Mecha Chapter 44: Training

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Sulo

 

Luo XiaoLou served dinner. Although Yuan Xi hadn’t asked for anything lately, Luo XiaoLou had been preparing dinner according to Yuan Xi’s tastes for the past few days. This was a tacit gesture of goodwill.

Yuan Xi’s face was cold every time and he didn’t say anything. But Luo XiaoLou could tell by the clean plates at the end of every meal that this guy was actually quite satisfied.

Luo XiaoLou was more careful in front of the dark-faced Yuan Xi today. He really didn’t want to offend him. He wanted to live a few more years and enjoy the good life, and all that.

The fish and all the broccoli near Yuan Xi was eaten up. Even the beef stew near Luo XiaoLou was eaten up as well. Had he really prepared too little?

In the past, Yuan Xi used to eat his portion in silence and then turn away, as though staying with Luo XiaoLou was unbearable for him. But today, Yuan Xi had eaten more than usual.

Luo XiaoLou was a little uneasy. He was already considering giving up his portion to Yuan Xi.

At this moment, Yuan Xi suddenly looked at him and coldly asked, “Why were you training with that… Mecha Department person today?”

Luo XiaoLou’s heart skipped a beat. He swallowed the food in his mouth and quickly said, “Do you mean Zhuang Yi?”

Yuan Xi’s face immediately turned ugly. Shit. Remembering names so clearly!

Although he didn’t know why, Luo XiaoLou was sensitive to Yuan Xi’s irritability so he immediately explained, “Starting today, the students of the Mecha Department and the Mecha Manufacturing Department will begin practicing as a team. It’s to prepare for the team grouping in a month. Didn’t you already know that? Haven’t you special students been practicing together for a long time?”

Luo XiaoLou politely reminded Yuan Xi that he was out with the Mecha Manufacturing Department students today. He really had no right to accuse him of training together with someone else.

Yuan Xi was stunned and his face softened a bit, but he still had no intention of leaving. Sitting across from Luo XiaoLou, he began sarcastically, “You said that Zhuang Yi — he seems to be a student in our class. How did you get chosen?”

Luo XiaoLou blushed with embarrassment. Dryly, he said, “He doesn’t seem to care who his companions are. He picked at random and I just happened to pass by him.” Bastard. That was a mistake! It’s so frustrating that everyone seems to be clinging to this one topic!

Yuan Xi immediately caught the last sentence. Eyes wide, he raised his voice and growled, “Pass? You mean you went to him yourself? I told you I don’t like my slaves going around hitting on people!”

Luo XiaoLou’s face began to turn blue as the conversation continued in such a path. Luo XiaoLou said softly, “I know. I promised you, too — but today’s incident really wasn’t intentional. It’s hard to find a suitable partner for a Class 10 student like me. I was going to train on my own and I was making my way in when I happened to pass by Zhuang Yi. I think he picked me at random. Maybe it’s because I’m not in another class that he felt regret for me. After all, I heard from your class that he’s likely to become a special student next semester, and they also advised him to change partners.”

Yuan Xi glared at Luo XiaoLou. On the one hand, he was satisfied that people in his class had persuaded Zhuang Yi to switch. On the other hand, he was furious that others looked down on Luo XiaoLou. Damn it. Someone who dares to look down on him looks down on me!

Yuan Xi was silent for a while. He began to think about whether or not to threaten the tenth in his class to make room for Zhuang Yi, and make him a special student. That way, Zhuang Yi wouldn’t have a chance to mess with his people. However, now it seemed like Luo XiaoLou and Zhuang Yi really didn’t have any problems…

Finally, Yuan Xi stared at Luo XiaoLou and warned, “He’ll never be interested in someone from Class 10. A month from now, he’ll choose you to team up. You will be stuck with him.”

“…I never had that thought either.” Luo XiaoLou emphasized wordlessly.

Yuan Xi seemed to finally be satisfied. He took the hot milk and got up to leave.

Luo XiaoLou stared at Yuan Xi’s back in stunned silence. Pitiful. Ever since the Cold War, Yuan Xi’s mind has become more and more weird and strange.

Since Monday, the students of the Mecha Department and the Mecha Manufacturing Department trained together every day. Everytime Luo XiaoLou and Zhuang Yi arrived at the training room, they both did their own work, and were very happy with each other.

Luo XiaoLou continued to do useless work in the virtual chamber. Every day, he used his Source of Consciousness power on that simulation monster. Although the effect wasn’t very significant, his hand speed seemed to have improved again. He could manoeuvre fast all over the map with his eyes closed…

Luo XiaoLou continued to work at the Kane Group over the weekend. Although they never talked about the energy box, ever since last time, the people in the group had become more enthusiastic about him.

Only Master Yan was still the same to him. After learning five hundred Grade 2 basic parts, Master Yan gave Luo XiaoLou an assessment.

Luo XiaoLou had been tested on almost every part to Master Yan’s satisfaction. Luo XiaoLou was able to quickly assemble and disassemble almost every part. He had no idea, of course, that Luo XiaoLou was now adept at doing all of this with his eyes closed.

Master Yan began to assign Luo XiaoLou to learn how to assemble the simplest mecha. Unlike the last time when Luo XiaoLou had to do it on his own, Master Yan would take an hour each time to explain to him how to assemble it, taught him some of the wiring, the principles of the system, etc.

What surprised Luo XiaoLou even more was that in the room where the mecha was being assembled, he saw Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan had just finished assembling a simple mecha. It was only after Master Yan had left that he came over to talk to Luo XiaoLou.

“XiaoLou has already started to learn how to assemble a simple mecha? You’re pretty fast. Good job!” Shen Yuan smiled and encouraged.

Luo XiaoLou scratched his head. He had no idea of anyone else’s progress, not to mention his own speed. He was too preoccupied asking, “Brother Shen, do you think my speed is okay? I’ve been worried it is too slow. Master Yan yells at me every day.”

“It’s great.” Shen Yuan ruffled Luo XiaoLou’s hair with his hand. The gentle eyes were like looking at the neighbor’s brother.

Luo XiaoLou was embarrassed to the core. God. Although this body wasn’t very old, he really wasn’t a seventeen-year-old boy at heart…

Another assistant who came in to help Master Yan with his stuff laughed, “Don’t ask him. Shen Yuan disassembled and assembled the Grade 1 and Grade 2 parts three times in a month. His speed is the sickest. He did it everytime there was spare time to learn after work.”

Luo XiaoLou opened his mouth wide. He had just learned it once. He knew best the vast and tedious knowledge system of those parts. “A month? Jesus. Shen Yuan, even geniuses can’t be that awesome…”

Shen Yuan looked at him with a smile. He didn’t say anything. The assistant spoke again, “XiaoLou is right. Shen Yuan was an acknowledged genius at Saint Miro Academy back then.” And here he said in a low voice, “He’s a lot better than the current Mecha Manufacturing Department’s first place.”

Shen Yuan looked at the assistant and the man bowed his head and walked out. Then, Shen Yuan turned back to XiaoLou and said, “Being a genius is not just in the speed of learning and absorbing knowledge. XiaoLou’s ideas are really precious and rare.”

Luo XiaoLou blushed. His ideas were just improvements on simple Grade 1 and 2 parts. He hadn’t made the energy box design drawings. Shen Yuan was actually that good. Such a genius had actually worked for him as an assistant. Also, if he wasn’t so outstanding, how could he become the Chief Disciple of the Section Chief of Kane’s Mecha Research Department?

Shen Yuan also sighed in his heart. It had been many years since Master Yan had personally taught anyone. Even if it was him, he could only come over and ask Master Yan for guidance after he had made significant progress. Maybe Luo XiaoLou was having a hard time learning the basics now but his flexible and ingenious thought patterns were amazing. And that was exactly why he was chosen by Master Yan. 

Judging from the drawings of the energy box, Luo XiaoLou was still a very lucky teenager. Not everyone was lucky enough to have such a chance.

Just compared to these people in the Research Department, without a few points of real skill, there was no way to get into the Kane Mecha Research Department. Compared to the people outside, Luo XiaoLou’s learning speed was already remarkable.

Yang Ke might be excellent but right now he was still too young. He couldn’t see his own position clearly and he came here thinking that he was good enough to be held by everyone, and was bent on being Master Yan’s disciple.

In the eyes of the Kane crowd, it was almost a joke.

A week passed quickly, and Luo XiaoLou’s Source of Consciousness training had finally improved. This afternoon he went back into the virtual pod to train. 

Maintaining a leisurely stance while chasing the monster, a trace of Source of Consciousness went around and tied it up. After the monster’s movements stalled, it was still moving quickly.

Luo XiaoLou narrowed his eyes. He had learned to turn his Source of Consciousness into a thin strand. When the monster was wrapped in the Source of Consciousness power, because the area of force was too large, the effect wasn’t obvious.

Later on, Luo XiaoLou simply compressed the Source of Consciousness into a single thread and wrapped it around the monster. The speed of the monsters had changed. Today, Luo XiaoLou had finally pissed off the monster, which was supposed to have no emotions at all. The monster began to expand in size, then it turned back and lunged at Luo XiaoLou’s cockpit.

It was going to self-destruct!

Luo XiaoLou was stunned. Even if it was just virtual training, the realism was quite high.

In that instant, Luo XiaoLou only felt the threat of real death. He tried his best to move the mecha while frantically mobilizing all of his Source of Consciousness power.

Finally, when the monster was only five meters away from Luo XiaoLou’s mecha, a second strand of the Source of Consciousness power appeared and bound the monster. Once again, the monster’s speed decreased significantly.

Taking advantage of the monster’s pause, a third strand of the Source of Consciousness thread appeared. The fourth … dozens of strands of the Source of Consciousness completely tied up the monster.

Luo XiaoLou opened fire as the monster began to struggle violently for no apparent reason. After a burst of red light, he managed to kill the first monster that he had been practicing against while using the Source of Consciousness for days.

Then Luo XiaoLou pressed the end button and flipped out of the virtual chamber.

His clothes were soaked through. At that moment, the feeling of death was too real. Human potential really was unlimited and it was most easily activated in the face of extreme danger.

Luo XiaoLou felt that his Source of Consciousness power had increased a lot. Although he was now so tired that he was on the verge of fainting, his mental state was extremely good.

“Good. It’s still at the initial level but has improved a lot. Maybe you’ll be qualified to drive me soon.” 125’s smug voice came over.

“Why are you so quiet these days?” Luo XiaoLou asked. Since the last time, 125 had disappeared for a few days. The constant raucous voice in his ears was gone and he was about to get sick of it.

“I used the energy box you gave me to repair the system. It’s now seventy-two percent repaired. It’s a pity the other energy boxes were all used up, otherwise the system could have still been partially repaired. Quickly give me a Grade 3 energy box, there’s probably enough energy now to support me for two hours.” 125 urged. After saying that, it scanned the location of itself and its master.

After a moment of silence, 125 shouted in an unbelievable tone, “Why are you here… and why did Yuan Xi let you team up with Zhuang Yi? Has he finally decided to abandon his wife and child? Don’t you need to do something about it. There really is less of me. Your relationship is ruined…”

125 was almost moved by its own existence.

“…Go learn the Federation language for me right now. Especially the section on word meaning and usage! Otherwise I won’t give you the energy box!” Luo XiaoLou said with a black face and gritted teeth. 125! What are these bastards talking about? Who wants a kid who costs money and is offline like this?! Who wants a grumpy, arrogant, awkward husband?! Who wants him?

Luo XiaoLou in his anger didn’t find it strange at all. His anger was only directed at 125 and Yuan Xi’s character. He didn’t even notice anything wrong with comparing himself to Yuan Xi’s wife.

“Ah! At least give me an energy box first.”

“Never!”

“Can’t you just —”

“No.” Luo XiaoLou lectured the gibbering A.I. with a heavy face.

“Oooh. You abusive mecha master!” 125 was crying as he was presented with a shutdown notification. Maybe it was to conserve energy or to study.

Luo XiaoLou sighed. Looks like it was time for him to buy materials to make energy boxes again. Fortunately, he had plenty of the most expensive Core Energy Stones. Hurl insults all you want. It doesn’t matter!

But, he couldn’t make one in two hours, so he’d have to buy a few Grade 3 energy boxes for 125 first.

While Luo XiaoLou was struggling to get up and was about to leave, the door to the training ground suddenly opened and Zhuang Yi stepped out.

He was also surprised that Luo XiaoLou had already finished his training. Although the results of each fight were disastrous, Luo XiaoLou’s patience was very strong and his endurance was still admirable. He persevered until the end every day.

Looking at Luo XiaoLou, Zhuang Yi hesitated for a moment and said, “I think there’s something wrong with my mecha —”

Luo XiaoLou was getting up to leave and was in a hurry to buy an energy box. Once he heard this, he was too embarrassed to turn around and leave. After all, he was also Zhuang Yi’s temporary mecha maker. It was fine if he didn’t usually watch over him as he trained, but now it seemed too unreasonable to just walk away.

Guilt-ridden, Luo XiaoLou immediately said, “I’ll go check it out then. Just a moment.”

Zhuang Yi’s next sentence was supposed to be, ‘You stay here for a while. I’ll get someone to fix it.’ He didn’t trust a first year student to fix his mecha, let alone someone from Class 10 after all.

But Luo XiaoLou was so eager that Zhuang Yi didn’t say anything else. It would be too late to find someone later anyway.

Luo XiaoLou asked what went wrong with the mecha.

Zhuang Yi said, “It’s just that the right arm isn’t very flexible. But when I asked the system to check, it said everything was fine.”

Luo XiaoLou’s brow furrowed as he moved to the mecha’s huge right arm. He used one of the simple testing tools from his tool kit.

The moment he approached the right arm with the detector. 125’s voice suddenly came out again. “Try using the Source of Consciousness Force Detection.”

Since it was completely impossible for Zhuang Yi to detect it, Luo XiaoLou reassuringly sank his Source of Consciousness power into the mecha’s right arm. Then, he habitually closed his eyes.

The structure inside the mecha’s right arm became visible. How complex! Luo XiaoLou exclaimed. He realized that Zhuang Yi’s mecha wasn’t a Tier 2 mecha… it might even be higher than Tier 3!

Luo XiaoLou carefully examined it step by step, using only his knowledge of Grade 1 and Grade 2 mecha parts. He didn’t open his eyes until he saw a red dot.

At the same time the results of the simple detector that Luo XiaoLou used also appeared, saying everything was normal.

Zhuang Yi shrugged his shoulders and was about to say something when Luo XiaoLou said, “The fault is in G3. The two wires are joined together but they’re not fused or bonded. It’s probably just a recent occurrence.”

Luo XiaoLou looked up at Zhuang Yi and said, “You’ve probably been training for too long. The conductor in the mecha’s right arm is showing excessive heat. I suggest you rest today, then go and do the maintenance on the mecha. That way, that little problem will be solved.”

Zhuang Yi looked wide-eyed at Luo XiaoLou. Then he said, “It’s been awhile since I let ‘Yu’ rest. I also forgot to do maintenance again.” That adorable confusion was back on Zhuang Yi’s face and he gave a remorseful self-recrimination.

Luo XiaoLou laughed. “This mecha is your closest comrade. You have to love it.” After he finished, he looked at the time and shrieked. Then, he hurriedly said, “Sorry, I’m busy today. I have to leave first. I can’t stay with you till the end.”

Zhuang Yi nodded, watching Luo XiaoLou’s hurried departure thoughtfully.

As a mecha warrior, of course he loved his mecha. It was just that lately he had been training day and night on long-range attacks and indeed forgot about maintenance.

This first year Class 10 student… really isn’t that useless. Even the first impression he had of Luo XiaoLou was completely untraceable now.

Luo XiaoLou rushed home. He didn’t wait for Yuan Xi and just left a message for him before leaving, saying he was going to buy an energy box.

Because he needed it urgently, Luo XiaoLou had to make a trip to the mall in person. He bought two Grade 3 energy boxes and spent two hundred and eighty thousand federal coins. His heart ached like hell. Compared to the ones he made himself, these were so expensive and did not have a lot of energy. It really wasn’t worth it.

125 absorbed the energy box with tears in its eyes. Scaring the owner of the mecha is the worst!

Over the next few days, Luo XiaoLou found something out the hard way. Ever since he had examined the mecha, Zhuang Yi seemed to be a lot more enthusiastic about him, and he no longer immediately went about his business every time they entered the training room.

Zhuang Yi would have a few words with Luo XiaoLou first, exchanging tips on training and so on. Luo XiaoLou was surprised, but he listened carefully. Maybe he’d need this for when he worked with the mecha warriors in the future. 

And, after further exchanges, he also observed Zhuang Yi’s training a few times. Judging by Zhuang Yi’s serious and persistent expressions during training and the occasional display of calmness, Zhuang Yi might not be as confused as he appeared to be. Especially when Zhuang Yi talked to Luo XiaoLou with a smile on his face, Luo XiaoLou felt that the man in front of him was actually very smart.

Also, since the last time Yuan Xi had taken the initiative to talk to Luo XiaoLou, the cold war between the two of them hadn’t completely disappeared but they started to talk normally. What Luo XiaoLou found strange was that Yuan Xi often lost his temper for no reason lately.

Luo XiaoLou had to give in to this big, awkward cat at every turn, and even bribed him with dinner and cakes from time to time. 

In the midst of his busy studying and training, Luo XiaoLou was most excited about his new life. What excited Luo XiaoLou the most was the significant improvement of his Source of Consciousness.

After getting a good grasp of the Source of Consciousness, Luo XiaoLou began to try a new training method. Each time, he would try to divide his Source of Consciousness into several strands to control the monster. Although this was much more difficult than just wrapping up the monster, it was more effective since the number of monsters he killed each time had increased. This method is very practical!

A month of training time had finally passed and this day was the last day they would train together.

Zhuang Yi walked out of the training field early. He stopped next to Luo XiaoLou’s virtual pod, checking Luo XiaoLou’s training results. Zhuang Yi had been secretly surprised ever since he started following Luo XiaoLou’s training, and it was already a month since Luo XiaoLou’s first training session.

Over the past month, Luo XiaoLou hadn’t actually killed many monsters. Until now, he hadn’t killed more than ten.

But since one day, the monsters he killed increased by one almost every few days. If this continued, who could guarantee that he wouldn’t outnumber the Mecha Department students?

However, Luo XiaoLou’s genes didn’t qualify. Zhuang Yi looked at the virtual pod with a hint of pity in his eyes.

When Luo XiaoLou came out of the virtual pod, he was startled by Zhuang Yi who stood in front of him.

Zhuang Yi smilingly asked, “Luo XiaoLou, do you want to choose to partner with me?” It was true that it didn’t matter who his mecha maker was when he had first chosen Luo XiaoLou. But it wasn’t unintentional either. 

An uncle of a certain family had come over and asked him to look after his son, and to pick him to be his training partner. He knew the man and he was so clingy that it bothered him.

He couldn’t just refuse for the sake of the other getting in the way, and he also didn’t want to spend his training time with that person either.

However, he kind of regretted agreeing to that uncle now. A mecha warrior was allowed to bring two or more mecha makers. If Luo XiaoLou was willing…

 

The author has something to say:

In such a pumped up situation. Thanks to all the girls who are still supporting the novel. Every day I come to look at the comments and I feel very motivated. Judas — very touched.

 

Thanks to all the girls and gay men who are still with Judas.