Chapter 283 – There Are More People of Unknown Identity in Haenden
Today’s training officially began.
After the instructor explained the key points and precautions in detail, he had the students pair up for one-on-one duels to reinforce their knowledge.
The duels were randomly selected by the system.
The total number of reserve students was odd, so when they paired up, one person was left without a partner. The extra person had to spar with the instructor.
Fortunately, Tu Ran became the one left out.
Facing the instructor, Tu Ran planted her blade into the ground and politely bowed her head, saying, “Please, Instructor, guide me.”
The instructor chose the same weapon as Tu Ran: a machete.
After making their choice, a dark red machete materialized out of thin air and was firmly gripped in his hand.
“I looked over your training records this morning,” the instructor said. “You’ve made great progress.”
He looked at Tu Ran with his usual cold expression. “General Ye told me about the agreement between you and her. Once you adapt to the mecha, you’ll be sent to the front lines. She hopes I can teach you more during this period.”
The instructor paused for a moment. “Though I feel you don’t really need me to teach you anything.”
Tu Ran politely responded, “I wouldn’t have learned so quickly without the instructor. You have played a big role in it.”
The instructor didn’t pay much attention to her compliments. He knew that Tu Ran and he were not on the same level. Her future path was vast, and it was beyond the reach of a mere instructor. “Think of me as your sparring partner. Fighting against an evenly matched opponent is the best way to gain experience.”
He raised the machete in his hand and assumed a defensive stance. “Let’s begin.”
Tu Ran nodded seriously, raised her knife, and moved like lightning, striking at him.
The two blades collided, producing a sharp crash, and a tingling vibration quickly spread from the point of impact. The mecha’s arm trembled with the force.
Tu Ran paid no attention to the instructor and pressed her mecha down, forcing his crimson blade into a desperate situation.
The harsh sound of their blades scraping against each other spread out in a circle, with the two of them at the center. Nearby students hurriedly covered their ears inside the mecha cabins.
Neither side gave way.
Tu Ran immediately withdrew her blade and retreated, changing her angle, then lunged forward with even greater force.
This time, the instructor didn’t meet her head-on. He sidestepped and dodged.
The blade swung through empty air.
Taking advantage of the momentum, Tu Ran turned and slashed horizontally. The instructor raised his blade to block, and once again, their blades collided.
The red blade sparked, scattering golden sparks into the air.
Tu Ran retracted her machete and once again changed direction, aiming for the instructor’s red mecha.
Her strikes were powerful, and it seemed as though she never tired. She attacked from every possible angle, one blow after another, with the sound of blades clashing echoing across the plain.
The instructor was worthy of his title. The mecha had already become an extension of his body. His movements synced perfectly with the mecha, without a hint of delay. Each time, he could precisely intercept Tu Ran’s strikes before she even finished them.
And this, too, was exactly where Tu Ran needed to improve.
She could execute high-level maneuvers with the mecha and even fight with it without weakness. However, her speed advantage was limited by the mech. To break through this limitation and reach the instructor’s level would be the mark of her official mastery.
Tu Ran’s fingers flew across the control panel, moving so quickly it almost seemed like they were taking off. By now, she was thoroughly familiar with the functions of the control panel. She didn’t even need to look down anymore; she instinctively knew where her fingers needed to go. She was desperately shortening her response time, using both hands simultaneously, her movements a blur of dexterity.
If anyone had seen her in the cockpit, controlling the mecha with such expertise, they would never have guessed that she had only been exposed to mechas for a single day.
“Not bad, you’re getting faster. Keep accelerating,” the instructor said while defending against Tu Ran’s attacks, never forgetting to offer guidance. “Focus, and let your mental energy permeate every part of the mecha.”
Tu Ran once again released her mental energy, linking her perception to the mecha, and charged upward with her blade.
The mecha’s speed was now nearly identical to her own. The instructor began to show signs of being pushed back, retreating step by step.
Several times, Tu Ran’s blade struck his mecha, leaving cross-shaped marks on the red armor.
Tu Ran grew more and more confident as the battle progressed, her movements becoming increasingly fluid and sharp. Finally, with a decisive strike, her blade pierced the cockpit, stirring the inside for a moment. The red mecha’s energy light flickered twice before going out.
She had won.
Since this was a virtual scenario, the mecha’s lights quickly came back on, and the scratches on its body rapidly healed.
The instructor retracted his virtual blade and looked at Tu Ran. “Exit the simulation room. I’ll take you to try the real mecha.”
Tu Ran’s heart leaped with excitement. She was going to pilot a real mecha so soon?
She quickly pressed the exit button, and the scene around her shifted. She was back in the reclining chair.
As soon as the connection device lifted, she immediately stood up, leaving the simulation room.
The instructor happened to step out of the room next to hers. He glanced at her before turning and heading in a particular direction, with Tu Ran quickly following behind.
They arrived in front of a massive door. As soon as they got close, the door automatically slid open inward.
As the door slowly parted, the scene inside came into view.
Giant mechas, gray in color, stood in neat rows facing the door.
These mechas weren’t as large as the ones she had seen in the projection earlier; they were about one-third of the size, but standing in front of them still gave Tu Ran a sense of their immense scale.
Under the instructor’s guidance, Tu Ran climbed into one of the mechas and began the actual operation.
Operating a real mecha consumed real mental energy.
She had only 10,000 units of mental energy, unsure if it would be enough.
Following what she had learned in the virtual world, Tu Ran injected her mental energy into the mecha and activated it, driving it out of the warehouse.
The experience felt similar to the virtual world; she couldn’t sense any difference.
The instructor also piloted a mecha out, and the two of them headed to an open training field for a duel.
This time, it was a bare-handed fight—no weapons.
Mechas were precious, and they couldn’t afford to damage them.
Tu Ran threw punches and kicks with full force, nearly overpowering the instructor in their exchange.
Now that she had overcome the speed barrier, she was unbeatable. Even if Tang Ying showed up, Tu Ran was confident she could defeat her again.
At the building’s floor-to-ceiling windows, Ye Hongci stood with her hands behind her back, watching the scene with a satisfied expression.
Behind her, Tang Ying stood, also gazing down at the two figures tangled in combat on the training field, her eyes dimming.
“Her current level—no seasoned warrior could match her. In less than two days, she’s gone from never even seeing a mecha to overpowering her own instructor. Not many people could achieve that.”
Ye Hongci’s gaze remained fixed on the training field below.
At this moment, the room contained only her and Tang Ying.
“I had someone pull up the surveillance footage from her first appearance in District 999. She didn’t come via the teleportation device. Before she arrived, there was a layer of transparent material in the area that was fluctuating, and the space itself was distorted. I examined surveillance from six different angles, and four of them captured the spatial anomaly.”
Tang Ying looked at Ye Hongci’s back, incredulous. “You suspected her from the start?”
Ye Hongci didn’t answer the question. With her back turned, she remained still and silent for a long time, so long that Tang Ying almost thought she wouldn’t speak again.
“Recently, there have been more people of unknown identity appearing in the Haenden star system, suddenly showing up in various places.”
“Escaped from the Wasteland Star?”
Ye Hongci shook her head. “A different world. A world we’ve never heard of.”
“The same world with the alien beasts?” Tang Ying asked cautiously.
Ye Hongci nodded. “Yes. But in that world, the alien beasts aren’t invading humanity’s world. Instead, humans are after the alien beasts. The creatures there aren’t as powerful as those in our world. They don’t need mechas; simple laser guns can take down most of the alien beasts.”
Her voice carried a note of longing, as though she wished the alien beasts in the Haenden were a little weaker.
“Tu Ran comes from that world?” Tang Ying asked tentatively.
Ye Hongci nodded, then turned away from the window and sat back at her desk. After a moment, she suddenly chuckled softly.
Tang Ying looked at her in confusion and shock. While the general often wore a faint smile, it was rare for her to laugh out loud.
“Someone in that world knows her,” Ye Hongci said, shaking her head with a smile. “Or rather, everyone knows her.”
Tang Ying was even more puzzled now, unable to understand what she meant.
“You can take a guess,” Ye Hongci said, her expression playful, her smile still in place as she looked at Tang Ying.
“Is she a high-ranking officer in the military?” Tang Ying asked, thinking of Tu Ran’s martial skills.
Ye Hongci shook her head.
“Is she a researcher or someone with a major invention?” Tang Ying asked again.
In her understanding, or rather, in the Haenden star system, only these two types of people could be known to everyone.
