Chapter 114: First Live Machine! Shock and Awe

"Attention everyone! Three-minute countdown to live machine training!"

Wang Hao's voice, excited to the point of cracking, came over the training ground's broadcast.

Thirty strictly selected trainees stood in neat rows at the hangar entrance, looking at the behemoths covered by dust cloths, their breathing involuntarily quickening.

Lieutenant Xu subconsciously straightened the collar of his combat uniform, his fingers trembling slightly.

Two weeks of devilish training under the guidance of "Instructor Torch Dragon" had finally earned them the qualification to touch real mechs.

But at this moment, facing these true steel giants, the confidence from the simulator vanished instantly.

"Look at your lack of ambition!" Wang Hao strolled in front of the ranks with a megaphone.

"Weren't you quite cocky in the simulator?"

"Lieutenant Xu, didn't you perform a backflip in the simulator the day before yesterday?"

Lieutenant Xu swallowed: "Director Wang, can that be the same?"

"If you crash in the simulator, you just restart, but this real thing..."

"So you're chickening out?" Wang Hao grinned and suddenly pulled off the dust cloth of the nearest mech.

Hum—

The dark gray "Jing-An Type 1" revealed its true form in the morning light, its 4.5-meter height casting a huge shadow, and the seams of the Dragon Scale armor shimmering with a ghostly blue light.

Just standing there quietly, it exuded a suffocating sense of oppression.

"My god..." Squad Leader Zhang from the tank unit muttered to himself.

"This is even taller than our 99A main battle tank..."

Li Yang walked to the front of the ranks, his tone calm but carrying unquestionable power:

"Remember what you learned in the simulator."

"These are not machines; they are your comrades-in-arms. Now, board the mechs."

When Lieutenant Xu climbed into the cockpit of the "Jing-An," he froze.

On the panoramic display, the entire training ground was in full view, and the dizziness caused by the height made him subconsciously grip the handrail.

"Trainee 017, abnormal heart rate detected." The familiar electronic voice sounded in the cockpit, "It is recommended to take three deep breaths."

It was "Instructor Torch Dragon"!

Lieutenant Xu let out a long breath and breathed steadily according to the guidance.

When his finger pressed the start button, the entire cockpit was instantly enveloped in a ghostly blue glow.

A low, powerful hum came from beneath his feet, like the heartbeat of a waking giant beast.

The vibration of the power core running steadily spread through the seat to his whole body, completely different from the artificially created vibration in the simulator.

It was full of a sense of real power.

"Power system connection normal."

"Sensor system calibration complete."

"Weapon system in safe mode."

Amidst a series of system prompts, Lieutenant Xu carefully placed his hands on the control interface.

When he gently pushed the control stick, the entire mech emitted a teeth-grinding metallic friction sound and slowly took its first step forward.

"S-success!" His voice, excited to the point of changing pitch, came through the communication channel.

However, the next second, a sudden change occurred!

Just as Lieutenant Xu was about to take the second step, the mech suddenly stumbled, its huge body tilting forward.

Alarms blared in the cockpit, and it looked like the tragedy in the simulator was about to repeat itself.

"Left knee joint output too high! Center of gravity shifting forward too fast!" "Torch Dragon's" electronic voice remained calm.

"Immediately reduce left knee torque, right leg thruster auxiliary output 15%!"

Lieutenant Xu operated in a panic according to the instructions.

At the critical moment, the mech narrowly stabilized its posture, and the giant metal feet left two deep marks on the concrete floor of the training ground.

The whole place was silent.

Then, a deafening cheer erupted in the communication channel!

"Holy shit! Old Xu is awesome!"

"He actually saved it!"

"Long live Instructor Torch Dragon!"

Lieutenant Xu slumped in the pilot's seat, only then realizing that his combat uniform was soaked with cold sweat.

He reached out with trembling hands, gently touching the control interface, his eyes suddenly turning red.

"Chief..." His voice was choked with sobs.

"I, I did it..."

On the viewing platform, the observers from headquarters looked at each other.

A white-haired old general stood up abruptly, staring fixedly at the mech that had stabilized itself on the training ground.

"Old Liu, did you see that?" He asked his colleague with a trembling voice.

"This isn't walking; this is creating history. This is the true mech torrent of the future!"

The subsequent training went smoothly. With Lieutenant Xu's successful experience, other trainees also overcame their psychological barriers one after another.

Although the movements were still raw, there were no more situations where they almost fell.

"Attention everyone!" Li Yang's voice sounded in the communication channel.

"Now conducting small-team collaborative training. Lieutenant Xu, Squad Leader Zhang, Major Li, you three are a group."

Three "Jing-Ans" slowly gathered in the center of the training ground.

Under the coordination of "Torch Dragon," they clumsily formed a triangular formation.

When they pushed forward side by side, the metal feet stepped out in a rhythmic roar, and the entire training ground shook.

Amidst the flying dust, the three steel giants pushed forward slowly like mobile fortresses.

Sunlight shone on the armor plates, reflecting a heart-palpitating cold light.

That scene left even Wang Hao, who was used to big scenes, dumbfounded.

"My goodness..." He muttered to himself.

"If this were pulled to the border, wouldn't it scare the pants off the other side?"

On the observation deck, the old general was already in tears.

He said softly to his assistant: "Send a report to headquarters: The Longyin Project has truly succeeded."

"We... we truly possess a Great Wall of Steel to protect the nation."

When training ended, the trainees climbed out of the cockpits reluctantly.

Lieutenant Xu was the last to leave; he stood at the feet of the mech, looking up at the steel giant he had just mastered, and gave a solemn military salute.

"Old Xu, stop being sentimental!" Wang Hao's loud voice came from afar.

"Extra meals in the cafeteria today! All the braised pork you can eat!"

Everyone laughed and walked toward the cafeteria, leaving the steel giants standing quietly behind.

The afterglow of the setting sun gilded them with a golden edge, as if foreshadowing how these steel torrents would change the landscape of the battlefield in the near future.

And in the corner of the training ground, Chen Guang was looking down at the data report just generated by "Torch Dragon" on his tablet, his mouth slightly upturned:

"Synchronization rate increased to 78%, already exceeding expectations. It seems it's time for the next step..." ===== CHAPTER 115 =====