Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

The Mecha squadron accompanying the army existed precisely to handle such unforeseen situations.

Even though there was no preparation in the initial plan to engage the newly emerged beast in combat, when faced with a target that could not be dealt with by ordinary forces, it was time for the Titan-class armed Mechas to shine, even if it was the first time the pilots had stepped onto the battlefield…

The commander in charge of directing the Mecha squadron issued the order in a deep voice, "Mecha Combat Team One, launch! Take down that beast, victory belongs to humanity!"

[Side mission triggered—Terminate the Beast.]

[Terminate the Beast: A beast that suddenly appeared on the battlefield is wreaking havoc. Its presence is an unimaginable threat to the allied forces you belong to. Only by swiftly executing a beheading action is there a chance for your attack launched against the Bug Race expansion to be successful. Mission requirements: Behead the "Beast" 0/1 within 3 minutes. Reward for mission completion: Beast Compendium. (Countdown: 2 minutes 59 seconds)]

"Affirmative, Commander."

As the captain of the Mecha Combat Team, Bai E calmly responded and then gave out an instruction over the team's voice comms, "Everyone, spearhead an assault with me as the tip, and be sure to complete the beheading action within three minutes!"

'Adding a time limit on his own...' thought the commanding officer of the Mecha squadron, his eyes flickering unkindly.

The last thing desired on the battlefield was a soldier with their own thoughts.

A soldier only needs to fulfill their duties, not have thoughts.

There was no time limit given by the command, yet he added one on his own initiative.

Was it to show off in front of his superiors? Or was it just to assert his authority as a captain within the team?

Whichever it was, it was clearly an unpleasant starting point.

If they succeed, no extra points are given; if not...

"Received!"

"Received!"

A chorus of acknowledgments resounded through the Mecha Combat Team's voice channel.

Regardless of how the team members felt, at this moment on the battlefield, the instructions issued by their direct superior, Bai E, were their everything.

Aside from the unlucky Mecha that had its lower leg crashed by the beast, the other five Mechas launched an assault from different positions simultaneously.

Facing the towering mechas of more than a dozen meters, the bugs on the ground were like reptiles, utterly defenseless.

With every step, countless bugs were crushed into a mixture of broken armor and pus under the giant mechanical feet, with only the larger mantis-type bugs able to mount some minor resistance to these massive creatures, though to little avail.

Still, the bugs climbed frantically up the Mechas' non-smooth surfaces, attempting to attack some of the weaker spots with their sharp symbiotic weapons and their acidic secretions.

It was like a giant covered in ants; if they couldn't keep moving, even if the whole body was made of E-Alloy, they would eventually be overwhelmed by the swarm.

A Mecha's design is a highly coordinated whole; any extraneous weight could disrupt this perfect balance.

This kind of abnormal feedback had to be compensated for by the Mech Pilots using their experience and control.

Of course, there were simulators for such situations in simulated battles, but the reason why abnormal situations are difficult is that they are varied and hard to replicate precisely.

Pilots could only rely on their acute sensitivity to their Mechas to constantly make adjustments through control.

Bai E also felt a certain degree of loss of control in his suit.

Each time his footsteps landed amid the swarm, those frenzied bugs would climb onto him without hesitation, so much so that his feet were now covered with small worker and bee bugs.

Despite his constant movement, the Mecha surface, which could not be cast as a single piece for the sake of agility and necessarily needed some room to move, was full of joints and cracks allowing those bugs with their spiky barbed symbiotic weapons to cling tightly to him.

Breaking away from the main force and charging alone into the enemy line made one vulnerable to this embarrassing plight. It was not just Bai E; the other Mechas following close behind Bai E were in the same situation.

Being able to resist such interference and continue to fulfill their tactical objectives was a test of every Mech Pilot's skill level.

Though the current disturbance was not enough to lead to a Mecha's complete downfall, they clearly could not take too much baggage with them to execute the beheading of the beast.

"Speed up the advance!"

To accommodate his teammates, Bai E was not operating at full speed.

For every increase in a Mecha's speed level, the demand on piloting intensity increased geometrically.

Currently, if he wanted to speed up, he first needed his teammates to be able to keep up.

"Captain, there is a risk of losing control!"

"Captain, we are already moving at full speed."

It wasn't the Mecha's full speed, but the full speed of personal control ability.

Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire

Bai E's brows were tightly knitted as he watched the giant beast in the distance, once again ready to launch an artillery strike, his eyes filled with hesitation.

This was also his first time leading a team onto the battlefield in a Mecha, unlike when he fought alone, the situations he encountered while using a Mecha were completely different. The idea of fighting alone without his comrades... He dared not make that decision lightly.

Furthermore, the link he had been building with the Mecha since his first contact hadn't fully taken effect—

[Link remaining countdown: 20 hours 38 minutes 52 seconds.]

The 48-hour link establishment period was calculated based on the time Bai E spent operating the Mecha from within. Since his contact with the actual Mecha, his actual training time hadn't yet reached 48 hours, far from reaching a deep communicative connection with the Mecha.

He dared not recklessly take on this risk.

"Shua shua~"

Mysterious images flashed suddenly through his mind, the scenery of deep rock and soil rushing past appeared swiftly within Bai E's consciousness.

Realizing this, Bai E abruptly turned his head, looking in the general direction of the images—

The entire army's rear!

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Almost at the very moment Bai E turned to look, several ferocious sand worms leaped out from the ground.

The logistics transport vehicles filled with supplies were instantly overturned, and soldiers carrying guns were flung high into the air.

The sand worms, their bodies covered with sharp claws, danced wildly under the sunlight...

"Meet the enemy! Meet the enemy!"

Without thinking, the voice channel was surely in chaos right now.

Although the existence of the sand worms was known and anticipated, their evil emergence at an inappropriate time at the rear of the formation instantly tightened everyone's nerves.

The elite reserve troops that were already prepared instantly launched a counter-attack, and the battlefront extended beyond the front lines, where the flesh and blood of the Bug Race clashed with the steel tide.

"Boom! Boom!"@@novelbin@@

Misfortune never came singly, as the tremors of the earth clearly transmitted from the body of the Mecha to the piloting cabin interface of Bai E.

As a weapon of war, Mechas were designed not for comfort but for the Mech Pilot to have a clear perception of the encountered environment.

As for the physical strain that this perception caused, it could only be resisted by the physical endurance of the Mech Pilot.

Fortunately, Bai E and Rose's physical fitness levels were top-notch, even within the entire camp.

The tremors of the earth didn't affect their combat status; instead, they allowed them to focus their attention on the source of the vibrations at the first instance—

In the distance, three crimson giant figures were trudging with heavy footsteps from the southeast, one after the other.

"Dominators!"

The crimson giant bugs undoubtedly brought to mind that terrifying nightmare at first glance.

But it wasn't them.

Bai E closely observed the bodies of the three giant bugs—

They were somewhat similar to the Dominators, also with six limbs, also with dark crimson giant bodies, even their chitinous armor appeared just as thick and heavy, reflecting a bloody sheen under the sunlight.

But the giant bugs that appeared this time were more ape-like in appearance, moving on all fours, and their forelimbs, which served the same function as human arms, were not like the sharp double blades of the Dominators, but rather a pair of cylindrical hammers.

The bone armor on their bodies also lacked many spikes, appearing more rounded overall.

"They look more inclined towards defense... Could they be the guards for the artillery beasts?" Bai E squinted, making his judgment.