Mecha Chapter 276: Together

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: GaeaTiamat

 

“Are you sure you can do it?” On the opposite screen, Li Mo looked at Luo XiaoLou skeptically.

Luo XiaoLou fingers slid over the operating keyboard, as he said with unparalleled certainty, “Absolutely no problem. I’ve practiced before. Isn’t it just leaving? I can handle such a simple thing.”

“Keep a distance of one thousand meters from me. Don’t panic when things happen, I’ll handle everything.” Li Mo gave him a look, and ended the communication.

125 and Luo XiaoLou were both relieved. Originally, Luo XiaoLou wanted to sit in the passenger seat of Li Mo’s mecha, but 125 firmly refused and cried in Luo XiaoLou’s mind for a long time, afraid that his slightest movement would be his brother’s lesson.

Luo XiaoLou had no choice but to drive himself. Since there was no way to rely on others in the future with his situation, it was better to start developing good habits now.

“Hey, now you are poor except for me. You left everything to them.” 125 executed the instruction while he multi-tasked.

Luo XiaoLou frowned. “Are you qualified to be jealous of others? You took away half of the super energy boxes and black chert.” As he contemplated the things left behind, Luo XiaoLou suddenly thought of the small package 125 had put on the bed. He asked, “What did you leave behind for Yuan Xi?”

125’s figure paused for zero point one second, then accelerated while he unconsciously raised his voice to explain himself. “Ah, what? You said I left something behind? That, that. Yuan Xi asked me to get it. You know, as your household robot, Yuan Xi often instructed me to work for him without permission.”

Luo XiaoLou looked at the dinosaur stereoscopic image on the screen in surprise. He’d just casually asked. 125’s reaction was too big.

Luo XiaoLou didn’t say anything else. 125 anxiously added, “I guarantee that I did not take the initiative. I have a recording to prove it!”

“…what recording?” He didn’t know why, but Luo XiaoLou suddenly had a strong feeling of foreboding.

“Do you want to see it?! However, not now. There’s too much information. I’ll find it and bring it to you.” The stereoscopic image on the screen quickly finished, then turned his back to Luo XiaoLou and posed as if it was busy.

Luo XiaoLou stared at 125 for a while. He didn’t bother to pursue it. He would never see Yuan Xi again anyway. When he thought of that, Luo XiaoLou’s emotions sank, and he thought that the slower their speed, the better.

A day and a half later, Li Mo’s voice suddenly came. “Let’s rest for a while. If you are this distracted for the next part, even if there is no battle, it will be dangerous.”

Luo XiaoLou came back to his senses, only to find that Li Mo had stopped his huge mecha not far in front of him. In front of Li Mo, was a halo was too large to be seen in one glance.

Luo XiaoLou looked at the ring of light in surprise. Debris belts were common in the universe, but it was rare to see such a large debris belt, and mecha warriors would rather take detours than choose to cross a debris belt if they didn’t have to.

“Time is of the essence, and I know a fairly safe route. So if you concentrate, you should have no problem,” Li Mo said again.

Luo XiaoLou calmed heart down a little, and started to do a simple overhaul for 125. After which Luo XiaoLou ate, then deliberately drank some of the source fruit water. Half an hour later, the two were rested, and one after the other they flew into the debris belt.

Before he entered the debris belt, Li Mo frowned and looked back. But he didn’t say anything, just accelerated the speed a little.

Luo XiaoLou was a bit nervous as he followed Li Mo. His hands moved quickly on the console. Li Mo had said the relatively safe path would still be very difficult for him. He was already comfortable with the application of Yuan Power, and could observe all the debris moving around him at high speed. But he also had to keep up with Li Mo’s very fast figure with a high command input speed, while he fought off the small debris that occasionally flew over.

Luo XiaoLou had his hands full, but thankfully, two hours later he was still right behind Li Mo.

Li Mo smiled faintly, and his fingers quickly entered a few more commands.

At this time, Maxim’s serious child voice sounded, “Why did you boost the speed, so far away from the light pressure?” Now they had even exceeded the speed used when they came.

Li Mo glanced at the image on the screen, and the person behind him again, then grunted. “He’s doing fine, isn’t he? Besides, we need to get rid of that guy. I don’t want to keep letting him seduce my underage brother. XiaoLou is so young, but he actually defied me. If I was at Blue Origin Star, I would have beaten him to death.”

Maxim was silenced for a moment. “That’s true.” But in terms of human age, Luo XiaoLou was old enough to get married.

After he looked at Li Mo’s unhappy expression, Maxim swallowed that sentence.

He didn’t know how long it took. Luo XiaoLou was sweating profusely, and his fingers were so stiff they hardly looked like his own. It was at that time that the communication channel opened and Li Mo said, “Hold on a little longer. There’s still an hour before we’re out.”

Luo XiaoLou, who was so focused that he was starting to get dizzy, breathed a sigh of relief. He was just about to enter his next command, when he saw the debris in front of him suddenly explode. Li Mo’s voice rang in his ears, “Leave, XiaoLou! Back up!”

Luo XiaoLou was stunned, but 125 was already rapidly moving backward. Because of the rush, 125 hit a few pieces of debris, but the good thing was that there was no damage.

When he looked ahead, he saw that a number of dark green mecha had appeared around Li Mo. Luo XiaoLou’s face changed. He was familiar with those dark green mechas, and so were the nations at war. It was the octopus people’s mechas.

Luo XiaoLou, after he observed a few seconds, operated 125, then turned around and flew back along the path through the debris. Li Mo wasn’t in danger for the time being. If he stayed, he would distract Li Mo rather than being of help. 

The path back was even tougher, and there seemed to be a sudden increase in debris. Together with Luo XiaoLou’s concern about Li Mo, he wasn’t able to concentrate, and several times 125 almost hit boulders. After another sharp turn, Luo XiaoLou dodged a few medium-sized rocks. He intended to let 125 destroy the next small, inconspicuous one.

It was too late for Luo XiaoLou to dodge the boulder, then a flash of light exploded behind the debris!

He hadn’t expected to encounter a photon cannon among the debris. Luo XiaoLou’s finger twitched and the command was entered at the last second. Whether he could dodge it, would depend on luck. He prayed that 125’s defense system was strong enough.

When the photon cannon exploded into a huge corona in front of Luo XiaoLou’s eyes, Luo XiaoLou only felt his body shake, and then nothing moved.

He opened his eyes, and a hint of hope rose in his heart. He got busy and asked, “125. Are you okay?”

125 was silent for a moment. “I’m fine. What’s not fine is you. Don’t you think something is wrong?”

Luo XiaoLou blinked, looked at the screen, and his face immediately changed. In the upper left corner of the screen, on the holographic display map, was no longer a dark blue mecha, but a golden mecha carrying a dark blue mecha.

Luo XiaoLou took a deep breath. When did Yuan Xi arrive?!

An hour later, at the edge of the debris belt, three mecha floated silently in space.

“Tell me what’s going on. I let you hide for a while, and now you invite him here.” Li Mo said faintly, with a cold face.

Luo XiaoLou didn’t dare to look directly at Li Mo on the screen as he whispered, “I was in danger. Yuan Xi just arrived and saved me.”

“Is that so? That’s really timely.” The sarcasm in Li Mo’s tone reached both of their ears through the communication system.

Yuan Xi’s eyes finally spared Luo XiaoLou, and said before Luo XiaoLou could explain, “Wait. I came to find my partner. It’s only right that I come, correct? Moreover, what do you mean by taking him away privately without my consent?”

Li Mo ignored Yuan Xi’s questioning, just grunted coldly. “You are really confident. Do you think XiaoLou has no mind of his own? He wanted to leave you of his own will. Ask him clearly, then please leave immediately. The exotic beast’s inheritance place won’t welcome humans.”

Yuan Xi looked at Luo XiaoLou, who had his head down. An imperceptible tension flashed in his eyes, and after a few seconds said, “Listen, my dear, I believe you don’t really want to leave me. We were together yesterday, and I know you love me. And, since I chose you, I won’t give up on our marriage, no matter what the odds.”

“That is just wishful thinking, you are not fit to be together at all, and the fact that he left with me was the best proof of that.” Li Mo said with a frown, while he swept a glance at Luo XiaoLou. He didn’t understand why he still wouldn’t say something to make Yuan Xi leave with a dead heart.

“How…did you find your way here?” Luo XiaoLou hesitated for half a day, and finally answered with such a sentence. As he faced Yuan Xi, he recalled the words he had said fluently to Yuan Che, but now he couldn’t say anything.

Yuan Xi looked at him and didn’t get angry at Luo XiaoLou for not responding to his feelings. Instead he showed a rare great patience. “I set a locator in the dagger I gave you.”

Li Mo glared at Luo XiaoLou and said, “Give it back to him or throw it away.”

Luo XiaoLou still kept his head down. He was unable to take out the dagger, and he didn’t want to tell Yuan Xi to leave. As he looked at the tension and persistence in Yuan Xi’s eyes, he felt that he just couldn’t say those words. He had rarely seen such a look on the domineering Yuan Xi’s face, but every time he did, it seemed to be about him.

“You have to know that you are in a situation…and that it is simply impossible for you two.” Li Mo couldn’t help but say.

Yuan Xi immediately said, “Nothing is impossible. No matter what happens, no matter what his identity is, I will take him back.”

Luo XiaoLou licked his lips, and finally said with difficulty, “Yuan Xi. You, you have to go back. You don’t know how bad the situation is. We aren’t right together. I…it’s my bad. I don’t deserve you–“

“I don’t care!” Yuan Xi suddenly interrupted Luo XiaoLou’s words, as he stared at Luo XiaoLou angrily. “While I was chasing you, I had time to consider. No matter what the situation, whether you are an exotic beast, or something else, even if you really did hide your identity to approach me, I have to take you back. In the end, we are husband and wife and that is not going to change.” As well as Luo XiaoLou’s feelings for him. He had pestered him to say the phrase “don’t leave me,” repeatedly. Yuan Xi remembered that especially well.

Luo XiaoLou was silent. Li Mo looked at his disreputable brother, then gave Yuan Xi a hard stare, and dropped the sentence, “You will regret this.” Then he manipulated his mecha to fly forward.

Luo XiaoLou and Yuan Xi followed Li Mo a few seconds later, and left the debris belt one after the other.

They encountered no more obstacles on the way. After another day of flight, Li Mo stopped in front of a planet wrapped in fog.

Luo XiaoLou found it hard to penetrate the fog with his Yuan Power and was puzzled when he saw Li Mo flying towards it. After a conversation with Yuan Xi, the two of them also followed and flew into the fog.

Once through the fog, the full view of the planet was revealed. Even though he had seen the most beautiful planets in the Empire, Luo XiaoLou couldn’t help but admire it in his heart. With its mountains, plains, lush vegetation, clear lakes, and almost no pollution, the planet was fascinatingly beautiful.

Li Mo flew close to the ground for a while, then urged Luo XiaoLou to fly higher as he passed a few deep canyons.

“What’s wrong?” Luo XiaoLou couldn’t help but ask.

“There are things down there you wouldn’t want to see. You’re too weak to fight them now.” Li Mo replied.

“Are they large beasts?”

“They were also considered exotic beast food. A few hundred years ago, this area below was originally an exotic beast farm. Back then, immature exotic beasts would be sent inside to come out alive as a rite of passage. But that won’t happen for a long time to come. They have undergone some changes,” Li Mo said calmly.

Luo XiaoLou immediately drove 125 about ten meters higher. He was secretly thankful that he didn’t have to participate in such a bizarre coming-of-age ceremony.

“Here we are.” With that, Li Mo directed the mecha down, and finally stopped in front of a big mountain.

Yuan Xi came out of his mecha, and walked up to Luo XiaoLou with a bad look on his face, then hugged him hard. While Luo XiaoLou hated himself for his lack of determination, he thought it was great to see him again.

Li Mo stopped outside the mountain, took out a yellow prismatic object and moved it in mid-air. Then, as if a picture in front of him was being cut open, there was a rippling wobble and the mountain was gone. Now there was a huge plain of the three.

As Li Mo took Luo XiaoLou and Yuan Xi forward, Luo XiaoLou looked back and observed what seemed to be a huge cover that protected the plain inside. Its exterior then resumed the appearance of a mountain.

“This is Landa’s seal that leads to the sealed exotic beast place.” Li Mo explained to Luo XiaoLou.

As Luo XiaoLou heard these words, something flashed in his mind. The dream he had a long time ago, with the scent of birds and flowers, and the sound of monsters. It seemed to be this place.

“The base is down there.” Li Mo said as he opened an entrance in the ground.

 Luo XiaoLou and Yuan Xi followed Li Mo down, as they walked on the metal steps.

Once they entered the underground area, Luo XiaoLou stood dumbfounded. This was worthy of the exotic beasts. It was much more developed than humans. Even after many years, the magnificent underground city was still amazing. Everywhere was evidence of top level technology. Even though they knew they were underground, it appeared no different from above. The air, grass, and a sun at the top; it didn’t feel like it was underground at all.

“You rest for a day, and tomorrow the treatment will start.” Li Mo finished, looked at Yuan Xi again, turned around and left.

Luo XiaoLou was wondering where he and Yuan Xi were going to rest, when a door to the left opened, and a man came out with a smile. “Lou XiaoLou, It’s so nice of you to come.”

Luo XiaoLou looked at Cyril, who was walking towards him, and also smiled, while Yuan Xi’s expression wasn’t so good. When Luo XiaoLou started to walk over, he was pulled hard by Yuan Xi’s hand.

Luo XiaoLou turned around, and clasped Yuan Xi’s hand too. Then he took two steps forward before he halted.

Cyril greeted them with a smile, then said, “Your Two Highnesses, I’ll take you to where you can rest.”

All the way to the resting place, Yuan Xi wasn’t willing to leave Luo XiaoLou for even a step. Because of his previous record, Luo XiaoLou didn’t object. In fact, he would like to be tired of being with Yuan Xi all the time.

Although, he also admitted that when he was with Yuan Xi, his brain clearly functioned inefficiently.

After the two of them washed up together, Yuan Xi carried Luo XiaoLou back to the bed, and then looked at him with a sullen face. “Aren’t you going to confess anything? After I announced to everyone today that you are still my Prince Consort?”

Luo XiaoLou was shocked. Yuan Xi then told him what he had found out about Jui Yuan and the Federation’s collusion against the exotic beasts.

“What else are you hesitating about? Our identity isn’t a problem,” Yuan Xi asked as he forcefully put his arm around Luo XiaoLou.

As Luo XiaoLou struggled to speak, Yuan Xi suddenly kissed him. He said while they kissed, “I don’t want to hear lies. I’ll give you one last chance.”

Half an hour later, 125, who was hiding in the doorway as he eavesdropped, sighed. In front of Yuan Xi, Luo XiaoLou would always be overwhelmed by beauty, and unknowingly, he would reveal the whole situation to Yuan Xi.

Yuan Xi was silent for a long time, then finally hugged Luo XiaoLou even more tightly. He didn’t think that the egg inside Luo XiaoLou would actually lead to such a horrible result. “Don’t worry, I’ll go with you.”

Luo XiaoLou’s hands were shaking a bit as he hugged Yuan Xi back, and his eyes were indisputably moist. Yan Xi was still there after he knew that the Protura egg was inside him. He finally felt a hint of relief in his heart, and his fears finally dared to show themselves.

While the two men rested in the exotic beasts’ sealed place, Cyril was still able to get intelligence outside. The war had broken out in full force, and the mutant octopus people’s front had begun to advance inside the Empire and Federation’s territory.

Telles, the second level civilization, sent a force to the Federation to assist them against the octopus people. The Empire’s guiding nation, Attius, also a second level civilization, sent dozens of advanced warships, although it didn’t send troops. For the people of the Empire, it was like sending carbon in snow.

Moreover, there was no oppression from that second level civilization.

The contrast made many Federation officials sour in their hearts.

Although both sides had foreign help, the octopus people’s mutations seemed to keep leveling up, and almost every day the octopus people that appeared were more difficult to deal with than the day before. The battle line slowly moved backwards, and although people still had hope in their hearts, they couldn’t hide their worries. Every time news of the battle came in, people began to plan a new relocation operation. The sky over the entire Imperial Capital was overcast and gloomy.

Planet H5, the frontline administrative planet of the Empire, was at the forefront of the battle line. Smoke was rising. The base had been almost destroyed by the artillery fire, and five minutes earlier, the upper echelon gave the order to retreat.

Yang Ke hesitated. The last warship was in front of him. If he didn’t leave, he would probably have to live on Planet H5. However, Ling Xu hadn’t returned yet.

“Please get on board immediately! You can’t wait any longer!” A soldier shouted to Yang Ke, who was standing at the door.

Yang Ke took one more look into the distance, gritted his teeth and got on the battleship with red eyes. Two minutes later, the battleship shot up into the sky.

Not far from the port, in an inconspicuous half-destroyed building, Shen Yuan gazed at the light gray sky and sighed softly. He didn’t want to go, but before Ling Xu went out, he explained that if the officers above gave the order to retreat and a group stayed behind, every mecha maker there must also leave their group.

For the last group of people, there may be no way to leave. Shen Yuan touched the Kane Group logo on his arm. He thought about his Teacher Di Jia and Master Yan, who had been guiding him, and silently thought, They’d been training him for so long. So now he’d pay them back this time.

Shen Yuan hesitated, then took out a Tier 8 bio-mecha, which he’d assembled together with Luo XiaoLou.

Yuan Che knew his abilities, and only flew carefully along the ground around the obstacles. After another spell of hiding, Shen Yuan finally saw the group of mecha warriors that were too late in returning.

This was a group of mecha warriors that consisted of almost all the elite of the entire base, and had been the biggest factor in allowing such a large group of advance troops to be safely evacuated. But the elite team was now surrounded, and significantly outnumbered by dark green mecha.

In that moment, despair flashed through Shen Yuan’s heart. There was no way they could leave under these circumstances.

After half a day of intense artillery fire, the place gradually quieted down. Almost none of the Imperial mecha warriors were standing, but two-thirds of the octopus people’s mechas were still in attack positions.

After the octopus people sent a message of victory and began to celebrate, a pale red light flashed. After a huge explosion, the octopus people’s mecha were no longer visible.

Shen Yuan’s heart celebrated the advantage created for him by the base’s elite, but tried to maintain his composure, and save the mecha warriors who were still alive.

With thirty-five men and only eight alive, Shen Yuan gave a silent military salute to the fallen mecha warriors, then took those who were badly injured into his mecha.

If they didn’t leave, they wouldn’t be able to if the octopus people reacted.

Shen Yuan sent all the people to a small transport ship, and then used his fastest speed to start the ship and leave.

It was only once the ship was far away from Planet H5 that Shen Yuan’s body stopped its slight trembling. He didn’t feel ashamed of himself for that. He was a mecha maker, and had never participated in any battles.

Just as Shen Yuan slid out of his chair and sat down on the floor in disarray, the door to the cockpit was pushed open.

A handsome face with blood still on it appeared in the doorway. He frowned at Shen Yuan inside, and suddenly asked sternly, “Why are you here? Where was Yang Ke? Did I say to let him leave first and you stay?”

Shen Yuan glanced at Ling Xu, and said lightly, “Colonel Ling. We were already the last group. There are no more living people on Planet H5. As for Yang Ke, I don’t know where he is.”

 

Ling Xu’s face was instantly gloomy. He stared coldly at Shen Yuan, and said with anger, “How dare you not go looking for him? I’m warning you, even if Yang Ke is dead, I won’t let you have your way. Kane’s chief mecha maker will never be you.”