CH 14

14. Painless Departure….

Logged into "Warfall," most of the functions and interface were nearly identical to the previous world's "Warfall." Since Ji Mingzhu was logging in with a new account, the warehouse was empty except for the initial mecha, and the rank value was the basic 1000 points.

Opening the store interface, it displayed a wide variety of mecha models and upgrade components for players to upgrade their mechas. These items could be purchased using points, which could be obtained through PvP or PvE modes. Of course, they could also be acquired through recharge.

Considering Ji Mingzhu's account balance, becoming a big spender was clearly unrealistic. It would be better to earn points honestly.

Warfall had two modes: PvP, which involved mecha battles between players, and PvE, which involved players teaming up to fight against the Aberrations. The Aberrations' data, such as their types and attack methods, were provided by the Thunder Division. While it was similar to fighting Aberrations in reality, there were still differences. However, it served as one of the ways for players to become familiar with the Aberrations.

After glancing at the game interface, Ji Mingzhu quickly averted his gaze and chose to enter the PvP mode and join a matchmaking session.

In less than a second, the system prompted, "Match found. Would you like to enter the game?"

The next moment, with a flash of white light, when Ji Mingzhu opened his eyes again, he was already sitting inside the cockpit of the mecha. He could see the environment outside through the cockpit. It was a dense primitive jungle.

Before entering the game, Ji Mingzhu had already experienced the realistic mecha operation. He curiously inspected the cockpit and the surrounding environment. He reached out and gripped the control stick in front of him, then grabbed it a couple of times.

The realism was almost indistinguishable from reality. With a 0% correction, Ji Mingzhu had a clearer sense of every action detail. He knew that his physical body should be lying inside the cockpit at that moment, but his senses constantly reminded him that he was sitting inside the mecha, about to engage in an intense battle.

He tried calling out Axiu's name in his mind but received no response.

It seemed that Axiu didn't enter the game world with him.

During the preparation phase, Ji Mingzhu moved his body a couple of times and quickly adapted to the operation of the new cockpit. Looking at the familiar button layout in front of him, Ji Mingzhu's heart gradually calmed down. He licked his lips and shifted his gaze to his opponent...

"Finally found a match!"

On the other side, You Jia saw the successful matchmaking prompt and felt a surge of excitement.

[This rank placement takes quite some time. Two minutes to find a match?]

[With a rank value of 1000, you can easily reach 2000 by casually playing. There really aren't many people at this rank.]

[Most likely, the opponents are either complete beginners or smurf accounts.]

[You Ge, hurry up and climb in rank. Once you reach 3000 points, you can go wild and kill everyone.]

While there were many players in Warfall, very few players remained at the low-rank value of 1000. Even with a win rate of only 20%, playing a few more matches would easily bring their rank to 2000. The range of 2000-3000 was where the majority of players were found. In this range, if someone still had a rank of 1000, as the barrage comment said, they were either complete beginners or playing on alternate accounts.

You Jia naturally fell into the latter category.

As a streamer, You Jia had high popularity on his livestream. His exceptional gameplay, mischievous antics, and his status as a student of the Zongbingyi Academy's Mecha Combat Department garnered him a significant number of fans. The Zongbingyi Academy was well-known for its high entry requirements, and the Mecha Combat Department was one of its flagship programs. Those who pursued this specialization were the cream of the crop, with a high probability of becoming true mecha pilots in the future.

Today, upon the request of his viewers in the livestream chat, You Jia registered a new smurf account with the intention of challenging the fastest record of climbing from 1000 to 3000 rank points. However, he didn't expect that there were indeed very few players in this rank range, as it took nearly two minutes to find the first opponent.

You Jia was initially a bit apprehensive, thinking that he had encountered another fellow streamer playing on a smurf account. But when he entered the match, he instantly became elated.

"Azure Storm? And it's an unmodified stock mech?"

Well, this was definitely a complete beginner.

In Warfall, the Azure Storm mecha could be considered the least suitable mecha for newcomers. Its manoeuvrability was inferior to Winter Amber, its firepower was weaker than Overload Bomber, and its armor defense couldn't match the Savior IV. Moreover, it had a relatively high level of difficulty in terms of handling. Most newcomers with a bit of sense wouldn't choose it.

Of course, there were exceptions. If the Azure Storm was willing to spend some points on modifications, upgrade its power core, enhance its weapons, and improve its armor defense, it could perform decently and even contend with B-grade mechs.

However... an unmodified stock Azure Storm? That was simply a pure beginner mech.

[Waited two minutes for this?]

[This is a slaughter match, how boring.]

[What if it's a smurf account?]

[A smurf account won't make a difference. The streamer has spent money, and their mecha model is overpowering. Even if they're skilled, they'll still get crushed.]

[That's true.]

You Jia created the smurf account with the goal of climbing in rank, so he naturally considered the probability of encountering high-level mechas after reaching higher rank values. Immediately after creating the account, he promptly spent money and acquired a B-grade "Crimson Blade Forge" mecha. Although it had no additional modifications, with the attributes of a B-grade mecha, reaching 3000 rank points would be a breeze.

"The matchmaking system really favors me, huh? They matched me against a newcomer?"

You Jia shrugged. "Oh well, let's make it quick and painless for him."

[Hahaha, painless indeed.]

[Is it starting? No, it's already over.]

[For the first game on a newly created account, it's inevitable. Just play a few more matches to raise your hidden rating.]

[The countdown is about to end, it's starting, it's starting!]

While the viewers were chatting and discussing, the countdown timer on the live stream reached zero, and the match officially began!

The power cores of both mechas lit up almost simultaneously, emitting a low and heavy hum.

You Jia didn't want to waste too much time. His streaming style usually involved some playful banter on the public channel before a fight, entertaining the viewers. But for a pure newbie like his opponent, it wasn't necessary.

He aimed for a quick and decisive battle, wanting to end it swiftly without causing his opponent too much pain. So as soon as the match started, he increased the power of his weapons and charged towards the opponent, controlling his mecha's movements.

Boom! Boom!

The 10-meter tall mecha's footsteps on the ground were grand and imposing. The trees in its path were forcefully pushed aside by the B-grade Crimson Blade Forge mecha. It seemed reckless, but the charging steps were steady and unpredictable, moving towards the enemy's unmodified Azure Storm mecha. At the same time, the crimson alloy blade sprung out, tearing through the air with a fierce howl!

Ji Mingzhu's eyes brightened.

He initially thought that opponents in the low ranks would be relatively weak, but the enemy's actions showed some skill. Ji Mingzhu, being a world champion, had a keen eye, and he could tell that the opponent's level was not low. The footwork and maneuvers were quite challenging, and it was rare for an average person to exhibit such proficiency in combat.

Did people in this world have such high skills, even in the lowest ranks?

Ji Mingzhu's gaze was intense, with a hint of burning passion in his eyes. If players in the low ranks had this level of skill, what kind of strength would the highest rank and even the Titan pilots possess?

Facing the fierce attack from the Crimson Blade Forge, the opposing Azure Storm mecha stood still foolishly, seemingly dumbfounded, much to the disappointment of the viewers in the live chat.

[Are they just hitting a training dummy?]

[It's normal for newcomers. I remember it took me a long time to adapt to the controls when I first started playing.]

[Maybe their correction is set too low. For beginners, it's better to start with 90% sensitivity.]

[The mecha is already overpowering enough. There's no need for You Jia to go all out like this.]

Even the viewers watching the livestream were finding it hard to watch. The Crimson Blade Forge had superior mecha parameters compared to the Azure Storm, and You Jia's aggressive approach seemed to undermine the gaming experience.

With the fragile armor strength of the Azure Storm, it probably wouldn't even withstand a single blow. One strike and the mecha would be destroyed.

Sitting inside the control cockpit, Ji Mingzhu calmly pressed several buttons, moving with a fluidity that resembled an experienced pianist striking familiar keys.

The crimson alloy blade transformed into a streak of practice as it descended upon the Azure Storm, ready to deliver a decisive strike.

But the moment the Crimson Blade Forge made its move, the Azure Storm also reacted.

"Tch—"

The compressed and rotating sound of the power core was like a muffled roar. In an instant, white steam sprayed out from the joints of the mecha. The fragile Azure Storm suddenly lifted its body and, in front of everyone's eyes, completed an extremely difficult spin. The thunderous roar of the overloaded power core exploded in You Jia's ears!

Then, a streak of azure lightning flashed!

It made its move!

It's hard to describe the level of skill displayed. The speed of the action made everyone in the livestream room doubt whether the opponent was an S-class mecha disguised as Azure Storm. The D-class mecha, which countless veteran players sneered at, suddenly spun and drew its blade. The azure alloy blade struck the crimson training at an incredibly precise angle, while simultaneously advancing with lightning speed. The entire scene was like an assassin drawing their blade across the target in a movie. The massive body of the mecha executing such a move was even more astonishing. The scene froze, and the world fell silent.

Boom!

A mechanical head flew high into the air, and the screen in front of You Jia suddenly went black.

Destroyed!

You Jia was dumbfounded.

The tens of thousands of viewers in the livestream room were also stunned.

What just happened?

What went wrong??

You Jia stared at the "Failure" that appeared in the center of the darkened screen for a long time, his expression blank, as if drool might escape his mouth at any moment.

After a while, You Jia managed to utter two words from his throat, "What... the hell?"

Could he have seen it wrong?

No, no matter what, You Jia was a grandmaster-level player with a rank value of 3567. His vision was accurate; he couldn't have seen it wrong.

"Bottle Type-0 Power Overclock? Forward Momentum Flash Beam Blade?"

You Jia recalled the actions of Azure Storm just now, along with the sound of the power core roaring in his ears. Even though the game was over, the last scene before the mecha was destroyed was deeply engraved in his heart.

Regardless, You Jia had delivered on his words from before the match began.

Indeed, his opponent didn't suffer any pain.