13: Chapter 13 Exclusive Guard Team and Personal Mechs

Half an hour later,

the helicopter landed on the helipad of the Baijiang Defense Zone's core base.

Luo Yu followed General Zhan Kuang down the gangway, and the sight before him made him take a few more looks.

This place was different from the nuclear power plant's containment zone he had visited before.

The base occupied a vast area, with soldiers in military uniforms training everywhere; gunfire came from the distant shooting range, while people were sparring on the nearby fighting grounds, the air filled with a mixture of gunpowder and sweat.

“This is the core training base of the Baijiang Defense Zone.”

General Zhan Kuang introduced as they walked, “It's usually responsible for training elite Awakeners and Mecha Pilots.”

Luo Yu nodded.

The two of them crossed the training field,

and arrived in front of a three-story gray building.

Five people were standing at the entrance.

Four men and one woman, all in military uniforms, standing there straight as ramrods.

“We're here.” General Zhan Kuang stopped and introduced them: “This is your exclusive guard team.”

Luo Yu was stunned for a moment.

Exclusive guard team?

He had thought they would just be ordinary bodyguards, but he hadn't expected the military to place such importance on him.

General Zhan Kuang stepped forward and said to the five people, “Everyone, attention!”

Snap!

The five of them stomped their feet simultaneously, their movements perfectly synchronized.

“Let me introduce them.”

General Zhan Kuang pointed to the woman at the front, “This is your Captain, Lieutenant Colonel Su Qingxue, an S-rank Ice-type Awakener.”

Luo Yu looked at the woman.

She was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, roughly 1.7 meters tall, with a slender and curvaceous figure. Her long black hair was tied in twin tails, her features were very exquisite, and her gaze was as sharp as a blade.

Of course,

the most eye-catching thing was her temperament.

Cold.

That kind of coldness that came from her very bones made people instinctively want to keep their distance.

Su Qingxue took a step forward and gave Luo Yu a military salute.

“Lieutenant Colonel Su Qingxue, ordered to protect Second Lieutenant Luo Yu.”

“Mhm!!”

Luo Yu returned the salute: “Thank you for your hard work.”

Su Qingxue didn't speak and stepped back to her original position.

General Zhan Kuang continued the introductions.

“These four are the vice-Captains: Captain Zhang Da, B-rank Strength Enhancement type; Captain Li Ren, B-rank Agility Enhancement type; Captain Wang Gang, B-rank Defense Enhancement type; and Captain Zhao Dan, B-rank Fire-type.”

The four men stepped forward one by one to salute.

Luo Yu returned each salute.

He noticed that all four of them were B-rank Awakeners and appeared to be in their thirties, highly experienced.

“From today on, you five are Second Lieutenant Luo Yu's exclusive guards,” General Zhan Kuang said in a deep voice. “There is only one mission: to ensure Second Lieutenant Luo Yu's safety and eliminate any threats in advance.”

“Yes, sir!” the five answered in unison.

General Zhan Kuang turned to look at Luo Yu: “Any questions?”

“None.”

Luo Yu shook his head.

He knew very well that the people in the exclusive guard team must have exchanged their talents through cultivation; whatever rank their talent was, that was the level of strength they possessed.

“Good.”

General Zhan Kuang checked the time and said, “Follow me, I'll take you to the armory to pick out equipment.”

Luo Yu followed General Zhan Kuang forward.

Su Qingxue led her four team members behind them, maintaining a distance of three meters.

After walking for about five minutes,

they arrived in front of a heavily guarded building.

Over thirty fully armed soldiers stood at the entrance, each holding a rifle.

General Zhan Kuang pulled out his ID and swiped it at the access control.

Beep—

The heavy alloy door slowly opened.

Inside was a long corridor, with signs on the walls saying “No Photos” and “No Noise.”

At the end of the corridor was a larger door.

General Zhan Kuang swiped his card again.

The door opened,

revealing a massive warehouse.

Luo Yu walked in, and his eyes instantly lit up.

The warehouse was filled with all kinds of weapons and equipment.

Firearms, swords, grenades, explosives... everything was there.

Most eye-catching were the dozen or so mechas placed in the center of the warehouse.

They were humanoid combat mechas, about three meters tall, covered in thick armor with various weapon systems mounted on their arms.

“These are all the latest equipment developed by the military.” General Zhan Kuang walked up to a silver-white mecha, patted its leg armor, and introduced it: “This is the third-generation personal mecha, code-named 'Falcon'.”

“Third generation?” Luo Yu walked over.

“Yes.” General Zhan Kuang nodded. “The first-generation mechas were clunky and could only be used against low-level monsters. The second generation was more flexible, but the power systems were unstable. The third generation solved these problems; it's not only light and flexible but also has sufficient power to fight continuously for three hours.”

Luo Yu walked around the mecha.

The design of this mecha was very sci-fi, with a streamlined shell, two thrusters on the back, and energy cannons and melee blades mounted on the arms.

“Its operating system is neural-linked.” General Zhan Kuang continued. “Once binding is complete, your consciousness can directly control the mecha, making the reaction speed ten times faster than manual operation.”

“Sounds good.”

Luo Yu touched the mecha's arm.

“It's not just 'sounds good,' it really is good.” General Zhan Kuang smiled. “This mecha costs fifty million to build, and there are only thirty in the whole country.”

Luo Yu's hand stiffened.

Fifty million?

He suddenly felt a bit afraid to touch it.

“Don't be nervous.” General Zhan Kuang saw through his thoughts. “This mecha was prepared for you. It doesn't matter if it breaks; the state covers the repairs.”

“That's good then.” Luo Yu breathed a sigh of relief.

“Come, I'll teach you how to bind it.” General Zhan Kuang went to the mecha's control panel and entered a string of passwords.

The mecha's chest opened, revealing a cramped cockpit.

“Get in and sit down.”

Luo Yu climbed into the cockpit and sat in the seat.

The hatch closed automatically.

The lights in the cockpit lit up, and a holographic screen appeared before him.

[Third-Generation Personal Mecha — Falcon]

[Initiating binding procedure]

[Please place your hand on the control console]

Luo Yu followed the prompts and placed his hand on the console.

A sharp pain came as his fingertip was pricked.

[Collecting blood sample...]

[Analyzing genes...]

[Binding in progress...]

[Binding successful!]

[Welcome, Second Lieutenant Luo Yu]

Various data of the mecha appeared on the holographic screen.

[Energy: 100%]

[Weapon Systems: Normal]

[Propulsion System: Normal]

[Neural Link: Established]

Luo Yu tried moving his finger.

The mecha's arm moved accordingly.

He tried to stand up.

The mecha slowly stood straight, its movements smooth and natural.

“How does it feel?”

General Zhan Kuang's voice came from outside.

“Great.” Luo Yu moved the mecha's joints. “It's like wearing a piece of clothing.”

“That's good.” General Zhan Kuang nodded with satisfaction. “In the future, if you encounter danger, activate the mecha immediately. Although you have a beast pet, an extra layer of protection is always better.”

“Understood.”

Luo Yu climbed out of the mecha.

General Zhan Kuang then took him to pick out some conventional weapons.

A specialized pistol, a custom dagger, special grenades, and a set of light body armor made of high-tech materials.

“Take all of these.” General Zhan Kuang handed the items to Luo Yu. “Even though you're now a D-rank Awakener, weapons are still necessary in case of emergencies.”

Luo Yu took the equipment and put it all into his tactical backpack.

“Alright, that's it for the equipment.” General Zhan Kuang then said with a hint of anticipation, “Now, let's head to the Baijiang Nuclear Power Plant to begin your first mission.”

“Now?”

Luo Yu was taken aback.

“Yes.” General Zhan Kuang nodded and said, “Some of the nuclear waste at the Baijiang Nuclear Power Plant has already been processed, but the rest requires your cooperation with Godzilla. Moreover... there are a large number of radiation-mutated beasts there that need to be cleared out first.”

Luo Yu understood.

The radiation zones around the nuclear power plant must have bred many mutated creatures.

These mutated beasts fed on radiation and were extremely aggressive; the military would only clear them out as a last resort.

Because,

radiation zones imposed too many restrictions on both Awakeners and mechas.

“When do we set out?”

“Now.” General Zhan Kuang turned and walked out. “Su Qingxue, have your team follow us.”

“Yes, sir!”

Su Qingxue and her four team members immediately followed.

Half an hour later.

Three military off-road vehicles stopped at the perimeter line of the Baijiang Nuclear Power Plant.

Luo Yu got out of the car,

looking at the brightly lit nuclear power plant in the distance.

He had been here two days ago, but this time felt completely different.

Last time he had snuck in secretly, but this time he was here openly to carry out a mission.