C2 Accident

Bai Chengcheng sprinted ahead, with his close friends Lu Youzhi and Fan Gongming quickly on his heels, both calling out, "Thanks, Brother Faang," before leaping into action.

Faang Xinghang was a young man who, despite his occasional ruthlessness in handling matters, was generally amiable and approachable. He never put on the air of a teacher, which is why the students preferred to call him Brother Faang rather than Teacher Faang.

To Faang Xinghang's surprise, two girls nearby also sprang to their feet and chased after Bai Chengcheng and his companions. These girls, Feng Rulei and Liu Xingye, were known for their reserved personalities and had wandered off to a secluded spot for stargazing. They had inadvertently overheard the conversation between Bai Chengcheng and Faang Xinghang. Unlike Bai Chengcheng and his two companions, who were considered underachievers, Rulei and Xingye were renowned top students at Zramshire High.

Faang Xinghang was puzzled. Why were the typically positive and disciplined Rulei and Xingye now engaging in the same antics as Bai Chengcheng's group? He was unaware that the allure of romance was irresistible to women, regardless of the era, age, or academic standing. The mere thought of bringing home a star was enough to send one into a dreamy rapture, especially when the dream seemed within reach.

Logically, Faang Xinghang should have advised Bai Chengcheng and the others to wear protective gloves and gear when collecting meteorites to avoid unexpected radiation exposure. However, due to his advanced cultivation level, Faang Xinghang was no longer susceptible to radiation. Plus, in this era of hunters, protection from radiation was common knowledge, so he neglected to mention it. Little did he know, this oversight would lead to a significant mishap.

After Bai Chengcheng and his group had covered some ground, the other students gradually caught on and surged toward the sky arrows in noisy, excited clusters. Whether they found meteorites or not was beside the point; they were simply looking for an outlet for their boundless energy.

Faang Xinghang alone remained still, peering through his binoculars, vigilantly monitoring the students' progress, and ready to respond to any potential danger.

The sky arrows offered no clear path, just a landscape of rugged reefs. Yet, these senior students had all undergone two rounds of Cell Strengthening Elixir injections, making them all Advanced Martial Disciples. Even Bai Chengcheng, who had never received the elixir, had reached level six. Their enhanced strength, speed, and agility allowed them to bound across the rocks with ease, capable of sprinting fifty kilometers at full tilt without breaking stride.

Aside from Bai Chengcheng, who had come prepared, everyone else had been fixated on the sky, watching the meteor shower without any knowledge of whether any meteors had landed on the Sky Arrows. As a result, they ran while looking up, which slowed them down. Bai Chengcheng, on the other hand, was intent on making headway. The beach had patches of sand that made the terrain somewhat flat, so he ran along the shoreline.

Lu Youzhi and his three companions were more powerful than Bai Chengcheng, which made running easier for them. Yet, they didn't overtake him because they hadn't noticed whether any meteors had fallen on the Sky Arrows, so they let Bai Chengcheng lead.

After covering roughly thirty kilometers, Bai Chengcheng was still leading the group, with the others trailing far behind, save for a few who were somewhat closer.

Feng Rulei and Liu Xingye, both level nine Martial Disciples, followed Bai Chengcheng with ease. However, as they continued to run without Bai Chengcheng showing any signs of stopping, Liu Xingye couldn't help but call out, "Chengcheng, are there actually any meteors on the Sky Arrows?"

Bai Chengcheng answered while running, "Not on the Sky Arrows, but in the water. I spotted two meteors that landed not far from the shore. We should be able to retrieve them."

"In the water?" Feng Rulei couldn't resist glancing at the sea.

"What is that?" she exclaimed suddenly. They were passing a stretch of coastline with no beach, just jumbled rocks, when Feng Rulei, startled, slipped on the reef and plunged into the water with a splash.

Liu Xingye hurried to help her, but ended up being pulled into the water by Feng Rulei.

Bai Chengcheng and the others immediately halted and rushed back to assist. As they reached the two women, Feng Rulei and Liu Xingye stood up in the water, and upon closer inspection, they burst into tears, screaming, "Ah, dead, dead, there's a dead body!" They scrambled frantically to get away. A pale, bloated corpse bobbed in the waves. Paralyzed by fear, Liu Xingye and Feng Rulei kept falling onto the body, which only heightened their terror.

Bai Chengcheng and his two companions cried out in alarm. For middle school students on a peaceful planet, encountering a dead body in the wild was exceedingly rare.

Despite their fear, Bai Chengcheng and his friends displayed loyalty, refusing to leave the two girls behind and flee. Bai Chengcheng took Feng Rulei's hand, while Lu Youzhi grabbed Liu Xingye's, and together, the five of them scrambled towards the center of the sky arrow. The girls, shaking from both cold and terror, cried out loudly. Bai Chengcheng and the boys yelled back to the students behind them.

Most of the students who heard their cries ran back in fear, but a few brave ones charged towards Bai Chengcheng and his group.

Faang Xinghang, realizing from their shouts that they had found 'dead people,' felt a surge of urgency. He quickly accessed the Sky Vision and broadcasted in the group chat, "Everyone, be vigilant and regroup at the encampment immediately."

He then pressed a button on the metal box at his side. The box sprang open, and with a series of crisp clicks, the various metal components inside swiftly assembled themselves. In under five seconds, a towering steel robot stood before Faang Xinghang, reaching a height of about three meters.

But it wasn't just any robot. After the eyes of the 'robot' flickered for a few seconds, a crisp female voice announced, "Self-check complete. All systems are normal. Energy levels are full. Ready to activate?"

"Activate," commanded Faang Xinghang. The robot then split apart. Its head, torso, arms, and legs each split down the middle, transforming into a thick suit of armor.

Faang Xinghang quickly slipped off his shoes and leaped backward. The suit snapped shut, encasing him securely.

The robotic voice chimed in again, "Neural connection established. Arm engines operational. Back engines operational. Leg engines operational. Weapon systems online. Scanning systems online. All systems ready."

Faang Xinghang commanded, "Take off!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the robot shot up into the sky, swiftly flying towards Bai Chengcheng and Feng Rulei.

Faang Xinghang's voice resonated through the students' Sky Vision, "Everyone, stay calm. This is Faang Xinghang, speaking from the mecha above you. I urge you again to remain composed and be aware of your surroundings. Make your way to the encampment as best as you can."

Aside from Feng Rulei and her four companions, the rest of the students were no longer in a state of panic, their attention now captured by the excitement above. Upon hearing Faang Xinghang's voice, they looked up, their excitement palpable, "Wow, a mecha!" "How does Faang have a mecha? That's so cool!"

Dragonstar is known for its stringent weapon control policies, making combat mechas an absolute rarity for these students.

It wasn't just the students who were astonished; hidden onlookers also gasped in recognition, "Hidongqing!" "Hidongqing Mark III!"

Bai Chengcheng, Faang Xinghang, and the others had never imagined that the meteorite was not a natural one but rather involved a vast secret, akin to a massive vortex. Three groups had already arrived to claim these 'meteors' and had even clashed over them. They only went into hiding upon noticing that Class 318 had chartered an airbus, as no one wanted to draw the attention of local authorities and risk their involvement.

The Hidongqing was a state-of-the-art, lightweight, amphibious combat mecha from Dragonstar. It was known for its agility, speed, and strong endurance, with advanced weaponry that made it one of the world's leading light combat armors. It had secured multiple championships at the international Mecha Competitions. Crucially, the Hidongqing's acceleration was so intense that it was unbearable for the average person. It was said that only those at the Martial Grandmaster level or above could pilot it.

Such a machine was a rare sight, belonging only to the elite of the special forces. The enhanced versions, Mark II and Mark III, were not disclosed to the public. Those who recognized it as the Hidongqing Mark III were certainly not ordinary individuals.

Faang Xinghang's unexpected arrival caused the three covert groups to be so frustrated they could almost spit blood. It was supposed to be a simple student excursion; how could it have resulted in the emergence of such a formidable presence?

Faang Xinghang circled above Feng Rulei and her companions twice. After a comprehensive scan revealed no danger, he gently landed.

Seeing the look of terror on Feng Rulei's face as she clung to Bai Chengcheng's hand, Faang Xinghang said, "You two head back first. I'll take care of things here."

Feng Rulei nodded and turned to leave, still shaken by her fall onto the corpse, which had left her feeling nauseous. She found herself unable to move, realizing Bai Chengcheng wasn't following.

Bai Chengcheng's eyes were fixed on Faang Xinghang's mecha, gleaming with excitement. A mecha was the dream of many young men, and Bai Chengcheng's dream was no exception.

"Hmm?" Feng Rulei turned back.

"Oh," Bai Chengcheng muttered, finally noticing their hands were still intertwined. He quickly released her.

"You're not going back?" Feng Rulei asked.

Bai Chengcheng gestured dismissively, "You go ahead. I want to check this out."

Feng Rulei hesitated, her fear palpable. Despite her superior combat skills, she was still a girl, and naturally more cautious.

Bai Chengcheng, mistaking her hesitation for a reluctance to leave the meteor, didn't even look back as he casually remarked, "Go on, I'll find a meteor for you later."

With their minds consumed by fear, neither Feng Rulei nor Liu Xingye could spare a thought for meteors. Without Bai Chengcheng's escort, they tremulously made their way back, comforted by the sight of their classmates en route.

Hai Dongqing extended his steel claw, retrieving the body. A steel needle emerged from his fingertip, probing the corpse. Soon after, a mechanical voice announced the details: "Gender, male. Age, thirty-one. Combat level, approximately a Level 3 Martial Master. Time of death, sixty-three hours ago. Cause of death, heart pierced by a sharp weapon."

Relieved that the death had occurred over three days ago, Faang Xinghang surveyed the churning waves and the area. Finding no signs of human interference, he concluded this wasn't the primary crime scene. The body, unbound, had likely drifted from elsewhere. This suggested the killer was probably not nearby, reducing the likelihood of the students being in danger.

Faang Xinghang had little interest in the identity of the deceased or the cause of death. He wasn't a police officer, and he had long since become accustomed to the sight of death.

He rose to his feet, snapped a photo of the body, and uploaded it to the social security website. Handing the case over to the police was the best course of action.

The chill of the area meant the body wouldn't decompose for days, so Faang Xinghang had no intention of burying it.

"Brother Faang, is it still okay to go meteor hunting?" Bai Chengcheng inquired.

"You're quite brave, wanting to collect meteorites after all this," Faang Xinghang chuckled. "Go ahead, there's nothing to worry about." His confidence in keeping his students safe was unshakable.

"Thanks, Brother Faang," Bai Chengcheng said, leading Lu Youzhi and Fan Gongming as they sprinted toward their goal.

Faang Xinghang didn't leave; he remained, scanning the area. Then, he noticed a small, nearly invisible ball floating on the water's surface, over two thousand meters from the shore. The transparency of the sphere made it hard to spot, but Hai Dongqing's scan revealed a tiny metal object inside, emitting electromagnetic waves.

Leaping into action, Faang Xinghang skimmed over the water's surface and reached the sphere. To his surprise, it was a miniature surveillance camera.

"Hmm?" Faang Xinghang was taken aback. A dead body and a surveillance device suggested serious trouble afoot.