"Mecha Wars" was the most popular sci-fi game on Blue Planet, and Leon was one of its most renowned players.
After nearly a thousand sleepless days and nights, his understanding of the game even surpassed that of some niche celebrities from certain islands.
Momentarily stunned, Leon soon found himself unable to suppress his overwhelming joy.
Just moments ago, he had been a pitiful soul without a single beast willing to bond with him.
If nothing unexpected happened, once the one-month deadline was up, the Beast Tamer Authority would come to take him away. He would spend the rest of his life serving as a slave and servant to countless incomprehensible spirit beasts, enjoying a mythical 0-0-7 workload until his dying day.
But now, everything seemed to take a turn for the better.
Calming himself, Leon opened the class selection interface. Four options appeared before him:
[a. Mechanic]
[b. Genetic Warrior]
[c. Psychic]
[d. Martial Artist]
This was the first choice every new player faced upon entering Mecha Wars, determining the primary path of their journey from the very start.
Leon had seen this interface in his past life, so his emotions were steady as he studied the four classes and fell into contemplation.
Being a sci-fi game set in the future, Mecha Wars naturally offered modernized options, each with unique strengths and weaknesses.
The Genetic Warrior relied on bioengineering and gene-enhancing drugs to strengthen their physical capabilities. In the game, this class was overwhelmingly powerful early on, leveling up quickly. If players were willing to spend money on potent gene serums, they could experience the thrill of one-shotting enemies right from the start.
However, the downside was that the class grew weaker in the late game, eventually losing relevance.
This led to a clear divide: early on, other weak classes begged Genetic Warriors for assistance, but in the late game, high-difficulty raids often excluded them.
Unless they could obtain the genes of interstellar beasts, Genetic Warriors were doomed to fade into obscurity in later patches.
As for Psychics and Martial Artists... their class traits were evident from their names.
Psychics focused on telekinetic abilities and attribute enhancements, blending science with a touch of mysticism. Players with low psychic power could serve as powerful support, providing buffs to their team. Those with high psychic power could specialize in pure offense. Psychics had high late-game potential and were more favored than Genetic Warriors in the endgame.
The third option, Martial Artist, was Mecha Wars' most popular class, and for good reason.
Why explain it? A cultivator doesn't need to justify their superiority to those relying on mere technology!
"Genetic Warrior? No thanks!"
Without hesitation, Leon ruled out the Genetic Warrior option.
Setting aside its late-game shortcomings, he had no access to gene serums in Lingzhou, a world completely different from the game's setting.
As for Martial Artist and Psychic, Leon wasn't too familiar with them either, and these classes lacked early-game combat prowess, making survival difficult in a beast-infested era.
"The choice is clear!" Scanning the remaining options, Leon turned his gaze back to the first choice.
Mechanic!
This was also the class Leon had chosen in his past life.
Compared to other classes, Mechanics boasted consistent stats throughout early, mid, and late game. Depending on their skill tree, they could pursue multiple advanced paths, primarily categorized into three playstyles by players:
Mechanical Army – Focused on mass-producing mechanical units, building an entire fleet. These units could swarm dungeon mobs, allowing teammates to sit back as the mechanical army steamrolled everything.
Gunsmith – Specializing in weapon crafting, turning themselves into walking arsenals. They dealt devastating damage in dungeons with overwhelming firepower.
War Mech – Leon's path in his past life.
This playstyle emphasized quality over quantity, focusing on a few highly upgraded robots. By continuously enhancing and equipping these robots, they became fearsome war machines.
Regardless of playstyle, Mechanics shared a common trait:
Pay-to-win.
Blueprints, materials, assembly success boosters—everything demanded money. Even after building a robot, upgrades required more spending.
As someone who had once poured his soul (and wallet) into the game, Leon knew this better than anyone.
[Ding! You have chosen the class: Mechanic. The skill tree has been unlocked.]
[Received: 10 free attribute points]
[Reward: Multi-purpose Wrench]
Clang!
Just as Leon wondered how the reward would materialize, a metal wrench dropped from his personal space.
"Well, that's convenient!"
Leon picked it up, inspecting it closely.
The wrench was about the length of an adult's forearm, with adjustable jaws at both ends. Its side featured a textured metal file, and its center had molds for basic components.
Under the jaws were small foldable tools, all essential for assembly and mechanical maintenance.
With his main class settled, Leon opened the skill tree, skipping the attribute panel and secondary class options for now.
In Mecha Wars, secondary classes complemented the main class. For example, Genetic Warriors often chose Alchemist as a secondary, saving on serum costs and earning extra attribute points through achievements.
However, secondary classes weren't directly selectable; they had to be triggered through specific actions.
For now, Leon focused on distributing his skill points.
[Basic Components (Locked)]
[Basic Weaponry (Locked)]
[Basic Mechanics (Locked)]
[Basic Mecha (Locked)]
He allocated 2 points to Basic Components and 3 points to Basic Mecha, instantly unlocking both.
[You have learned Basic Components: Gained knowledge of component crafting and maintenance.]
[You have learned Basic Mecha: Gained knowledge of mecha assembly and maintenance. Received: Starter Robot Blueprint Gift Pack.]
As newfound knowledge of mechanical components and armor flooded his mind, Leon marveled at the miraculous sensation.
"Now, let's see what kind of blueprint I'll get!"
Blueprints in Mecha Wars ranged from Broken, Common, Advanced, Rare, Legendary, to Planetary. Beyond that, the game's latest expansion teased even higher levels, but Leon hadn't reached them before his transmigration.
Holding his breath, he opened the blueprint gift pack.
[Ding! You have obtained: Ancient Medieval Robot Blueprint (Broken).]
The remark accompanying it read: "Heavens, why would anyone design such an antique in this spacefaring era? Is this for reminiscing about the Industrial Revolution?"
Leon froze.
A broken-quality blueprint? Of all things?
His luck, usually off the charts, had utterly failed him now!