novelraw Chapter 151 : Mechanical Tower
Chapter 151 : Mechanical Tower
The alarm sound resonated throughout the entire energy field.
Military school students distributed amid energy traps outside the base station rushed in, heading toward the repair room, encountering analysts from the main control room on the way.
"What's happening?"
Someone asked.
"Massive energy bodies surrounding the base station, already entered the high-risk range!"
The repair room door opened. Chen Sui, hearing He Lanqi's words, looked up and pointed to the operation console: "Repaired mechas are all over here."
After speaking, she glanced outside: "Where are the Commanders?"
"Commander Xie and Commander Zhang are in the main control room, remotely commanding according to the monitoring."
Chen Sui nodded slightly: "I've already replenished the cannon energy and repaired the weapons. A few mechas still need to wait a bit."
"We'll go first, the energy traps can hold them for a while," Zhou Chen scanned his mecha ring on the instrument, looking at the electromagnetic cannon energy storage, "Little Sui, did you modify the energy tank?"
"Yes, charging time will be shorter. Although the full charge energy isn't as great, it's enough for instant bursts." The electromagnetic cannon's power was formidable, but in the midst of numerous energy bodies, quick and short charges had more advantages than strong attacks.
"Several cannons' charging tanks have been changed. When fighting, adapt to them first and remember to keep distance from energy bodies."
Chen Sui turned with a somewhat serious expression, shifting her gaze from the output handlers and analysts to several single combat units: "I've also modified the energy shields for stronger resistance."
She used materials left by Chen Youjin for the modifications, with defense coefficients greatly different from conventional energy shields.
Mecha energy bodies completely replicated mecha forms. Only by altering the military school students' mecha structures could they find advantages in this kind of combat.
Others clearly understood the reason for Chen Sui's modifications and accepted them well. They waved at her without wasting time, checking their mechas and immediately heading out toward the base station exterior, beginning to charge their cannons en route.
As the crowd left, only a few mechas remained inside. Jiang Zhongyu's mecha had a special component that needed time to polish, with Chen Sui's mental power wrapped around it. Besides Forest Envelopment and his mecha, only Lu Hang Jiu's Lucius remained under repair.
Only three people remained in the repair room. Lu Hang Jiu, unable to stay quiet, watched the busy Chen Sui and Jiang Zhongyu who was passing her tools. He looked between the two and suddenly asked: "What's this?"
Chen Sui was applying energy protection and, hearing his question, lowered her eyes to look: "Mecha outer layer energy protection. With the Mechanical Tower's metal attribute energy increased, I made a high-concentration protective coating."
"Ah, that's right, our mechas are also metal. Hmm," Lu Hang Jiu shook his head, "But is this useful? I remember the passage also had protective coating, but it was still controlled by energy."
"It is useful," Chen Sui controlled the mechanical arm to spray the coating, while responding to him: "Without the coating, the passage would be gone by now."
Lu Hang Jiu: "Good thing there aren't many high-level metal attribute energy fields. Even just the Mechanical Tower is troublesome enough; the Koris Millennial Mining Area must be more problematic, right?"
"The Mechanical Tower is a special case after all," Jiang Zhongyu looked over, his exceptionally beautiful features quite aggressive, appearing somewhat fierce when looking at people, yet his eyes showed a pure, harmless quality, especially when looking at Chen Sui with a smile, "High attribute multiplication is rare, which is why Little Sui increased the concentration. For normal SSS-level, regular concentration protection would be enough."
Energy protection was specially designed for this kind of energy field.
"Speaking of which, it's fortunate your mechanical organ replacements happened before the competition," Lu Hang Jiu raised an eyebrow, "Otherwise, under this energy level control, they would easily explode, right?"
With the Mechanical Tower's internal metal attribute energy completely off the charts, if not for the protective coating on the mechas and the spirit body energy protection, they would also disintegrate directly with the metal attribute storm. In such a situation, the drivers' mechanical organs would be even more vulnerable.
Jiang Zhongyu's hand covered his chest, also breathing a sigh of relief at these words.
Credit where it's due—thankfully the Competition Committee was cautious.
In normal SSS-level energy fields, with awakened individuals controlling energy, cases of mechanical organ explosion were rare, but with the current energy concentration, mechanical organ explosions would be common.
Once anchored to energy source metal by metal attribute energy, it would become an anchor point for the birth of energy storms.
Chen Sui blinked, having adapted to the artificial eye situation. Though the mirror plug hadn't ejected, she felt some unfamiliarity in its use, but Chen Sui didn't mind too much. As they chatted to pass the anxious waiting time, she quickly completed the remaining mecha repairs.
After Lu Hang Jiu and Jiang Zhongyu left the repair room, Chen Sui finally moved away the mechanical arms wrapping Forest Envelopment. The black gold mecha's coating fell off, revealing the crimson rust inside like flowing fire, crawling on the black mecha.
Materials alone weren't enough for red rust repair. She activated the simulated energy field in the repair room, with energy gathering and surging around the red rust.
Forest Envelopment's repair process had only the final step remaining. Chen Sui had deliberately left it for last, resolving it just in time. After the mecha was fully repaired, she leaped into the cockpit, propelling toward the outside of the base station.
"Number 4702, in position."
Chen Sui activated the mecha radar, lighting up in the repaired signal inside the base station.
In the main control room, Zhang Yingjie, watching her movement trajectory, transmitted information through the joint channel: "Base station northwest direction, four mecha energy bodies converging, requesting support."
"Roger," Chen Sui replied.
She turned her feet, driving toward the northwest exit.
The base station had several weight-bearing anchor points below, extending deep into the ground, which were key targets for energy body attacks.
The military school students' task was to ensure the load-bearing pillars wouldn't be blasted down by energy, causing the base station to collapse.
When Chen Sui arrived, Ghost Flower vines extended all the way, completely entangling the giant mecha ahead. The spirit body figure moved rapidly, with black gigantic flowers blooming amid a mass of metal, black mist covering the view ahead.
Chi Buyu's cannon blasted toward the mecha's head, shattering it. But then he saw the mecha's hand rise, swinging toward him, a massive golden storm instantly condensing and rushing straight at Chi Buyu.
Chen Sui charged her cannon. Her cannon was an amplification cannon with the ability to enlarge energy. When injected with energy, it could explode with a massive energy burst, its power very strong.
The cannon was covered layer by layer with green fluorescence, rushing straight out as it fired, directly exploding in front of Chi Buyu, shattering the oncoming threat before he even finished charging.
"Holy shit," Chi Buyu instinctively looked back to see Chen Sui charging out, then let out a sigh of relief, "Finally, an analyst has arrived!"
"Sister Sui, save us," on another side, Zhao Jingzhi was already familiar with this process, busy waving his energy shield. As Chen Sui landed on the metal ridge, her energy perception swept across, and she asked: "Hmm? Four?"
"These things are too annoying. Even when shattered, they regenerate, and the energy crystal is hidden so deep. Even with Sister Xin's control, it's difficult."
Zhao Jingzhi and Xin Ming converged toward Chen Sui's position. The four mecha energy bodies stood like giants in front of the base station. In comparison, the military school students' mechas looked like miniature ornaments, and even the cannons' massive bombardment range only covered one mecha part of the energy bodies.
"Then let's increase the firepower," Chen Sui looked over at him, "I'll assist you."
Chi Buyu's mouth twitched, hearing these words. In his mind, he uncontrollably visualized Chen Sui assisting Zhou Chen in Red Moon Snow Plain, suddenly feeling an ominous premonition.
Then he heard the analyst's next sentence: "For a lightning attribute awakened individual, this shouldn't be difficult, right?"
"Zhou Chen could handle it well."
Chi Buyu rationally knew this was Chen Sui's provocation tactic, but emotionally—
If Zhou Chen could do it, how could he, Chi Buyu, fall short?
"Fine! Little Sister Sui, I've been waiting for your assistance! Just four energy bodies? Piece of cake!"
Chi Buyu snorted with a laugh, nodding at her: "Tell me what to do."
Xin Ming and Zhao Jingzhi also looked over. Chen Sui's vision swept over, her gaze locking onto the energy body swinging energy storms. She reported a position: "Chi Buyu, go here."
"Sister Xin, help control the energy body, don't let the energy storm sweep over."
Chen Sui raised her cannon to them, explaining it was an amplification cannon. Chi Buyu's eyes flashed with surprise; he seemed to understand what Chen Sui wanted to do.
His quantum cannon's energy could blast apart a portion of the energy body, but his spirit body's energy in powerful state could resist Red Moon Snow Plain's thunder. After the amplification cannon, washing over the entire energy body was possible.
Chi Buyu nodded, "When do we act?"
"Three seconds from now."
Zhao Jingzhi looked at them, pointing at himself: "What about me?"
"You have an important task," Chen Sui looked at him, "Energy anchor point aimed at me."
Zhao Jingzhi looked at her in confusion, "Huh?"
Energy anchor point aimed at Chen Sui—was he supposed to attack Chen Sui?
Xin Ming looked at Chen Sui, her brows showing disagreement: "Little Sui, this will have a very big impact on you."
Chen Sui shook her head: "It's fine, Sister Xin. Ah Xue and I often coordinate like this."
Just as she finished speaking, the black gold mecha raised a hand, and behind her, the Wood-Born Flower giant tree emerged from the ground, directly penetrating the metal surface. The root system lifted the surface metal, raising layers of veins.
The Ghost Flower extended upward from the ground. Under the energy storm's shredding, Ghost Flower vines were torn apart, but surviving vines wound toward the back of the energy body, intertwining with the Wood-Born Flower root system that had pierced through the ground, surrounding it in a circle at the outermost perimeter.
Soon, in the center of the vine circle, countless thick tree roots rushed out, shooting straight up toward the sky, like emerging tree branches. Within the root system grew countless vines, intertwining with the split Ghost Flower tendrils, traversing among the energy bodies.
The massive tree network started from the underground, extending upward, layer by layer surrounding the energy bodies.
Ghost flowers bloomed from the tree vines, black mist permeating the surroundings, temporarily halting the energy body's energy gathering action. During this pause, Chi Buyu charged from his position, his mecha shadow flashing, rushing toward the position Chen Sui had indicated.
"Chi Miao!"
With his shout, the Three-Tailed Cat's huge body descended behind him, its long tail spreading around. Lightning flashed along its black fur, and the sky instantly filled with rolling black clouds.
"Lightning Punishment!!"
Chi Buyu's figure stopped in midair, black clouds gathering, covering the sky. The sky instantly darkened, with only a beam of white light breaking through the clouds at his position. Golden light poured down, illuminating the flickering purple light at the cannon's tip.
"Boom—"
The thunderous roar of rolling thunder accompanied Chi Buyu's cannon charging. A massive lightning bolt struck down from high above, mixing into the quantum cannon enveloped by flickering lightning.
Chen Sui watched his cannon fire, aiming her amplification cannon at the trajectory, while reminding Zhao Jingzhi: "Now, anchor me!"
Zhao Jingzhi's body shook. The giant prawn's pincers closed, its long whiskers swirling in a circle. Fierce fire instantly burned the spirit body red-hot, an explosive fragrant smell bursting forth. In the cockpit, Zhao Jingzhi himself turned completely red.
Fierce flames rose from the ground, burning all the way to the high sky, extending into a wall of fire.
From this wall of flames, energy gathered into countless fireballs, exploding and falling toward the front.
Lightning carrying fierce fire, storm approaching.
Wood-Born Flower and Ghost Flower vines exerted force together. Green light traversed through the gray dust, mixing into the cyan-purple lightning and the fierce fire falling like meteors.
Vines wrapped layer upon layer around the giant mecha energy bodies. Energy light flowed past layer by layer. At the position Chen Sui had reported, a cannon carrying swift momentum arrived from behind her. Chen Sui sidestepped backward, her mecha propulsion quickly carrying the analyst away from the artillery trajectory, while simultaneously firing the amplification cannon.
At the intersection where the cannons met, the two shots collided. The fierce energy raised a mushroom cloud-like flame heat wave, quickly driving the surrounding fierce fire energy clusters. At the moment the flames gathered, they were penetrated by the descending lightning, like connected beads, triggering a rumble that blasted apart the fire clusters. The flames followed the lightning lines, directly striking the interior of the mecha energy body.
Several dull explosions sounded. Wood-Born Flower vines wrapped around energy body fragments cut by lightning, Ghost Flowers blocking sharp metal attribute storms, completely tearing the entire mecha apart.
Chi Buyu and Zhao Jingzhi's coordination didn't end there. The long-tailed cat's deep pupils flashed with purple electricity, lightning prowling toward the other side, covering the lightning net and sky-filling fire rain.
Wood-Born Flower vines followed the energy movement. In the dispersing dust, the black gold mecha's silhouette was blocked by the huge energy body, like rock climbing, quickly leaping up, rushing straight to the top of the towering Wood-Born Flower giant tree.
Chen Sui withdrew her perception, quickly confirming the energy crystal's position. Switching from cannon to spear, following the Wood-Born Flower energy guidance, the spear broke through the mecha's broken components. The analyst spear thrust forward with fierce force, even pushing the air into an invisible wind vortex, directly shredding the mecha's internal structure.
Then amid the thunderous artillery and metal collisions around, the mecha leaped up, its foot kicking toward the mecha fragments where the spear tip was embedded, her wrist pulling the spear, extracting it from the fragments.
Wood-Born Flower wrapped underneath, its vines catching the falling energy crystal. As mecha fragments fell, Chen Sui leaped into the sky.
During her brief flight, she looked down, her energy perception habitually extending outward.
The element levels throughout the energy field remained high, with linked energy more abundant than before, making Chen Sui immediately realize one thing—
The energy level was still rising, and at an increasingly faster rate.
Her pupils contracted. The mecha propelled to the top, briefly hovering in space before descending toward the ground.
At this moment, Chi Buyu and the other two were resolving the other three behemoths in this area.
Chen Sui didn't waste time. After Wood-Born Flower and Ghost Flower vines controlled the mecha energy body, she immediately cleared away surrounding obstacles. As Zhao Jingzhi watched the black gold mecha charge into the gunpowder smoke, he had already raised his cannon. On the other side, Chi Buyu was also poised and ready, with lightning crisscrossing around the long-tailed cat, its fur standing on end.
"Anchor," Chen Sui's calm voice sounded in the team channel.
"Boom—"
Zhao Jingzhi's cannon came from behind her.
The cannon shell carrying flame jets passed straight through the center of the path cleared by Chen Sui, blasting directly at the energy convergence point of the mecha energy body.
Chi Buyu's lightning strike followed immediately, spreading along the metal, quickly splitting the energy body.
"Hmm, why do I feel this guy is much easier to deal with than the first one?"
He watched the mecha energy body being split. On the other side, Xin Ming leaped from the ground. When Chen Sui reported the position, she had already locked onto the mecha fragments in her direction, immediately rushing out. According to the analyst's report, she broke through the mecha shell, with Ghost Flower vines like parasitic tentacles poking out from the mecha structure crevices.
The vines tore open mecha fragments. From the entangled black plants, a jade green branch emerged.
Wood-Born Flower encircled the energy crystal, falling into the opened Ghost Flower below. The flower closed, immediately turning toward another energy body.
Finishing the battle before them, Chen Sui heard Chi Buyu's exclamation. The taut string in her mind hadn't relaxed for a moment. Just as she was about to remind Chi Buyu, she saw the mecha receive a flashing signal request.
It was the five-school joint channel.
Just after she clicked in, He Lanqi's voice came through.
"The energy body's energy gathering is decreasing, but the surrounding energy level is still rising. Is it the same on your end?"
"That's right," Chen Sui hurriedly avoided metal spikes thrusting from behind. Energy wind blades chopped at the mecha, making chaotic sounds that no one paid attention to at the moment. Seeing the giant mecha energy body stand up, Chen Sui's pupils grew brighter. She quickly replied: "Are there many energy bodies on your side?"
"Not particularly many," Jiang Zhongyu said softly. For the entire Mechanical Tower energy field, just these few energy bodies ahead couldn't be considered many.
"Very strange. Although the energy bodies aren't many, I don't seem to sense any approaching energy body signals," this was a point that worried Jiang Zhongyu greatly.
Chen Sui gestured to Zhao Jingzhi as she and Xin Ming's mecha leaped out, one on the left and one on the right. Zhao Jingzhi's gaze followed Chen Sui's figure, setting up his cannon as she landed, the muzzle aimed at her.
"Do energy bodies have concealment attributes? Could it be hidden signals?"
The Commander at the information tower spoke: "Concealment attributes wouldn't evade even the signal tower's detection."
"In the images from the signal tower, around the base station, apart from those in front of us, there are no other organisms."
As he spoke, Chen Sui reported positions to Zhao Jingzhi. Before the cannon roar spread, she heard Xie Chunshi's somewhat hoarse voice.
Her sweeping spear movement paused, but she quickly reacted, clearing away the obstacles in front. The amplification cannon blasted a deep pit in the ground, surrounding sand flowing down to fill it, also burying the energy body skeletal fragments that had fallen on top.
The Wood-Born Flower giant tree flickered with light, its vines intertwining with Ghost Flowers, jointly tearing apart mecha fragments.
"Wait, my spirit body is about to enter a disabled state."
Xin Ming's tone was somewhat frustrated.
This was truly bad news.
A disabled state meant reduced resonance between spirit body and host. The host couldn't mobilize large amounts of energy through the spirit body. In this situation, either supplement with a lot of feed or return to the mental domain for the core crystal to recharge energy.
Xin Ming had set up too many energy traps outside the base station and had been fighting continuously for a long time; entering a disabled state wasn't too surprising.
But Chen Sui discovered that Wood-Born Flower also seemed to be flickering.
This was strange.
Since she discovered Wood-Born Flower's parasitism and decided to merge the energy crystal, Wood-Born Flower's energy crystal had been integrating well with her mental domain. It hadn't disabled even bearing such great energy in Red Moon Snow Plain, yet it was disabling after such a short battle.
How could it be disabled?
Her expression didn't change, her hands still controlling Wood-Born Flower to drive the final connected energy charge. "The last one, speed up and resolve it."
"Sister Xin, you assist me."
Wood-Born Flower covered the Ghost Flower vine's trajectory. After Xin Ming's response, Chen Sui charged toward the last giant mecha energy body.
The ground was crisscrossed with extremely thick jade green vines, which began rapidly climbing up the huge giant mecha when they reached it.
In just a few breaths, they had already covered the mecha's waist. By the time Chen Sui and Xin Ming rushed over, Wood-Born Flower tree vines had surrounded the energy body like a tree person.
Zhao Jingzhi and Chi Buyu's nerves were clearly tense. Chen Sui controlled the mecha energy body while cutting through the energy wind blades in front. Her spear swept through the high air with powerful force, shaking the air in front into wave after wave of ripples.
When she stood firm and confirmed the position, she reported to Zhao Jingzhi behind her.
The coordination of the four had become well-practiced. Chi Buyu's lightning charge grew more violent each time, while the giant mecha energy bodies became increasingly fragile.
The first one couldn't even be completely approached and wrapped by Wood-Born Flower, but this one could be trapped immobile.
Chen Sui flashed out during the interval of firing the amplification cannon, her pupils reflecting the rising flames in front of her.
The lightning striking down from the black clouds seemed to have the weight of ten thousand jun, creating a mountain-collapsing boom as it hit the mecha. Fragments scattered around, Wood-Born Flower vines traversing, Ghost Flowers emerging from underground, clearing away all obstacles.
Under the joint force of the vines, an energy crystal was extracted from within the energy body.
"Boom—"
The other fragments of the mecha were flung to the ground by Wood-Born Flower, the framework crashing down with a huge sound.
Dust rose, painting the view ahead in grayish-yellow.
"Phew—," the mecha from high above slowly landed on a high slope not far away. Lightning still sizzled, spitting electric sparks around. Chi Buyu's hair had all stood up. Seeing the giant energy body resolved, he let out a heavy breath.
"Have you resolved your side?" he asked the Xitisi Commander in the channel.
Song Yuan was working together with Simos and others. The southeast direction faced the mining area convergence, with more giant mecha energy bodies than here, so most military school students were guarding the southeast direction.
Song Yuan had just extracted a blue ice flow from the energy body's body. As it emerged, the ice flow melted, the water flow pushing the energy crystal inside toward her palm.
"Almost, just one more left," Song Yuan looked up to see Black Mamba revealing eerie snake pupils from midair, black gas exhaling layer by layer, carrying a strong paralyzing effect that directly knocked down the energy body. As soon as it fell to the ground, it was completely wrapped by the Xitisi analyst's straw branches, then dealt with by Xiao Er who charged forward from behind.
Chen Sui watched the slowly settling dust in front of her. The energy bodies around had been resolved by cannons and energy attacks. This area of the base station seemed somewhat quiet amid the loud artillery fire around.
This quiet was too abnormal. Chen Sui, at a high vantage point near the base station, looked ahead: "Information tower, how are the energy body signals around?"
The two Commanders stationed at the information tower were searching through rapidly flowing information, but the entire program's operation showed no abnormalities.
Xie Chunshi's long eyebrows furrowed together, his tone lowering: "Abnormality is high, no energy body signals displayed around."
When Chen Sui heard his voice, her ears suddenly moved slightly. The black gold mecha's vision turned, looking out into the distance, quietly warning: "The ground is shaking."
As she finished, her perception simultaneously spread out.
In the team channel, a girl exclaimed in surprise: "My perception..."
"My perception has disappeared!"
The Xitisi analyst's eyes had been flickering, his face showing anxiety, surprise, and self-blame not yet fully expressed before being forcibly controlled in place by this sentence. He swallowed two or three times before finding his voice.
"M-my perception has also disappeared."
He Chigui's clear pupils carried a watery gleam as he looked back at the Commander in terror.
Song Yuan stepped forward, her hand pressing on his shoulder: "Can't sense anything?"
"No, no," He Chigui shook his head, "It's that the perception is completely buried."
He Chigui always appeared shrinking, very timid, lowering his eyes even when meeting others' gazes. Because his heart was filled with insecurity, his speech always carried some reserve, rarely being extremely certain.
However, faced with disappearing perception, any analyst knew what this meant.
—A trace of energy in the mental domain had completely vanished in the massive energy storm, even before penetrating deeply, utterly shredded.
This situation had no other explanation and was completely different from being concealed by concealment attributes.
He Lanqi clearly sensed a subtle pain in her mental domain, representing the energy perception being crushed by the converging storm.
Jiang Zhongyu's lips looked somewhat pale, but Xue Yaoyao bit her lip, somewhat unwilling to show weakness as she raised her hand.
Twin Butterfly traced a bright white light in the dark sky, the butterflies dancing, shuttling through the raging winds from midair, rushing toward the distance: "I don't believe it, what exactly is it—"
She had only said half her sentence when Chen Sui looked toward Xue Yaoyao's position. Twin Butterfly flew toward the distant horizon, about to cross the skyline when it seemed to hit an invisible wall. Shapeless energy like floating light directly penetrated through Twin Butterfly's body.
Chen Sui's eyes focused: "Is this an energy storm?"
An energy storm that had even materialized!