Chapter 53 Obstacles

Junior Mechanic Qualification Certificate.

Holder: Wang Zheng.

Tsk, he got it easily without even needing that answer.

Inside the room where the door had been repaired, Wang Jixuan quickly packed his luggage.

Since they were heading to the outer expansion area of ​​the fortress, not leaving the fortress, Wang Jixuan only sent a message to Zhou Zhengde, who did not come to see him off.

【01: Which expansion area?】

【02: C.】

【01: The environment there is relatively good; some areas get sunlight every day. It’s the fortress’s reservoir and part of the mines, not far from the fortress defense force headquarters. Are you with Major Hishidari?】

【02: Go work as her nanny.】

【01: Huh? You two are living together already?】

【02: Mechanic. You should get a new girlfriend, sheriff.】

【01: You’re right, the new head of biology has a great figure, is two years younger than me, and is supposedly a semi-conservative. I just met him at yesterday’s party; he’s quite charming.】

【02: You little brat, you want to defect to the enemy, huh? ψ(*｀ー)ψ】

【01: Uh, I meant her charm, not her job. Work is work, and life is life. Message me if you need anything.】

【02: Sniper Rifle.】

【01: What about the others?】

【02: Three sniper rifles.】

【01: You still need this around Ling Tong? And don’t worry, the psionicists are just stationed here; they can’t obtain any information about Fortress 76 beyond what we’ve allowed. The Governor has already stated that. However, my informant, whom I’ve placed next to the Minister of New Life, says that Qin Qin has already started keeping an eye on Ling Tong.】

【02: Can she threaten Ryoto?】

【01: How could that be? You should know the value of a candidate pilot for the Terror Mech. Ling Tong is a human individual that even the Blade Beasts want to eliminate first. I have to go to work now. I’ll contact Minister Qin later to see if she’s just putting on an act or if she really intends to investigate. If it’s the latter, I’ll get rid of her.】

【02: Feel free to ask if you have any questions.】

Wang Jixuan smiled and put down the text exchange.

Ever since Zhou Yanei started calling his maternal grandfather, he has become increasingly adept at using his privileges.

He was just a low-ranking sheriff, yet he was able to directly intervene in the government offices at the top of the fortress.

As for Zhou Yanei’s mother…

Master Wang didn’t have a good impression of her, but he was still planning to refine a beauty and anti-aging pill for her later, purely as a thank-you gift for Zhou Zhengde.

‘After all, this humble Taoist still needs Little Zhou’s help to get by and cultivate.’

He packed his luggage into two boxes. The larger box contained his contraband, which he concealed with layers of clothing and several layers of’scanning-like’ materials he had acquired in the lower town.

Wang Jixuan then sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed, waiting for his spiritual senses to begin to stir slightly.

At two o’clock in the afternoon, familiar footsteps sounded.

Wang Jixuan landed on his feet, waiting for the unlocked door to be pushed open.

Ling Tong was wearing a silver-white combat suit today, along with a pair of tactical goggles.

The combat suit is made of a material that is somewhere between metal and rubber, and it blends perfectly with her mechanical arm. It has the weight of armor and the fit of a tight-fitting rubber suit. The slender legs and the abruptly thin waist it depicts are just right.

To fit Ling Tong’s figure, the designers of the combat suit had to use more material on the area below her neck; when she wore casual clothes, her soft pectoral muscles were not visible at all.

It combines combat effectiveness, visual impact, and aesthetic appeal—that’s it…

It lacks a bit of ethereal charm.

Master Wang’s gaze remained clear throughout.

He asked in a low voice, “Is there going to be a war?”

“no.”

“And your outfit…”

Ling Tong, with her robotic arm slung behind her back, asked, “A fashion style you can choose for everyday wear, are we leaving now?”

Wang Jixuan nodded and picked up his large and small boxes.

Ling Tong asked, “Don’t you need me to help you tidy up?”

“No need, there’s not much stuff. You can move the things you brought later.”

“Okay, I’ll arrange for someone to move over later. I’ll take you to your dorm first,” Ling Tong quickly agreed.

Her ponytail bounced gently as she turned around, showing that she was in a very good mood.

Wang Jixuan followed her for a few steps, then stepped forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with her.

“We need to pass through the military camp first,” Ling Tong instructed. “You are now Wang Zheng, the mechanic I recruited. I am your direct superior. Try to appear a little nervous when you pass through the military camp. I have arranged the vehicles there, and then we will go to the outer C area.”

Wang Jixuan muttered to himself, “Show a little nervousness?”

“Hmm, will it be difficult?”

Wang Jixuan swallowed hard, pursed his lips tightly, and seemed to tense up, his eyes also looking a little evasive.

Ling Tong almost burst out laughing.

She looked up at the road ahead and whispered, “Very good, Mechanic. Keep this expression. I’ll send out two reconnaissance drones to avoid the psionicists.”

“Hard.”

“I am your boss, you can’t complain about how hard it is to your boss.”

“Then what should I say? ‘My life is miserable’?”

“That’s how it should be done.”

Ling Tong cleared her throat and, in a calm tone and with a calm expression, said softly:

“Sir, thank you for taking care of me. I am very grateful for your selfless help over the years.”

“Eh…” Master Wang dodged backward.

“My first instructor taught me that.”

Ling Tong’s lips curled up slightly, her expression a little smug:

“I have a set of phrases for dealing with bosses, which I can teach you later.”

Wang Jixuan chuckled to himself.

Then I’ll use that to deal with you?

To be honest, it’s pretty good. —This combat suit.

…

Although Wang Jixuan had already seen the blue sky and white clouds outside through that air vent;

But when he took the elevator up to the city and went directly from the sixth floor to the ground-level military camp, the moment the elevator doors opened and the sunlight shone on his face, he still felt as if he had been transported to another world.

The noise was overwhelming.

The distant blue sky, mountains, and desert gradually bring the viewer’s gaze back from afar to near.

Ahead lay a bustling camp. Beneath a row of neatly arranged arched warehouses, burly men in camouflage uniforms were active in various locations. The flashes of arc welding light shone from many of the warehouses, and individual mechs ranging in size from two meters to over ten meters were displayed in various places.

Mechs.

They also have this in their cultivation world, but it’s quite crude and usually called mechanical puppets.

As a junior mechanic, Wang Jixuan naturally knows the function of mechs.

Mechs are an important fighting force against Blade Beasts, typically possessing powerful firepower, superior mobility, all-terrain adaptability, and comprehensive combat capabilities to take on high-level Blade Beasts one-on-one.

In the war against the Blade Beasts, these mechs were not the main source of firepower; the main sources of firepower were various guns and cannons. Mech units were usually responsible for breaking through enemy lines during battles against the Blade Beasts, and mech crew members suffered the highest casualties among the military personnel.

— Cost control within the same firepower unit is the second major chapter in the introductory course for mechanics.

The sound of an engine came from the side, and three soldiers wearing camouflage vests ran past quickly, maneuvering their respective exoskeleton powered armor like they were on stilts.

“They’re gone.”

Ling Tong urged him on and led Wang Jixuan into the sunlight, entering the fortress defense army’s garrison camp.

Wang Jixuan heard a faint creaking sound. The feeling of stepping on the yellow earth made him feel much more at ease, and the infinitely expanding scenery in front of him made his Dao heart leap with joy.

This is the kind of place a human being should live!

How can a normal person’s mind not become distorted after living in a fortress for a long time?

that is……

‘The spiritual energy is indeed thinner than below.’

Wang Jixuan was somewhat puzzled by this.

In their cultivation world, the higher the place, the more concentrated the spiritual energy, so many masters like to live on the mountaintop.

The word “仙” originally meant a person living on a mountain.

‘That’s a bit odd.’

Master Wang was drawn by the noise in the distance. Looking up, he could see several large multi-rotor drones flying in simultaneously in the western sky, each dragging a large, exaggeratedly designed pulse cannon below.

In the past, Wang Jixuan would probably have thought, “【This magic weapon looks awesome!】”

But now, after being immersed in the scholarly atmosphere of obtaining a mechanic’s certificate, he has subconsciously begun to consider:

【How much energy will this thing consume? Can the fortress really afford it?】

squeak–

The sound of brakes rang out, and Wang Jixuan subconsciously took half a step back. A Lynx all-terrain light combat vehicle stopped in front of him and Ling Tong, and the driver immediately jumped out and gave a straight military salute.

“Major!”

“Um.”

Ling Tong responded simply, opened the door, sat down, and turned to look at Wang Jixuan.

“Get in the car.”

“Yes, sir.”

Wang Jixuan shouted at the top of his lungs, trying to look tense, and placed the suitcase behind the combat vehicle.

He had barely settled in when Ling Tong slammed the ignition switch on, sending the combat vehicle hurtling forward with its wheels kicking up some gravel.

Lightning fast!

Wang Jixuan seemed to have returned to his youthful days when he had just learned to fly, during the rainy season when he was sixteen. He rode a giant paper kite and soared through the mountains behind the mountain, laughing heartily in the wind.

Then he crashed headfirst into the protective array wall of the Scripture Pavilion, almost suffering serious injuries.

Wang Jixuan silently brushed aside these embarrassing moments from his past and began to appreciate the scenery around him.

The outer C area is on slightly higher ground, and there are military facilities along the way.

After they climbed up a relatively flat mountain path, Wang Jixuan looked back and saw most of the military camp in his eyes. The thousands of square cement boxes scattered inside and outside the camp were the ends of the fortress’s ventilation system and sunlight transmission system.

It’s pretty good.

Aside from the fact that the lower part of the fortress is too dark, this fortress can indeed be considered a ‘home’.

He looked up, trying to spot the space fortress with his naked eye, but after looking for a long time, he could only see a passing transport plane and a large contrail left behind it.

Before Wang Jixuan could even properly appreciate the sky, his vision was filled with the cement color of the tunnel.

Then came a tunnel area with not much light, the terrain gently sloping downwards, its destination unknown.

Wang Jixuan asked, “How long does it take to walk to Area C?”

“About a few more minutes.”

Ling Tong responded softly, her brows furrowing slightly.

“Don’t speak yet. I’ll negotiate peacefully. There are some uninvited guests on the road ahead.”

“A psionicist?”

“Hmm, new minister, you just happened to be wearing your combat suit today.”

Ling Tong’s pretty face was somewhat cold, her eyelashes, which were slightly longer than usual, fluttered gently, and the tiny gaps on the robotic arm lit up with green light one after another.

Self-check complete.

Prepare for battle.

Wang Jixuan carefully sensed it, but it was clear that his current spiritual perception was far less effective than Ling Tong’s radar.

About two minutes later.

squeak–

The brake pads groaned reluctantly as the terrain vehicle came to a stop at the tunnel exit.

There, several armored vehicles were lined up side by side, with more than a dozen figures standing in front of them and five people sitting inside.

Wang Jixuan had sensed the presence of about four psionicists, all roughly C-rank, who were currently inside the armored vehicle and had not yet revealed themselves.

The amount of mottled energy within these psionicists is not as great as that of Zheng Shiduo.

However, the abilities of psionicists are diverse, and it is difficult to determine their true strength without actually fighting them.

Wang Jixuan showed just the right amount of tension.

Ling Tong calmly picked up the walkie-talkie on the car’s center console, stared at the figures in front of her, took a slight breath to stay calm, and gently opened her lips, which she had specially moisturized that afternoon.

“roll.”

Several people in front of them visibly shivered.