C23 The Jungle Simulation Battle

No one paid any attention to Zhuge Yao. They were certain that with their Mechas on all sides, an ambush was out of the question.

"Kid, you clearly haven't been in battle before. Why are you freaking out?" an old soldier complained, his thick local dialect causing a moment of confusion among the others.

"Exactly, exactly. Zhuge Yao, don't embarrass the Young Bird Squad. I'm actually hoping the enemy comes at us. My laser machine gun is eager for a fight," Gongsun Ce added, always quick to mock Zhuge Yao whenever he got the chance.

Xia Bing, having heard Zhuge Yao's warning, glanced at the radar and saw no sign of approaching enemies. Her expression turned grim, and rather than joining in the taunting, she silently clenched her teeth in frustration.

While the others seemed unconcerned, Wanyan Feixiong showed his professionalism. Piloting his Feixiong Mecha, he moved in front of Zhuge Yao, activated the protective shield, and shielded him with his massive Tower Shield. Once ready, he quietly communicated with Zhuge Yao, offering comfort, "Don't be afraid. As long as I'm here, you'll be fine. And considering the effort I'm putting in, maybe you could add a little extra to my reward afterward?"

Ignored by the others, Zhuge Yao felt increasingly anxious but had no solution. He reassured himself that it was only a simulation; losing wasn't the end of the world.

The transport convoy continued, the ground beneath them becoming increasingly unstable, as if an earthquake was imminent. All ten Mecha Guard teams sensed danger and hurried to prepare for battle, trying to form a defensive square. It was at this point that the squad leader, Yang Fann, realized he needed to issue orders to organize the teams into an effective fighting force.

The Mecha Guards' reaction was too slow. The sky was suddenly filled with a swarm of black dots: a flock of Blazing Flame Crows. These level-one Flying Devil Beasts had a combat strength of three hundred and fifty and could shoot intense flames.

The Blazing Flame Crows attacked all at once, turning the sky into a fiery deluge, swiftly enveloping the entire transport convoy. Several Mechas, caught without their protective shields, were instantly incinerated by the flames and turned into piles of scrap metal. A vast area of forest was set ablaze, and the battlefield became a sea of fire that struck terror into the hearts of all present.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Brothers, activate your protective shields!" Yang Fann's urgent shouts resounded through the public communication channel, his voice a mix of fear and anger.

Amidst the inferno, a laser bolt shot out, narrowly missing the underside of a Blazing Flame Crow. Zhuge Yao, feeling embarrassed, scratched his head and continued to fire at the flock with his Dragon Abyss. His marksmanship was dreadful. After firing more than a dozen shots without hitting a single target, his efforts were both exasperating and amusing to the onlookers.

Even though Zhuge Yao's shots missed, the Dragon Abyss managed to force some of the Blazing Flame Crows to climb higher. Seizing the moment, several allied Mechas opened fire. Laser Guns, heavy cannons, and an array of weapons unleashed a barrage of firepower. Several Blazing Flame Crows, caught off-guard, were obliterated.

"That was a close call, Feixiong. I'm grateful you were up front taking the hits; otherwise, I would've been out of the action," Zhuge Yao said, letting out a sigh of relief as his back was drenched in cold sweat, thinking to himself how eerily realistic the simulation was.

"This round doesn't count. If it weren't for your warning, I'd have been in trouble too. But hey, if you're suggesting a bonus, I'm not one to refuse," Wanyan Feixiong replied, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Being eliminated early on would have ruined his reputation in the Recruit Company.

A piercing whistle from the sky sent the Blazing Flame Crows into a violent rage. Their eyes turned a fierce red as they ignored the Mechas' gunfire and launched a desperate dive at the transport convoy.

The jungle endured repeated blasts of flame, causing the temperature to soar. With alarms sounding off in the cockpit and the transport fleet in peril, Zhuge Yao had to release the Small Yellow Man to help with aiming and shooting.

"Squad Leader Xia Bing, I'll take on the Blazing Flame Crows. Use the Cold Ice Bombs to lower the temperature around the convoy," Zhuge Yao urgently radioed Xia Bing, momentarily forgetting he was just a low-ranking soldier.

"Uh, this..." Xia Bing hesitated, clearly having seen Zhuge Yao's unreliable shooting skills. Yet, with the situation becoming critical and lacking any better alternatives, she bit her lip and reluctantly nodded in agreement.

"Boom, boom, boom." Blazing Flame Crows fell one after another from the sky, slamming into the ground and turning into mounds of gore.

With the assistance of the Small Yellow Man, Zhuge Yao's shooting was incredibly accurate, with each crow being taken down by a single, precise shot to the head.

"Nicely done!" Lei Ming's voice thundered over the Public Channel, praise rolling in wave after wave.

Xia Bing also took action, using Cold Ice Bombs to slowly lower the temperature around the convoy. It was only after she had finished her task that she looked up in surprise at the unbelievable scene unfolding before her.

The Laser Gun in Dragon Abyss's hands was now set to rapid-fire, sending a series of lasers that cut down a large number of Blazing Flame Crows. Zhuge Yao, getting the hang of it, turned on Dragon Abyss's Rocket Propeller and began moving and shooting at the crows in pursuit.

"Boom!" The earth near the convoy caved in with a massive explosion, creating dozens of large pits, and several Mechas were instantly buried alive by the soil.

Then, Crypt Devils began to crawl out from underground one by one, swinging their claws and attacking all the nearby Mechas. Due to Dragon Abyss's conspicuous earlier shooting, it became the main target of the Crypt Devils' attacks.

Three Crypt Devils charged at Dragon Abyss. The alarm from the Sensing Device forced Zhuge Yao to stop shooting at the Blazing Flame Crows and switch to using his Laser Gun to fend off the charging Crypt Devils.

Although he hit their heads, the shots hardly damaged the Crypt Devils. They pushed forward to Dragon Abyss, clawing furiously. As the protective shield was about to shatter, Zhuge Yao quickly activated the Rocket Propeller and leaped to the side, breaking out of the encirclement.

Wanyan Feixiong's Mecha arrived in the nick of time, using its Tower Shield to staunchly protect Dragon Abyss. The three Crypt Devils followed, clawing wildly again, but this time to no avail as their attacks were deflected by the Feixiong Mecha's shield.

Seeing that the Laser Gun was ineffective against the Crypt Devils, Dragon Abyss didn't hesitate to toss it aside and draw a Magnetic Oscillation Sword from his waist sheath. Working in tandem with Feixiong, Dragon Abyss waited for the Crypt Devils to reveal a weak spot before thrusting his sword from the edge of the Tower Shield.

In no time at all, Dragon Abyss had swiftly dismantled three Crypt Devils, striking fear into the hearts of the others, who dared not come any closer. Just then, reinforcements arrived, and a legion of Mechas charged out from within the jungle, rapidly vanquishing all remaining Devil Beasts.

The cockpit hatch of Dragon Abyss opened, signaling the end of the first phase of training. Zhuge Yao stepped out from the Mecha. Inside the Simulate Center, the triumphant strains of a warrior's anthem immediately filled the air, as the elated new recruits of the fledgling squad embraced each other in celebration.

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