Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jin instinctively glanced at the overturned tractor lying lifeless on the ground and exclaimed in disbelief, "Jiang Jiang, are you saying this tractor can still run even in this state?"

To Zhu Jin and the other two, the tractor seemed only one step away from exploding on the spot, completely scrapped.

"Why wouldn't it run?" Jiang Se retorted, evading gunfire while defending her craftsmanship. "Do you think I used all those parts for nothing? This tractor's built tough—unless it's blown to smithereens, even with just two wheels left, it'll keep moving!"

"Is this what a Mech Pilot is capable of? Truly impressive!" Chu Yun praised Jiang Se's skills loudly while trading Ion Cannon blasts with the opposing Mech Pilot, all the while hurling creative insults at them.

Having been rudely awakened from her sleep, Chu Yun's rage was enough to set the entire combat sim ablaze.

Zhu Jin deployed his Psychic Network and whispered, "They're still mid-slope, probably trying to pin us down with artillery. We'll slowly retreat toward the tractor…" He then turned to Jiang Se and asked, "How many more hits can our tractor take?"

Jiang Se made a quick mental calculation. "It should handle five or six shots, but that depends on the strength of their Ion Cannons and whether they've been modified." She glanced at the specially modified Ion Cannon on A-Yun’s shoulder and added, "The one on A-Yun’s shoulder can take at most three hits."

Zhu Jin did some rough math and said, "That's enough. Let's retreat toward the tractor now."

Up on the slope, Feng Ping was wielding an Ion Cannon, barraging the foothills with smoke and explosions relentlessly. He clearly had mastery over the weapon, each blast causing significant disruption to Jiang Se’s defensive positions.

After another wave of intense gunfire, Feng Ping pushed back his sweat-drenched hair, took a breath, and remarked, "These freshmen aren’t bad—they’ve held out for quite a while."

*

Jiang Chuo was reloading his Pulse Gun and added, "Those two Mech Pilots on the other side have some skill. It’s a shame they reacted so quickly in the first wave—we didn’t manage to take out their Mech Pilot right away."

Lin Xu’s gaze remained fixed on the opposing front line. Jiang Se’s team was using trees as cover, locked in a standoff with them.

Just then, Nie Wenjing observed, "The output values of their Pulse Guns and Ion Cannons seem off."

While Mech Pilots might not perceive it precisely amid the chaos of battle, Nie Wenjing, as a Mech Pilot, had a clear understanding of every weapon’s firepower, with these details ingrained in his mind as precise numerical data.

Lin Xu pondered briefly and said, "Their Mech Pilot must have made some special modifications."

"Still, modifications won’t help them much. We have the terrain advantage, and without their vehicle, it’s only a matter of time before we trap them here."

"Their Commander was too careless, choosing such a spot to set up camp."

Lin Xu chuckled softly, pulled the trigger of his Pulse Gun, and unleashed another round of firepower toward the enemy’s cover.

The flimsy cover finally seemed to give way. The squad fled toward their seemingly scrapped vehicle, likely intending to use it as new cover.

Unfortunately, Lin Xu thought, this was nothing but a futile last stand.

Let him, their senior, teach these freshmen the harsh first lesson of combat!

Outside the screens, teachers from Alliance University were watching the battle between the two teams.

Originally, several large screens displayed the combat footage of two other teams besides Jiang Se’s. But now, with the school team’s involvement, every screen in the spacious room was broadcasting the real-time fight between the school team and Jiang Se’s group.

*

Close-up feeds of each individual were even provided.

A teacher from the Individual Combat Department crossed his arms, watching the battle on the big screen, and sighed, "As expected of the school team—their tactical discipline and coordination are impeccable."

A teacher from the Command Department looked at Jiang Se’s team with frustration. "Of all places, why did they choose such a terrible spot to camp? They’re trapped with the high ground against them, with no way to escape!"

Even high school students just starting command courses know that holding the high ground offers overwhelming advantages, both offensively and defensively!

Another teacher from the Individual Combat Department said smugly, "Serves these cocky brats right for slacking off earlier. Now they’ve met the school team—it’s like the Monkey King trapped under the Five Finger Mountain, no chance of turning things around!"

"But these freshmen are quite impressive. Holding out this long against the school team... once this year’s team retires, the Exercise Tournament will likely be their era!" remarked a teacher from the Mecha Department.

At that moment, all the teachers in the monitoring room believed Jiang Se’s defeat was only a matter of time, with escape being utterly impossible.

After all, they were facing the school team—Alliance University’s undefeated, battle-hardened team.

Jiang Se and the others had retreated to the tractor, using it as cover while facing off against the school team.

The school team pressed on relentlessly. For every step Jiang Se’s team retreated, they advanced, closing in like wolves cornering dying prey, slowly tightening the encirclement.

*

Just seconds before another wave of gunfire was about to rain down, Jiang Se whispered, "When I start the tractor, cover me with suppressing fire."

"No problem," Chu Yun nodded, raising her Ion Cannon, ready to unleash hell on the opponents.

Xi Qing declared, "I won’t let them get close unless they step over my corpse."

Zhu Jin nodded in agreement.

For a moment, the four were braced for action.

The next second, Jiang Se rushed into the tractor’s driver seat, pressed the control lever, and started the engine.

In that instant, it seemed nothing short of a miracle. The overturned tractor suddenly sprang back to life. With the engine roaring, it righted itself with a sharp "snap," regaining balance as if resurrected from the dead.

The opposing side was visibly stunned by the sight.

Then, Jiang Se shouted, "Hop on, now!"

The other three scrambled onto the tractor’s rear compartment. Simultaneously, the school team snapped out of their daze and unleashed a torrent of Ion Cannon and Pulse Gun fire toward Jiang Se and the tractor.

Amid the blinding flashes and explosions, Zhu Jin finally got a clear look at the team that had hounded them so relentlessly, pushing them to the brink.

"What the hell!" Zhu Jin exclaimed in shock.

His earlier comment about the Exercise Tournament had been a joke—how did the real school team end up here in the simulation?!