Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

It seemed that the mecha pilot reserves mentioned yesterday some characteristics of mecha training—

This thing can't be operated by one person alone, it requires everyone to divide the work and cooperate during training.

Like a tank, does it require several people inside to operate different module systems?

One person responsible for movement, one for fire control, one for reconnaissance?

What's the difference between that and driving a humanoid tank? It's quite different from the mecha of my imagination.

I don't quite understand, but it's not important, I'll know once I go and see today.

Bai E was in high spirits at the prospect of piloting the legendary mecha, but as he set foot in the heart of the armor camp's mecha training area, his now extremely sharp senses detected some kind of oppression hanging over the training area.

Almost all eyes converged invisibly on himself the moment he entered…

The comrades who had been on good terms with him yesterday now looked at him a bit strangely…

"..."

Bai E remained expressionless, but was inwardly alert.

Had something happened that he didn't know about?

However, it wasn't important, as he had never relied on the kindness of others to live his life.

Having nothing to do with others was fine, it spared him the trouble of dealing with social niceties.

Standing alone to the side, within a three-meter radius of Bai E, no one approached until the mecha piloting instructor arrived.

"Assemble!"

At the command, the soldiers formed ranks instantly.

Bai E stood at the back, somewhat excited as he watched the instructor, the unknown mecha waiting ahead, uncertain of the control mode.

"Some of you may be participating in our mecha pilot reserve training for the first time, so I'll introduce myself. My name is Brandon Trollope, and unless something unexpected happens, I'll be in charge of all the mecha piloting training before you grow into ace pilots. Read new chapters at empire

Before we begin formal training, there are a few things you need to understand—

First, I need you to grow up as fast as possible and be able to stand on your own. Everyone should know about the recent battle to exterminate the bug nest. In that battle, the other components of the camp were basically intact and able to fulfill their duties, but our armored camp's main mecha pilots were almost wiped out.

During this period, none of the camp's combat operations have considered deploying our armed mechas. This is a consideration, but also a disgrace.

I can only give you half a month's time, which is the deadline for you to go from reserve mecha pilots to official mecha pilots! If you can't make it, I'll ask the superior for a replacement batch, willing to pilot mechas, I imagine they are not rare in this military camp."

[Triggered side mission—Regular Mecha Pilot.]

[Regular Mecha Pilot: Due to the massive loss of mecha pilots, the armored corps is in dire shortage of regular pilots who can perfectly operate armed mechas. In order to fill this gap, your instructor requires you to learn the ability to perfectly operate armed mechas as soon as possible. Mission requirement: Obtain full driving ability of the specific vehicle (armed mecha) within 15 days.

Mission completion reward: Knowledge—Mecha Modification Plan 2.0. (Countdown: 14 days 23 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds)]

"..."

A mission right from the start?

Bai E's gaze sharpened, and his blood boiled.

The ability to pilot a specific vehicle? After raising his standard vehicle capabilities to Level 3, he was told that he met the prerequisites to master the ability to pilot specific vehicles.

Now it was time to put it to use.

The instructor's voice did not stop, he just kept talking: "Second, trust in your training content! I know many of you have been transferred here from various assignments such as tank soldiers, multi-function infantry vehicle drivers, and armored vehicle drivers.

There are always soldiers who are skeptical about the shape of our armed mechas, feeling that using the same materials to build fighter jets or tanks could also dominate the battlefield, or might even be more useful. But..."

His voice paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over all the soldiers present, emphasizing firmly, "That's a wrong idea! All of you here today will be the pillars of our city in the future.

What I'm about to tell you is also the cutting-edge theory discovered by the academicians of the Scientific Research Institute—everything in this world that you consider inanimate could potentially give birth to a 'spirit of armors'!

The more you embrace and resonate with the object in your daily use, the greater the possibility of it developing a 'spirit of armors'. An armed mecha paired with a 'spirit of armors' will perform at least one grade higher than a normal armed mecha.

There have been definitive records indicating that an armed mecha that developed a 'spirit of armors' had crossed seas of bugs under its Mech Pilot's control and beheaded a bug nest's brain bug... Although this is a record from the Golden Age, it is without a doubt true.

The humanoid form of the armed mechas is undoubtedly the easiest for you as humans to familiarize with and accept. At the same time, the academicians of the Scientific Research Institute are also trying to replicate the empathetic cockpit from the Golden Age. Once that's in place, these armed mechas will be an extension of your limbs— one person... is equivalent to a legion.

Getting accustomed to the use of humanoid armed mechas in advance and accumulating experience in mecha use is also a remarkable contribution you make for the whole of humanity!"

The future is grand, but the reality is minute.

"However, at this stage, you still need to learn to work together, to jointly pilot the current armed mechas... Next, when your names are called, pair up two by two, and we will start with basic cooperation training."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Random Soldier A, Random Soldier B."

"Random Soldier C, Random Soldier D."

"Benson, Bai E."

"Report to the superior, I refuse!"

As the last name was called, suddenly a resentful voice rogue out of the line.

The instructor looked over with hollow eyes, "Benson? Do you have any objections?"

The soldier stood up straight, his expression unchanged as he responded, "I can't work with an artificial person!"

"..." The instructor's eyes immediately became as sharp as an eagle's, "Who said that?"

Bai E was special.

He was promoted from artificial to natural person status.

Hamilton had personally advised him to pay extra attention in training, not to let other soldiers create a rift.

Hamilton knew himself, and he knew the core of the armored camp that he had handpicked.

If I could weigh the pros and cons and make some tentative compromises, the kids under my command don't know anything about that.

The belief in the supremacy of natural-born humans has taken deep root in the hearts of people.

The wheels that have been set in motion are not even something I, the instigator, can stop.

And now... have these natural-born soldiers really found out?

At this point, the instructor had no intention of disputing the matter, just looking sternly at the other person.

Remedial action was necessary, and those who gossiped deserved punishment.

The soldier, arms folded across his chest, responded indifferently, "The truth doesn't need to be voiced; everyone is well aware of his origins."

Yesterday, at first, nobody realized what the story was with this newcomer, but by evening, once we hadn't seen Bai E around and gathered to think it over, someone remembered an all-troop commendation ceremony that had taken place—

The one regarded as the glory of artificial human recruits, 95B27, seemed to be this newcomer called Bai E.

A bit of inquiry into Bai E's background and physical characteristics made it impossible to conceal the truth.

If there was anyone to blame, it was only for the deeds he had accomplished in the past that were too dazzling.

The instructor glanced at Bai E, but couldn't find the words to say anything.

Blame him for being too high-profile before? If it hadn't been for those accomplishments, he wouldn't have been promoted by Hamilton out of the ordinary run.

The distinction of being elevated from an artificial human to a natural-born one was the first such occurrence he knew of in military history.

The instructor's face darkened like charcoal as his silent gaze swept over the proud soldiers—these were all men he had once trained.

But this Bai E, he was Hamilton's new favorite.

A father loves both his children...

"No matter what identity he had in the past! But now, at this moment, he is your comrade, your brother! Whether in records or in perception, he now has a natural-born status just like you. He can get promotions, retire, and start a family, just like any of you. He is your brother!"

"Artificial humans can't be trusted; this was decreed by our superiors!" the soldier declared loudly, without a trace of compromise, "I can't work closely with an artificial human!"

"You'll have to do it! This is an order!" The instructor's voice was icy, trying to exert pressure.

"Piloting an armed mech requires the pilots to have complete and implicit trust in each other, without genuine trust, the training is meaningless. Sir! I am just discussing the facts!"

"..."

The instructor fell silent for a moment.

Indeed... piloting a Titan-class armed mech required the pilots to cooperate with perfect understanding, without the comradeship of brothers, the idea of effectively piloting an armed mech was pure fantasy.

What Benson said... wasn't entirely without reason.

Yet, the authority of orders must be upheld.

"Benson, you blatantly defy a military order. Go and receive a third-grade military punishment and then confinement for three days!"

The soldier saluted, "Yes, sir!"

He left at a brisk pace.

The instructor's gaze followed the retreating figure before turning once more to the rest of the soldiers.

"What about you? Anyone willing to pair up with him?"

"..."

Silence prevailed.

No response came.

"..." The instructor's eyebrows furrowed tightly, his gaze occasionally sweeping over Bai E, who was standing in the corner of the formation.

The soldier who had been promoted from artificial human status didn't seem to be emotionally disturbed by this, which was the only piece of good news for now...

"..." The tense atmosphere lasted for a while, before the instructor finally let out a hesitant sigh.

It wasn't that he didn't want to stand up for him, but it was truly impossible to hold everyone responsible.

Calling them out one by one would be pointless, as they could all be determined like Benson to accept punishment.

And he couldn't really dismiss them all.

"Commence training! Bai E, you're with me."

The development of fundamental understanding didn't have to take place on a mech, as just moving an arm on that thing requires a tremendous amount of energy. The camp had a special simulation chamber to provide training for this kind of cooperation.

Taking Bai E in front of the simulation chamber, the instructor spoke with a hint of helplessness, "I'm sorry you have to endure this... but what he said is also true. Piloting a mech indeed requires the pilots to have a whole-hearted trust in each other, and harboring doubts means that even if training is forcibly passed, it will still pose significant problems on the battlefield.

For now, I will train with you... I will report your situation to Hamilton later for him to decide."

"Instructor! It's okay, I'm fine."

Bai E didn't care too much.

His gaze merely glanced curiously over everything inside the simulation chamber—those were models constructed to the scale of the actual mech cockpit functions.

These things, do they really require two people to work properly?