Genius Mechanic: Chapter 244

Asta Contaminated Zone(Star Domain Tournament: Start)

244: Assembly Line Livestream Room

Proofread by Cloud Chip Cake

The battle in the third mine pit lasted nearly 11 hours. The viewers, captivated by the intense clashes of melee, barely paid attention to the slower-moving pollutants affected by the destabilizing system within the mine. Though these pollutants were highly conspicuous, they posed no real threat to the skilled mecha pilots, who simply ignored their eventual fates.

Now, with the gunfire and smoke on the upper levels finally settling, the mine’s conveyor belts resumed their usual operations. Pollutants blasted apart by the combat either fell from the heights to the bottom of the mine or were lying on the moving conveyor belts, gradually being transported downward.

【…???】

【I underestimated KID. They couldn’t stay serious for even a day.】

【Correction: Not even half a day.】

【They’re all just standing… at the transport entrances.】

【With this positioning and work efficiency… they’re basically a production line.】

【Wait a minute. Now that I think about it, did KID purposely occupy the bottom of the mine? It’s the best spot for collecting pollutants.】

Newcomers to the stream were completely baffled. Just moments ago, they had been watching KID in the official livestream or from other teams’ perspectives, getting their minds blown by KID’s ever-changing tactics. They came to KID’s stream expecting more thrilling battles, only to be met with puzzling actions instead.

【New fans here—what are they doing right now?】

【Preparing a new tactic?】

【It must be a new strategy. I’ve been watching for a few minutes, and the mecha pilots are in a spread-out formation.】

KID had secured 5 points in one move, catapulting them to the top of the leaderboard in Zone C. This drew even more viewers, curious and intrigued, into their stream.

On StarNet, viewers from Dawn Galaxy who had been comfortably watching from the virtual spectator seats noticed the number of livestream participants skyrocketing. The previously spacious virtual viewing areas became increasingly crowded, forcing the officials to add additional virtual lines to accommodate the influx of spectators.

In addition to fans, commentators and streamers from other galaxies also joined in to ride the wave of hype.

“This spread-out positioning is reminiscent of KID’s earlier setup when they dealt with DAJ and the other two teams. With the 12-hour coordinate reveal approaching, they’re likely preparing for an ambush.”

A commentator from another galaxy’s livestream arrived at the KID livestream room and cautiously analyzed: “…But based on KID’s current tactical setup, it’s difficult to determine their exact objective.”

【Makes sense.】

【True, pollutants can reveal mecha positions.】

Meanwhile, as the crowd in KID’s livestream continued to swell, the Dawn Galaxy commentators and veteran viewers fell silent. Listening to the “sophisticated” tactical analyses, they hesitated for a few seconds between revealing the truth or letting the misunderstanding persist.

Seasoned KID fans watched as KID’s Stealth mecha, Ji Qingfeng, reached the higher levels. He stood on a suitable conveyor belt, perhaps scouting for enemy mechas in the distance and reporting their positions to KID… if you overlooked the fact that he was constantly redirecting dead pollutants being transported upward back onto the trash conveyor belt below.

【Why are they dealing with pollutants?】

KID fans were just about to explain when other discussions appeared in the comments.

【It’s probably part of their tactical plan?】

【Pollutants can have a significant impact.】

After some thought, a commentator from another galaxy analyzed, “They’re likely clearing the field. Pollutants can also affect the competition, so cleaning up some pollutants might help the mechas stay hidden later.”

Dawn Galaxy viewers: “…”

Aren’t these people overestimating KID a bit?

Didn’t they see their formation?

Clearing the field? This is an assembly line-style, highly efficient pollutant processing operation!

【Have you ever seen someone clear the field by cleaning up the dead pollutants?】

【They’re not actually clearing the field—】

Before the Dawn viewers could say more, KID really started clearing the field. The pile of pollutants at the bottom of the pit wasn’t enough for them; they began targeting the pollutants still alive and running around.

【Alright, they are clearing the field.】

The popularity of KID’s stream skyrocketed to its peak. Countless StarNet viewers, who had no idea what was going on, started looking up data on KID. They quickly learned that the team hailed from the historically bottom-ranked Dawn Galaxy, and had just emerged as a surprise “veteran dark horse” this season, currently the top team in Dawn Galaxy for team battles.

Regardless of whether they were a new or old dark horse, mecha teams relied on coordination.

Viewers assumed that some mecha pilots from Dawn Galaxy had switched bases or that Dawn Galaxy had recruited talents from other Star Domains. However, upon checking the team’s detailed data, they found several unfamiliar IDs.

The standout players—their Stealth, Control and Artillery—were all unfamiliar. The only recognizable name was “Sink.”

【The ID ‘Sink’ sounds so familiar.】 

【…Haven’t heard of it in group battles. But have you heard of the Individual Soldier Champion ‘Sink’?】

【Wait, that Sink?! Didn’t he retire?】

【WTF?! That underage prodigy Sink?】

【Brothers, how long have you been offline?! Sink switched to team battles as a Medic ages ago.】

As more people joined the stream, those familiar with both Individual Soldier and team battles suddenly remembered: No matter how fast the Mecha League evolved, there had only ever been one Grand Slam Individual Soldier Champion in League’s history. The viewers turned their attention back to the stream, where they saw a red-and-white mecha holding a control cannon, methodically subduing pollutants one by one. He no longer exuded the sharp aura of his Individual Soldier days, but was entirely focused on his work processing pollutants. One thing, however, hadn’t changed—his terrifying accuracy.

Back then, he shot mechas. Now, he shot pollutants.

Sink’s Individual Soldier fans felt conflicted as they watched the new viewers from other galaxies, as though looking at their past selves. But they no longer bothered explaining things to the others. Instead of spending time clarifying, they’d rather assess which materials on-site were worth pre-ordering and prepare to place their bids.

【It’s him, it’s not just the same ID, and definitely not an impersonator.】

【The kid’s grown up, switched to team battles, and is now employed at KID’s mecha base, earning a monthly salary of 8,000.】

【He’s two years into the job, with a stable career, and no emotional entanglements. Likely to remain a team battle Medic for the next decade. A solid investment.】

The dead pollutants had no ability to struggle, while the living pollutants suffered from relentless attacks. They lay on the conveyor belts like half-finished products, neatly arranged. Several red-and-white mechas were stationed at various transport ports around the mining pit, skillfully correcting pollutants that had ended up on the “wrong” conveyor belts, directing them to the proper downward transport belts. At a steady pace, these pollutants were sent to the edge of the bottom’s junkyard, where two red-and-white mechas processed them one after another, before they finally entered the storage cabins.

This set of operations was so practiced it didn’t seem like a spur-of-the-moment decision. Beyond handling the pollutants that had appeared, KID even began luring out all the pollutants in the mining factory that hadn’t been drawn out, decisively shoving them all into the bottom of the pit. Watching these bewildering maneuvers, the livestream viewers grew increasingly puzzled.

【Are they really clearing the field? It seems like they’re clearing a bit too much.】

【So many pollutants followed KID’s Stealth… Is this how much needs to be cleared for a field?】

With this clearing method, it looked like all the pollutants in the third mining pit were going to be wiped out!

Initially cautious, commentators from other galaxies couldn’t analyze any further as they watched. “…It seems Dawn’s KID doesn’t intend to continue fighting.”

At the bottom of the pit, amidst the pile of junk, emergency rescue personnel from the Star Domain Tournament Alliance were busy transporting a few damaged mechas. The rescue workers couldn’t help but glance at the overly proficient processing line nearby. By the time they finished rescuing the damaged mechas, a small mountain of processed pollutant corpses had already accumulated.

Ji Qingfeng watched the rescue ship take off and waved goodbye to the departing personnel. “Thanks for your hard work!”

The Star Domain Tournament rescue personnel: “…”

As the rescue ship left, Ji Qingfeng clicked his tongue and sighed, then kicked a pollutant at his feet down below. “I didn’t bring a blade today, so I’ll leave the cleanup to you guys.”

The pollutants gathered in the Asta Contaminated Zone were quite unique. As a Contaminated Zone that had only existed for 200 years, it didn’t have as many pollutants as other zones. However, its rarity lay in its distinctiveness. The Asta Contaminated Zone was rarely used as a competition zone, and while the species within it were few, they were valuable for their uniqueness. After completing a round of processing, one-third of the pollutant species they encountered weren’t even listed in the materials market.

While Ji Qingfeng continued kicking pollutants downward, Ying Chenlin had already reached Lu Xi’s side and was inspecting her mecha’s damage.

After being replaced with S-Class materials, the mecha’s durability had improved significantly. Even so, under the suppression fire of powerful teams, Lu Xi’s damage rate had still reached 35%. Star Domain Tournament mecha pilots were highly skilled; if the battle continued, their tactics wouldn’t hold up. Using his Medic mecha’s system, Ying Chenlin quickly repaired Lu Xi’s damage, reducing it to 19%. “Try not to expose your left side in the next battle. That area is more heavily damaged.”

“Got it. I’ll adjust my positioning,” Lu Xi said, moving her mecha around after the repairs. “I’ll go help Da Feng. He didn’t bring any other weapons.”

Ying Chenlin looked up and saw a pollutant falling from a height. He reflexively raised his control weapon, firing two consecutive shots to freeze the struggling pollutant. It tumbled along the conveyor belt with a series of thuds, rolling straight down.

He glanced at the system time and radar. After freezing the pollutant, he switched to the long-range Energy Cannon, narrowed his eyes slightly, and swept the moving pollutant off the higher ground.

Lin Yao: “Shouldn’t we think about what to pick? It’s 30 days—our storage cabins aren’t big enough.”

Lu Xi reminded him, “It’s not 30 days… The first half is 12 days. We can switch cabins when we repair the mechas.”

“Just pick the expensive ones,” Huo Yan suggested. “Didn’t Chenlin sort out the Asta pollutant database before we set off? Just follow that.”

Lin Yao stared intently at the pollutants that had been blasted beyond recognition, trying hard to identify them. “How do we pick the ones that aren’t in the database?”

Ji Qingfeng: “You idiot. If they’re not in the database, they’re obviously the expensive ones!”

Hearing his teammates’ discussion, Ying Chenlin scanned the pollutants on the conveyor belt. After identifying them, he said, “For B-Level pollutants, keep the Earthrock Hounds; discard the rest—they’re not valuable on the market. Prioritize collecting A-Level pollutants… Let me check the rest.”

As he spoke, he looked at the Asta Contaminated Zone pollutant manual provided by the Management Bureau before entering the arena. He was just about to correct Lin Yao’s messy draft of the pollutant directory when he noticed that the Asta Management Bureau had thoughtfully tagged each pollutant in great detail.

After a while, Lin Yao called out, “Chenlin.”

Ying Chenlin finished reading and replied, “Check pages 14–26 in the bureau’s manual.”

The Management Bureau had already organized everything, putting the most valuable pollutants at the front.

“Asta’s leadership really operates differently,” Huo Yan remarked as he flipped through the manual. “Even the handbook is so detailed.”

Ji Qingfeng had never seen such a comprehensive directory. “It really is. When we get back, let’s have Tang Jie bring this up with Director Liu. Dawn needs to catch up with the Star Domain’s standards. Let Director Liu learn something.”

The gravel in the mining pit was still suspended in the air. Theo, who had been itching to join the fray ever since watching You Su compete, finally got its chance. But after only 11 hours on the battlefield, it hadn’t encountered a single opposing mecha. Frustrated, it locked onto pollutants alongside its pilot. “Ugh, these A-Levels are so boring. You Su, let’s go find some mechas to fight.”

You Su was recharging his weapon. “I told you to focus on the pollutants, not the mechas.”

The Asta pollutant manual floated on his system interface. Without even opening his scope, he identified the pollutant species from their faint outlines. Each shot was aimed at the most expensive pollutants—one shot, one kill. Zero energy wasted.

Theo felt a bit aggrieved. It was an S-Class mecha, meant to dominate the battlefield, not to report and kill pollutants. “I already told Yuan I’d get the highest mecha points this time, but at this rate, they’ll all be taken by someone else—”

You Su ignored Theo. From his angle, he could clearly observe the upper levels. Across two conveyor belts, someone was standing at a transport port’s corner.

Ying Chenlin also chimed in with a few words. Just as his cannon was charging again, the sound of a Steel Wind Cannon round whizzed past his ear, blasting the pollutant within his locked-on range down.

You Su said: “If your hand’s tired, take a break.”

Startled by the voice, Ying Chenlin glanced at his private chat channel. “Not tired.”

“Not even trying to hide your lies?” You Su chuckled. “You switched to your left hand.”

Ying Chenlin didn’t overexert himself; he indeed needed to make good use of his rest time. “Those on the left—”

You Su didn’t respond, firing a shot that blasted several pollutants off from above.

Ying Chenlin paused slightly. The pollutants You Su had just taken out were the ones listed in the handbook he had referenced earlier, the most expensive ones at the top of the list.

“Any more?” You Su asked.

Ying Chenlin: “…No.”

With his current task abruptly taken over, Ying Chenlin had no choice but to sift through data from the area near the third mining pit. He studied the battle records to gauge the statuses of the other teams. Loosening his grip, he stretched his fingers while the sound of Energy Cannon shots boomed around him. Fiery explosions lit up pollutants perched above the area.

The Steel Wind Cannon had a distinctive trait—it imparted a slight vibration or knockback effect with every shot. After being carefully adjusted, the Steel Wind Cannon precisely blasted pollutants onto the conveyor belts below. Ying Chenlin only glanced at it, and in his mind, he calculated the exact charge level and attack precision needed for such accuracy.

—Energy consumption was less than 0.5%, and You Su wasn’t even using the scope.

After a few more shots, Ying Chenlin paused again. This time, the sound was quieter, and the energy usage was even lower.

Lowering his gaze, he looked at the Artillery mecha in the distance. Through a small gap, he observed You Su.

Neither of them spoke; the team communication channel was filled with their teammates’ chatter.

The two transport ports had a height difference, and the Medic mecha’s downward-facing head provided a clear view below.

You Su adjusted his angle of view, shifting it upward.

Noticing this movement, Ying Chenlin subtly took a step back, avoiding direct eye contact.

“Holy shit!” Ji Qingfeng was using nothing but kicks to clear pollutants. Spotting several shots crossing over the conveyor belts, he remarked with satisfaction, “You Ge is actually doing some work.”

Huo Yan chimed in, “You Su has worked before.”

Ji Qingfeng: “He’s even helping Chenlin out. He’s never helped me with my tasks.”

Just as Ying Chenlin was about to speak, You Su’s voice came through his earpiece.

You Su: “You want help?”

Ji Qingfeng stumbled slightly mid-run. “…I didn’t say that.”

……

In the blink of an eye, the first 12-hour exposure period was up.

Everyone turned their attention to the public radar signals. On the display, the coordinates of all Guardian mechas in Zone C were revealed in the shared information feed. This exposure drove the battles between mecha teams to escalate further.

However, when the perspective switched to KID, the nearest coordinates to them were from the three teams that had previously retreated. No other teams were approaching KID, leaving them to peacefully deal with a massive number of pollutants.

Initially, KID’s ranking was at the bottom of Zone C. But now, with their sudden rise in rank, teams that might have considered engaging them were far more cautious.

The commanders of the participating teams weren’t fools. Even with only the battle records available in the zone, they could deduce tactical details by comparing the two positioning updates. From this, they analyzed where KID’s mecha points had come from.

Meanwhile, outside the arena, more mecha teams had started analyzing KID.

The head coach of Aegis crossed his arms as he stood before the camera. The battle data from earlier had already been processed and displayed before them. Among the teams from Dawn, some performances were average—some could even be described as weak and subpar.

However, the combat data for the four top teams from the Dawn Galaxy was excellent. Gale and Black Crow ranked at the top, and even YDS, participating in the Star Domain Tournament for the first time, did not lag behind. The displayed data showed a clear improvement compared to their performances in the Dawn Galaxy Competition.

Gale, Black Crow, and YDS, being veteran teams from the Dawn Galaxy, had solid foundations in combat readiness and weaponry. This time, they came to the Star Domain Tournament with entirely new strategies. However, the team with the most significant style shift was KID.

“Did they change their tactical commander?” Aegis’ assistant coach asked. “KID was more aggressive during the Dawn Galaxy Competition, often pushing tactical maneuvers to their limits. But during this chaotic battle, their performance was incredibly composed.”

While YGY and CTR were of mid-to-high-level caliber—not as outstanding as KID—DAJ, ranked sixth in the Star Domain, also suffered under KID’s tactics. It was either due to underestimating them or simply being outclassed.

“They didn’t change personnel,” Aegis’ head coach remarked, his gaze fixed on KID’s constantly shifting core strategies. “KID’s combat readiness has improved, giving them more tactical options.”

During the Dawn Galaxy Competition, KID’s arsenal mainly consisted of S-Grade weapons, but their compatibilities were mediocre. None of them stood out significantly, and their control weapons lacked strong suppression. The only weapons capable of producing chain reactions were centered around the Enhancement Cannon. Essentially, KID relied on a set of unconventional weapons to achieve an almost eerie level of synergy.

The high difficulty of using such weapons naturally raised the skill requirements for their mecha pilots.

Now, however, KID’s resources had significantly increased. In the first half of the Star Domain Tournament, they fielded multiple S-Grade weapons with functionalities better suited for team battles. This allowed KID to employ multi-control core strategies, lowering the operational barrier while enhancing pilot effectiveness. This transformation gave the impression of a team reborn.

Aegis’ assistant coach observed KID’s coordination and performance during the chaotic battle. “With better equipment, KID’s overall quality has improved.”

“It’s not just about the equipment,” Aegis’ head coach added. “Their weapon combinations are highly synergistic. In that chaotic battle, they showcased three core strategies and seamlessly switched between them, making it hard for opponents to discern their primary objectives.”

They started by using their Stealth mecha to confuse the enemy’s vision, then shifted the focus with their dual-control mechas and diverted attention, then finally paired their Artillery and Control mechas for aggressive suppression and kill-stealing.

Upon closer observation, there were minor signs of inexperience, likely due to limited practice. Yet, this inexperience was carefully managed. Given time, as their synergy improved further, they would become truly formidable.

One staff member glanced at the livestream showing KID still processing pollutant remains. “Should we keep monitoring KID?”

Aegis’ head coach glanced at the livestream and hesitated briefly before replying, “Keep an eye on them.”

……….

The cleanup of the third mine pit dragged on for nearly half a day. KID remained in the mine pit, showing no interest in the bustling world outside. All their focus seemed entirely fixed on the depths of the mine.

Being interested in pollutants was one thing, but KID actually started digging for the minerals at the bottom of the third mine pit.

In the Asta Contaminated Zone, there was an abandoned mining vein. While the energy minerals here were tainted and mostly unusable, some fragments at the bottom, resistant to the high pollution levels, were still viable. KID’s objective was precisely these fragments, as they sifted through the trash to uncover the rare minerals.

Spectators, initially intrigued by KID’s seemingly incomprehensible actions, were losing patience.

What tactical arrangement? This was no different from outdoor streamers exploring Contaminated Zones on StarNet.

【The difference is huge. Have you ever seen a Star Domain Tournament stream where mining and material processing happen?】

【Honestly, KID’s techniques are worth learning. Their material handling skills are priceless.】

【Haven’t you seen vendors who specialize in processing pollutants?】

【[KID Match Highlights] You’re welcome. I recommend catching up.】

This scene from the third mine pit was broadcast live across the Star Domain through the competition’s official stream. On the podium, the Asta Contaminated Zone Management Bureau’s director watched as KID processed the pollutants. As the volume of cleared pollutants increased, their gaze drifted toward the Dawn Galaxy delegation.

Li Jingyan, seated alongside the Dawn Galaxy leadership, keenly felt the eyes of his peers from various regions—particularly the piercing stares of the First Star Domain leaders. Among them, the Director of the Aries Galaxy Resource Bureau seemed especially intense; it was said a report on the cleared pollutants from the third mine pit had just been submitted recently.

A Dawn leader: “Chairman, I just remembered I have a communications meeting. I’ll excuse myself—”

Li Jingyan remained expressionless and pulled his subordinate back. “Reschedule the meeting. Sit down.”

At that moment, several mechas silently entered the mine pit.

Li Jingyan glanced at the radar map. The team now in Zone C was YOU, currently ranked second and one of the Star Domain’s top four teams.

In the livestream, Dawn Galaxy fans, busy explaining KID’s material processing techniques to new viewers, suddenly saw YOU arriving. Meanwhile, their “silly kids” were still diligently handling pollutants, utterly oblivious to YOU’s presence.

“YOU is here! KID hasn’t noticed them—” The commentators switched to YOU’s perspective, showing their team carrying a special group stealth weapon, quietly approaching KID’s Stealth, Qingf.

【Fuck! Stop processing already!】

【They’re coming! Fight first, then make money!】

TN:

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