Mech: Shattering of the Galaxy

(Congratulations for the last chapter title, I had forgotten it.)

"I heard that Team 1 ran into a large group of Zegers," someone said.

"It seems it was people from the Expeditionary Army who encountered them, and Team 1 went to rescue them."

"Are they out of their minds? The Expeditionary Army is in that state, and they still rush in?"

"Shh, keep it down, they're back."

Amid the whispering discussions, several members of the Tiger Hunting Team returned to the base.

Seeing the solidified yellow-green juices on these people's bodies, and the colorful faces of the team members, no one in the base said a word.

The aura of these few was just too intense.

As soon as Luo Jianjin and the others returned, they went straight to see Major Lin Hao, while Mu Fan and White Hair were surrounded by teammates who rushed up to them.

Everyone was very interested in their firefight with the Zegers and bombarded them with questions.

"Did you guys encounter a lot of bugs this time?"

Mu Fan nodded while White Hair, excitedly grabbing the guy's shoulder, said with a nostalgic look, "We saved a team, and the feeling of blasting those bugs with firepower... it was so damn exhilarating, a hundred times more thrilling than the Fighting in Battle Net! Watching those bugs burst one by one right in front of you is truly intoxicating!"

"Were those Zegers tough?"

"Tough, indeed! Those soldiers in Exoskeleton Armor were pierced through by the bugs in an instant. These creatures are just too brutal," White Hair sighed.

"So how did you guys manage to beat them?"

"The handsome guy here has godlike aim! Of course, it's because our squad is extraordinary," he said, smugly patting his teammate on the back.

Seeing White Hair chatting away, the faces of the people over at Zhang Shaotang's group were not looking good.

"Hmph, such a show-off," Zhang Shaotang snorted through his nose, having absolutely no liking for White Hair.

"Talking as if the apocalypse is here, and then they saved the entire planet or something. That White Hair is really asking for a beating with that smug look."

"Shaotang, are the Zegers really as monstrous as he says?"

"Just listen to his bluffing."

This was when the crew-cut Shi Sen walked over. As someone from a military family and belonging to the aristocratic sequence, he approached the group and asked Zhang Shaotang, "Shaotang, aren't you going to ask them about their combat experience with the Zegers?"

The young man opposite shook his head, his attitude showing not the slightest hesitation.

"Shi Sen, you want to ask those commoners for advice?" another person asked, frowning.

"Right now, we are deploying as quasi-soldiers. Our goal is to survive and then complete our missions more effectively, that's all," Shi Sen replied before striding toward Mu Fan.

"What a load of crap!" Watching Shi Sen's departing back, this person was clearly annoyed.

In the crowd, more and more youths huddled around, each eager to ask their questions, because it was very likely that this experience could save their lives in the future.

"What are the Zegers' weaknesses? Can gunfire penetrate them?"

"Major Yin, any advice?"

"Uh, yes! As for advice, I would suggest everyone still opt for Exoskeleton Armor and get familiar with it in the base if you can," said White Hair, who had been too busy enjoying the firefight to offer help, casting a pleading look at Mu Fan for the details on the Zegers' weaknesses.

Mu Fan saw his gaze and suddenly spoke up, "The lower-level beetles are relatively fragile, but the higher-level Zeg Beetle Shells have very tough backsides, with strong resistance to physical damage. Metal bullets need to be fired continuously at the same spot to penetrate."

After saying this, everyone around fell silent, listening intently.

But at that moment, an inopportunely light chuckle sounded, as an old soldier from an unknown Special Combat Team laughed at Mu Fan's authoritative manner—acting like an expert after just one battle with the Zeg Clan was the height of ignorance. And when it came to these overconfident greenhorns, he never minded dousing them with a cold dose of reality.

Thus, when the chuckle rippled through the air, the quiet crowd waiting for Mu Fan to speak all shifted their attention toward its source.

A burly man holding a large grenade launcher eyed Mu Fan with a playful look that was tinged with faint mockery, clearly there to stir trouble.

Some people not far from the commotion lit up with interest.

Finally, something interesting was about to happen!

It was impossible for new recruits not to be bullied by the older soldiers after enlisting; I had been curious as to why things seemed so harmonious.

Sure enough, less than half a day upon arrival at the base, such a scene unfolded, with a new soldier acting like a veteran and getting on someone's bad side.

The students and soldiers who were busy with their work began to straighten up and occasionally glanced over there.

"I say, newbie, you almost had me convinced with your serious act, sharing your 'combat experience' after just one battle? You don't even have Exoskeleton Armor on; if you want to brag, at least get your gear in order," someone taunted.

Members from another combat team came over and looked at the veteran who was speaking, laughing and scolding, "Croft, you bastard, picking on the new guy again?"

"He's not really bullying this time, to be honest, I also want to laugh, but I'm not as brave as Croft."

"Hahaha~~"

The members of the Special Combat Team felt a natural sense of superiority over the fresh recruits.

A bunch of academy types, flowers grown in a greenhouse, yet so high-profile outdoors.

Mu Fan's speech was interrupted, he looked toward those mocking him and said calmly, "What I said is the truth."

"Oh? I won't laugh yet, I just want to ask you, were you over a hundred meters from those Zegs during combat? Fighting the Zegs to the death in a Combat Uniform, and you're still alive to return? Did you kill a single Zeg?"

The young soldiers looked back at Mu Fan, thinking hard, and it dawned on them, he wasn't wrong.

Mu Fan shook his head, "No."

This response made the crowd that gathered around laugh.

Only White Hair saw Mu Fan's serious expression and felt a chill in his heart.

Damn, Mu Fan didn't kill just one!

You bunch of blind fools, stepping on the wrong guy.

Big fools!

White Hair adjusted his mood and watched the older soldiers with a schadenfreude gaze, he had been planning to have Mu Fan use the Exoskeleton Armor; once the kid suited up, his damage capability was estimated to increase exponentially.

"I didn't kill just one... it should be seven," Mu Fan thought about it and said with certainty.

"Seven Beetles? Did you mow them down with a gun?" Give him a Fire God Cannon, and he could mow down seven hundred Beetles.

Mu Fan shook his head, "Five Guards, one Tiger Worm, and one jet tiger insect."

Upon hearing these new terms from Mu Fan, the youngsters felt an amplified sense of novelty.

When Croft heard Mu Fan seriously mention the Tiger Worm, he finally burst out laughing.

Killing a Tiger Worm barehanded, good one, quite the tall tale.

"You say you killed a Tiger Worm, I want to ask, with what did you kill it? A Tiger Worm can easily rip you apart in a snap."

The members of the Special Combat Team had far more knowledge about the Zeg than the students; they knew how troublesome Tiger Worms could be.

"Laser long spear."

"And how did you kill it?"

"I stabbed it from the top; Tiger Worm shells are weak against energy beams, penetration doesn't require much effort."

"Great, so where's your weapon? Show it to us, it should still have Zeg bodily fluids on it."

"It was destroyed by the jet tiger insect's corrosive spray."

Mu Fan spread his hands to show he had no weapon.

Croft wondered if he was sick for seriously continuing this conversation with the kid who was blatantly bluffing with such a straight face.

"...and how did you kill the jet tiger insect!?"

Seeing the soldier's forehead throbbing, White Hair finally couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.

"I'm dying of laughter, if they doubted me, it's one thing, but they dare to doubt Mu Fan?"