Reboot the Galaxy

"Put on the mecha!" "Wow, that's so cool!"...

A murmur of discussion immediately arose on the field. This bombshell news came without warning, and it was a surprise to everyone.

"Instructor! Is it one of those mechs that are tens of meters tall? The kind that requires two pilots and synchronized neural networks?" Someone raised their hand and asked loudly, a smile on their face.

Xue Jingyi shook her head: "You'll know when you see it. We'll rest for ten minutes and then we'll set off."

These ten minutes were hard to endure; even Di Yan felt a tickle in his heart.

The Starship Force even has a segment where you pilot mechs, just as he knew; they will be conducting amphibious landing operations in the future.

But under what circumstances would soldiers need to use mechs to deal with a situation?

The first word that came to Di Yan's mind was: monster.

Piloting mechs to fight monsters is a common theme in science fiction. But... I never imagined it would actually come true.

"You mean we're going to be piloting mechs and fighting monsters, are you?!"

Di Yan stared at He Xu with a strange look. Could this person read minds?

"Maybe it was an assault," Di Yan said quietly.

Twenty minutes later...

"Di Yan, I think you might be right." He Xu's expression was stiff as he stared blankly at the intense scene not far away.

Twenty meters away, two five-meter-tall savage mechs were engaged in a violent exchange of fire.

They are made entirely of light gray steel, covered with layers of thick armor, and look like the armor of warriors from ancient legends.

In terms of appearance, they have no head, and their structure consists only of a broad chest and abdomen and thick limbs.

The joints are made of a black, flexible material that allows for bending and twisting of the joints and torso.

Contrary to stereotypes, there were no dense exposed pipes; everything was tightly encased, with no trace of the intricate internal structure visible from the outside.

However, Di Yan could tell at a glance that these two mechs were merely constructed by the Weiyin people based on the technology they had mastered in modern times. Compared to the massive spaceship beneath their feet, their technological content was far inferior.

Although mechs move as nimbly as real people, they are ultimately an extension of human limb strength and range, and the technology they are based on has been introduced in previous theoretical classes.

Moreover, these two suits of armor look far too old, clearly having undergone multiple rounds of "damage".

Their surface armor has many serious and obvious scratches and dents, and with the brute force of the two, some new marks will be added.

In the center of the arena, Carlson Mephisto and Leo Novak, piloting their mechs, were both in a state of extreme excitement.

They were positioned on the chest of the mech, with their feet roughly at the top of the thighs. Their arms were not extended at a large angle, but rather placed diagonally at their sides.

A complex set of elastic devices holds them in place in the center of the mech, allowing for slight movement in all directions, but the elastic system helps them return to their original position.

They are wrapped in a layer of grayish-white soft cotton pad, a structure known as the "somatosensory layer".

When they move their mechs, the limbs they move will deviate from their original positions due to the force exerted, until they touch the tactile material layer. This sensory force will be sensed by the mech, causing it to make the corresponding movement.

In other words, the pilot inside does not need to actually perform the corresponding actions inside; they only need to make the mech feel enough "movement tendency."

This is a very clever design that saves space while maximizing the stability and flexibility of human-computer interaction.

People who are new to mechs only need a short period of adjustment to get used to the feeling, even though it is slightly counterintuitive and sometimes requires some thought to figure out what the mech should do next.

However, novice pilots are not yet able to properly grasp the interaction force with the tactile layer, causing the mech's actions to be sometimes too exaggerated and sometimes too unresponsive, resulting in an extremely comical appearance.

Just as it is happening now.

"Come on, Leo!" Carlson shouted joyfully.

His optic nerve and headset are now synchronized with the mecha, allowing his vision and hearing to extend outside the mecha.

Leo laughed loudly and shouted, then clumsily maneuvered his mech toward Carlson.

With a loud bang, the two five-meter-tall giants embraced each other, wrestling with one another, but neither could bring the other down.

"Hahaha..." Laughter erupted in the cockpit, like two big kids getting a new and beloved toy.

"As you can see, without skill and technique, the performance will be clumsy and inefficient, just like the two of them are doing now."

Xue Jingyi pointed to the two mechs and explained the key points to the team members, but when she turned her head, she only saw pairs of starry eyes.

She sighed deeply, rubbing her forehead; these people hadn't listened to a word she said.

As No. 1 and No. 2, Carlson Mephisto and Leo Novak were the first team members to experience the individual mechs, and whatever happened was new and exciting for everyone.

Skill and agility don't matter; what matters is that the mech in front of you looks cool.

A few minutes later, Xue Jingyi gave the order through the headset. The two mechs looked at each other for a few seconds, then came to one side of the spacious training hall and stood still facing the wall.

A few short mechanical beeps sounded, and a large amount of steam was released from the chest of the steel mech. After pushing forward a distance, it slid vertically downward like a moving tortoise shell. The restraints on the two white men inside were released, and they stepped onto the platform in front of the mech.

The platform is more than two meters above the ground, exactly the same height as the pilot inside the mech.

Carlson and Leo, having left the mech, were still reluctant to leave, and would occasionally look back at the towering steel body.

"Number 3, Toby Drake; Number 5, Sprague B. Wheeler, it's your turn to go up. Do as I say, synchronize your mechs first."

Xue Jingyi's clear voice was like a starting pistol. Upon hearing it, two people in the crowd who were already eager to try shot out like arrows, rushing into the field.

"Why isn't number 4 here?" He Xu asked instinctively.

Di Yan's lips twitched slightly: "I don't know."

He caught a glimpse of the two men: one was a burly man about 1.9 meters tall, and the other was thin and small in comparison.

When they met Carlson and Leo, who had returned, the four of them interacted very warmly.

Toby and Sprague had already scrambled onto the platform, while Carlson and Leo, who had returned to the crowd, were immediately surrounded by several people, most of whom were asking about the experience and secrets of piloting the mechs.

Di Yan frowned slightly; this group was indeed quite large.

It can now be basically confirmed that the number 4 that Xue Jingyi skipped was Quilt, and that this person has already lost his life at the hands of Di Yan.

Although there is no immediate risk of being discovered, Di Yan needs to be even more cautious. If anything goes wrong, he will face the revenge of a large group of people.

It seems that a considerable portion of the original list of 48 people came as a group, such as those with the earlier numbers, the husband-and-wife pair of Wasabi Isayama and Norihiko Tomura, and the four members of the Mpuent team who boarded the ship later than Di Yan.

However, there don't seem to be many "lone wolves" like Di Yan, He Xu, and An Zaiyin.

As for that madman, Aziz Khalid, if he is a lone wolf, then everything will be fine, Di Yan will not have any trouble, and he probably won't have to see him again; but if he is not, then who will his teammates be?

Di Yan cautiously surveyed everyone around him, but found nothing unusual; hardly anyone noticed him.

"I hope he really is a lone wolf," Di Yan thought to himself.

A commotion erupted in the crowd as the two mechs in the distance began to move again. This time, two new recruits went up. One of them, unable to maintain his balance, fell over; the other tried to take a couple of steps, but his movements were clumsy, even less agile than a penguin's.

"Ah...it sounds like it's numbered sequentially. When will it be our turn?" He Xu was disappointed. He and Di Yan were both numbered in the forties.

"At this rate, it's probably over today." Di Yan was equally disappointed.

He really wanted to pilot that mech; he fell in love with it the moment he saw it.

Even though they are covered with many old dents; even though they are far behind the spaceship beneath their feet; even though they are filled with many unknowns and secrets.

But that doesn't stop him from wanting to grasp this power.

He enjoys challenges, excitement, and danger; he likes to find fun in uncertainty.

As time went on, people grew increasingly impatient. Some even questioned Xue Jingyi about why he hadn't brought out more mechs for everyone to pilot. Xue Jingyi put his hands on his hips and said in a strong voice, "There are only two mechs. Those who don't want to wait can disband and consider it as giving up."

About two groups of people went up every hour, and by the end of the afternoon training, those who were number 30 or later had no chance to encounter the mechs today.

And numbers 30 and 31 happen to be Naohiko Tomura and Wasabi Isayama.

"Let's go back. We'll be the first one tomorrow," Norihiko Tomura reassured his wife.

Wasabi Isayama acted like a block of ice, and even her husband's words had no effect.

"At least we won't have to suffer that kind of blow," He Xu said, turning his gaze away from the Japanese couple and looking at Di Yan. "We'll definitely have to wait until tomorrow afternoon."

"Hmm." Di Yan walked along, absentmindedly examining the walls of the surrounding corridor.

He reached out and touched it, feeling the texture of the materials that made up the spaceship, and experiencing the technology that had puzzled him for a long time.

Touching the wall gave him a very strange feeling:

It feels smooth to the touch, like metal, yet with a slightly frosted, damped feel. It doesn't feel very hard to the touch, as if you could press it hard enough to leave a dent, but when you actually press it down, it is indestructible. Touching it is like gently stroking the surface of silk, cool and refreshing, but not with the chilling coldness of steel. Even this coolness carries a certain warmth, a unique kind of gentle coolness.

This is not metal, not plastic, not any material that Di Yan knows. It is uniform, perfect, and without a single flaw.

Every day now, he jumps off the egg-shaped J-45 and trains in the M-28. At night, he returns to the J-45 and is pulled in by the starship's gravity.

Every day he could witness the ship's hull going from being perfectly sealed to cracking open at least twice, like a giant creature opening its eyes.

The widening gap seemed to be telling him that the materials that made up the starship were very soft.

But in fact, this thing is tougher than any known material.

Today, in the same spot, two five-meter-tall mechs fought for nearly eight hours, enduring countless falls and trampling. In the end, the dark gray ground remained spotless, while the two mechs were visibly worn out.

Compared to the amazing material at hand, the gray steel of the mecha's outer shell looked like clay, deforming at the slightest touch.

But in reality, the steel was not weak. After a day of brutal hammering, it only had some marks on the surface and its functions were still good. This made Di Yan have even more expectations and goodwill towards the mecha.

The next afternoon.

"Number 43 An Zaiyin, Number 44 Di Yan, it's your turn," Xue Jingyi shouted.

Di Yan and An Zaiyin looked at each other, and Han Quren made a "please" gesture.

Upon entering the arena, the five-meter-tall giant gradually grew taller, exuding an overwhelming sense of power.

The nuclear fission battery is steadily outputting energy, and even if the mech is scrapped one day, the fission battery inside will still be fully charged.

Upon reaching the platform, Di Yan arrived at the mecha located further inside; this was the first time he had faced the mecha's cockpit.

The most noticeable feature is the white cotton pad structure inside, which resembles a human-shaped plaster mold and is about seven or eight centimeters thick. This is the tactile layer.

At some joints in the somatosensory layer, as well as in the waist and abdomen, there are relatively wide black semi-circular rings. Behind them, there are connecting rods with a small hole in the somatosensory layer, which connects to the elastic reset system behind them.

The cockpit was well-lit, which added a unique sense of sanctity to his first experience piloting a mech.

Here you can clearly see the wear marks on the armor; the thick steel is incredibly tough and durable.

He turned to look at Ahn Jae-in, who was somewhat excited at the moment. He nodded and smiled, stepped into the mecha cockpit first, turned around, and lay down in the tactile layer.

Di Yan's heart was pounding. He stepped into the cockpit, turned around, and placed his feet on the "human model" of the somatosensory layer, then his right arm, then his left arm, and finally leaned his whole body back.

As instructed by Lieutenant Xue Jingyi, it's time to synchronize the mechs.

"Xavier, synchronize the mech," Di Yan commanded into his headset.

"Mech synchronized, mech number: DX-06-67."

As Xavier finished speaking, Di Yan felt the mecha shudder slightly, followed by a loud hissing sound. The front of the mecha beneath his feet began to slide upwards until Di Yan could see the other half of the somatosensory layer appear in front of him.

The mecha's chest slowly approached. First, there was a click as the two black semicircular rings closed, indicating that the elastic reset system had successfully docked. Then, the tactile layer pressed against the skin, and Di Yan felt as if he was completely covered, clearly feeling the air he was breathing on his face.

It was pitch black, but you could faintly hear the low rumble of the mechs outside.

Suddenly, Di Yan's eyes lit up and he could see things again; his hearing also became clear and he could hear sounds.

Before him was the platform for boarding the mecha, but the viewpoint was slightly higher than his height.

He has now transformed into a five-meter-tall giant.

Di Yan suddenly noticed that the entire mecha was tilting backward. He realized that he should pull back his right leg to maintain balance. Just like that, the back of his right leg touched the somatosensory layer, and the mecha immediately responded, making the same movement, and the entire mecha finally stabilized.

Di Yan breathed excitedly; the feeling was thrilling and exhilarating!

"Ahn Jae-in, come on!"