Translator: AnubisTL
Huff... huff...
Biaozi sat in the cockpit of his Executioner mech, staring at the scene before him. His breathing quickened, and a cold sweat broke out across his back uncontrollably. He suddenly realized that even after surviving countless life-or-death situations, he was still capable of fear.
This place practically screamed danger.
But...
Biaozi took a deep breath, suppressing his unease. He led the way into the exposed elevator shaft, followed by the rest of first squad.
The shaft was vast, easily accommodating three mechs and eight squad members—or even a train carriage.
He turned to check on Zhang Yi and Zhang Er, the two rookies in their mechs behind him. Having likely never encountered such peril on the Stellaris before, he needed to calm their nerves before they panicked and jeopardized the mission.
However...
Just as the comforting words formed in his mind, he spotted something through the mech's viewport: the two fools were actually eating meat sandwiches!
Did they seriously bring meat sandwiches into their mechs?
The two brothers showed no signs of fear. Instead, they eagerly surveyed their surroundings, savoring their meat sandwiches with gusto.
"..."
Biaozi expressionlessly averted his gaze, swallowing the words he had been about to say. Oh well, he thought. Zhang Damei had once told him that while his two brothers possessed immense strength, they were a bit dim-witted and slow on the uptake.
Now, it seemed, that was indeed the case.
Hopefully, they won't wet their pants when danger finally strikes.
The Stellaris was no ordinary train. As guards aboard this special train, they were destined for far more perilous missions than their counterparts on other lines. This was their duty, even if it meant foregoing the relative safety of other train guards.
After all, no other train could reach such places.
Once everyone was inside the elevator, Biaozi pressed the red button on the control panel. The elevator immediately began its rapid descent.
Unlike elevators in office buildings, this one had no floor selection buttons. It was designed to stop at a single predetermined location, offering no room for choice.
President Ai's messages continued to flash across his Iris Chip:
"First monster detected 70 meters away."
"50 meters."
"20 meters."
President Ai's messages brought a slight sense of relief. With her support, it was like having a full-map hack, allowing him to pinpoint the exact location of every enemy.
The next moment, the elevator abruptly halted its descent. The doors slowly creaked open, and Biaozi, already at the front, charged out with a furious roar. In one swift motion, he swung his axe downward, smashing the approaching monster into a pulpy, bloody mess!
Before them stretched a pristine white corridor. Two rows of intensely bright fluorescent lights lined the ceiling, accompanied by numerous surveillance cameras and heavy machine guns embedded in the corners, resembling the built-in security systems found on trains.
Dried blood splattered across the walls, transforming the once-spotless corridor into a gruesome spectacle.
Biaozi strode out of the elevator, crouched down, and examined the unrecognizable creature he had just cleaved in half. Could it be some kind of monkey?
President Ai's message swiftly appeared on his Iris Chip:
"No record of this monster in the database. Based on the combat footage, its strength is slightly below that of a Tier 2 monster."
"Turn left at the end of the corridor. Seven red dots detected in the laboratory ahead. Proceed with caution."
A flicker of killing intent flashed in Biaozi's eyes as he manipulated his mech, hefting the axe in its hand. He continued deeper into the corridor, which boasted a staggering ten-meter ceiling and ten-meter width, easily accommodating his mech.
This was the tallest corridor he had ever seen.
Why would a laboratory corridor in a military base need such a high ceiling?
Suddenly, a thought struck him. He whirled around to find Zhang Yi already opening the refrigerator on his back, preparing to shove the monster Biaozi had just slain inside.
"Don't pack that thing," Biaozi said coldly. "I'll tell you what to store."
"Oh," Zhang Yi mumbled awkwardly, his mech releasing the corpse. It crashed to the ground with a heavy thud. Only then did Zhang Yi close the refrigerator and hoist it back onto his shoulders, a hint of regret in his eyes.
Such a spacious refrigerator... what a waste to leave it empty.
And the monster's corpse could be useful too.
We're still raising several zombies on the Stellaris train. This corpse would make perfect fodder. The more he learnt about the Stellaris, the more his admiration for Lord Mang grew.
The zombie hordes that terrorized countless trains had been wiped out by Lord Mang, who even managed to capture several of them alive and kept them aboard the train as teaching material for the children.
Lord Mang is truly remarkable.
Biaozi quickly caught up, his face grew alert, his hands gripping the axe handle, ready to strike at any moment.
He reached the end of the corridor. There were no forks ahead, only a left turn.
After turning left, he found a laboratory on his left. A massive glass wall, smeared with thick, dried bloodstains, dominated the wall. Inside, unfamiliar scientific instruments filled the room.
A dozen monkeys lay sleeping in the laboratory.
Hearing the commotion, they awoke with snarling faces and lunged at the glass, emitting piercing shrieks and clawing relentlessly against the barrier.
But it was clear the glass was high-quality and soundproof.
"Lord Mang's order: Retrieve all equipment from the laboratory."
"..."
Biaozi glanced at the command displayed on his Iris Chip. He immediately stepped back, took a deep breath, and swung his giant axe in a wide arc, slamming it against the glass with full force.
The glass shattered instantly.
The dozen monkeys, their faces contorted with rage, burst out of the laboratory with astonishing speed!
Zhang Yi and Zhang Er, standing behind the team, immediately charged forward!
Their axes swung relentlessly, each strike instantly killing any monster it hit.
Meanwhile, the other members of First Squad leveled their Giant Wave Gatlings at the creatures and unleashed a hail of bullets. Hundreds of rounds enveloped both the mechs and the monsters in a blinding storm.
In the blink of an eye, the area was cleared.
The bullets were only Tier 3, unable to penetrate the mechs' armor, but they tore through the monsters with deadly accuracy.
The Giant Wave Gatlings were energy weapons.
Energy weapons offered numerous advantages: near-silent operation thanks to built-in suppressors, no need to carry heavy ammunition, and recoil and weight far lower than gunpowder-based firearms.
But their greatest strength lay in their versatility.
The squad's Tier 10 Giant Wave Gatlings each housed a Tier 3 energy stone. This meant they could freely switch between firing Tier 1 bullets for weaker enemies and Tier 6 bullets for tougher threats.
This adaptability ensured minimal resource wastage.
Unlike the Soaring Dragon Assault Rifle, which would waste Tier 6 ammunition on Tier 3 monsters, energy weapons have virtually no drawbacks.
Their only weakness is that energy stones are made from iron ore, a crucial and scarce resource for Train Upgrades.
The battle ended swiftly.
Biaozi glanced at the two men behind him and cautioned, "These experimental instruments are delicate. Remember President Ai's instructions when packing them up, and be careful not to be clumsy."
He quickly realized his worries were unfounded.
The mech's hands were massive, making fine manipulations difficult. For tasks like threading a needle, the fourth hand was required.
Each mechanical arm housed four hands, nested together like onion layers.
For delicate work, the outer three hands retracted, revealing a membrane-covered soft robotic hand roughly the size of a human's. This allowed operators to perform intricate tasks without leaving the mech.
However...
Being a mechanical arm, it inevitably lacked the dexterity of a human hand.
He had practiced for ages to barely master the third hand, and he still couldn't competently use the fourth. Yet those two hulking fools were now deftly using the fourth hand to neatly arrange all the equipment in the refrigerator on their shoulders, without a single mistake.
The entire process was seamless, flowing smoothly without a hitch, as perfect as a robot's movements.
Biaozi stared blankly at the scene, silent for a long moment. He couldn't quite accept it. How could these two simpletons have better control over the mecha than him? And their efficiency in gathering supplies was truly impressive!
Most importantly, they seemed to genuinely enjoy it!
The two brothers didn't care whether the collected items were useful or not, or whether they could even use them. Even if it was just waste, they beamed with genuine happiness as they stuffed it into their refrigerators.
Was it because their simple minds were less burdened with thoughts, allowing them to focus better on mecha control?
He suddenly felt a deep sense of frustration.
He had poured all his effort into training for so long, only to find himself completely outmatched by these talented freaks. He took a deep breath, gritted his teeth slightly, and secretly resolved that after this field mission...
He was eager to return and complete the Extreme Mission in the Dragon Fortress map.
He also wanted to train in the mental power-enhancing map designed by Li Shiji.
Since he couldn't compete with innate talent, he would make up for it with relentless effort.
For years, he had lived by four words: "Heaven rewards diligence." Luck never abandoned those who were willing to strive.
Keep going, Big Biaozi! You can do this!
Just then—
President Ai's message flashed across his Iris Chip:
"What are you spacing out about?"
"Stop daydreaming and keep moving forward."
"Huh? Oh."
Embarrassed, Biaozi quickly snapped out of his reverie, completely forgetting he was still in the Cluster Mind. By now, all the equipment in the lab had been collected, and he had just stepped into the corridor.
President Ai's message reappeared on his Iris Chip:
"Three hundred and twenty red dots are rapidly approaching your position within the Underground Base. Estimated arrival time: seventy-eight seconds."
"Prepare for combat."
"Lord Mang's directive: Bring back some monster corpses."
"..."
Biaozi's expression immediately turned cold and focused. Gripping his massive axe, he stood motionless at the end of the empty corridor, patiently waiting. President Ai's countdown ticked in his ear. When the timer hit zero,
A chorus of ear-splitting roars erupted from the corridor's end.
A horde of monsters surged from the end of the corridor, rapidly advancing along the floor, walls, and ceiling.
"Fire!" Biaozi roared, grabbing his axe and charging forward.
The scene from the underground military base was projected onto screens in Guard Car No. 7, where the remaining members of the second team watched the live combat footage of the first team.
Meanwhile, the third team had been dispatched to the rear Resident Car to maintain order. Some of the 1,900 survivors who had recently joined the train were causing trouble, and the third team had been ordered to quell the unrest.
In the classroom, Teacher Qiu led her students in watching the live combat feed on the classroom screen.
"Do you see this?" she asked, looking down at the tense faces of the children. "The reason you can live safely aboard the Stellaris, with food and shelter provided, is because others are fighting for you outside the train. They bear the burden for your sake."
"When you grow up, you too can join their ranks."
Suddenly—
A Tier 2 monster, dodging a hail of bullets, burst through the mech's defensive line. Its jaws widened, revealing rows of jagged teeth as it leaped through the air, lunging toward a squad member at the rear of the team!
"Ah!"
The children in the classroom gasped in fear, some covering their mouths while others averted their eyes from the screen, too scared to watch.
But then—
The squad member, realizing he couldn't raise his gun in time, stood his ground and executed a perfect backbend. His body arched backward, nearly touching the ground, dodging the monster's pounce with the grace of a seasoned acrobat. He then sprang back up, retrieved a car blade fragment from his belt, and plunged it into the chest of the monster, which had landed heavily after its failed attack.
The entire sequence flowed seamlessly, as if he had rehearsed it a thousand times.
"Wow!"
The classroom erupted in cheers once more.
"That uncle is so cool!"
"Did he know martial arts before the apocalypse?"
"..."
Teacher Qiu watched Zhang Qi on the screen. Only after he had killed the monster did her tense shoulders relax slightly, her eyes gleaming with admiration. "That's Zhang Qi," she said. "He's a veteran of the first team—a real powerhouse."
She knew all the squad members' names; Trainmaster Zhu had told her.
But she had never realized Zhang Qi was this skilled.
"Damn it," Zhang Qi muttered, still shaken, as he yanked the car blade fragment from the monster's corpse. "That scared the shit out of me."
Fortunately, he had been training diligently in the Combat Training Virtual Space with Brother Biao lately; otherwise, he might have been finished right there.
But there was no time for such thoughts now.
Immediately refocusing, he aimed the Gatling Gun at the endless horde of monsters surging down the corridor and squeezed the trigger, unleashing a ferocious barrage of bullets.
(End of the Chapter)
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