In just a few days, Bai Hao successfully challenged and cleared the 1B and 2B segments, and was now striving for the 3B segment. The 3B segment featured three enemy mechas, all at the same level as those in the 2B segment. Simultaneously dealing with three mechas proved temporarily insurmountable for Bai Hao. Despite challenging it for three consecutive days without success, he felt only a slight frustration. However, with Nana's assistance, his progress was remarkably evident. During his first attempt, he couldn't last a minute; now, he could hold out for at least fifteen minutes and occasionally even managed to down or critically damage one mecha.
"What a shame! I was so close to destroying the second mecha!"
Inside the simulation pod, Bai Hao looked at the "Challenge Failed" dialog box on the screen and sighed softly. Moments ago, he had challenged the 3B segment again. He first successfully downed one enemy mecha and critically damaged another. Thinking he could press the advantage and finish off the heavily damaged mecha, he was unexpectedly ambushed at the last moment by the remaining intact enemy mecha and destroyed. Although he had sensed the attack, his command input was ultimately a beat too slow.
"It seems impatience truly spoils the broth," Bai Hao thought with a touch of resignation. He had believed that after destroying the second enemy mecha, facing the last one in a one-on-one scenario would give him a slim chance of victory. Unfortunately, he had rushed it in the end.
After resting for nearly a minute, just as he was about to select the 3B challenge again, a dialog box instantly popped up on the screen accompanied by a system prompt: "Pod Nine requests voice communication. Connect?"
"Accept," Bai Hao immediately agreed. Senior Sister Yan Yifei had also come to the simulation room with him today.
Over the past three months, Yan Yifei had invited Bai Hao to the simulation pods every few days. However, what greatly frustrated Bai Hao was that each session ended with him being utterly crushed.
"Connection established."
"Junior brother, you've been visiting the simulation room quite diligently these past few days. Made any major breakthroughs in your piloting skills? Come, let your senior sister thoroughly test you." Yan Yifei's slightly flirtatious voice sounded.
"What progress? Still stuck at the 1B segment," Bai Hao replied with a hint of bitterness, telling a small white lie. After all, his piloting skills had improved too rapidly recently. To avoid unnecessary trouble—as the silver key card seemed best kept secret—he downplayed it.
Yan Yifei chuckled. "Oh? I'm inviting you right now. Let's see if you've improved."
A few seconds later, a dialog box popped up on Bai Hao's screen: "Pod Nine invites you to join the Desert Battlefield. Accept?"
"Accept."
"Acknowledged."
"Connecting…"
Three seconds later, the screen flickered, changing to a scene of blue skies over yellow sand. Hovering in mid-air was a blue mecha, its design unmistakably the Empire's most primitive first-generation model.
Bai Hao immediately locked onto the blue mecha, made a slight adjustment to his own mech's posture, and poised his fingers over the controls, ready to issue commands.
"Ready, junior brother?" Yan Yifei asked with a light laugh.
"Ready."
"Alright, here we go. Be careful now!"
"Three, two, one, begin!"
Bai Hao's fingers tapped lightly. A command swiftly entered the system, and the mech he controlled immediately accelerated backward. Given his current skill level, engaging the blue mecha at close range would be suicidal. So, his first move was to create distance.
However, the blue mecha seemed unwilling to grant him that space. From the start, it suddenly accelerated, charging directly at Bai Hao's mech.
Simultaneously, Yan Yifei's laughter came through the comms. "Junior brother, pulling this trick again? Trying to wear me out? Won't work this time."
Seeing the blue mecha hurtling towards him, Bai Hao's expression tightened slightly, but his hands never stopped moving, rapidly inputting two commands.
"Energy shield, activate!"
"Railgun initializing… Target lock in progress…"
Yan Yifei's gaze sharpened, a faint smile on her lips. "Not bad. Reaction speed's a bit faster than before. Seems you have improved. But with just this, it's still not enough against your senior sister."
As she spoke, Yan Yifei's ten fingers danced. Commands flooded the system. The blue mecha's arms lifted slightly, and two armor-piercing shells roared almost simultaneously from the cannons mounted on its mechanical arms, streaking toward Bai Hao.
Bai Hao seemed to have anticipated this. He quickly issued another command. "Manual control system, engage!"
The two armor-piercing shells arrived in an instant, impacting the mech's energy shield.
With a BOOM, the shells exploded. Billowing flames instantly engulfed the mech. The power of armor-piercing shells exceeded that of missiles; two were enough to deplete the mech's energy shield.
Simultaneous with the explosion, two more missiles shot from the blue mecha's ports. Clearly, Yan Yifei wasn't giving Bai Hao a moment's respite.
"Heh, junior brother, it's over!" Yan Yifei laughed.
However, just as the two missiles were about to plunge into the erupting flames, a figure suddenly shot out from within—Bai Hao's mech.
The two missiles narrowly grazed past the mech.
"That was close!"
Bai Hao gasped, immediately pressing the manual fire button. "Railgun, fire!"
A white beam flashed toward the blue mecha like lightning.
Bai Hao's mech dodging the missiles and firing the railgun had happened in a mere instant.
"Hmm?!"
Seeing the white beam streaking toward her, Yan Yifei's expression shifted momentarily, surprise flashing across her face. Yet, she showed no panic. Her slender fingers instantly danced across the command keys like a storm.
The white light flashed past, piercing through where the blue mecha had been.
The blue mecha had evaded the railgun shot with a graceful, beautiful maneuver.
"She dodged it after all!"
Bai Hao's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the blue mecha on the screen. He was now certain Yan Yifei's piloting skills had reached star-ranked standards.
"Junior brother, you've been hiding your skills. You almost got me there. Good thing my reflexes are sharp. Seems your piloting has really improved lately. But don't expect me to hold back anymore." Inside Pod Nine, Yan Yifei let out a light sigh and chuckled.
Bai Hao, however, offered a wry, helpless smile. His previous strike relied on the element of surprise. Now that his opponent was wary, a second chance was unlikely. Attempting to confront Yan Yifei with skills below the 3B segment was clearly wishful thinking.