C3 Hell(1)

Mecha?

They actually built a mecha?

Luo Yan wondered if he had misheard the broadcast.

Such things, after all, were the stuff of movies.

Just then, the truck he was in began to buzz, and the roof split open on either side!

Through the opening, Luo Yan caught sight of the sky.

High above, a black line sketched its way across the firmament, resembling a tree branch.

It suddenly expanded, tearing open a 'crack'.

Peering into the crack, one could glimpse an indescribable, abstract realm.

In a dimension beyond our own, countless shadows roamed. Quickly, a flat, ever-shifting shadow approached the crack.

It appeared to be extracted by some unseen force, gradually emerging from the crack that resembled a tree branch.

Luo Yan was no stranger to such phenomena.

On the day the 'giant beast calamity' erupted, similar tree-branch cracks proliferated across the sky.

They shrouded the heavens.

Interlacing to form an immense, despair-inducing 'canopy'.

Giant beasts were dispatched from these shadowy 'canopies', from that unknown space.

Because the alien space resembled a sky-obscuring colossal tree, it was officially named 'Floating Space'.

The 'Ananda Sutra' states: "In the Floating Space, there is a great tree king named Floating Tree, encircling seven by ten and towering a hundred by ten."

The name was indeed fitting.

By now, the carriage Luo Yan occupied was fully open.

He quickly ducked under the waterproof cloth.

The broadcast inside the carriage continued:

"The spatial barrier has been breached."

"The giant beast will soon unfold in three dimensions!"

"Blue energy spectrum detected, initiating database matching."

"...Matching complete. The identified giant beast is 'leopard cat'."

"Rank: Low-rank Level-2."

"Type: Insect."

"Features: Immense strength, specializes in charging!"

...

As the broadcast played, the ropes securing the waterproof cloth inside the carriage began to snap loose.

With the front panel of the carriage rising, the massive waterproof cloth cascaded down.

Luo Yan scrambled out in a hurry, knowing that if he didn't, he'd be crushed beneath and likely suffocate.

Once he emerged from the waterproof cloth, a massive shadow loomed over him.

Luo Yan whipped around to see the source.

The lifted base of the carriage now served as a makeshift support.

It was propping up a giant!

The silver coating, scratched and worn, the engine on its chest starting up with a hum and emitting a soft blue glow...

Its broad shoulders and thick arms were crafted from an unknown alloy.

A mecha!

It actually was a mecha!

Suddenly, Luo Yan's perspective shot upwards.

His head spun.

Only when he crashed back onto the carriage floor did he realize he'd been thrown into the air.

In the distance, buildings shook, kicking up clouds of dust, and began to topple slowly yet inexorably!

The carriage's broadcast system blared, "The giant beast has landed. Repeat, the giant beast has landed."

"The 'leopard cat' is now in motion."

"Based on its current path, it will reach the 'Galaxy Stadium' in two minutes!"

Noise erupted outside the carriage.

Luo Yan knew he couldn't stay put any longer.

He had to leave.

Then, a shout rang out: "Citizen! There's a civilian in transport cabin three!"

Luo Yan bolted for the exit.

"Stop!"

"Don't move!"

"Or we will shoot!"

The commands came from behind him.

Reluctantly, Luo Yan halted.

These weren't mere scavengers; they were professionally trained soldiers.

Luo Yan was under no illusion about their marksmanship; they wouldn't miss.

He wouldn't just get a warning shot; they'd aim for his head.

Quickly, he raised his hands.

"Get down and put your hands where I can see them!"

Luo Yan complied immediately.

Before long, his arms were wrenched behind his back and he was hoisted up.

It was then he got a clear view of the two fully armed soldiers in dark combat gear at his side.

"What's going on here?"

A voice, clearly annoyed, cut through the tension.

"How did a civilian get onto the transport vehicle?"

"Get him down from here. I need to start up the mecha."

Luo Yan's gaze shifted to a man dressed in a suit resembling a diver's, but with numerous circular sensors attached. The man was glaring at him with a dark expression, his brown eyes sweeping over Luo Yan with a mix of disdain and disgust.

"Yes, Mechanist Yang Rong, we will take him away immediately," a warrior responded, roughly shoving Luo Yan out of the carriage.

Luo Yan tumbled from the carriage, two meters above the ground, landing with a heavy thud. As he lay there, the carriage filled with the roar of machinery. Suddenly, the sky above him darkened as an enormous 'foot' loomed overhead. Beneath the 'foot,' Luo Yan could make out a complex array of gears and mechanisms. He quickly rolled aside, but the 'foot' shifted and slammed into the earth, shaking the heavy truck.

The 'giant' inside the carriage then rose to its full height. The backlighting obscured the details of the Mech, but the thunderous engine and the weight of the metal pressed down on Luo Yan with an intensity he had never felt before.

The broadcast resumed, "Captain Di Zheng and Mechanist Cai Hua have already headed to the stadium. Mechanist Yang Rong, please remain where you are."

At that moment, two warriors hoisted Luo Yan up and escorted him to an off-road vehicle. They didn't mistreat him—perhaps the convoy had bigger concerns than a civilian like Luo Yan. Still, with several gleaming gun barrels close by, he didn't dare attempt an escape.

Suddenly, from the far reaches of the city, a muffled howl erupted from the direction of the stadium. Luo Yan's gaze snapped toward the sound, just in time to see the Silver River Stadium crumble like a toppled stack of blocks. The earth shook violently, and a distant beastly roar echoed.

The convoy's broadcast blared, "Attention! The giant beast, leopard cat, is moving toward the convoy!" Upon hearing this, the silver-white Mech operated by Yang Rong advanced a few steps and drew a heavy, high-tech silver-white rifle from behind.

Luo Yan overheard a soldier murmuring, "It's just a Low-rank Level-2 giant beast. Mechanist Yang Rong can handle it alone."

Meanwhile, Luo Yan witnessed a cloud of dust and smoke. Emerging from the haze was a beast resembling a wild boar, with a single eye and a hide as tough as leather.

Suddenly, a searing sensation pricked Luo Yan's eyes. Within his vision, amidst the chaos, a gray orb signified the presence of the leopard cat.

Behind the colossal creature, another grey light emerged!

Luo Yan instantly realized that the leopard cat wasn't moving toward the convoy. Rather, it was being chased by something!

"There's another one!" Luo Yan yelled. "There's another giant beast!"

No one paid him any mind. Their focus was entirely on the leopard cat, leaving Luo Yan shouting into the void.

At that moment, from the dense smoke trailing the leopard cat, another vast, slender shadow sprang forth. It bore a goat-like head adorned with two curved, black horns etched with enigmatic patterns. Its body resembled that of a human, but with greenish-black, thick, and wrinkled skin. Spreading its arms, its human-like palms sported claws that shimmered metallically in the sunlight.

The creature embraced the leopard cat in a swift motion. The sprinting behemoth, now burdened with the goat-headed monster, soon appeared drained of energy. Its front limbs buckled, and it tumbled to the ground. The monster atop it deftly rolled off and quickly lunged again. Its mouth widened grotesquely, revealing a gaping maw lined with sharp teeth, and clamped down on the leopard cat's neck. It gnawed and ripped ferociously, leaving the leopard cat to a gruesome fate, its marrow sucked dry in a gory spectacle.

Luo Yan was stunned into a daze by the sight until the convoy's broadcast jolted him back to reality.

"Orange spectrum! We've got an orange spectrum!"

"Initiate immediate cross-referencing with the archives!"

"...Matching complete!"

"Be advised, we're dealing with a 'Taotie'!"

"Rank: Mid-tier Level 3."

"Species: Worm."

"Attributes: Energy absorption, voracious feeding, rapid movement, invisibility!"

"Its vulnerability lies between its legs!"

The broadcast seemed to catch the attention of the beast known as 'Taotie,' which halted in its tracks not far off and turned to face the convoy. The four small eyes flanking its goat head narrowed into slits. Then, it charged.

The creature was incredibly fast!

The convoy's sole silver mech advanced with large strides, its futuristic rifle aimed at the oncoming beast.

Fire!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!