66: Exoskeleton humanoid mecha

The extreme speed brought by the warp engine stretched the sea of clouds outside the window into streaks of fleeting pure white light.

The entire Natural Selection, like a silver bullet piercing through the spacetime barrier, left an invisible, distorted trail at an altitude of ten thousand meters.

The roar of the large fusion engine was no longer the slightly sharp, high-frequency shriek from before, but a steady, reassuring, powerful rhythm, like the heartbeat of a giant beast.

This sound represented an endless, almost infinite supply of energy.

"At our current speed, we'll reach Level 20 in two hours at most."

Lin Mo's voice broke the silence in the cockpit, steady and devoid of any discernible emotion.

"The leveling speed is more than ten times faster than before."

Gu Nianqiu nodded thoughtfully, her innocent large eyes reflecting the rapidly receding streaks of light outside the window.

"We're so amazing!"

Gu Zhixia finally snapped out of her complicated thoughts.

She turned around, her phoenix eyes, always sharp, refocused, regaining their usual keenness and clarity.

"What are your specific plans for tomorrow's operation?"

She looked at Lin Mo, cutting straight to the point.

"What exactly are we doing about that 'teleportation gate' thing?"

"It's simple."

Lin Mo leaned back in the captain's chair, his hands clasped in front of him, looking as relaxed as if he were planning a picnic.

"Nianqiu will stay on the ship."

"At that time, I'll have the Natural Selection hover at an altitude of five hundred meters above the target island."

He paused, his tone filled with absolute confidence.

"Given the Natural Selection's current shield strength and armor durability, there shouldn't be anything in this world that can threaten it from the ground."

Gu Zhixia and Gu Nianqiu both listened intently.

Lin Mo reached out and tapped lightly on the virtual light screen in front of him, and the control interface of the console was instantly magnified and projected before the two of them.

It was an extremely simplified control panel, full of futuristic technology, with only a few prominent buttons glowing with a soft aura.

"Just in case, and I mean just in case."

Lin Mo pointed to one of the buttons that was constantly flashing with a red crosshair icon.

"If some clueless thing appears, you use this."

His gaze shifted to Gu Nianqiu, his voice becoming exceptionally patient.

"This is the tracking missile system. You just need to use your finger to lock onto the target on the screen, then press this red launch button, and it will attack automatically."

He then pointed to another button next to it, also red, but with an icon of a sharp lightning bolt.

"This is the high-energy laser. Similarly, aim the light spot in the center of the screen at the enemy, hold down this red button, and it will fire continuously."

Finally, his finger landed on a slightly larger button, glowing with a dangerous orange light.

"This is Overclock Mode."

"After pressing it, the high-energy laser will fire continuously at an ultra-high frequency, with immense power, but the cooldown time will also become very long."

Gu Zhixia stood quietly to the side, watching Lin Mo's profile.

She watched him patiently explain these terrifying weapons, capable of instantly destroying a mountaintop, to her somewhat naive sister, using the simplest and most direct language.

His voice was steady, carrying a strength that commanded unconditional trust.

The focus on his usually expressionless face at this moment made her feel an indescribable charm.

A warm current, unknowingly, slowly flowed from the softest part of her heart.

So, he also had such a gentle side.

"Wow, this is like playing a game! So fun!"

Gu Nianqiu's eyes sparkled. She stretched out her slender finger and poked the red launch button on the virtual screen. Although she didn't actually press it, her face was already filled with eager excitement.

"Brother Mo, I've learned it!"

"Good, it's good that you've learned it."

Lin Mo instructed.

"Under normal circumstances, you won't need any of these weapon modules. You just need to stay on the ship, eat snacks, and enjoy the scenery."

"Your sister and I will be back soon."

"Then..."

The excitement on Gu Nianqiu's face faded, replaced by a hint of worry.

"What about you and big sister down there? Will it be dangerous?"

"Us?"

Lin Mo smiled.

He looked at Gu Nianqiu's small face, filled with concern, and a hint of mystery appeared in his eyes.

"We certainly have our own 'toys'."

With a slight thought, the control interface in front of him slowly faded.

In its place was a huge, brand-new upgrade tree glowing with a noble golden luster.

"Ship Class: Gold (LV20 Unlock)"

"New Module Unlockable: 'titan' Single-Soldier Exoskeleton Armor"

As Lin Mo manipulated it with his mind, a holographic projection burst forth from the panel, clearly appearing before the three of them.

It was a humanoid mech crafted entirely from dark gold and matte black alloy.

It lacked the bulk and clumsiness of traditional mechs, instead possessing a streamlined, highly aggressive industrial aesthetic, with every armor joint revealing deadly precision.

Its perfectly biomimetic muscle lines made it look like a steel panther crouched in the shadows, ready to strike.

Its shoulders housed two sets of automatically opening and closing miniature missile launchers, and the outer side of its streamlined forearms were loaded with high-frequency vibrating particle blades that could instantly pop out, their edges shimmering with a ghostly blue electric arc.

On its back were six freely deployable vector thrusters, like insect wings.

"Wow—!"

Gu Nianqiu was the first to exclaim, her small mouth forming a cute "O" shape, her large eyes reflecting the cold and magnificent shadow of the mech.

"So cool! Is this... is this a mech?!"

Gu Zhixia's breathing completely stopped the moment she saw the mech.

Her phoenix eyes, always sharp as knives, were now fixed on the steel creation radiating endless violent aesthetics, and deep within her eyes, a burning flame named desire ignited.

This thing precisely hit all the desires deep within her soul.

As a Weapon Master, nothing could make her blood boil more than a customizable killing machine capable of infinitely amplifying her combat power.

Lin Mo looked at the sisters' vastly different, yet equally stunned expressions, and the curve of his lips unconsciously lifted a few more degrees.

"That's right, exoskeleton armor."

"Once we reach Level 20 and complete the Gold-tier promotion, we can unlock and build it."

His voice carried a hint of just the right amount of temptation.

"At that time, your sister and I will each have one."

"On the ground, there shouldn't be anything that can threaten our existence either."

Gu Zhixia suddenly looked up, her gaze burning as she looked at Lin Mo. For the first time, a vivid expression, a mix of extreme excitement and intense anticipation, appeared on her usually icy face.

She asked, enunciating each word.

"Can it... can it change weapons?"

"Of course."

Lin Mo snapped his fingers.

The mech projection in front of them instantly disassembled, transforming into countless precise components, and then reassembled in the air.

The particle blade was replaced with heavy power gauntlets.

The shoulder missile pods became a menacing-looking plasma cannon.

Even the thrusters on the back could be replaced with more powerful plasma propulsion engines, capable of short-distance space travel.

"All weapon modules and armor accessories can be freely customized and replaced according to mission requirements."

"It is an extension of our bodies."

Gu Zhixia's chest began to heave violently.

She looked at the ever-changing weapon modules, as if she could already see herself wearing this steel battle suit, wielding a scorching particle spear, cutting and slashing through hordes of monsters.

What an exhilarating battle that would be!

This ship, this man, had brought her unexpected surprises and shocks again and again.

The Natural Selection continued to fly steadily above the clouds, at a terrifying speed exceeding the speed of sound.

Inside the cockpit, the warm lights illuminated three distinctly different faces.

Gu Nianqiu's face showed pure wonder and novelty.

Gu Zhixia's eyes burned with fighting spirit and desire.

And Lin Mo quietly watched them, watched this battleship that was no longer cold because of their presence, and a relaxed, heartfelt smile finally appeared on his face.

Tomorrow's hunt would surely be very interesting.