Ten minutes later, the terrifying Beast Tide shattered the Energy Defense Shield, scattering countless pale blue light particles through the air.
A pungent, foul, and revolting stench assaulted their senses.
"Charge!!"
A commander led his troops forward like a sharp blade piercing through the Beast Tide.
Their strength was formidable—each strike felled a large number of Exotic Beasts, and those that survived were left incapacitated.
This gave the soldiers behind them the chance to finish off the wounded. Though the Combat Energy gained was minimal, the sheer level difference made it a tremendous harvest.
"Hahaha! Even Heavenly Tiger Slayer's troops were no match for me back in the day—you lot stand no chance!"
Swift Blade's battle spirit burned fiercely, his razor-sharp Combat Energy slicing through the air like blades. Amidst flickering afterimages, he ruthlessly reaped the lives of the Exotic Beasts.
Though arrogant, Swift Blade was no fool—he deliberately targeted the weak and heavily injured beasts.
Fire Thunder couldn't resist the urge either.
"Let's go!"
Zhou Luo personally piloted Fire Thunder to the frontlines. The two Mecha, one red and one blue, darted through the battlefield with blinding speed, each swing of their weapons claiming one or two Exotic Beasts.
"Watch this."
Swift Blade merged his twin spears, unleashing an astonishing surge of extreme water-attribute energy that altered the surrounding environment. Waves of energy rippled across the ground, and faintly, the roar of the ocean could be heard.
"Terrifying Wave Strike!"
Swift Blade transformed into a blur of afterimages, moving so fast that even second-tier Mecha Masters couldn't track his movements—only the whistling sound of his spear strikes reached their ears.
With this ultimate move, Swift Blade slaughtered over twenty Exotic Beasts, his combat level instantly rising to 16.
Fire Thunder, benefiting from the shared energy, leveled up as well.
"How's that, Fire Thunder?" Swift Blade tilted his head smugly at Fire Thunder.
But he failed to notice the massive lion-like Exotic Beast lunging at him from behind.
"Blazing Sun Slash!"
The voices of Fire Thunder and Zhou Luo overlapped, resonating through the battlefield as terrifying extreme fire-attribute energy erupted, blasting away the surrounding beasts and creating a vacuum zone.
Fire Thunder leaped a full eight meters into the air, a massive crimson blade of energy descending from above.
The Frost Moon Blade struck the Blazing Lion at its waist, sending it flying.
Swift Blade finally reacted, turning warily to face the threat.
As the thick dust settled, the Blazing Lion was revealed—still alive despite taking Fire Thunder's ultimate move, though its waist bore a gruesome, gaping wound.
[Exotic Beast: Blazing Lion!]
[Level: 23!]
[Ultimate Move: Berserk!]
[Evaluation: Not a threat!]
"A level 23 Blazing Lion," Swift Blade muttered after receiving the shared data. "Daring to ambush me? You're asking for death!"
With that, he charged forward, spear in hand.
Fire Thunder remained silent but followed closely, Crescent Moon Blade at the ready.
Under their combined assault, the Blazing Lion didn't even get a chance to activate its ultimate move before Swift Blade's spear pierced through its thick skull.
Combat Energy erupted from both of them once more.
Their levels surged from 16 to 18.
As Fire Thunder and Swift Blade fought, their energy radiated outward, alerting the surrounding Mecha Masters to their combat levels.
"Level 18 and already slayed a Level 23 Blazing Lion? That's insane!"
"Don't forget, he was only Level 16 before this. That must be a high-quality Mecha, and not just any ordinary one."
"No kidding! That Mecha's ultimate skill could even affect the surrounding environment. I couldn't pull that off."
Even as Fire Thunder and Swift Blade relentlessly cut down Exotic Beasts, the Beast Tide showed no signs of thinning. In fact, the pressure only intensified, forcing even the stronger fighters ahead to retreat.
Second-tier and third-tier Exotic Beasts were becoming more numerous, while lower-tier ones grew scarce.
Zhou Luo knew the battlefield was no longer a place he could intervene. Without hesitation, he withdrew Fire Thunder and Swift Blade and retreated to the inner city.
Soon after, Zhou Luo arrived at the Mecha Mall.
He sold all his spoils of war, earning over thirty million Federation Credits.
"I also need to purchase some Mecha supplies," Zhou Luo said to the manager.
"Respected guest, what would you like? Our Mecha Mall has everything you could need."
The manager, Xiao Wan, offered a gentle smile and waved her hand, summoning a holographic screen before Zhou Luo.
The display was filled with countless items—Mechas, Mecha ultimate skills, Mecha crystals, medicinal herbs...
Damn!
So these things were this expensive? If he'd known, he wouldn't have sent the money back home.
Still, over the years, he had saved up a small fortune—enough to afford this.
"I'll take ten Thunder Crystals, fifty barrels of Premium Mech Oil, and two Basic Repair Crystals."
"Very well, sir. That will be 10.2 billion credits. Consider the fifty barrels of Premium Mech Oil a complimentary gift from our Mecha Mall."
"Thanks."
Zhou Luo winced as he paid the ten billion.
Ten Thunder Crystals, each costing a billion, were exclusive to the Thunder Secret Realm. They gave Mechas a minuscule chance to absorb the power of thunder.
One word: expensive!
The Basic Repair Crystals cost a billion each and could fully restore a Mecha's wounds—a must-have for every Mecha Master.
Damn it!
After earning thirty million in just over ten days outside, he'd blown hundreds of billions in one go, completely wiping out his savings.
"Sir, here is your membership card. From now on, you are a Gold Member of the Virtual Mech Company."
Xiao Wan's bright eyes gazed at Zhou Luo as she respectfully handed him a gold card.
"Hm?" Zhou Luo frowned slightly.
Logically, his spending shouldn't have qualified him for Gold Membership—he wasn't even at Silver level.
Gold Members enjoyed a 15% discount on purchases—no small benefit!
But Zhou Luo wasn't one to accept favors without reason. He didn't take the card.
"Sir, the Virtual Mech Company values talent. Consider this our support for promising individuals—a gesture of goodwill."
Xiao Wan, sensing his hesitation, offered a soft explanation.
"I see."
The founder of the Virtual Mech Company was trying to recruit top talents of this generation, hence this initiative.
Smart move.
"Of course, sir, joining the Virtual Mech Company is entirely optional. Think of it as forming a positive connection—no loss to you, right?"
"Then I thank your company for the kindness."
Zhou Luo smiled, accepted the gold card, gathered his purchases, and left the Mecha Mall with a casual wave.
Zhou Luo had just stepped out of the mecha mall when a massive explosion suddenly rocked the city center, followed by the appearance of two towering mechas.
The moment the battle erupted, powerful reinforcements rushed in from all directions.
Yet in an instant, one of the mechas was already cut down on the spot.
"What's going on? A battle breaking out in the city center?"
"Holy shit! The Liu family is under attack!!"
A sudden shout caught Zhou Luo's attention.
"What the hell? The Liu family is under attack???"
"Is it Liu Qingxue again?"
"Because of the Rank Nine Mecha?"
Zhou Luo couldn't help but marvel. Are you the protagonist or am I? This is straight-up protagonist-level plot armor!
It's supposed to be the protagonist who gets targeted by the big bad, yet as a transmigrator, he's been left completely unscathed—meanwhile, Liu Qingxue has already suffered two attacks.
(End of Chapter)