Volume 1, Chapter 9: Stirring Up a Hornet's Nest

The mechanical apocalypse had only just begun, and communications were still functional. Even if standard means of communication on Blue Star were disrupted, those piloting mechs could still contact one another through their machines, a method vastly superior to anything else available on the planet.

By the time Zhang Wei received the communication request, he was already nearing the Chuan City Zoo. Seeing the unfamiliar caller ID, he paused for a moment.

"Who would be looking for me at a time like this?"

Wondering to himself, Zhang Wei answered the call. The moment he did, Han Xiao’s voice echoed in his mind—the mech had intercepted the call from his phone.

"Zhang Wei, where are you? Please, come and save me!" Han Xiao’s voice was hoarse and trembling, laced with sobs that betrayed a deep, crushing sense of despair and helplessness.

Hearing her voice, an inexplicable sense of pleasure welled up in Zhang Wei’s heart.

"If it were the old me, I probably would have rushed over blindly the moment I heard her sound like this," he mocked himself silently, despising the version of him that had once disregarded everything for this woman.

His voice turned calm and indifferent, like a bystander observing a scene from afar: "Who are you? And why should I save you?"

"Me? I’m Han Xiao! Zhang Wei, isn’t your mech incredibly powerful? Please, come save me! My dog has turned into a monster, and it’s trying to eat me!" Her weeping revealed her sheer desperation.

"Where is Han Xu?" Zhang Wei countered. Since Han Xiao hadn't left the city, she should have been with him.

"He’s fending off the dog, but his mech isn’t strong enough; he’s about to lose! Where are you? How soon can you get here?" She urged him frantically, as if she wanted him to materialize right in front of her.

"Tell him to hold the line. I can’t get away."

Zhang Wei’s tone was cold as he cut the connection. Save her? What a joke. He was eager for Han Xiao to experience the cruelty of this apocalypse, to live in constant, gnawing fear. He didn't want her to die quickly—that would be letting her off too easily.

As for whether Han Xiao and Han Xu would meet their end, Zhang Wei wasn't worried. While a mechanical dog transformed from a pet was significantly stronger than a rat, the mech Han Xu had acquired—a converted heavy motorcycle—wasn't weak either. It would be enough to handle the dog.

On the other end, Han Xiao stood like a statue, staring blankly at her phone, her face a mask of shock and confusion.

"What did he say?"

Han Xu was burning with impatience. Seeing Han Xiao frozen in place, he wanted nothing more than to slap her. "What time do you think it is? How can you still be dazed?"

"He said... to hold the line," Han Xiao replied mechanically, unable to process the situation. Wasn't he supposed to be in love with her? Is this how he showed it?

Han Xu flew into a rage, cursing, "Bullshit! If I could hold the line, would I have called him?"

In that moment, his hatred for Zhang Wei spiked. To Han Xu, this was a clear case of refusing to help someone in mortal danger. Was this how a brother acted? And he wanted to woo his sister?

"Look out!" Han Xiao’s voice turned sharp as she warned him: "It’s coming!"

Han Xu cursed under his breath. With no help coming from Zhang Wei, he had to give up any hope of rescue. He couldn't count on Han Xiao, either. If he wanted to survive, he had to fight this beast to the death.

In a flash, the mechanical dog’s cold, metallic body lunged at him. The two metal titans collided with a deafening roar. In this close-quarters combat, Han Xu was clearly at a disadvantage; the dog was swift and precise, and fresh wounds marred his mech. Fortunately, his mech was based on a brand-new heavy motorcycle, giving it a slight edge in power. Under Han Xu’s iron fists, the mechanical dog began to sustain damage as well.

Watching this, Han Xiao’s heart was in her throat. Given the current situation, it was far from certain who would walk away alive.

***

At the Chuan City Zoo, Zhang Wei, having ignored Han Xiao’s plea, stepped inside. The harmony of the past was gone; the zoo had become a paradise for mechanical beasts to run wild. There were few human mechs left inside, and those that remained had largely become fodder for the machines.

Humans could harvest source crystals from mechanical beasts to enhance themselves, but the beasts could do the same. They weren't picky eaters; they could absorb the energy of the crystals and consume metal itself. Human mechs were a true delicacy, boosting their combat power, while consuming humans enhanced their intelligence.

Mechanical beasts could evolve, just as human mechs could.

"Quite lively. Where to start?" Zhang Wei took a deep breath, sensing the waves of combat rippling through the zoo. He felt exhilarated. For others, this place was hell, but for him, it was heaven. His combat power was sufficient to crush any mechanical beast at this stage. Even a mechanical tiger would be no match for him.

Before he could decide on a target, a few foolish creatures charged at him. Since most mechs in the park had been devoured, the arrival of such a large, imposing machine naturally drew their attention.

"A monkey?" Zhang Wei stared at the mechanical primate, which stood less than three meters tall. Did his twelve-meter-tall mech really have no presence? Were these things crazy?

As the monkey entered his range, Zhang Wei swung his war scythe with ease. A trail of purple electricity crackled through the air. As the current swept over the creature, the red light in its eyes vanished instantly.

"So sharp." Zhang Wei looked at his weapon with satisfaction. Compared to the custom combat blade he had used before, the sharpness was on a completely different level. Had he used the blade, the monkey might have been knocked back by the impact, but it would have remained intact, albeit battered. The scythe, however, had sliced through it as if it were tofu.

The monkey’s lower half continued to charge forward, while its upper torso fell to the ground, severed clean.

"Intermediate source crystal. Good." He happily collected the crystal from the remains.

Just as he finished, a group of monkeys appeared all around him—at least several dozen. Zhang Wei muttered, "Did I just poke a monkey nest? Well, just in time."