Chapter 1 The First Step
The first step was to obtain a new mecha.
What the people at the camp had said was right; a mecha master without a mecha was like scrap, utterly incapable of fighting.
Ancient mechas were great weapons, but unfortunately, they couldn't protect their pilots.
"There's no need to repair the Azure Brilliant Swordsman. Firstly, it's too time-consuming. Secondly, the Azure Brilliant Swordsman cannot withstand the instantaneous depletion from activating all its skills."
"From what I see now, my master and I have taken different paths of progress."
"With his strength, the mecha capabilities of the Azure Brilliant Swordsman are certainly insufficient."
"Yet, he can still operate the Azure Brilliant Swordsman with ease, leveraging its strengths and avoiding its weaknesses."
"I am different. Compared to my master, I am more like someone with clumsy skills, only able to reactively use my abilities."
"Is this my technical bottleneck?"
"Master, you are talking to yourself again..." the Ancient Mecha said presumptuously.
"Maintain a three-kilometer perimeter for alerts. Do not disturb me," Gu Ya said quickly and seriously.
The system's mall contained tens of thousands of mecha spare parts.
Filtering out the needed parts from this vast selection, and then assembling them in a coordinated and aesthetically pleasing manner, was no easy feat.
If he were to buy a finished product directly, tsk tsk, what if he ended up with a "Qilong" again? Taking it onto the battlefield would surely arouse suspicion from the army.
Being a low-key powerhouse was truly not easy.
"Continue to use a medium-sized close-combat mecha frame. The kinetic stamper disk must be able to mount a large thruster. For the pipelines, use a class-body material with the strongest resistance to negative states, at 15% content."
"The internal skeleton must be able to withstand the damage from instant flash bursts. Use the purest and hardest class-body alloy currently obtainable."
"Do not use traditional electrical signal output for driving. Switch to the closed-loop optical signal drive of the Qilong mecha."
"All joint components, bearings, gears, dynamic and static friction pads, drive assemblies... alas, no more picky choosing. All million parts will be the most advanced and durable. After all, they are inside the armor and won't be seen."
"For the mecha control system, uh, use Xianxia's most advanced. In short, everything internal, whether hardware or software, will be the best."
"As for the external armor..."
Gu Ya lowered his head, recalling the appearance of the Azure Brilliant Swordsman.
It was indeed very graceful and heroic.
During combat, the head armor would flip down to reveal alloy goggles, with two golden antennae extending backward.
Especially its rear propulsion, when it spewed out flames, it was like a swordsman's cape.
It exuded a chivalrous aura all over.
It perfectly matched Wang Shangmeng's hearty and dashing temperament.
Gu Ya chuckled and shook his head, saying, "I still prefer to be more low-key."
"Hmm... Why are the mechas in this world like big lummoxes? Why can't they transform?" Gu Ya mused softly.
"That's right!"
Gu Ya suddenly looked up. When he was researching mecha motorcycles, he had suspected that since they were mechas, transformation capabilities should also be a feature.
Transformation could help deal with certain special situations.
"Wait, wait, wait..."
"There are no transformable mecha spare parts in the system's mall, which means I have to invent it myself."
Gu Ya looked back at the system mall, his gaze incidentally landing on the experience points:
【4999/5000】
He had been stuck as an Advanced Mecha Mechanic for almost half a year.
The last time, he had unlocked advanced status in a near-death situation.
In the past six months, he had faced life-threatening challenges more than once.
Each time, it was more severe than a bounty hunt.
"There should be other unlocking methods. I'll take it slow. The immediate priority is to buy a mecha and find Ye Ying."
Gu Ya refocused his mind, staring intently at the system mall.
Time ticked by, second by second.
The surrounding air had become thin and cold.
Gu Ya, wearing only a single layer of clothing, felt no cold at all.
When he concentrated his energy entirely on one point, he could even block out all senses.
As Gu Ya exhaled deeply,
Finally, the new mecha was assembled.
Gu Ya looked up silently at the night sky, simultaneously clicking on "Confirm Purchase" with his finger.
This time, instead of a strong wind,
A massive sea-blue ball of light gradually appeared, illuminating the surrounding land.
It hovered brilliantly in mid-air, very quietly.
Gu Ya squinted, his expression calm and collected, but his heart was exceptionally excited, anticipating the arrival of his new mecha.
However, after a long while, the large sea-blue ball of light showed no change.
Gu Ya slowly stood up, his brow furrowed, looking at the light ball and muttering in confusion, "That's it? What's going on? Why hasn't the mecha appeared?"
The Ancient Mecha landed heavily in the distance and slowly walked towards the light ball.
Compared to it, this light ball was still rather small.
The Ancient Mecha locked onto the light ball with its dark red gaze. After a moment of silence, it spoke in a low voice, "Master, it... is still incubating."
"Incubating? Are you sure? This is machinery! It's steel! How can it incubate!!!" Gu Ya was greatly perplexed.
The Ancient Mecha's head tilted slightly, "I see its internal skeleton has formed, and it is now generating pipelines, joints, transmission systems, and signal systems."
"Did Master use the most advanced components?"
"How do you know!?" Gu Ya was even more confused.
When the Qilong mecha was generated, it was just a flash of white light, instantly transforming into a mecha.
Why was this process so complicated!
"Master has used the world's most advanced spare parts, materials, and technology for a single mecha."
"These technologies are the top secrets of various countries."
"To integrate these into a single mecha requires countless trials and modifications."
"It is currently operating at a calculation speed of one hundred million times per second, simultaneously experimenting and assembling."
"Each experiment might involve tens of thousands of cycles."
"To produce this mecha, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of trials must be conducted."
"Please wait a bit longer, Master. I observe that your vital signs are rapidly depleting. It is time for nourishment and rest."
Gu Ya, unsure whether he felt joy or worry, asked, "Approximately how long will it take?"
"Thirty to sixty minutes."
Gu Ya nodded. Ye Ying had taken his school uniform.
He was indeed hungry, thirsty, and cold now.
"Alright, I command you to be a mother hen! Hatch it!" Gu Ya shouted, turning to walk back towards the cave.
"Master, I do not have a hen imitation program. Moreover, I am male," the Ancient Mecha asked blankly.
"Just guard it! Stop all this chattering and useless talk!"
Gu Ya returned to the cave, leaned against Ye Ying's spot, and began eating heartily.
The food from the Yadaya region was truly unpalatable, mixed with who knows what, and gritty.
However, Gu Ya had tested it all; there were no human tissues inside.
After eating, Gu Ya went out again to take a look.
The Ancient Mecha was squatting beside the "blue egg," staring at it motionlessly.
It truly looked like a mother hen guarding her egg.
Gu Ya chuckled softly and returned to the cave.
Since he was going to wait anyway, he might as well sleep.
"I haven't slept for 24 hours... I'm really... so sleepy..."
Gu Ya murmured, closing his eyes.
"Gu Ya! Hahaha!" Ye Ying suddenly ran over, laughing.
She was laughing so happily; Gu Ya had never seen her so joyful.
"We're getting married tomorrow. Do you remember what you promised me?" Ye Ying leaned into Gu Ya's embrace and asked softly.
"I, I remember. Uh, let me think... I promised you so many things, like buying you a new mecha?" Gu Ya replied with a smile.
"No! You said that once we got married, we would go to the sea of stars!"
"The sea of stars? But, this world, this world... why can't we go to the sea of stars?" Gu Ya wondered.
"I don't care, you have to keep your promise!" Ye Ying ran off playfully.
"Ah!" Gu Ya shouted, "Ye Ying, don't leave me!"
Suddenly, a colossal wall rose where Ye Ying had run, so high it was insurmountable, and so long it was impossible to bypass.
It starkly separated the two!
"Gu Ya! Wait for me, I will find you! Wait for me!" Ye Ying called out loudly from the other side of the wall.
"Ye Ying!"
"Master!!!"
Gu Ya suddenly woke up, confused for three seconds before letting out a long sigh. It was just a dream, how close.
"What are you shouting for? You're deafening me!"
"Master, it's about to hatch. You should come witness it personally."
Gu Ya's mind immediately jolted awake, all sleepiness vanishing!
He got up, patted the dust off his back, and quickly walked out of the cave.
At this moment, in the dim night sky, the blue ball of light seemed to have grown larger than before.
Through the soft, bright light, the rudimentary form of a mecha could already be faintly seen, curled up in the blue light like an infant in a womb.
Gu Ya's heart was in his throat,
He wished he could rush into the light right now to see clearly.
Waiting time always felt long.
Gu Ya endured patiently, suppressing his excitement, adjusting his breathing, and gazing silently.
Finally, the blue light began to expand.
Gu Ya's eyes widened, his pupils contracting.
Within seconds, the blue light had expanded to a volume larger than the Ancient Mecha itself.
Immediately afterward, it shrank back to its original size.
With a sudden burst, the light ball emitted dazzling blue light!
Gu Ya quickly reached out and pulled out a pair of light-blocking goggles and put them on.
That dazzling blue light gradually condensed together, forming the various parts of the mecha.
Starting from the feet, it slowly condensed upwards, all the way to the head.
Suddenly, the blue light dissipated,
The surroundings immediately dimmed.
The Ancient Mecha very obediently turned on its full-body spotlights, illuminating its new companion.
Gu Ya dropped the light-blocking glasses and looked up.
A sea-blue mecha stood tall in front of him.
Sixteen and a half meters tall, neither too tall nor too short.
To be honest, its appearance didn't particularly impress Gu Ya.
It was so ordinary that if placed on a battlefield, it wouldn't even be identified as a special type of mecha.
But,
As Gu Ya observed closely, he could discern hidden qualities in the minute details.
For ease of movement, the gaps at some joint areas had to meet a standard width. For protection, at most, an inner lining armor would be installed within the gaps.
This mecha's armor was so seamless that not a single gap wider than thirty centimeters could be seen, as if the entire body was a work of divine craftsmanship, naturally formed.
Its overall streamlined design looked more pleasing and comfortable than those flashy armor exteriors.
The head armor lacked stylish external decorations, but that head armor clearly meant business. Its functions were all-inclusive, and by omitting decorative parts, it focused more on practicality.
The well-proportioned and robust upper body perfectly formed an inverted triangle.
Those two thick, long legs made its power undeniable.
This mecha was more like an unassuming martial arts master of peerless skill, possessing hidden depths.
Gu Ya looked at his latest creation with satisfaction. It was a bit ugly, but as long as it was powerful, that was enough.
The Ancient Mecha asked in a low voice, "Master, what offensive weapons does it possess?"
Gu Ya smiled faintly, instantly summoning his exoskeleton, and shouted, "Let me show you!"
Saying that, he leaped up, flying towards the cockpit.