"Roar!" Cheers erupted from the crowd.
It was a congratulatory cheer for Reno's counterattack.
Reno was unaware that after he shot down those four fighters, his level of attention had begun to rise significantly. This time, it wasn't mockery and disdain but rather tinged with anticipation and approval.
The audience hoped Reno would bring them more dazzling performances.
In any case, using high-frequency blades to slice through disc-shaped fighters was not a common tactic.
On the island of Lacfenia, the counterattack against disc-shaped fighters had begun.
With the unlocking of mecha weapons, the sky began to light up with energy beams, high-explosive bombs, multiple-barrel cannons, and flamethrowers.
One after another, disc-shaped fighters were shot down, and the island was filled with explosions, smoke, and the excited calls of players.
After being suppressed for so long, the opportunity for retaliation finally arrived. All mechas began to cheer.
But good times never last.
Soon, a new round of attacks from the Expedition began.
This time, it was a large-scale assault with axe-type missiles. Axe missiles were not as powerful as fusion bombs in terms of attack level, but they far outnumbered fusion bombs. Unlike fusion bombs, which could precisely control the power of the explosion, the imprecision of axe missiles increased the possibility of "accidents" significantly.
Boom!
Wild explosions resounded in the distance as a mecha's thrusters were hit by axe missiles. A series of chain reactions caused the mecha to explode directly, scattering steel fragments into the air.
It was only at this moment that the players seemed to realize they were being pursued by the invincible overlords of space, the Expedition.
A momentary unlocking of weapons couldn't solve any problems. Even laymen knew that, besides disc-shaped fighters and axe missiles, there were far too many things on starships that could defeat them.
Faced with the Expedition, they had only one option: run!
Keep running!
"Run faster!" Someone shouted.
The mechas, which had just rallied their spirits, began to flee in disarray once again. A new wave of disc-shaped fighters flew out, accompanied by axe missiles, and the players had lost their confidence to resist, fleeing in panic from the pursuit.
One by one, mechas were destroyed in the pursuit, and occasional accidents occurred, some of which left no room for recovery.
Reno fled in panic, not knowing when it would end, just struggling and dodging, with missiles whistling overhead and the sky filled with the fiery rain.
Was this the real battlefield?
Looking at the sky, radiant like fire, Reno couldn't help but wonder.
People often said that war was cruel. Without experiencing it firsthand, you could never understand its cruelty.
Now Reno understood.
In a battle with a mortality rate of one percent, the scene was already so fierce. What would battles with ten times, twenty times, or even greater intensity be like?
He ran through the jungle, where mechas scattered like a defeated army.
Suddenly, he saw a mecha aiming its barrel at another mecha in front of it.
Fire!
A huge burst of light erupted from the barrel, hitting the mecha in front.
The mecha was completely caught off guard by the "friendly fire" and fell in anger and confusion. As it watched the attacking mecha rush past, stepping on its body, it continued to attack the next mecha.
Reno was initially shocked but quickly realized.
"Destroy the other three mechas, and we can pass directly!" Lilith's words echoed in everyone's minds with this attack.
When the Expedition truly revealed its invincible side, with external attacks futile, all mechas inevitably turned to self-mutilation, fighting each other for a chance to survive.
Mecha that had just overcome obstacles together, now turned around, beginning to slaughter each other.
It was all instinctual. After witnessing the earlier attack, Reno controlled his mecha to squat down on the spot, already avoiding an energy beam shot from behind. Without the need to retaliate, because behind the assailant, there were also other assailants.
Across the entire Death Island, mechas engaged in a fierce civil war, using their chosen weapons to attack each other.
Reno ran through the jungle, dodging swiftly, seeing energy flashes flickering everywhere.
People were weak in facing starships, but they showed their capabilities in killing each other.
The fiery-red mecha that flew out of the square, stepping on flying rocks, appeared again in Reno's field of vision.
It was still as agile as ever, with its thrusters spewing flames from the back, skillfully flying in the sky, each hand holding a Seraf-made multi-magazine mecha-specific combat pistol.
These mecha pistols weren't very powerful, but they came with various magazines, voice-controlled reloading, and were more versatile than Reno's high-frequency blade mesh.
At this moment, the red mecha flew in the air, pistols in hand, and with a split-second movement, swept out a net of bullets. Though not multiple-barrel cannons, the pistols poured out bullets at a rate of three thousand per second, forming a torrent of steel in the air aimed at a mecha. The high hit rate instantly maximized the damage, the energy defense shield of that mecha was almost shattered in the shortest time possible, followed by more bullets piercing through, tearing the steel plates, and completely shredding the pilot inside.
Sensitive reactions, ferocious and wild attacks; clearly, it was just a standard mecha pistol with weak attack intensity, yet it displayed astonishing destructive power in the hands of this fiery-red mecha!
The red mecha emitted a triumphant and frenzied laugh.
A woman!
On the other side of the battlefield, the golden bull-headed mecha wielded an energy battle blade, wreaking havoc at will. Its reactions were not fast, but its strength was astonishing. A cluster bomb whistled through the air, hitting the golden mecha and splashing a burst of light.
The ambushing mecha, successful in its attack, charged forward to eliminate the golden mecha. However, it found the golden mecha casually turning around, and the battle axe in its hand swung towards him.
"No!" he cried out in despair.
The energy battle axe had struck his shield, the wild impact nearly tearing it apart. Before losing consciousness, he heard a muffled voice: "You're too weak, clown!"
In the depths of the jungle, the black mecha moved insidiously and unpredictably, quietly appearing behind one mecha after another, then cutting into their weak spots with its energy short blade. Its attacks were almost the most efficient and effortless, causing minimal damage to the mechas during the attack, usually resulting in the death of the pilot inside even if the mecha remained intact.
It had killed six mecha players and severely wounded four others. Even though it had already completed the task of destroying three mechas, this mecha continued to hunt targets on the battlefield.
These mechas were all elite, attracting the attention of the audience, and some companies were even beginning to inquire and prepare to invest in them.
As for Reno, he once again disappointed people.
Without attacking, he just ran frantically through the jungle.
Anyway, he didn't want to advance by dealing with other players.
There was not just one way to advance, as long as there was a choice, Reno didn't want to choose the worst one—at least in his opinion, it was the worst choice.
Under the pursuit of a cluster of axes and disc-shaped fighters, Reno continued to flee without ever striking again, even though the weapons had been unlocked once more.
He just wanted to drag it out until the end of the elimination round.
High above, Lilith had returned to her position as the host, but now there was another male host beside her. According to the male host, he was there to prevent Lilith from being taken away again and causing an awkward situation.
This made Lilith quite annoyed.
She looked down at Reno, who was running for his life, and sneered, "It seems our rookie is just a coward lacking in combat courage. He doesn't dare to do anything except kidnap women."
The male host beside her chuckled, "My dear Lilith, I think prejudice has clouded your judgment. Clearly, he's not afraid, he just doesn't want to deal with others."
"I don't think he's that noble!"
"Let's watch and see, shall we? You know the Expedition won't bother with those mechas that are killing each other. When most mechas are fighting each other, those who refuse to cooperate will use their own strength to resist the Expedition, and the pressure they face will be tens of times greater than before."
"You're right." Lilith's eyes lit up. "Whether it's sticking to one's sense of justice or tearing off your pseudo-gentleman disguise, Mr. Shadow, let's see your true face."
As if hearing the host's words, the attacks from the Expedition on the fleeing mechas suddenly intensified.
Missiles were raining down everywhere, disc-shaped fighters were attacking wildly, and inside the small manufacturing plants on the starship, fighter jets made through printing technology were quickly coming off the assembly line, being assembled, and then one after another endlessly rushing out of the starship.
Since the emergence of 3D printing technology, the mode of production during battle had gradually become a common combat mode in the era of the great universe. With large amounts of raw materials, starships and mechas could continuously produce most consumable weapons and ammunition.
Reno clearly felt the increase in aircraft and missiles above his head.
They seemed to be rushing towards him, causing explosions one after another in front and behind him.
"Damn it, they're forcing Reno to act," Nora shouted.
"Reno, don't hesitate, attack the other mechas quickly!" Sperfeld shouted anxiously.
"Attack the mechas! That's your only choice!" Tiny, Gade, and Lee Jong-han were all shouting loudly.
Although they knew Reno couldn't possibly hear these calls, at that moment, they couldn't help but shout and call out from the bottom of their hearts.