Su Ming headed straight for Training Mech 3, while Ming Ke and Chen Tong rushed toward the remaining Training Mechs 4 and 5. The four of them swiftly climbed onto the mechanical platforms and entered their respective cockpits.
As Su Ming adjusted his seat and activated the safety restraints, he noticed his phone vibrating incessantly in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw numerous missed calls from his mother. Without hesitation, he answered.
"Hello?"
"Oh, my dear child, you finally picked up! Are you okay? Your father and I have been worried sick!" Zhao Ning's voice trembled, carrying a hint of tears.
"I'm fine, Mom. I'm inside a big hunk of metal—totally safe."
"A hunk of metal?"
"I mean, a training mech!" Su Ming explained briefly.
"That's my boy! So clever!" Su Yuan's voice joined in, filled with relief.
"Mom, Dad, I can't talk long. I need to fight and rescue people."
"What? Don't go! It's dangerous!"
"I have to go. Bye." Su Ming hung up abruptly.
At that moment, Tang Yan had already started his mech. "Is everyone ready?"
Ming Ke and Chen Tong confirmed, "Ready!"
But Su Ming's mech remained still, prompting the others to look at him with confusion.
"Su Ming, what's taking you so long?"
"Sorry, I got delayed. I'm ready now!" Su Ming quickly started his mech.
Tang Yan exhaled lightly, his tone serious. "Remember what I said: until the battle is over, no one opens their cockpit. Your mech is your body now!"
"Understood!" the three of them replied in unison.
"Let's move out!" Tang Yan led the charge, his mech taking long strides out of the training facility.
Su Ming, Ming Ke, and Chen Tong followed behind.
The sound of metal echoed loudly as the training mechs marched forward. Tang Yan soon noticed something was off and turned to look behind him. His students were lagging far behind, their mechs moving sluggishly.
He sighed heavily. "You guys are so slow. Time is critical. I'll go on ahead!"
"Understood!" the trio replied.
Tang Yan's demeanor shifted, a cold and commanding aura enveloping him. With a push of the throttle, his mech's rear thrusters ignited, launching him into a low-altitude sprint. The fluidity and precision of his movements were strikingly professional.
"Wow! That's so cool!" Ming Ke exclaimed, awestruck.
"Hmph, what's the big deal? Tang Yan was a veteran in the frontline mech corps for over a decade. He's a retired soldier, not just some random instructor," Chen Tong scoffed.
"Enough chatter. Let's pick up the pace. It'll be embarrassing if we arrive after the battle is over," Su Ming said, urging his mech forward. Ming Ke and Chen Tong awkwardly maneuvered their mechs to catch up.
Suddenly, the artificial sun above them lit up, transforming night into day in an instant.
"This artificial sun is incredible," Su Ming murmured, marveling at how it illuminated the chaotic scene around them. However, he couldn't help but think about the inefficiency of manual activation, which had likely cost precious time.
Pulling his focus back to the mission, Su Ming steeled himself and continued forward.
---
A few minutes later, the trio arrived near the dormitory area. The chaos was worse than ever, with parasitic mice and infected humans swarming everywhere. The air was filled with screams and the sounds of destruction.
Despite the dire situation, Tang Yan's mech and the reinforcements were holding their ground, but the overall situation remained grim.
"Let's go!" Su Ming shouted, his mech moving toward the chaos.
"Got it!" Ming Ke and Chen Tong followed.
The trio split up to cover more ground.
Nearby, five female students were cornered against a dormitory wall by seven infected humans. The creatures bared their teeth, dark blood dripping from their grotesque mouths.
"Stay back! Don't come closer!" cried a short-haired girl in a strawberry bear pajama set, her voice trembling with fear.
Just as the infected prepared to lunge, a massive shadow loomed over them. Instinctively, they looked up.
Boom!
Su Ming's mech landed with a thunderous crash, crushing four infected creatures beneath it. The remaining three were sent flying.
However, Su Ming's inexperience with the thrusters caused his mech to lose balance, and it fell flat onto its front. The enormous weight sent it skidding toward the terrified students, sparks flying.
"Ahhh!"
The girls screamed, bracing for impact.
Inside the cockpit, Su Ming yanked the controls with all his strength, managing to stop the mech just inches from the students.
Realizing they were unharmed, the short-haired girl opened her eyes and began to sob with relief.
"Thank goodness we're safe…"
Inside the mech, Su Ming sighed. "These training mechs are so clunky. That was too close."
Before he could relax, the remaining three infected climbed back to their feet and charged.
Su Ming raised his mech's arm and swatted them away like flies, crushing them easily.
"Are you okay?" Ming Ke's voice crackled through the comms.
"I'm fine. Let's escort these students to the sports field," Su Ming replied, his voice laced with urgency.
The group quickly gathered the remaining students and formed a protective triangle around them, using their mechs to fend off any approaching threats.
As they moved toward the sports field, parasitic mice began emerging from the shadows, darting toward the crowd.
"Damn it, more mice!" Chen Tong shouted.
"Don't let them through!" Su Ming commanded, stomping on the rodents with his mech's feet and swatting at them with its arms.
Though the mice were small and fast, the trio worked together to neutralize the threat. Su Ming's actions became more fluid as he gained confidence, adapting quickly to the challenges of live combat.
"Phew, that should be all of them," Su Ming muttered after crushing the last mouse.
"Watch out, senior!" the short-haired girl screamed.
Before Su Ming could react, his mech was struck from behind, causing it to lurch forward.
Turning around, he saw a grotesque abomination—five human bodies fused into one monstrous form, standing over four meters tall with two heads and pulsating black veins covering its hardened skin.
Su Ming quickly retaliated, punching the creature and sending it flying. But despite its deformed body, the parasite staggered back to its feet.
"Persistent, aren't you?" Su Ming muttered, stomping forward. He delivered another powerful punch, knocking it down, and then raised his mech's foot to crush its heads.
With a sickening crunch, the creature's struggles ceased.
"You okay?" Ming Ke asked.
"I'm fine. Let's move—things are getting worse," Su Ming said, scanning the area. The number of infected swarming through the school gates was alarming.
As they escorted the students toward the sports field, they saw the grim reality awaiting them. Teachers, guards, and mechs had formed a protective barrier around a large crowd of terrified students, fending off the infected with flamethrowers and weapons.
But then, parasitic mice began pouring in from all directions, their glowing red eyes fixated on the panicked crowd.
"Damn it, it's the mice again!" shouted Mr. Chen Yi, piloting a nearby mech.