor belt to another. Its weapon transformed again, this time into a chain mace, which flexibly wrapped around its arm.

As Ji Qingfeng passed over the conveyor belt above another mecha, the mist-colored blue ball on the chain mace instantly mimicked its surroundings, blending seamlessly into the environment. The chain mace lightly collided with another team’s mecha.

The Star Domain Tournament had an extensive audience, especially now that the official livestream was locked on the chaotic battle scene in Zone C, featuring four teams. From the broader omniscient view, all spectators noticed the unique illusion-based weapon and the subtle operation KID’s Stealth performed.

【That ball just disappeared!?】  

【It didn’t disappear. I saw it touch the mecha.】  

The move was so fast that almost immediately after it came into contact with the mecha, Qingf switched to the claw and quickly left the area. The entire process took less than two seconds. By the time the affected mecha realized another mecha had passed by, Qingf had already pulled far away.

After Qingf widened the gap, everyone saw the red-and-white mecha’s appearance change once again, becoming a green mecha identical to the one it had brushed past.

【??? KID’s Stealth changed its appearance!】

【Illusion-based weapons can be used like this?】  

“It’s probably a water-attribute weapon that creates a mirage-like vision through mist,” the mecha weapons research expert seated at the end of the commentary table in the official livestream said. As the livestream locked onto KID’s Stealth’s weapon, the chain mace-like mist illusion weapon appeared before the audience. “This is a close-combat illusion-based weapon. Judging by KID’s Stealth’s operations, it can only copy through contact.”

The weapon research expert found this weapon novel. In their mecha weapon design, practicality and versatility were always considered priorities. However, using this weapon was highly demanding, requiring exceptional skill from the pilot. If it were up to him to design the weapon, he would likely make it an invisibility-type weapon, using mist illusions to create an invisibility effect, enabling group stealth.

【Appearance copying!???】  

【Is that even possible?】  

【In theory, it’s doable, but obtaining mecha appearance data through observation is too slow.】  

【Damn, so KID’s Stealth used the ball to touch the mecha?】  

【The memorization through contact is indeed very fast!】  

A mecha’s appearance data can indeed be reconstructed through visual observation and replicated using illusions. However, this process was extremely time-consuming. Recreating an illusion of a mecha takes too long, rendering such weapons ineffective in battle, as they cannot provide immediate support. However, the design of KID’s weapon was incredibly bold, using contact memory to achieve rapid illusion modeling.

This designer placed immense confidence in the pilot’s abilities. The use of contact-based memory greatly increased operational difficulty, especially in a competition where the skill levels of the pilots were exceptionally high. Yet this Stealth mecha dared to employ it, and even managed to execute it successfully.

【KID’s Stealth is something else.】  

【Yeah… I’ve never seen a Stealth move this fast. It doesn’t seem like it’s been hit yet?】  

KID’s Stealth mecha moved extremely quickly, weaving through the barrage of fire.

Zhang Ge, seeing this, couldn’t help but ask, facing KID’s rest area, “When did you guys come up with this weapon?”  

“Not long ago, first time using it in actual combat,” Jiang Simiao replied, already taking out a data pad to record the Mirage Chain Mace’s combat performance.  

This mecha weapon’s anomalous crystal was an S-Grade water-attribute Sea Serpent crystal, which KID had purchased at a high price while at the Hydra Association. The ability was [Mirage], capable of creating large-scale illusions. When it came to illusion-type abilities, the more common applications included creating decoys, group stealth, mass escapes, or crowd control weapons—functions traditionally categorized as support.  

However, when Ying Chenlin acquired the anomalous crystal, his first thought was to create a unique weapon ability. It would be a controllable chain mace-type stealth weapon, modeled after Ke Lin’s commonly used Conduction Chain Spheres. Ke Lin’s Conduction Chain Spheres achieved large-scale electromagnetic control by dispersing the chained spheres, while Ji Qingfeng’s Mirage Chain Mace was a special simulation-based visual weapon. When he controlled the chain mace, it could capture specific visual features, rapidly memorize them, and project them through illusions.  

The Mirage Chain Mace could copy the opponent’s form upon contact, achieving a complete mimicry effect.  

This type of illusion-based mimicry had the drawback of being unable to perform large-scale imitations. Its advantage, however, lay in its ability to perfectly replicate and deceive… However, due to the medium condition of storing visual memories, remote-controlled weapons could not achieve this effect. Thus, the weapon was tailored into a chain mace, Ji Qingfeng’s specialty.

Ji Qingfeng had exceptional control over scythe-type weapons. During past Galactic Competitions, he maintained an extremely high hit rate. Mist-type weapons were highly deceptive, and when handed over to a mecha pilot skilled in using chain weapons, their operation’s adaptability shifted from controlling the opponent to silently and seamlessly hitting the target. No mecha pilot in KID possessed this close-range control talent, except Ji Qingfeng.

Using the chained ball to copy appearances for range-based illusion projection was most effective in chaotic battles, allowing for silent infiltration into enemy formations. Considering the unique lineup in the first half of the Star Domain Tournament, to ensure Ji Qingfeng could move freely even when encircled by powerful teams’ mechas, Jiang Simiao and Ying Chenlin decided on a relatively risky strategy: reducing one attack core and adding a mobility assist, equipping Ji Qingfeng with an extra claw for displacement.

—

In the third mining pit, Qingf changed directions again.  

“KID’s Stealth has reactivated its illusion weapon, and he’s now on the mid-level conveyor belt,” the live commentary noted Ji Qingfeng’s positional shift. “Two Artillery mechas above are targeting him!”  

The two subsequent teams weren’t weak. Even in a low-visibility environment, they quickly tracked the moving mecha. Chaotic battles relied heavily on rear-line firepower, leveraging positional advantages to launch aggressive strikes on exposed mechas.  

But as their attack landed, the ’emerald-green’ mecha’s illusion was instantly shattered. The agile red-and-white mecha switched weapons at the last second before being hit and escaped. The artillery fire passed through his position and hit a mecha at a slant below the conveyor belt.  

Several successive position changes exposed most of the mechas moving on the conveyor belt, and the crossfire from the long-range artillery escalated rapidly. The battle was no longer confined to KID versus DAJ; the other two teams were forcibly dragged into the chaotic rhythm.  

The commentator quickly reacted, “KID’s Stealth is constantly switching positions… they’re instigating fights!”  

【I get it now, they’re exposing all the mechas trying to hide by instigating conflicts.】  

【KID has nothing to lose anymore. Aside from their Stealth mecha that can’t be caught, both their Artillery and Control’s positions are exposed.】  

【But can’t the other teams tell they’re being baited?】  

【In such a chaotic gravel-filled environment, no matter how cautious the pilots are, they can’t immediately distinguish between real and fake!】  

On the radar coordinates, aside from the Stealth mechas, which could not be exposed, the visibility of other mechas’ combat radar signals depended entirely on their energy output levels. Normally, high-energy output from Artillery and other mechas would naturally expose their coordinates on enemy radars.  

KID’s Stealth, by instigating these fights, caused some long-range mechas’ coordinates to be revealed. The most critical factor, however, was his ability to change his mecha’s appearance at any time. From the perspective of the teams vying for mecha points, they could choose to let the mecha in front of them go. But if they didn’t attack, KID’s Stealth could use its freedom of movement to locate each of their mechas, providing an excellent view of them to the Artillery mecha directly below.

KID used their actions to tell them: if you want to stay here, either fight or get beaten.

“Captain, should we leave?” DAJ’s Stealth found a safe spot to hide.

DAJ’s captain scanned the slightly chaotic battle on the conveyor belt. So far, KID had exposed three mechas. KID’s Stealth was uncatchable, their Artillery was positioned at the very bottom, making it hard to eliminate in one strike, and their Control mecha was agile, constantly shifting positions using the unique terrain of the conveyor belts. Most importantly, the coordinates of KID’s remaining three mechas were nowhere to be seen—this was clearly an ambush.

“KID is trying to use the chaos to get our teams to make the first move,” DAJ’s captain said. “We don’t need to leave; instead, we can use the situation KID created.”

KID’s Stealth could serve as a beacon for KID’s Artillery, but it could also serve as a beacon for them. As long as they locked onto KID’s Stealth, they could locate the positions of other attacking mechas.

DAJ’s goal was to earn more mecha points. DAJ’s captain immediately issued an order: “Stealth, head into the mining site and pursue KID’s Control mecha. The rest of you, come with me to target the other teams. Don’t waste the setup KID created—eliminate the exposed mechas first.”

The teams did not retreat immediately; instead, they adapted their strategies based on the situation at hand. 

Lu Xi noticed someone was pursuing her and abandoned supporting You Su, leaving immediately. You Su’s Energy Cannon blasted a moving mecha at a high position. He asked, “Have you identified the weapons yet?”

Ying Chenlin, hiding in the shadows, observed some mechas entering the mining site. The sounds of You Su and Ji Qingfeng communicating reached his ears. Using this setup, Ying Chenlin didn’t just provoke fights to create widespread chaos; his main goal was to leverage the chaotic crossfire to allow his teammates hiding in various concealed spots to gather weapon data on the attacking teams.

Among the three teams, the strongest was DAJ. This team excelled in long-range control and wielded powerful close-combat weapons. Given KID’s current capability, engaging DAJ in close combat would undoubtedly put them at a disadvantage.

Of the other two teams, one was YGY, specializing in long-range attacks, and the other was CTR, adept at control and suppression. YGY’s weapons were focused on powerful penetration types, with their core output coming from their Artillery mecha. Their weapons were rare earth-attribute suppressive cannons that excelled in the sandstone environment, delivering high attack power and carrying a vision-obscuring effect, making it hard to trace the projectiles’ paths.

CTR was even more troublesome. Their core strength lay in their Control mecha, which used lightning-attribute abilities that were particularly effective on the conveyor belt, a mechanical medium. Additionally, their Guardian carried magnetic control weapons, offering some balance in this unstable environment. Judging from the weapon data, none of these teams were easy to deal with, and direct confrontation was not an option.

“Huo Ge, switch positions with Lin Yao and head further down,” Ying Chenlin instructed. He could only see a portion of the weapons’ effects, but it was evident that all three teams had strong situational awareness. Even with Ji Qingfeng stirring things up, they managed to regain balance. His gaze fell on the floating mining devices scattered around. “Avoid combat.”

Lu Xi was running. “DAJ’s Stealth is very close to me.”

“I’ll support you. Lure him out,” Ying Chenlin said. “Wait for the right moment and trick him onto the conveyor belt.”

The chaotic battle in the third mining pit intensified further. As the crossfire became more concentrated, the varying degrees of damage to the mechas from the four teams became increasingly apparent.

The official livestream locked onto this scene, and the audience noticed that the mecha pilots from the four teams were more or less exposed in plain sight—except for KID. Despite appearing to be the weakest in terms of combat strength, KID had only exposed three mechas, while the other three hadn’t joined the frontal combat at all. Instead, they used the confusion to rapidly advance toward the bottom of the mining pit.

【KID avoided the fight.】  

【They started the fight and then ran!】  

【Not entirely—they still have their Stealth and Artillery mechas engaged.】  

【Why are they retreating?】  

Compared to the other three teams, which operated with organized combat strategies, KID only had two mechas fighting—a Stealth mecha serving as bait and an Artillery mecha providing primary firepower. However, as the battle progressed, the audience noticed a key issue: KID had the weakest firepower among the four teams, relying solely on a single Artillery mecha for suppression. Especially with Lucy being pursued by DAJ’s Stealth, their originally high firepower output had significantly diminished.

While the audience focused on KID’s mechas, they suddenly realized that this group of mecha pilots hadn’t found suitable combat positions. Aside from the Medical mecha, Sink, the Rank and Guardian mechas had moved to the very bottom of the mining pit. The third mining pit, one of Asta’s special energy mining points, used to serve as a combat area. Now, it had become a half-abandoned junkyard, where mechanical debris and crushed mineral fragments transported by conveyor belts accumulated at the bottom.

As the chaotic battle raged on, pollutants began to mobilize and attacked the moving mechas. Taking advantage of this chaos, KID’s hidden mechas started to reposition. Two of KID’s mechas moved through blind spots in the field of view to reach the bottom.

KID’s provocation tactics were glaringly obvious. The audience from the First Star Domain turned their attention to this baffling maneuver. Just when they thought KID might have some innovative strategy involving their tool man Stealth, they watched in disbelief as the two mechas reached the bottom of the pit, and—right in front of the official livestream’s audience—buried themselves in the garbage, peacefully withdrawing from the combat scene and hiding.

【???】  

【What are KID’s two mechas doing?】  

【Are they not fighting anymore?】  

Even Dawn’s audience was dumbfounded. They had seen KID’s strategies before and remembered how KID had disrupted and sniped points in Agaman. Now that the objective had shifted to earning kills, it was essentially the same tactic with a different focus. KID could’ve just directly engaged in combat!

【Brothers, I don’t get it.】  

【Hiding during a chaotic battle to ambush later—I get that. But what is KID doing now?】  

【Hiding in garbage???】  

“In a situation where strong teams are gathered, chaotic battles are the best way to secure kills. KID has always been known for its battlefield-splitting tactics during past Galactic Competitions,” Dawn’s commentator explained. “To grab kills in a chaotic battle, you can’t be too far or too close. Tanks and Guardians are inherently short-range mechas; long-range mechas can still grab kills when they run far, but I didn’t expect the Tank and Guardian to run this far.”  

“They’ve completely left the battlefield now,” another commentator noted. “It’s equivalent to rendering those two mechas useless.”  

【KID couldn’t possibly just be trying to run away, could they?】  

【Maybe they are. Only in chaos can they escape without being noticed.】  

The head coaches of the three strong teams, who were also observing the livestream, had their eyes locked on KID as the unpredictable variable.  

“KID’s mechas are all scattered. With this kind of formation, they can’t deliver an effective damage output,” DAJ’s head coach commented. “Without a core damage dealer, they can’t enter the fray.”  

According to DAJ’s intel, KID was a reckless team that favored aggressive, direct combat.  

KID’s core was already down a Stealth mecha tool man. Another offensive core, the Guardian mecha, Yao, had completely left the battlefield. That left only three combat-capable mechas: Trace, who remained in a high position, Sink, skilled at offensive Medical support, and Lucy, who was being pursued by DAJ’s Stealth mecha.  

This lineup reminded people of the triple long-range tactic KID had used a long time ago during the chaotic battle at Keze Floating Island. However, that tactic had been executed in a wide-open combat environment. In the third mining pit, the center was filled with obstacles, and the walls were lined with accessible mining facilities.  

Without a spacious combat environment, a triple long-range tactic centered around Lucy’s Enhancement Cannon was challenging to implement. This meant that all KID’s mechas capable of delivering core output were dispersed, leaving their formation fragmented and their lone mechas vulnerable to being picked off.  

The strong teams of the Star Domain Tournament didn’t underestimate Dawn, especially not KID. Any team capable of securing 20th place in a Star Alliance Special Mission wasn’t weak. However, with KID’s current movements, not only were the coaches outside unable to discern their strategy, but even the commanders of the strong teams on the battlefield couldn’t come up with effective control measures against KID.  

Targeting one KID mecha required splitting their forces, which would scatter their formation.  

Ignoring KID left them with a mere nuisance—the Stealth—while their dispersed combat capabilities posed little immediate threat due to their lack of effective countermeasures in the short term.  

“Ignore KID,” DAJ’s commander decided. Their primary goal was to earn mecha points; they couldn’t afford to get sidetracked.  

Sure enough, the three teams immediately abandoned the overly scattered KID mechas and redirected their firepower towards the nearest teams. DAJ adjusted their tactics to counterbalance the newer teams, and in the chaotic artillery fire, they quickly captured YGY’s isolated Stealth mecha. DAJ immediately employed an encirclement strategy, and the two teams began fighting inside the mining facility.

On the other side, DAJ’s Stealth mecha, which had been chasing Lucy down to the lower levels of the mining facility, spotted the silhouette of a red-and-white mecha and quickly reported, “Sink spotted! He’s equipped with an Energy Cannon, the long-range energy cannon recorded in the data. He’s regrouping with Lucy.”  

Inside the mining facility, Lucy and Sink teamed up. After just one exchange, DAJ’s Stealth mecha immediately chose to retreat, maintaining a cautious approach.  

Sink’s Energy Cannon, combined with Lucy’s Enhancement Cannon, produced immensely powerful attacks. DAJ’s Stealth mecha didn’t risk advancing further and instead backed off, cloaking to observe their combat strategy.  

Ying Chenlin noticed the movements. “A control-disabling zipline and a close-range enhanced blade—if he gets close, it’s easy to get eliminated.”  

Lin Yao called out, “We’ve arrived!”  

At that moment, Ying Chenlin quickly retreated backward.  

As he pulled away, DAJ’s Stealth mecha followed.  

Three mechas became exposed at the mining pit’s location. From their elevated positions, the long-range mechas of various teams spotted their positions. DAJ’s Artillery mecha commented, “Push those two outwards; they’re about to enter my attack range.”  

DAJ’s Stealth mecha coordinated with their teammate, maintaining the pressure on Sink and Lucy to force them into the attack range of their ally. “Is the distance good now?”  

DAJ’s Artillery locked onto Sink’s position at the rear. “Good. You suppress Lucy!”  

The two DAJ mechas coordinated seamlessly. Just as the Artillery fired at Sink, the red-and-white mecha appeared to have anticipated it. Sink retaliated with a scattering Energy Cannon blast towards the elevated position, intercepting the incoming fire mid-air. Retreating slightly, Sink switched weapons, and Lucy also changed hers in tandem.  

DAJ’s Stealth mecha noticed Lucy’s weapon switch and immediately dodged out of her firing path. However, the red-and-white mecha fired a muffled shot, seemingly aimed at DAJ’s Stealth mecha. The shell didn’t hit its target but instead struck the conveyor belt diagonally behind it.  

DAJ’s Stealth paused, attempting to discern what weapon was used, only to see a burst of glowing green light explode behind him. The fluorescent glow rapidly spread and, upon contact with the surrounding sand and gravel, grew wildly. Thick roots coiled around his mecha, tightening abruptly the next moment.  

【Control weapon!?】  

【Lucy’s new weapon? Never seen it before.】  

DAJ’s Stealth: “Damn it! It’s a control weapon!”  

DAJ’s Artillery, with a limited view, noticed the burst of blue fluorescent light and hesitated to fire since Lucy was too close to her teammate. “Can you break free?”  

“I can.” DAJ’s Stealth quickly switched to a control-disabling weapon, but before he could use it, a massive water sphere suddenly shot toward him. The sphere engulfed him and the thick roots wrapped around him, trapping him in an eerie watery confinement. The water’s flow slowed his mecha’s movements significantly, delaying the activation of his zipline for a second.  

The livestream viewers, who had initially thought KID was planning to flee, were stunned by this unexpected development.  

【A control weapon!? Sink has a control weapon too!?】  

In just that brief moment, as DAJ’s Stealth mecha’s zipline broke through the water sphere, an icy chill swept toward him from the front.

The whole water sphere rapidly solidified at an eerie speed, trapping him inside!

Ying Chenlin jumped a few steps and appeared in front of DAJ’s Stealth mecha. With a flick of his hand, he swung the large cannon, sending the massive ice sphere flying toward the conveyor belt. “You Su!”

From the high ground, You Su’s Steel Wind Cannon was already prepared. The moment the huge ice sphere appeared, it was blasted with a powerful shot that sent the entire sphere crashing down into the pit!

“Yao Bao! The delivery’s here!” Ji Qingfeng, who was running through the barrage of fire, called out.

In the junk heap, Lin Yao, who had been about to fall asleep, suddenly flipped over and sprang up. “It’s here!”  

—

Author’s Note:  

The mining facility is perfect for assembly line operations.

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