Chapter 3: The Heart of a Thug, Section 8

No matter how many years passed or what he became, that shrill screech would never allow Hei Ba to forget it for even a moment. After countless trials by blood and fire, he could even easily distinguish what was producing such a sound.
It was a missile.
A bright light flashed on the vision screen inside his helmet, followed by an red alarm. In a hurry, Hei Ba looked up and saw the clear white trail in the sky.
With a cold snort, his left hand swiftly pulled the control joystick, while his other hand flashed across the control buttons beside it. In an instant, he pressed countless buttons—like a precision computer, completing the complicated operations in a flash. Then he firmly stepped on the pedal and punched the red button on the control panel above his head.
“Bang!!”
With a muffled sound, the little demon’s huge body seemed to be struck hard by a punch, trembling violently before countless cracks appeared across its torso. Soon, a large amount of white gas burst out from the cracks, engulfing it in thick mist. Before the mist could disperse, the shrill screech came from nearby, and the missile plunged from the sky with unstoppable force.
“Boom!!”
The massive explosion was earth-shattering. Around the little demon, the ground within a hundred meters rose simultaneously, with tons of soil and rocks mixed with fragments of armor shooting into the sky, forming a huge plume of smoke. Whether it was walls or stones, steel or broken human bodies, everything was instantly consumed by the extreme heat. The missile fragments spread out in a fan shape, tearing apart anything in their path.
In terms of power, this was likely a miniature missile designed for mechs, not powerful enough to destroy everything, and its range was limited to about a hundred meters. But for a mech, it was undoubtedly deadly.
But really?
At that moment, in the grand hall of the mansion across from him, the huge floor-to-ceiling windows were shattered. A completely blue mech knelt there quietly. From the outside, this mech could undoubtedly be described as beautiful—streamlined design, well-proportioned body. Even the magic inscriptions on the edges of its armor were made of pure gold, as if it belonged to a noble lord.
Of course, if not for that huge triple missile launcher on its shoulders…

“Harry, are you sure you hit it?” A voice suddenly rang out in the hall, followed by a blond man stepping out from behind the blue mech.
“Carter, I’m reminding you again—don’t ask me such stupid questions. Do you really think there’s anything I, Harry, can’t hit? Don’t forget what Blue Planet is famous for.” A lazy voice came from within the blue mech in response.
“Okay, okay. I admit your Blue Planet is the best long-range mech in the association. But haven’t you noticed? That guy is special. If you hadn’t intervened in time, this place would have been leveled by him by now.” The blond man shrugged helplessly.
“There was nothing we could do. Those guards were too incompetent. Hmph, five portable 80mm magic light cannons and still can’t destroy an ancient mech that’s attacking head-on. They deserved to die anyway. Kari, just so we’re clear—I’m not taking responsibility for the losses here.” The lazy voice replied. Soon after, a faint humming sound came from the magic engine as the blue mech stood up.
“I’m not asking you to take responsibility. I’m just worried…” The blond man frowned, his voice growing quieter.
“Worried about what?”
“Boom!!”
A massive explosion abruptly interrupted their conversation. Under the blond man’s horrified gaze, they witnessed a terrifying sight—the black mech that had charged in had exploded! Its thick armor and sturdy chassis had prevented it from exploding even after being hit by a missile, leaving only a large hole in its chest. But now, how could it explode when it was already unable to move? Could it be that the weapon compartment inside had been detonated?
Unfortunately, his guess wasn’t correct, and the truth was exactly what he least wanted to see. In the huge explosion, all the additional armor and equipment on the mech flew everywhere, completely detached. The loud roar of its mechanical engine sounded again as a black figure rushed out. Compared to its original massive size, this figure was clearly smaller and slimmer—almost half its size. It also had far less armor, with only the cockpit and engine remaining. Yet its speed was far greater. It had already covered over a hundred meters as soon as it accelerated, its legs slightly bent as it slid frantically toward the manor. Sparks from friction left long trails behind it.

“What, what is that?” the blond man shouted.
“How should I know? But it looks pretty interesting. Carter, take care of yourself—I’m about to take action,” came the lazy reply. The azure mech knelt down again. With a slight crackling sound, the missile launcher on its shoulder opened its hatch.
“Damn it, you’re trying to murder me…!” Seeing this, the blond man was terrified and scrambled to get away. But before he could run far, the roar of the missiles sounded, and a powerful shockwave sent him flying like a rolling gourd.
Unlike before, the pilot of the blue mech clearly showed interest, and its attack pattern changed drastically—it fired all two remaining missiles at once. Immediately afterward, its backpack opened automatically, and three more miniature missiles were loaded into the launcher.
A shrill screech, along with visible white smoke.
Although they were miniature missiles designed for mechs, two consecutive shots meant that even the most heavily armored close-combat mechs might not be able to withstand them. The scorching heat and sharp fragments could tear through the strongest armor, destroying any enemy that dared to resist them completely.
What was even more terrifying was that, as an outlier among long-range mech types, the greatest advantage of missile mechs was their precise accuracy. With guided weapons and elite technicians, the destruction of that black mech was almost inevitable.
If they could hit again…