novelraw Chapter 146 : Mechanical Tower
Chapter 146 : Mechanical Tower
Chen Sui sensed the trajectory of the vines as they traversed through, the energy body feeling this invasion and immediately fighting back. Golden sharp light burst from the mecha's seams, enveloping the components and wrapping around the mecha. The sharp metal edges cut off the vines, green liquid dripping as energy overflowed, the severed vines continuously splitting into branches and intertwining with each other.
Realizing its resistance was futile, the mecha lit up with red light, seemingly expressing exposed emotions. Its hand began reaching toward its eye socket, the newly regenerated hand entangled by a withered grass-like branch.
Chen Sui followed the movement with her gaze, catching a glimpse of the dark yellow mecha hidden behind the Blood Drop Tiger's body.
Xitisi's analyst He Chigui carefully glanced at her position. Chen Sui seemed able to see through the mecha to his shy, timid gaze and his expression—fearful yet still determined to fight.
Her brow relaxed slightly as she felt the vines controlling the upper body of the mecha. Chen Sui confirmed the time had come.
Her mecha stood on the energy body's nasal bone, kicking hard and leaping backward.
"Crack—"
The spear was pulled from the energy body's eye socket, with vines still attached to the spear tip. Countless vines had "built a nest" inside the energy body, and even with the spear removed, they couldn't completely detach.
But Chen Sui didn't intend to withdraw the spear completely. Her mecha propelled into midair, both hands gripping the spear. After creating some distance, the analyst surveyed the surroundings: "Need a hand!"
The surrounding analysts retreated, while the output handlers rushed forward, hearing her instructions: "Take this guy down!"
The output handlers hadn't reacted yet when they saw the analysts taking action. He Chigui's withered branches wrapped around the energy body's feet. The scarecrow face cracked into a smile that looked somewhat eerie, but anyone who had met He Chigui in person could detect shyness and timidity in that smile.
The withered branches penetrated into the mecha components. He raised his head, shouting at the top of his voice, afraid Chen Sui wouldn't hear if he spoke softly: "I-I can hold it for three seconds, is-is that enough?"
Chen Sui heard his voice, hoarse from shouting, and nodded, making a gesture toward He Chigui, calmly responding: "Of course."
"Thank you for your hard work."
The black and gold mecha hovering in midair with its spear looked somewhat cold and severe. The dark yellow mecha looking up at her immediately lowered its head upon hearing her words, a warm green glow emanating from its palms.
He Lanqi and Xue Yaoyao also didn't hold back. Ink Hills analyst Jiang Zhongyu quickly arrived. With a crisp collision sound like jade striking together, glass shimmered as a transparent jellyfish figure swam out. Its tentacles floated as the almost transparent jellyfish body passed through the energy body, pulling out a blue light and raising ice pillars from the ground.
He Chigui's energy burst forth, powerful control waves swept out, and the energy body's arm was pulled by a force, maintaining a swinging posture, frozen stiffly in midair.
Seeing this situation, Jiang Zhongyu's glass jellyfish expanded, then exploded with a bang, like an inflated balloon. Transparent fragments scattered from the energy body, frost spreading as thick ice formed on the ground beneath the mecha's feet.
The crowd dispersed, watching the Zhu Jing Fu analyst holding her spear with green vines twisting along it into the mecha's eye socket. Her mecha retreated, her arms exerting tremendous force, pulling the spear backward. The giant energy body's upper body was dragged along. As Chen Sui exerted force, the mecha's feet were frozen, and with a powerful downward throw, the entire mecha crashed heavily.
"Boom—"
The giant mecha fell from above, its eye socket penetrated by vines, its shadow extending forward. As it crashed, the smaller energy bodies on the ground were instantly crushed by its body, mecha fragments scattering in all directions.
"If it's difficult to perceive as a whole, then let's break it apart!"
Chen Sui said sharply.
Hearing this, the surrounding analysts watched as the Zhu Jing Fu black and gold mecha swung its spear behind it, the vines extending from the energy body in the blink of an eye. Green light gathered like stars at the tip of Chen Sui's spear as she dashed forward.
With the energy body fallen, covering the ground ahead like a huge plaza, the black and gold mecha charged from the front, its feet landing directly on the mecha's spine, stepping on the atlanto-axial joint as the spear thrust forward.
"Whoosh—"
The spear cut through the air with a sharp sound, the attached vines pulled taut.
The giant head of the mecha energy body was lifted from the ground, its neck tilting backward.
Chen Sui pushed the spear forward, raised her right leg, and simultaneously executed a swift, fierce turn.
"Thud!!"
The mecha's foot collided with the metal mecha head!
An energy barrier lit up around the giant mecha's head, shattered by her kick. Seeing the golden light flash, Chen Sui's eyes moved.
Retracting her leg—
Building power—
"Bang!!"
The mecha joint stalled for a moment, with what sounded like a tearing crack.
The analyst retracted her leg again, delivering a third kick in an extremely short time.
The sound of metal collision spread, accompanied by ground-shaking tremors.
Even the giant mecha's shoulders were pulled up, but at the moment of decapitation, the mecha joint in the head broke. The entire head flew in the direction of Chen Sui's kick, tethered by the spear's vines, swinging into midair. The shoulders, losing the pulling support, crashed heavily to the ground.
Seeing the head separate, Chen Sui twisted her spear, and as the vines flung the mecha head away, they rapidly retracted back into the spear.
Seeing her action, the crowd surrounding the mecha immediately understood.
"Some control it, others cut this big guy apart!"
Chen Sui nodded to the crowd, suggesting: "Focus on the mecha's connecting joints!"
She was very familiar with Zhu Jing Fu mechas. Each joint's load capacity had been precisely calculated. She only needed to determine the approximate load level based on the energy body's volume structure ratio, or at worst, brute force would do the trick.
As soon as Chen Sui finished speaking, the crowd scattered. The analysts saw the mecha head, deprived of energy crystal supply, merge into the energy field, while the original mecha was slowly regenerating its body. They understood the other purpose of Chen Sui's approach.
"If there's a part that doesn't dissipate, that's where the energy crystal is."
The giant mecha's energy dispersion range was too large, with a very strong energy barrier, but the energy body after division was similar in size to ordinary energy bodies, even much easier to handle than SSS-level ones.
After being knocked down, the giant mecha began struggling violently. Military school students continuously pressed their energy onto its limbs, frost spreading, control waves rippling layer by layer.
Just as Chi Buyu's lightning struck the outer joint of the mecha's chest and abdomen, Chen Sui's vines locked onto the energy body's shoulder, and she suddenly felt an extremely strong pull.
Bursts of golden light exploded from the energy body.
"Damn, such strong energy fluctuations?"
Chi Buyu's lightning was scattered by the swaying golden light, sharp wind cutting through the mecha as damage notifications kept sounding.
He had just exclaimed when he looked down at his teammates standing on the giant mecha: "Everyone, please make way, I don't want to hit you by mistake."
As soon as Chi Buyu finished speaking, his lips closed tightly. A black line ran down from the center of his brow. In the cockpit, the military school student opened his eyes—his right eye rapidly shrinking to a needle-point pupil while his left eye suddenly expanded, filling the iris and spreading to the surrounding white part.
Changing along with Chi Buyu was his spirit body figure behind him. The Three-Tailed Cat looked up and meowed, licking its paw. When it opened its eyes again, lightning flowed through its fur.
From the rolling black clouds, a massive lightning bolt struck down from the sky, like a pillar of heaven suddenly descending under the dark sky, carrying flashing white light, straight down.
Chen Sui glimpsed it from the corner of her eye, her figure lightly stepping on the mecha's back, swiftly retreating.
Seeing He Chigui slow to move from the edge, the Wood-Born Flower vines curled. As the dark yellow mecha next to the Blood Drop Tiger reached out to grab, it wrapped around He Chigui's body and pulled him back forcefully.
Jing Yao, finding his hand grabbing empty air, looked up. Seeing it was Chen Sui who intervened, he didn't linger, following He Chigui's figure away from the energy body's range.
"Bang!!"
Three seconds after Chen Sui pushed away, black smoke rose from the ground, instantly obscuring the view.
A huge explosion burst forth.
"Sizzle!"
Lightning flowed from the mecha, contacting the surrounding metal parts with electrical crackling sounds.
The energy body's fingers on the ground twitched. Chen Sui narrowed her eyes, seeing this through the black smoke, then noticed shattered ice covering the ground.
—The controls on the energy body had also disappeared with the lightning!
"No time to add control, directly pull the energy crystal location."
She looked at He Chigui: "You and I will each take a side and pull it up!"
He Chigui froze for a second, but the analyst had already rushed out, the green shadow of the Wood-Born Flower thick, blurring the energy body's figure.
He Chigui reacted, looking at Jing Yao, his tone somewhat urgent: "Brother Jing, I—"
Hearing their conversation, Jing Yao picked up He Chigui, carrying the analyst toward the other side.
As Chen Sui's vines wrapped around the mecha energy body's hands and feet, He Chigui's scarecrow's withered branches also explored through the mecha's seams.
Control energy burst forth again, briefly controlling the energy body after it discharged the lightning.
Chen Sui saw him wrap up the hands and feet on the other side. Her hands pulled the vines as her mecha propelled into midair. The veins on the back of her hand bulged, her teeth clenched as she pulled the energy body backward with force.
On He Chigui's side, Jing Yao helped the analyst pull. Feeling the strength from both sides, he couldn't help but raise his eyes in astonishment to look at the analyst.
What did this person eat to grow up like this!
Such incredible strength!
"Get! Up!"
Chen Sui exerted maximum force, seeing the mecha rising in front. Her face flushed red with effort as she shouted coldly!
The giant mecha energy body's weight was enormous. The fact that she could pull it up with her arms amazed the surrounding teammates.
"Holy shit, what the hell," Chi Buyu, while gathering energy in his hands, saw this scene and imagined Chen Sui flinging him into the sky with one hand.
No wonder she could punch through an energy shield.
As the giant mecha was pulled to its feet, Chi Buyu had no time to continue his amazement. He and Lu Hang Jiu behind him—the latter very ostentatiously clasping his hands in front, making a strange gesture while loudly chanting: "Light's Creed!"
Chi Buyu glanced back somewhat speechlessly, his hands gathering energy downward.
Lightning and surging black shadow energy, together with attacks from Simos and others on the other side—seeing the energy body's exposed position, the sensory energy crystal positioning of each team's analysts was published in the team channel, with less than a second time difference.
Chen Sui didn't send coordinates on the Zhu Jing Fu channel. The moment her sensing returned, her vision pierced through layers of vines to see a bundled position in the chest-abdomen joint of the energy body.
Large amounts of metal-attributed energy surrounded and entangled inside the giant mecha, like a cave hiding treasure.
"Boom!"
The surrounding energy attacks converged, creating a dazzling light that penetrated through the energy body's body, extending toward the vines behind.
He Chigui felt pain transmitted through the vines, gritting his teeth and holding back any sound. Jing Yao, seeing the vines on the other side shake, seemed to understand something. He drew his weapon and swung forward.
Cold light flashed, cutting He Chigui's energy connection: "No need to continue!"
"Little Gui, are you okay?"
Jing Yao looked at the analyst who was sweating profusely. He Chigui's chest heaved violently, the intense pain momentarily numbing his nerves. After a second's delay, he heard Jing Yao's voice and responded hoarsely: "I..."
But suddenly a gust of wind rushed by.
Flames traveled along the vines all the way to Chen Sui. Yet the analyst endured until all the energy exploded on the energy body before releasing her hand. But unlike his retreat, she charged directly into a barrage of energy attacks.
He Chigui's pupils widened, his eyes showing undisguised shock.
"She wants to..."
Jing Yao pulled him back slightly, "Chen Sui is truly mad."
"Even like this, she still wants the energy crystal and points."
The Zhu Jing Fu analyst rushed into the energy explosion, targeting the fixed point where various energies converged. In the gunpowder smoke raised by the battle, her spear swung, its light obscured by the smoke.
On the other side, after releasing the energy, the output handlers immediately set up gun cannons, preparing to deliver a fatal blow to the energy crystal position.
However, as the gun cannons fired, before the output handlers from other academies could wear smiles of assured victory, a silver light penetrated the smoke faster than the gun cannons.
"Click!"
A crisp sound came from the front.
Immediately followed by—"Boom!!!"
Several explosions from the gun cannons, "Bang!!"
The energy body's body was blown apart by gunfire and energy, completely torn to pieces!
A golden crystal left a trail of light, carried out by a scarlet red spear.
The wind-breaking sound cut through the smoke, and with a thud, it was inserted into the metal ground ahead.
"That worked?"
Chi Buyu, his eyes returning to normal pupils, looked at the scene ahead and raised his eyebrows in amazement.
All the surrounding attacks stopped—no gale or fierce flames, no thunder or black shadows, and the gun cannons were in energy-gathering status.
The black clouds slowly dispersed, sunlight penetrating the cloud layer, casting spotted light shadows on the ground.
The gunpowder smoke slowly spread in complete silence, becoming increasingly transparent.
The surroundings were so quiet that only the clinking sounds of falling energy body components and their clear collisions with the ground could be heard.
After several breaths, a footstep landed on the ground.
A very light thud.
The black and gold mecha emerged from the billowing smoke.
Chen Sui slowly stepped forward, walking toward the other side of the crowd. In front of the crowd, she pulled out her spear, taking the energy crystal from its tip with one hand.
The mecha's hand tossed the energy crystal up.
"My pleasure."
Chen Sui slightly nodded, speaking politely.
Seeing this scene, Chi Buyu directly fell back in frustration.
"Ahhhhh!"
"Taking the energy crystal is one thing!!"
"Why do you have to pose like that!"
"It makes me look really bad!!"
Chi Buyu raged helplessly, then turned around, grabbing Lu Hang Jiu's mecha and frantically twisting: "Why, why?! She got it again!"
The bullet comments perfectly understood his meltdown, because Chen Sui's emergence from the smoke truly looked exceptionally... majestic.
[Good good good, she really nailed it]
[Showing off again, sis?]
[Why are you all cooperating with her like this? Think Chen Sui isn't cool enough, so you specially set up smoke for dramatic effect! I'm honestly impressed!]
[Fine, is your Zhu Jing Fu specifically teaching how to show off! Who are you trying to impress!]
[Damn, you're all focused on how cool Chen Sui looks and whether this show-off was successful, while I'm still thinking about Chen Sui's mecha damage level!]
[Although she got the energy crystal, her mecha damage went straight to 70% this round. Highest in the field, and they still need to defend!]
[Damn, now that the energy body is dealt with, the Commanders are starting to have wandering thoughts]
[Zhu Jing Fu originally planned to use the energy body to wear down the other academies, but who knew the energy field would produce such a monster, consuming their main attack force]
[For real, now analysts are the main attack force, worthy of our Emperor Sui]
[Your Sui isn't considered a main attack force? Do you want to see how she knocked down the energy body, twisted off its head, and then pulled it up?]
[(Chen Sui kicking off the energy body's head) Don't mess with our sister, or she'll knock your head off]
The bullet comments were right. As the giant mecha energy body collapsed and Chen Sui walked out, the eyes of those clearing the energy body groups immediately fixed on the Zhu Jing Fu analyst's mecha.
With the energy body crisis resolved, the atmosphere didn't relax. As the cannon fire on the other side stopped, silence suddenly spread.
The only sound was that of mechas moving.
The crowd from the other side pushed over to converge. Zhu Jing Fu was imperceptibly squeezed to the edge, away from the base station door.
Chen Sui looked at the other side. People who had just joined forces to deal with the energy body now stood on the opposite side from her, friend-enemy relationships instantly reversed.
"Not hurt?"
Xie Chunshi, seeing the damage on her mecha's outer layer, couldn't help saying: "We can pass on this energy crystal."
Chen Sui shook her head: "We already look like Zhu Jing Fu, how could we not take it."
Chen Sui spoke matter-of-factly. She glanced at her mecha's damage status: "Damage is a bit high, no big problem, just that, we might need to change the initial plan."
Zhu Jing Fu's instrument was with Puluo. Originally, they planned to have Chen Sui act as a target to give Puluo space to enter the base station. Now, it seemed her damage level might not support this.
Xie Chunshi glanced at the crowd ahead, noticing some output handlers had already started charging their gun cannons. In the Ink Hills group, Jipuna's movements were particularly obvious.
Based on Xie Chunshi's understanding of Commanders, Noya and Xie You were still fine.
Zhang Yingjie was a smart person. Seeing Chen Sui's mecha damage, this wavering move might not fool him.
Song Yuan was somewhat stubborn, and the probability of firmly choosing a single combat unit or analyst was higher.
To place the instrument, Zhu Jing Fu had to find another way.
"Although it's difficult for us to enter, some people can go in."
Xie Chunshi, looking at the base station elevator passage door, suddenly spoke.
Chen Sui immediately understood. She gripped the spear in her hand: "I'll go."
"As long as I can enter the base station, I can guarantee no one will complete the attack from my hands."
"Of course," under everyone's vigilant gaze, Xie Chunshi turned his head affirmatively, his gaze looking at the analyst beside him, "I believe in you."
Chen Sui nodded. The Commander opened the team channel and, in the brief silence, simply explained the modified plan.
Puluo raised his hand in surprise, instinctively reaching for the instrument, but realizing mid-gesture, he quickly switched to patting his chest: "Ah, I need to act?"
"This should be my job," Zhou Chen said somewhat regretfully. "If I had known we needed to act here, I should have been the one from the beginning. I'm better at acting than Puluo."
Puluo had been hesitant, but hearing this, he immediately became dissatisfied: "No way, I can definitely do it."
Acting like he's losing, then making way for the analyst—he absolutely could do it!
While Zhu Jing Fu discussed internally, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense. The people around were observing each other. If just one person raised their gun cannon a bit higher, it would ignite the fuse for the five schools' conflict.
But at this moment, feeling the atmosphere around them, each team was quickly exchanging information.
All output handlers had seen Chen Sui's figure emerge from the smoke.
"My quantum cannon, Simos's dual cannons, and Jipuna's energy cannon—no matter how fast Chen Sui is, once she takes the energy crystal, she can't dodge the gun cannons. Her damage level is definitely very high."
"The energy around is very strong, especially painful. She-she probably can't hold on much longer, and her mecha damage level also... anyway, it won't be low."
"With Chen Sui's mecha damage, I think we need to consider whether the instrument is on her," Zhang Yingjie adjusted his glasses, his perceptive gaze sweeping across the five members of Zhu Jing Fu. Seeing the calm aura about them, he suddenly smiled: "They're about to make a move."
Chen Sui was getting restless.
Zhang Yingjie scanned the surrounding crowd; some gun cannons were already fully charged.
"Ah Sui!"
Breaking through the silence was Xie Chunshi's calm, clear voice. A call without any fluctuation activated the Zhu Jing Fu analyst's mecha.
Chen Sui moved from the Zhu Jing Fu group, passing over a cluster of mechas, rushing toward the main base station door.
"Wait, charging right in front of everyone?" Chi Buyu was dumbfounded. He'd expected Zhu Jing Fu to enter the base station, but with so many people watching, did Chen Sui think he wouldn't attack her?
Chi Buyu looked ahead. Song Yuan nodded, synchronized with several Commanders around.
After this gesture, gun cannons aimed at Chen Sui, firing in succession toward her position.
But there was a slight discrepancy in their predictions. Chen Sui wasn't heading for the base station; her figure suddenly veered midway, directly brushing past the incoming cannon fire.
The analyst occupied the surrounding high shooting positions, her mecha landing behind a mountain ridge.
The various academies scattered separately, looking toward the Zhu Jing Fu mechas on the other side.
As Zhang Yingjie's mecha pushed forward, he reminded in the team channel: "Just contain Chen Sui, the instrument isn't on her!"
A high-damage analyst occupying an auxiliary position—Zhu Jing Fu had placed this fact in plain sight.
Zhang Yingjie didn't know Xie Chunshi's intentions, but watching Chen Sui's movements, he could roughly guess. However, this was clearly unimportant, because with Chen Sui's high damage, she could no longer bear the task in the plan.
As the four schools turned toward them, the remaining four Zhu Jing Fu mechas—two output handlers—had already propelled into midair, their gun cannons aimed at the surrounding mechas.
"Xie Chunshi," Zhang Yingjie pointed to two directions, "and Puluo, pay special attention to them."