Chapter 440 – [Devious Snake – Nereus’ Secret Passage]

“Brainwave detection normal…”

“Heart rate detection normal…”

“Cellular activity detection normal…”

Lu Yuan attached two metal patches to each of his temples. As a waterfall of data cascaded before his eyes, there was a faint buzzing sound. He felt as if someone had forcefully “pushed” him forward. When he came to his senses, he found himself in another world.

Before him stretched a serene sight of a blue sky above a turquoise sea.

The weather was pleasant, with lofty skies and expansive clouds. White seagulls circled overhead. Wearing a pair of exaggerated sunglasses, he stood on an island, facing a golden beach and brown coconut trees.

“Welcome to the Rainbow Virtual Combat Platform. Current application scene-Island Style…”

A melodious female electronic voice rang in his ears. Lu Yuan looked around with a sense of wonder, squinting his eyes to quietly take in the experience.

“I can feel the sun’s warmth on my skin, the salty and humid sea breeze brushing my face, and the soft sensation of sand underfoot…”

“No wonder the Galactic Empire, ruling over more than twenty thousand life planets, is so advanced in every aspect compared to the Home Planet…”

If the Home Planet’s technology is like an infant just learning to babble, then Duoling is unmistakably a fully grown adult.

The gap between them might be even wider, but Lu Yuan’s current understanding of Duoling is insufficient to grasp its full potential.

“Good morning, esteemed Level 1 pilot-‘I Love Vinia’…”

The electronic female voice sounded again. Hearing the game system’s address, Lu Yuan’s expression darkened.

What on earth is this ridiculous name?

“I want to change my name!”

“Sorry, your name change card is on cooldown for another two hundred and eighteen days, and you cannot change your nickname at this time.”

“Query last nickname.”

“Your last used nickname was-‘Master for Vinia’.”

“…”

“Set my nickname to be hidden from everyone.”

“Alright, that has been successfully set for you.”

“Hu-“

Lu Yuan let out a long breath, his complexion looking slightly better.

Thankfully, the nickname could be hidden; otherwise, he would have been too embarrassed to step out with such a name.

He decided to endure for now and planned to delete the account and set up a new one later.

Lu Yuan quickly familiarized himself with the functions of this mecha virtual combat platform.

Much like the games he remembered, it revolved around keywords like social interaction, entertainment, customization, and development.

However, the significant difference from the “games” as Lu Yuan knew them was-

This so-called mecha virtual combat online game genuinely had the ability to train and enhance players’ real-world mecha control skills.

It was said that the game was developed by the official Duoling authorities.

The initial purpose of its release was to “train the troops”!

As the game operated over time, its various modes and functions had matured and improved significantly, far beyond the typical definition of a “game.”

“After brain-machine interface connection, a player’s strength level in the real world and in the game tends to be mostly consistent.

If you’re a Level 1 pilot in reality, it’s nearly impossible to surpass Level 1 in the game…”

Lu Qiyuan was a newly certified Level 1 pilot in reality, and as such, was also a Level 1 player in the game.

Lu Yuan glanced briefly at Lu Qiyuan’s past records and win rates displayed on the data card before issuing a command to the system.

“Open my inventory.”

“Opening your item inventory.”

The next second, in the turquoise sea and sky before Lu Yuan, a vast space slowly opened.

As the inventory opened, a mecha immediately caught Lu Yuan’s eye.

It was a towering steel mecha, over ten meters tall, with a slender form. Its body shimmered in a deep purple hue, resembling a top-tier crystal sculpture.

Suspended on the mecha’s back was a similarly deep purple crystal spear, with scarlet flames entwined around its body. The overall appearance was both magnificent and dazzling, with every detail illustrating the harmonious integration of power and beauty.

“Ninth Stage-Flame Violet.”

Lu Yuan was still marveling at the mecha named “Flame Violet” when he quickly noticed another mecha standing beside it.

Compared to “Flame Violet,” this mecha was much bulkier, with rougher lines.

The mecha’s two robust arms each held a menacing weapon resembling a spiked club, resembling a wild and fierce barbarian warrior.

“Ninth Stage-Skull Crusher Tyrant!”

Beside the “Skull Crusher Tyrant,” another mecha stood with an equally impressive yet mysterious style.

“Ninth Stage-Reaper’s Proclamation!”

“Ninth Stage-Garment of the Earth!”

“Ninth Stage-Wind Listener!”

…

One after another, these variously styled, dazzling mechas were neatly arranged in the warehouse, making Lu Yuan’s head spin.

He was simultaneously awed and astonished by the impact and wonder these mechas presented.

Lu Qiyuan actually owned so many ninth-stage mechas in the game?

This guy really kept a low profile!

But when Lu Yuan wanted to select a mecha to enjoy, he received a prompt from the system.

“Do you wish to apply this appearance to the currently used primary mecha?”

“Uh…”

Only then did Lu Yuan understand…

It turned out these rows of ninth-stage mechas in the warehouse were nothing but ornamental “appearance models”!

“No wonder Lu Qiyuan, just a Level 1 pilot, could have so many ninth-stage mechas. They were just skins…”

“Other players cannot see them, and they can only be used in single-player and training modes… What’s the point?”

“Even as skins, they don’t seem cheap…”

Once Lu Yuan figured everything out, the excitement he initially felt quickly dissipated.

With a somewhat complex expression, he resigned himself to reality, selecting the mecha storage option from the warehouse list.

In an instant, all the flashy and impressive mechas disappeared from view.

Only two remained, standing alone.

Both mechas were half the size of those Lu Yuan had seen before, or even smaller.

Their appearance was unremarkable, perhaps even “crude” in comparison.

One of the mechas, looking quite plain and like a “grunt,” caught Lu Yuan’s eye. However, he quickly moved on after spotting the word “Recruit,” focusing all his attention on the other mecha.

This mecha was visually superior to the standard mecha given to new players by the system.

Standing approximately six meters tall, it was entirely light blue and slender, with two black long swords crossed on its back.

“First-stage-Blue Falcon Type 3 (Excellence)

Strength Level: Level 1

Defense Level: Level 1

Speed Level: Level 2

Logistics Level: Level 0

Resonance Degree: 18%

Activated Resonance Technique: Supersonic Variable Frequency Step (Level 1)”

The Blue Falcon Type 3 was a speed-type mecha.

It was almost identical to the mecha Lu Qiyuan piloted in reality.

That made sense.

Most people would build their in-game mechas to match the type they owned in reality, to best enhance their actual combat skills.

“The [Rhythm of the Wind Mental Power Cultivation Method] passed down in the Lu family enhances speed, making the Blue Falcon Type 3, focusing on agility as a Level 1 Mecha, a suitable choice for combat mecha…”

While pondering this, Lu Yuan chose to enter the cockpit.

In the game, he skipped the detailed “boarding” process. With just a thought, he found himself inside the mecha’s cockpit.

The cockpit, almost a perfect one-to-one replication of the real-world mecha, was not as cramped and narrow as Lu Yuan had anticipated.

He naturally assumed a semi-reclined position in a semi-enclosed seat, facing a blue glowing crystal core about the size of a fist.

This was the heart of the mecha and the primary means by which the pilot controlled it.

Extending his mental power, he connected with the mecha’s control core.

An indescribable sensation, one that Lu Yuan had never experienced before, rose from within him.

It was hard to put into words.

Simply put, it felt as if the Blue Falcon Type 3 mecha had become an extension of himself, and he had become the Blue Falcon Type 3 mecha.

His capabilities across various aspects had been significantly enhanced and extended, with a constant stream of data flowing before him. This was the external information received every second by the Blue Falcon Type 3 mecha being processed and calculated by the mecha core in conjunction with his brain, acting as a “terminal.”

“Just this aspect alone surpasses the mechas on the Home Planet by an unimaginable margin,” Lu Yuan couldn’t help but exclaim.

It’s hard to believe that even a first-stage mecha could achieve such a level of “Human-Mecha Integration.”

Lu Yuan tried to move the mecha around.

This process still felt wonderfully novel to him.

Although he could still detect the process of his brainwaves being shared with the mecha’s control core, and then transmitted to the various components of the mecha.

But it wasn’t a lengthy process, with the delay only being around 0.4 to 0.5 seconds.

This time is already very close to the normal human neural reflex arc duration.

Furthermore, this delay time can be shortened with training.

It’s said that for top-tier pilots, the reaction time between human and mecha can reach below one-thousandth, or even one-ten-thousandth, of a second.

“So this is what they call mecha Resonance Degree…” Lu Yuan thought, finally understanding the meaning behind the Resonance Degree displayed on the data card.

It seemed to be an alternative expression of this reaction time.

He, or rather Lu Qiyuan, had a Resonance Degree of 18% with the Blue Falcon Type 3 mecha, which resulted in a response time of nearly 0.5 seconds when controlling it.

If this Resonance Degree reached 100%, then the human-mecha reaction time could potentially be reduced to below 0.1 seconds.

At that level…

It would almost be indistinguishable from controlling one’s own body.

Of course, this is based on the standard for normal people.

“Before my injury, my agility attribute was forty, with three limit breaks, and my neural reaction speed had reached the microsecond level…

Even a 0.1-second reaction speed feels as slow as a turtle to me…”

Lu Yuan frowned slightly, “This reaction is still too slow.”

However, since piloting a mecha is not the same as controlling one’s own body, achieving complete synchronization is theoretically impossible.

Lu Yuan controlled the Blue Falcon Type 3 mecha to take a few steps on the soft sand beach.

Once he got the rhythm down, he transitioned from a slow walk to a brisk walk.

Then it was a fast run, sprint, punch, kick, and draw sword…

As Lu Yuan’s own martial arts consciousness steadily merged with Lu Qiyuan’s memories, his movements became increasingly fluid and skillful.

When he reached a certain level of proficiency…

Inside the cockpit, Lu Yuan shifted from a half-reclined to a more comfortable fully reclined position, his eyes suddenly shining with intense focus.

“Resonance Technique-Supersonic Variable Frequency Step!”

“Buzz!”

In an instant…

Against the backdrop of a blue sea and sky, on a golden beach forever in the afternoon sun, a light blue mecha wielding dual swords suddenly vanished, reappearing tens of meters away in a blink.

“Boom!”

The blue mecha stumbled slightly due to the sudden burst of speed, taking a few quick steps forward before managing to regain its balance.

The loud explosive sound echoed afterward, and several deep craters appeared on the golden sand where its feet had landed.

Inside the cockpit, Lu Yuan was deep in thought.

“So, this is a mecha Resonance Technique?”

As he executed the Resonance Technique, Lu Yuan distinctly sensed a rapid fluctuation in the mental power core of the Rhythm of the Wind-the golden whirlwind-in his mind.

The augmentation to himself instantaneously reached a peak.

This mental power fluctuation combined with the mecha’s control core, creating a remarkable reaction that fed back into the mecha, causing the Blue Falcon Type 3’s speed to reach an extraordinarily high level in a very short time.

“Data shows that my top speed just reached 1.4 times the speed of sound…”

This speed was twice the peak speed of the Blue Falcon Type 3 in its normal state.

This exemplifies the effect of the “Supersonic Variable Frequency Step” Resonance Technique.

Do not underestimate this multipliers of the speed of sound.

This is the speed burst for short distances during combat, with nearly zero acceleration distance. Such an explosion of speed in an instant can lead to a significant transformation in combat effectiveness.

“Incredible,” Lu Yuan murmured softly.

Based on his understanding of mecha from the Home Planet, the performance limits of a mecha are already determined at the time of its manufacture. A pilot’s role is to get as close to this limit as possible during combat.

However, in Duoling, mecha pilots can effortlessly break through this limit through resonance between their mental power and the mecha, which is simply unbelievable.

“This is the true system for upgrading pilots…”

“It’s estimated that a Level 1 pilot in Duoling could potentially rival level four or even level 5 mechas on the Home Planet…”

The gap between the two isn’t just about mecha performance; it’s fundamentally about how the mechas are controlled.

This is genuine civilization-level supremacy.

“By this logic, the tenth-stage powerhouses on the Home Planet are not at all comparable to Duoling’s tenth-stage pilots…”

Lu Yuan couldn’t help but recall when Yuwen Tong piloted the Spirit Sovereign and squared off against Anders controlling the Tulan Family’s Malignant Vine Mech.

That was a battle he couldn’t have been involved in, even if he had activated his ultimate form.

In hindsight, perhaps that was a true tenth-stage battle.

And maybe not even truly top-tier tenth stage.

Because although Yuwen Tong was naturally gifted, she hadn’t undergone any formal mecha pilot training.

Anders from the Spirit Devourer Clan had the experience and ability in this regard, but unfortunately, the energy of the silver malignant vine mech was severely depleted before he acquired it, collapsing before it could fully display its power.

The Resonance Technique “Supersonic Variable Frequency Step” was something Lu Qiyuan had only just understood recently and hadn’t perfected.

While controlling the Blue Falcon Type 3 mecha, the maximum speed he could achieve with the technique was about 1.5 times the speed of sound.

Lu Yuan only reached 1.4 times.

Firstly, because he also practiced the Zero-Style Mental Power cultivation method, his mental power core was divided, significantly weakening the [Rhythm of the Wind] mental core.

Secondly, because it was his first attempt, he wasn’t proficient.

Lu Yuan then focused on practicing continuously.

This moment showcased one of the major advantages of the virtual space.

In the real world, using a Resonance Technique would deplete more than half of Lu Yuan’s mental power, requiring a long recovery time before he could attempt it again. However, in the simulation, he only needed to wait for his brainwaves to stabilize, and after a relatively short “cooldown period,” he could try it a second, third time, and so on.

No wonder this “game” has become a powerful training tool for Duoling, significantly shortening a pilot’s development time with this one feature alone.

With each use of the Resonance Technique, Lu Yuan’s peak speed increased. Initially at 1.4 times the speed of sound, he soon reached 1.5 times, matching Lu Qiyuan’s best performance.

Then, he surpassed it.

1.6 times, 1.7 times, 1.8 times…

His speed continued to rise, and the figure of the blue mecha on the golden beach became increasingly elusive and swift.

On one particular attempt…

“Boom!”

In the sunshine, the blue mecha flickered rapidly and then abruptly appeared, covering nearly a hundred meters almost instantaneously, akin to teleportation.

As it appeared, the mecha was poised and ready for an attack. The target area was blasted open into an enormous pit, tens of meters wide and over ten meters deep, with golden sand scattering alongside the rolling waves and sunlight.

Lu Yuan’s arms hung naturally at his sides as he stood quietly amidst the falling sand.

“3.5 times the speed of sound… that’s the limit…”

In just a matter of hours, Lu Yuan more than doubled Lu Qiyuan’s best record.

And this was while his mental power was in a “weakened state.”

Moreover, Lu Qiyuan’s 1.5 times supersonic variable frequency step was purely focused on speed. During that process, he couldn’t attack; maintaining stability was already pushing the limits.

But Lu Yuan’s current 3.5 times speed incorporated his attacking techniques.

The difference between the two was immense.

“If you can’t attack and can only run away, what’s the point of calling it a trump card? A real ultimate move should be used to defeat the enemy in one strike…”

Lu Yuan mused casually.

With his battle consciousness as a former [Martial Arts Grandmaster] and a top-tier tenth-stage powerhouse in the star spirit realm, achieving this was not difficult for him. It was simply a matter of his normal performance.

“I’ve pretty much mastered the basic controls. It’s time to experience some actual combat…”

Lu Yuan opened the game interface and selected the combat mode. He discovered that the game offered two combat modes.

One was the versus mode, which featured player-versus-player battles or PvP, divided into 1v1 combat and team combat. The other was the adventure mode, similar to running Instances, or PVE, where players battle against monsters within game Instances. It also had both Single Player Adventure Mode and team adventure mode.

“I’ll start with an Instance, do some player-versus-environment combat to get a feel for it…”

Lu Yuan chose the Single Player Adventure Mode. Without much thought, he directly clicked into the progress where Lu Qiyuan had left off in this mode.

The adventure mode is primarily for players to train in real combat and collect materials. Each level in adventure mode provides some resources and materials, which players can use to upgrade their mecha.

The Blue Falcon Type 3 mecha that Lu Qiyuan had in the game was partly strengthened using resources obtained from adventure mode. Sometimes he’d complete an Instance himself, sometimes he’d join a team if he couldn’t manage alone, and if that failed, he’d resort to spending money to purchase enhancements.

At this point, Lu Yuan was stuck at a level where Lu Qiyuan had been stalled for quite some time in the game. Even though Lu Qiyuan had upgraded the performance of the Blue Falcon Type 3 by spending money, he was still unable to advance.

As a result, Lu Qiyuan hadn’t attempted this Single Player Adventure Mode for quite a while. The record showed that his last entry was over a month ago.

“Please select the mecha appearance you wish to activate.”

“Do not activate.”

“Confirm entering the level?”

“Yes.”

“Entering, Level 1-6…”

“Devious Snake-Nereus’ Secret Passage.”

…