Chapter 213

Chapter 213

The students who had enrolled were staying in a house where they could see the monsters. They watched from the windows as the creatures appeared and disappeared outside, and flying machines circled overhead, signaling an impending battle between humans and monsters.

Suddenly, a familiar mecha appeared at this critical moment on the sea surface. Its curved blade like a crescent moon swiftly pierced the gaping mouth of a monster. Starting from the corner of its mouth, the blade tore through, with the more the monster struggled, the wider the cut became. Blood surged out into the surging sea, cold and pungent.

The flying machines in the sky and the warriors in the sea were momentarily stunned but quickly adjusted their positions to support this suddenly appearing mecha.

Normally, these metallic monsters would be somewhat clumsy in the water because most mechas were designed for land combat, and there was always some lag in body control. However, this mecha was exceptionally agile and fierce.

The monster, with its mouth wide open, angrily sprayed a whirlpool of seawater at the metal giant. The powerful impact pushed the mecha back dozens of meters.

Taking advantage of the splashing water and obscured vision, the snake-like, flat monster seized the opportunity to lash out at the mecha in the water with its tail.

"Be careful!" someone on the ship instinctively shouted, not caring whether it could be heard.

With the environment's boost, the snake monster's tail had the force of a thousand pounds, capable of crushing a small warship with one strike.

However, the mecha, despite its size and technological limitations, reacted incredibly fast. It sidestepped slightly, much like a human would. By the time the monster realized something was wrong, it was too late, and it was propelled forward by its own momentum.

The mecha's metal hand, holding the hook-shaped curved blade, glinted silver like an arrow. The tip of the blade embedded itself into a patch of reverse scales on the monster's belly in the chaotic darkness.

With a slight upward thrust, the mecha's arm moved against the direction of the monster's charge, breaking through the tough skin under the combined forces. The sound was like tearing silk or cloth.

Once the defense was breached, the blade tip plunged into the tender flesh, slicing along the scale pattern.

Despite being such a bulky mecha, its movements were gentle, almost like a leaf parting the surface of a calm lake, with the precision and skill of a master butcher.

After the flash of the blade, a piece of the monster's skin was peeled off, revealing white flesh, and its entrails nearly spilled out.

"Xiao Feng, did you see that clearly?" Song asked his brother seriously. His brother was a beast-type, relying on animal instincts. He had been like this as a regular soldier and even when piloting a mecha. Hence, Song asked him this question. Feng looked at his brother's expression and hesitated: "I think I understood it."

"... Your hands say otherwise?"

Feng wanted his brother to realize that he shouldn't compare himself to monsters. The top-ranked pilot was clearly not an ordinary person.

"Brother, why is the top-ranked pilot appearing now? There's no benefit in it."

Feng changed the subject, and Song knew what he was thinking but still answered: "He's adapting to a new mecha."

"In this place?" Feng's voice rose sharply.

Song glanced at his brother: "That's why he's the top-ranked pilot."

A similar conversation was happening in Duo Xi's room.

"Aaah, I want to go too!" Duo Xi pressed her face against the glass window, watching eagerly. True skills were honed in life-and-death situations. The previous monsters were too easy for Ji Xinghai; only S-class monsters could bring out his full potential.

But Duo Xi also knew that as a novice pilot, joining such a high-level battle was still too difficult.

Every clash between these two giant monsters was accompanied by massive waves. A slight delay in reaction meant certain death.

Moreover, her mecha was a heavy-duty first-generation model, unsuitable for water combat. If she entered the fray with her 'tank,' she might sink before getting close.

"Yiyi wu, no wonder it's Master Tada's work. This mecha's reaction speed and flexibility are incredible."

The sea churned with blood-colored foam as the monster opened its mouth filled with sharp barbs. Before it could unleash its ultimate move, the metal giant stomped down on its writhing body, and its palm rapidly transformed into a six-clawed hook, digging deeply into the snake monster's neck.

The curved blade in its other hand retreated into the torn skin, transforming into a launcher, ready to fire compressed energy rounds.

The monster let out a long cry as golden lightning split the sky, but the mecha's cannon fired faster. Ji Xinghai, somewhat maliciously, aimed the cannon at the monster's open mouth.

A bucket-thick bolt of lightning struck, and simultaneously, the monster's shredded insides burst out from the gap in its belly. Its massive head slumped.

Golden lightning descended, turning the world white, pure white, devoid of any other color.

The spectators rubbed their eyes, struggling to readjust to the environment. They saw the dark clouds rapidly dissipate, revealing a golden full moon in the deep blue sky.

The sea had calmed, and the rain had stopped. A massive shadow stood in the sea, holding a limp monster. Moonlight fell on the sea, and the monster turned into white light. The scattered spoils of the battle, glowing with halos, drifted down like a small meteor shower.

Bathed in moonlight, the silver mecha tilted its head slightly and reached out, catching the falling stars.

Ji Xinghai had once solo-killed an S-class monster using the skill of a mad gambler. But now, even without that trump card, he could independently kill an S-class monster.

This wasn't just due to his recent progress but also because this was a consciousness-connected mecha, allowing him to utilize its full combat potential without being limited by data.

Ji Xinghai returned to the ship, looking slightly damaged, but in reality, he was unscathed. The mecha had been electrified, but it was equipped with anti-electricity devices, so it suffered no damage.

The snake monster had come a long way, delivering experience points, contribution values, and spoils. It also provided him with an opportunity to interact with the authorities.

Indeed, the bigger the storm, the bigger the fish.

In the battle against the S-class monster, Ji Xinghai contributed over ninety percent of the effort. Therefore, upon returning to the ship, he was invited to the first floor. The students who came with him also benefited from his success, entering the first level and changing rooms (since there were plenty of empty ones).

Song and Duo Xi didn't expect to share in the rewards. This collaboration was truly valuable.

Actually, Ji Xinghai felt that the academy faction was too weak and saw no need for internal conflict. So, he brought everyone on board.

Additionally, he wanted to discuss routes with the official team. This required consultation with other academies since they had explored together.

"I don't like taking useless paths," was Ji Xinghai's reason.

Chacha and Kira, who knew Ji Xinghai well, supported his decision, knowing he preferred straightforward approaches that often worked effectively.

The people from Gold Academy and Zhentian College thought more about it but decided after discussion that sharing the recorded routes could be used as leverage for more attention.

"Did you decide to intercept that monster because of this?" Song's brother asked curiously.

Ji Xinghai thought for a moment. He wasn't sure which reason dominated that instant—to establish connections with the authorities, to adapt to the mechs faster, or perhaps something else...

"No, I just want to fight the strongest monster," he said, giving his final answer.

None of those reasons mattered; he simply wanted to fight.

Song's brother gaped, unable to find any trace of a battle maniac in that youthful and scholarly face.

Duo Xi couldn't help but give Ji Xinghai an approving nod: she also wanted to fight the strongest monster.

As their representative, Ji Xinghai met with the flagship's captain and the general leading this team. He took out the somewhat childish map and straightforwardly told them it was the treasure map they had obtained regarding the Teka civilization ruins.

Its authenticity couldn't be guaranteed, but it was indeed the reason why this group had boldly signed up for this exploration mission.

The captain and the general exchanged glances subtly. They picked up the paper and saw the peculiar treasure map.

From their fleeting micro-expressions, it was clear that the authorities had their own route map, which partially overlapped with this one. Thus, their expressions were not of 'doubt' but of 'surprise' and 'skepticism.'

Ji Xinghai played with the ring on his finger, knowing the official stance would allow him to gauge the extent of this 'information exchange.'

Later, students who had deeper interactions with the officials learned more about the exploration of the ruins from the sailors.

It turned out that the only survivor of the three total wipeouts did not return empty-handed. In his pocket was a chip clearly beyond the technological level of this world.

Part of that chip had already been deciphered, and it had led to upgrades in various weapons and three generations of mech improvements.

The Special Operations Group unanimously believed that the legend of the Teka civilization possessing ultra-advanced technology might be true. With such potential benefits at stake, they didn't want to give up this possible gold mine.

"Besides, there is another little-known fact. The leader, who fell into a vegetative state, remained unchanged for years. There was a strange vitality within his body keeping him youthful. So some people believe the Teka civilization might have something that can slow aging or even extend life."

"Of course, there are many such strange legends. Someone is always drawn by one of these benefits, aren't we?"

The captain did not mention what benefit drew them here, and Ji Xinghai did not ask. It was odd to reveal so much information to strangers, but in a game, obtaining clues after completing certain tasks made sense.

Whenever he almost lost track of whether this was real or fake, the 'game' aspect would remind him not to get too immersed.

He wouldn't get too immersed anyway. Ji Xinghai was a pragmatic fighter; if he believed something was real, it became real, and if he believed it was fake, it became fake. Now, he wanted to fully immerse himself in this game.

So he happily requested another seafood snack, ate it, and went to sleep.

Until the next morning when sunlight filtered through the glass onto his eyelashes.

The sea was calm, the sky cloudless, showing no signs of the previous night's intensity. Ji Xinghai, having moved rooms, stood high up, gazing into the distance at the magnificent horizon.

In the enormous pool below him, men and women in refreshing clothes played in the water. Nearby were sun umbrellas, loungers, fruit juices, and platters, making it seem like a luxury yacht rather than an official military vessel.

Were they going to engage in a life-or-death struggle while eating, drinking, and playing?

Ji Xinghai, who usually kept a positive outlook, realized that even if the journey ahead was perilous, it shouldn't affect the joy of the present moment.

"The guy downstairs is a prince from the Red Leaf Commonwealth. He's here using the Special Operations Group's influence to seek treasure," someone beside him said.

"Treasure? Like the treasures the captain mentioned yesterday?" Ji Xinghai turned to look at Duo Xi and her group, who had just arrived and already gathered this information?

"Yes, and he's not alone. Underestimating these seemingly brainless nobles would be a mistake. His bodyguards are all experienced members who have completed solo S-level missions."

On the surface, they were divided into three factions: twelve individuals, two A-level teams, and the official personnel. In reality, the A-level teams had their backers, and the officials included other factions as well.

"But this doesn't matter much to us. They're here for treasure, and we're here to uncover secrets," Duo Xi said.

In games, there are such quests where following the storyline and solving all puzzles yields greater rewards, but one could also rush through without involving themselves in NPC affairs, being an indifferent player.

Over the next few days, the three academies followed their own routines. Some wandered, fished, and slept, others spent time in entertainment venues interacting with NPCs, and some delved into the various legends of the Teka civilization.

Meanwhile, the nobles mingling with the official team, after exhausting all the ship's entertainment facilities, entered a phase of boredom, either sleeping or seeking amusement elsewhere.

Unintentionally, several folding chairs appeared beside Ji Xinghai's fishing spot.

However, they often caught fish and would share a few with the pitiful young man beside them: "You can tell others you caught them."

Ji Xinghai: ...

Days passed in boredom. Even Duo Xi began complaining about the sea's tranquility, wishing another monster would appear.

The fleet circled aimlessly in the vast ocean, again and again.

Just as Ji Xinghai was refilling his bait bucket and wondering if they were lost, a tiny speck of an island appeared in his line of sight.