Genius Mechanic: Chapter 68

Qiu Jin Grand Canyon Contaminated Zone (Black Hole)

68. Limit

Proofread by An Zheee and Cloud Chip Cake

Dawn Galaxy Mecha Alliance –

Messages from various sources converged, and data analysts and specialized scholars began summarizing and analyzing the extensive environmental information. When news came from the Frontier Contaminated Zone on Tianyu Star, the situation had already taken an unpredictable turn.

“How did pollutants from a Frontier Contaminated Zone end up on Tianyu Star?”

“Is it a defense system breach, or did the Frontier defenses fail?”

As more and more information surfaced, Li Jingyan observed that the situation on Tianyu Star was eerily similar to what was happening in Qiu Jin. “Have the three pollutants from Qiu Jin been analyzed yet?”

“No, those three pollutants don’t match any of the pollutants registered in our existing database,” the pollution expert, holding a data pad, replied. “It’s possible that they are unrecorded pollutants.”

This was different from the Sand Lizard, which was recorded in the Alliance database but had gone extinct.

Unrecorded pollutants were either newly emergent pollutants or pollutants from the Frontier Contaminated Zones inaccessible to the Alliance.

Frontier Contaminated Zones were high-risk pollution areas located outside the Star Alliance territory, unconquered and undeveloped by humans. They were normally guarded by the Frontier Army of various star systems to protect the safety of human homelands.

One staff member said, “Chairman, we have already confirmed with the Alliance Administrative Office and the Frontier Army that there have indeed been signs of turmoil caused by pollutants in the Dawn Galaxy’s Frontier regions. The Frontier Army is currently on high alert, and there have been no reports of pollutants breaking through the defense lines.”

Li Jingyan’s brow furrowed. If the Frontier had not been breached by pollutants and there were no issues with the Contaminated Zone defense systems within the galaxy, how had these pollutants suddenly appeared in the Contaminated Zone on Tianyu Star? Furthermore, what commonalities existed between Tianyu Star and Qiu Jin? Why were these two Contaminated Zones affected?

“Magnetic fields,” a researcher who had been focusing on Contaminated Zone magnetic fields stepped forward. “Chairman, there is a difference in the pollution levels between these two zones—Qiu Jin is a Level 3 Contaminated Zone, while Tianyu Star is a Level 4 Contaminated Zone. Currently, the most obvious commonality is the magnetic field.”

The discovery of the magnetic field’s significance had originated from the Qiu Jin incident. Shortly after the magnetic field had been detected, the enhanced system had identified an S-level pollutant.

“Magnetic fields can affect the pollutant detection reports, and this magnetic field is currently in a weakening phase. It’s highly likely that this magnetic field had appeared in the past, affecting the emergence of pollutants during that period. Thus, the Bureau couldn’t confirm the information on the S-level pollutants immediately,” the scholar continued. “If this is the case, then it’s very likely that these pollutants, appearing out of nowhere, are linked to this peculiar magnetic field.”

“We’ve received reports from the Qiu Jin Management Bureau, and this magnetic field is indeed mysterious. Its strength fluctuates, and its energy characteristics have been documented,” the scholar explained. “Rather than simply being a magnetic field issue, it’s more like there’s something attached to this magnetic field, causing its appearance.”

Li Jingyan made a decisive decision. “Retrieve the characteristics of the Qiu Jin magnetic field and compare it with the one on Tianyu Star.”

All staff members immediately went into action. Li Jingyan couldn’t calm down at this point. “What’s the situation in Qiu Jin now? Has the magnetic field disappeared? Have the mecha pilots received supplies?”

“The first support team has already entered, and Individual Soldiers are en route. They are estimated to arrive at the Qiu Jin scene in half an hour.”

“The supplies have been delivered, and two S-level pollutants have already clashed with our mecha pilots. The other pollutant hasn’t shown any movement yet. However, due to the influence of the magnetic field on them, all of Qiu Jin’s pollutants have gone into a frenzy.”

“Bring up the live feed from the scene,” Li Jingyan ordered.

On the large virtual screen, the situation at the Qiu Jin scene appeared. There were currently a total of 31 mecha pilots facing the threat of all the pollutants in Qiu Jin. Li Jingyan quickly switched to viewing the situation inside Qiu Jin until he reached Area A-14. There, he saw two red mechas confronting the S-level pollutant.

KID’s mechas?

Li Jingyan’s gaze suddenly stopped on one of them.

Qiu Jin Grand Canyon.

The S-level pollutant’s speed exhibited a bizarre growth. It freely spread its wings in the sky, and its longer limbs, in comparison to its body, didn’t hinder its agility. Instead, its powerful limbs, weighing as much as a thousand catties, generated strong winds with every swipe, and caused significant obstacles for the mechas in the airborne environment.

Seemingly done with the tedious chase, it swept away all the electromagnetic balls around it with a single swipe. The paralyzing pain from the electromagnetic collisions only briefly stalled it for two seconds, and then it spread its wings and rushed towards the most threatening Artillery mecha.

Below, YDS and KID, who were dealing with other pollutants, also witnessed this scene. They saw Ke Lin’s Conduction Hammer being destroyed so easily by the S-level pollutant’s attack, forcing him to retract his weapon.

Hu Luobu, seeing the pollutant’s climbing speed, couldn’t comprehend it. “So, was this thing just chasing the mechas for fun?”

Ji Qingfeng couldn’t help but sneer, “Scumbag!”

Lin Yao, who had been intently watching, asked in confusion, “How do you know it’s male?”

Ji Qingfeng replied, “Anyway, it’s just a scumbag.”

Huo Yan gazed intently upwards. “This type of pollutant is difficult to deal with. It clearly possesses intelligence, similar to the pollutants I encountered in the Frontier Zones back then. Instances of high-intelligence pollutants appearing within the galaxy are rare. Generally, when something like this appears, it’s not easy to handle.”

Moreover, this pollutant had speed and strength enhancements. For the slower-moving Tank mechas among them, this fast-moving pollutant would be challenging to assist.

Lu Xi added, “There’s a problem.”

“You Ge and Chenlin probably can’t hold out for long.”

You Su’s mecha couldn’t accept energy replenishment during battle, and Ying Chenlin had limited combat time. The recent intense operations had already drained their energy and stamina significantly, but the pollutant appeared completely unscathed, increasing the pressure on them.

“But we can’t go up to help them right now,” Hu Luobu said. He continued firing his artillery shells one after another, barely keeping the flying pollutants from going higher. “All we can do is fend off these pollutants and prevent them from adding more pressure.”

Ji Qingfeng said, “This situation is just like what happened at the Tianyu Star. Back then, the Sand lizard called for a group. Are these pollutants playing dirty, making it impossible for us to fight them one-on-one?”

“Back then, the Sand lizard enhanced subordinates…”

Before he could finish, he suddenly saw a new change in the sky. “Their speed increased!”

They all looked up and saw that at almost the same moment, both red mechas flying alongside the S-level pollutant had accelerated. You Su’s mecha quickly distanced itself, and from his diagonal position, Ying Chenlin seized the opportunity, firing the Energy Cannon at the S-level pollutant. This slowed down the pollutant’s movements for a moment.

Seizing the chance, You Su engaged full thrusters and broke free from the pollutant’s pursuit.

All of these actions took place in milliseconds. After distancing themselves, the two mechas raised their Energy Cannons, fully charged them, and fired precisely, hitting the S-level pollutant.

The S-level pollutant was irritated by this provocative act. It suddenly changed course and sped toward one of the mechas, not pursuing You Su, which was a greater threat. Instead, it made a sharp turn in the direction of Ying Chenlin.

Ke Lin’s Conduction Hammer blocked it for a moment, but the pollutant forcefully broke through his defense and accelerated toward Ying Chenlin. Ke Lin urgently shouted, “Be careful!”

The red mecha noticed the pollutant and quickly flew backward.

The S-level pollutant relentlessly pursued, its front limbs eagerly reaching out to grab the mecha. The retreating mecha activated its reverse thrusters to their fullest extent, dodging the pollutant’s attack at the last moment. Despite being extremely close, the red mecha maintained its speed. In full view of everyone, the red mecha raised the Rapid-Fire Cannon on its right side.

This scene was observed by both the audience inside and outside the arena.

Shen Xingtang’s pupils suddenly widened. “He switched to his right hand.”

In Shen Xingtang’s memory, Ying Chenlin could use both hands, but in most cases, he used his left hand. His right hand was a mechanical limb, capable of connecting to the neural interface inside the cockpit, but there was some error in the neural connection process. This was why mecha pilots with prosthetic limbs rarely appeared on the League stage. In elite competitions, the slightest error could lead to defeat.

However, in this situation, facing a pollutant with enhanced speed and strength, Ying Chenlin chose to use his right hand.

That might be one reason. Ying Chenlin’s stamina was reaching its limit.

Shen Xingtang remembered that Ying Chenlin’s physique was only B-level.

In high-speed flight, the resistance was unimaginable, especially when lifting the cannon in such circumstances. All the pressure would be transmitted to the mecha pilot through the mecha’s sensory feedback. Lifting the cannon in a high-speed flying environment meant that the right hand would bear the tremendous pressure from both the weapon and the resistance. As expected, in the next second, the Rapid-Fire Cannon fired three rounds, with one shot veering off target.

A miss.

You Su noticed this and furrowed his brow slightly. “Let’s separate from it. I’ll lead it away.”

Ying Chenlin’s voice was calm. “I’m better suited to be the target.”

This time, only they could deal with the S-level pollutant. Ke Lin’s Guardian mecha could only serve as a buffer. Weapons controlled by the control system had no effect on intelligent pollutants. Such pollutants tended to target threats against themselves.

In this situation, Ying Chenlin carried an Energy Cannon and a Rapid-Fire Cannon. It was impossible to maintain a long charge while in high-speed pursuit. However, he had the advantage of speed. Theo, observing the pollutant up close, noticed that the pollutant’s powerful limbs were striking at the mecha one after another. Every time, Ying Chenlin narrowly evaded with a high-pressure operation.

Various program displays appeared within the mecha’s cockpit view. All systems, including speed and accuracy, were activated.

Energy wasn’t the issue with this mecha; the primary issue was the pilot’s stamina. Switching from the left hand to the right, there was a noticeable change in accuracy. Theo wasn’t familiar with this mecha, and it didn’t resonate with Ying Chenlin. He couldn’t assist in making adjustments under these circumstances.

Another rapid-fire shot missed.

“Did it deviate to the left…?” Ying Chenlin’s expression remained calm. He rapidly adjusted the aiming accuracy by two degrees to the right, deviating from the previous precise setting.

Theo was taken aback by this. Ying Chenlin had adjusted the precision.

Could it be that he’s calculating for attack errors?!

At this moment, Ying Chenlin endured the pressure on his right arm as he fired another rapid-fire shot!

This time, there were no misses or grazes; all three shots directly hit the pollutant!

In the Gale base, the mecha pilots who were also closely watching the battlefield couldn’t sit still.

Zhao Lejie, after seeing two missed shots, became anxious. “Ying Chenlin’s right arm is a mechanical limb, and the pressure in this high-speed flying environment is too great. He can’t endure it. Hasn’t the League’s support arrived yet?”

When Ying Chenlin switched from his left hand to his right, Qi Sicheng had anticipated this situation. He knew that normal combat accuracy would be affected, let alone in a high-speed environment. Just as he was pondering this, he suddenly saw the most recent rapid-fire shot grazing the edge of the pollutant. “No, his hit rate is increasing.”

Another mecha pilot added, “Yes, after missing a few shots, his most recent shots have been able to touch the pollutant.”

Just as he finished speaking, in the image, the high-speed flying mecha fired another round of rapid-fire shots.

No misses, no grazes; all three shots hit directly!

Zhao Lejie stood up. “How did he manage that?”

“He has been adjusting all along.” Qi Sicheng quickly analyzed the system, displaying the tracks of all of Ying Chenlin’s recent shots. Seeing the constantly corrected precision trajectory above, he couldn’t help but marvel. “He’s calculating for errors, accounting for both precision and errors, recalculating the attack trajectory.”

The mental resonance in the right arm couldn’t be changed, and errors did exist. Ying Chenlin was making a third-step prediction, not only anticipating the pollutant’s flight trajectory and his own projectile trajectory but also predicting the aiming precision deviation under error conditions.

Inside the arena, the red mecha swiftly adjusted within the margin of error.

The power of a single rapid-fire shot wasn’t as strong as an Energy Cannon’s, but the combined effect was causing substantial damage to the S-level pollutant.

Ying Chenlin didn’t relax after adjusting the accuracy. He had already wasted five minutes. According to his recorded analysis of the mechanical arm’s endurance, in his current condition, the right arm could only endure this high-pressure environment for a limited time. He needed to resolve this S-level pollutant as quickly as possible.

S-level pollutants of an enhanced type like this, with increased strength and speed, didn’t possess any unusual abilities. The best way to defeat them was through direct attacks. Even a tough-skinned pollutant would eventually succumb to powerful attacks.

The S-level pollutant, which had been leisurely observing them not long ago, had changed its focus. One of the main reasons was the perceived threat. It no longer wanted to observe and was inclined to end the battle quickly. This implied that, in a way, the pollutant’s endurance was limited as well.

“Switch to the Sniper Cannon, and charge it to the maximum. We don’t have much time,” Ying Chenlin said.

Ke Lin frowned slightly. “The Sniper Cannon’s damage is too high, and you’re too close. If there’s a slight deviation, it might hit you.”

In this high-speed flight, position changes happened rapidly. Once the Sniper Cannon, charged to the maximum, missed the pollutant, there was a high probability that the deviation might result in hitting Ying Chenlin during their high-speed flight.

After a moment of silence, You Su said, “Maintain the speed.”

Ying Chenlin didn’t hesitate. “Alright.”

Ke Lin heard this and furrowed his brows tightly. These two, You Su and Ying Chenlin, were acting recklessly.

But he had to keep up. The pollutant’s speed was constantly increasing, as if it had no limit. However, the speed of their mechas had its limits. Once the pollutant’s speed surpassed that of the Artillery mechas, things would take a turn for the worse. He needed to buy time as a buffer for these two.

“It’s getting too chaotic,” Ke Lin thought. He had encountered many battles, but he had never seen mecha pilots acting so chaotically.

You Su switched to the Sniper Cannon, and the brilliant light of the fully charged weapon became increasingly solid before him. The targeting scope in his field of vision was following the flying mecha in the air. This long-range perspective reminded him of when he first saw the B-class mecha in the Banute Contaminated Zone. At that time, the enemy was in his line of sight.

Thinking of this, a hint of excitement shone in You Su’s calm eyes. “Take cover.”

In the next second, a 100% charged sniper shot pierced the air.

The flying red mecha precisely sensed the danger and rapidly evaded right before the shot hit. The sniper shot struck the pollutant.

After the hit, You Su’s movements didn’t stop. He quickly recharged the weapon for another shot.

In the central control room, everyone’s eyes were fixed on this scene, especially when they saw the sniper shot being fired. The corresponding energy detection system instantly recognized the power of this shot, and a staff member exclaimed, “A 100% charged sniper shot.

“He’s still recharging!”

“Are these two people crazy?”

One staff member asked, “Isn’t Trace afraid of hitting his teammate?”

“It seems he’s not afraid of hitting his teammate.”

After these words, several staff members in the control room who were watching the match fell into silence.

Aiming at a teammate was indeed a bewildering action, but when it came to Trace, it seemed somehow reasonable.

“Moreover, Mr. Ying is incredibly strong… at this pace, many mecha pilots couldn’t do it, right? But isn’t his actual job a mechanic?”

A mechanic… No way, was there a mechanic capable of this level of performance?

The supervisor stared at that figure. His maintenance skills were on par with his mecha piloting skills. What kind of monster had KID recruited?

“Director! The Individual Soldier team is here!”

“They’re heading towards the Jump Zone!”

Inside the Qiu Jin Contaminated Zone, the advanced Individual Soldier mecha  team entered Qiu Jin’s Jump Zone.

The elite Individual Soldier mecha pilots quickly rushed for registration, and among them, a young man briefly stopped in front of the virtual screen, focusing on the red mecha, his eyes filled with doubt.

“KID-JUKG…?”

On StarNet, everyone was also captivated by the precise rapid-fire and sniper shots.

[Rapid-fire shots in a high-speed environment with pinpoint accuracy?] [Too strong!] [Damn, I’m so nervous. I know Trace’s skills, but who’s this KID substitute mecha pilot? I need to know his name right now!] [@KID Mecha Base, do you have such powerful Artillery pilots? Do you even have a substitute list?]

Under the continuous bombardment of sniper and rapid-fire shots, the pollutant emitted a strong cry. Its yellow-green eyes turned into vertical pupils, and after being hit by the sniper shot, it increased its speed and suddenly lunged towards the mecha in front of it.

Ke Lin urgently shouted, “Can’t control it!”

You Su hesitated for a second on recharging the cannon but then decisively continued.

Ying Chenlin gritted his teeth, pushing the mecha’s speed to the maximum and fully engaging the thrusters. In such a high-pressure environment, beads of sweat gradually formed on his forehead. The limit of his B-level physique was rapidly approaching.

Theo nervously watched his actions. The increase in speed meant that the precision adjustments he had made earlier were no longer valid. He had to immediately adjust for a new anticipated precision to ensure that the rapid-fire shots would hit again. However, this level of operation was extremely difficult, and the external environment posed a significant threat. Any distraction on Ying Chenlin’s part would expose him to the S-level pollutant’s attacks and You Su’s sniper shots.

Ying Chenlin’s mind was spinning quickly. Unbeknownst to him, his mental output had increased significantly.

The overflowing mental power filled the entire cockpit. Unaware of it, Ying Chenlin’s attention was fully focused on his opponent.

The red key hanging around his neck floated slightly. When Ying Chenlin adjusted the precision dial again for another shot, a voice in the back of his mind spoke, “Chenlin, three degrees southeast.”

Without hesitation, Ying Chenlin quickly adjusted the precision, and the Rapid-Fire Cannon corrected its accuracy once again.

Theo unexpectedly looked at the mecha key hanging around Ying Chenlin’s neck. This time he had a clear view of the mecha key and the mecha’s intelligence, which was on the same frequency as his.

An S-class mecha?!

You Su keenly sensed that Ying Chenlin’s state had rapidly adjusted.

The S-level pollutant, after enduring a series of projectile impacts from both sides, appeared to have reached its limit. It hadn’t caught its prey in the successive chases but was instead dragged to the other extreme by its prey’s sharp reflexes. It had to slow down, but the distant Artillery mecha with their sniper shots showed no mercy.

The voice in his mind was very weak, but compared to the last time it appeared, it seemed much steadier.

With his highly synchronized companion, Yuan, acting as another brain, their thoughts aligned as one. As Ying Chenlin changed direction and speed, Yuan’s voice closely followed, helping him adjust his precision.

Howls filled the sky, and the mechas in battle raised their perspectives. 

One 100% charged sniper shot followed another, the immense lethality causing the S-level pollutant’s injuries to worsen significantly. Finally, it couldn’t bear the weight anymore and let out a cry as it fell from the sky.

Ying Chenlin switched to the Energy Cannon at the last moment, shouting, “You Su!”

When he heard his name being called directly, the energy on You Su’s mecha was about to run out, and he replied, “This is the last shot.”

The 100% charged Energy Cannon and Sniper Cannon shots powered up simultaneously, aiming at the S-level pollutant falling from a height.

The light beams collided in the air, creating a fierce explosion of fire, and the sweeping energy waves caused a shockwave.

Ke Lin grabbed Trace, who was falling, and then gazed into the distance.

The S-level pollutant fell in the mountains, causing the earth to tremble. Ying Chenlin’s Energy Cannon didn’t stop. After the pollutant’s fall, his Energy Cannon continued to bombard the pollutant until it was completely immobilized.

Ying Chenlin, exhausted and gasping heavily, timed it perfectly, using the last of his strength in the final minute. His right arm was now too heavy to move.

“Yuan?” he asked uncertainly.

In his state of extreme fatigue, he heard a steady voice in his mind. 

It was the voice in his memory.

Yuan’s voice that came after every victory.

“Chenlin, the target has lost its combat capabilities.”

TN:

Cloud Chip and I were so moved by Yuan’s appearance!

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