Ethan was dazed, still not fully recovered. After some time, he faintly heard someone speaking to him.
"Hey, kid. What's your name? I'm talking to you."
Ethan looked up blankly to see several people standing around him. A few soldiers clad in dark armor, and one man in a suit similar to a diver's, fitted with sensors. This was a middle-aged man with a stern countenance and a rigid demeanor.
He spoke, "The boy probably hasn't come back from the resonance yet. Take him to the medical vehicle and have the doctor look at him."
"Yes, Captain Di," the soldiers responded. They approached Ethan, their movements noticeably gentler than before, and helped him away.
The man known as 'Captain Di' then turned to glance at the silver mech beside him before swiftly entering an armored vehicle. Inside, the soldiers all stood to salute, "Captain Di, sir!"
Captain Di gestured for them to be at ease and said, "Replay the 'White Dragon's' battle scene for me."
Soon, he watched on the screen as Ethan made various movements on the ground, with the silver mech, codenamed 'White Dragon,' mirroring his actions in sync.
"Captain Victor, he must be like you, an 'Innate Resonator,'" a soldier whispered beside him.
The full-named Captain Victor nodded, "To access the resonance system without training indeed indicates an 'Innate Resonator.' It seems he's more suited for 'White Dragon' than Ryder."
"Once he recovers, I'll ask for his opinion. If he agrees, we'll take him back to the underground city."
"No way!"
A voice suddenly interrupted. Victor turned to see Ryder, the dark-haired, hazel-eyed pilot, entering the vehicle. He had just emerged from the mech and heard Victor's words, immediately protesting without a second thought.
Victor's gaze remained indifferent as he looked at Ryder, who argued passionately, "Captain, we can't let an unknown kid go to the underground city. Besides, he's infected with 'Crimson Poison.' His eyes are red; he's close to death. In short, he's worthless."
Victor replied calmly, "Are you done? If so, please leave. This isn't a place for you."
Ryder, filled with reluctance, bit back his words as Victor asked again, "Do I need to repeat myself?"
Ryder, unable to retort further, bowed his head and left the armored vehicle. On his way to his rest quarters, he felt the stares and whispers around him. But what truly bothered him was Victor's implication that Ethan was more suited than him.
No!
Absolutely not!
I do not agree!
A murderous intent flashed in Ryder's eyes.
In the medical vehicle, after a series of checks, Ethan finally came to, though he remained weak. However, when the nurse prepared to give him an injection, he instinctively resisted.
A voice then said, "Sit down, behave. You're afflicted with 'Crimson Poison,' which weakens your constitution. You've just resonated with 'White Dragon,' and you're drained."
"This injection will boost your vitality and alleviate the 'Crimson Poison.' Don't worry, it won't kill you."
Ethan saw the man known as 'Captain Di' enter. He introduced himself, "My name is Victor, commander of the Ground Exploration Corps. What's yours?"
Hesitant, Ethan rasped, "I'm Ethan."
After the nurse administered the injection and stepped out under the doctor's instruction, Ethan and Victor were left alone.
Victor pulled up a chair and sat down, "We come from an underground city built before the 'Behemoth Calamity.' It has complete living facilities, and fifty thousand humans work and live there."
"You're an 'Innate Resonator,' able to share senses with a mech without any devices."
"You're a natural-born mech pilot, so I'd like to invite you to the underground city."
"Of course, you lack training and knowledge. Once there, you must undergo three years of study."
"As a mech pilot, you'll have many 'benefits,' one of which is the treatment for your 'Crimson Poison.'"
"What do you say? Are you willing?"
Ethan's heart raced. Just as he had guessed, these people could indeed treat 'Crimson Poison.' That alone made it impossible for him to refuse, not to mention his desire to find his relatives. Carrying 'Crimson Poison' and without a weapon, he had been confined to the city, struggling to survive. Now, he finally saw hope!
Before he could respond, Victor added, "But I must warn you."
"By accepting my recommendation, you can enter the underground city and attend the Mech Pilot Academy."
"However, this means you and I are on the same side. Whether you like it or not, others will see you that way."
"And for certain reasons, I have many 'enemies' in the underground city."
"If you agree, while you gain opportunities, you'll also gain some 'enemies.'"
Hearing Victor's frankness, Ethan's hesitation vanished.
"I'm willing."
"I want to live."
"Besides, I'm not afraid of making enemies."
On the surface for three years, he had faced and killed more than a few 'enemies.'
Besides, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Ethan understood that.
To seize the chance to survive, one must pay a price!
Victor's straightforward offer made Ethan feel he could trust him. Victor nodded coldly, "Good, rest for now. We'll leave tomorrow."
That afternoon, the third mech finally returned, along with a truck. The truck's cargo, wrapped tightly in waterproof tarp, seemed to have been hauled back from Taotie's lair at the Galaxy Stadium. This piqued Ethan's curiosity as he sat on a low stone by the convoy.
As night fell, a strikingly attractive woman in uniform approached Ethan with a smile, placing several cans of food beside him.
"Kid, these are for you."
Ethan glanced at her but said nothing. Over the years, he had learned not to eat food from strangers, especially when it came from beautiful women—they were often the most dangerous.
The woman, seeing Ethan's lack of reaction, huffed and sat down beside him, her fragrance invading his nostrils.
"What's the matter, kid? Scared I'll harm you?" she teased. "I wouldn't have come myself if I knew."
"By the way, tell me, how did you operate 'White Dragon'?"
Ethan looked up with an inquiring gaze, "White Dragon?"
"That's the mech Ryder pilot was driving."
"Oh."
Ethan fell silent again, unsure how he had managed to operate it. He suspected it had something to do with being an 'Innate Resonator,' as Victor had said.
The woman, annoyed by Ethan's coldness, got up and left. Once she was gone, Ethan opened the cans. The rich aroma of the meat stirred his appetite, but he resisted, scattering the contents nearby.
A few stray dogs cautiously approached. Ethan pretended not to notice as they eagerly devoured the meat on the ground. He took out his own bread and ate quietly. Suddenly, the dogs yelped in pain, collapsing and foaming at the mouth.
Ethan narrowed his eyes.
"You ungrateful brat, you don't appreciate a woman's kindness. You deserve to die," the woman muttered to herself, feeling smug about her deed. "Now that I've done this, I'll get the basic visualization technique Ryder pilot promised. If I 'awaken,' I might get into the Mech Pilot Academy and won't have to take orders from anyone!"
She crawled into her tent, satisfied with her plot. Deep into the night, she was abruptly awakened by a tightness in her throat, nearly suffocating. A shadow loomed over her.
"If you scream, I'll kill you," the shadow threatened, followed by a cold sensation and a sharp pain across her face.
The woman nodded frantically, not daring to be defiant.
"Why did you give me poisoned canned meat?" the shadow demanded.
Realizing who it was, the woman's mind raced. It was Ethan! How did he dare to sneak into her tent? He hadn't died? He hadn't eaten the canned meat? How was that possible?
In a panic, the woman tried to deny it, but Ethan forced the contents of the can into her mouth, holding it shut until she stopped struggling, her eyes bulging. She was dead.
Ethan cut her artery with a sharp metal shard, collected her blood in the empty can, and left the convoy, trailing her blood along the way. Soon, Wolf Ticks, drawn by the scent, swarmed the convoy and the woman's tent.
The commotion alerted the soldiers, leading to a brief skirmish. The Wolf Ticks were killed, but the woman was 'unfortunately' torn apart.
Ethan, watching from afar, took a deep breath of the chilly night air and returned to his assigned tent.
The next day, the convoy set off, leaving 'Flower City' behind and heading north. By evening, they rested under a large bridge. The trucks carrying the mechs opened their cargo bays for routine maintenance. Each pilot watched over their mech's care like a precious treasure.
Ryder was no exception, though his mood was foul, and he snapped at the maintenance crew. "Be careful, or you'll regret it," he barked. "Are you an idiot? Who told you to use lubricant like that?"
Ethan sat nearby, watching the truck bed rise, lifting the mech's upper body. Ryder stood below, directing with a sullen look whenever he glanced at Ethan. Ethan closed his eyes, seeking the sensation from the day before. Soon, he felt the heartbeat again, as if the mech was a living being, not a metallic construct.
Suddenly, Ethan resonated with the mech, feeling connected. Below his 'eye corner,' he saw Ryder's figure. Ethan shook his body abruptly. On the heavy truck, the mech 'White Dragon' tilted, snapping several support cables, and fell towards the ground.
Ryder, turning to leave, didn't see it coming but heard the maintenance workers' shouts. Then, a huge shadow engulfed him.
With a crash, the mech slammed to the ground, blood seeping from beneath the silver armor. The camp fell silent, then erupted in chaos. Another pilot rushed over in a black mech to assist, but when 'White Dragon' was lifted, they found Ryder reduced to a bloody pulp.
Ethan took out the last piece of bread he had brought from the 'dog den' and took a bite.
Mmm, delicious!