Chapter 69
Swoosh
The moment he stepped into the training ground, Yermin keenly felt a subtle difference.
The scene before my eyes seemed very ordinary, but there was a very different feeling flowing in the invisible. The venue was obviously not very large, but it seemed extremely vast and I couldn't see the end in the distance.
It was as if... this space was folded endlessly under the control of an instrument, and contained extremely sophisticated functions.
Yael was stunned for a moment, but did not rashly release his spiritual perception. He just smiled and exclaimed, "What a magical place."
Caesar briefly explained the principle to him. Although Yael only understood a little, he also roughly understood the core theory. To put it simply, it is -
Infinitely close to the real simulation of actual combat.
"When a class is called, start counting from left to right! Class A..."
There were loud shouts and the sound of people counting from the front, and not far away was Bai Lang's figure with his back to them.
When they approached, Bai Lang had already organized the troops in order. He took the customized training list given to him by the marshal in advance and arranged the training items and levels one by one. He was very well-trained.
Yael was led around the side of the army. He looked back with some curiosity and saw two teams heading to the other side of the training ground. They touched the wall and began to generate the field.
"Here."
Xi Ze quickly stopped at a place, tapped the ground with his military boots skillfully, and a silver pillar slowly rose from the ground.
Not knowing what the female insect did, Yael soon felt the air around him stagnate, and the scene before his eyes instantly changed to something else -
The silver-white training ground has disappeared, replaced by a very wide corridor.
The distance between the two sides is comparable to that of three training grounds. The ceiling is almost out of sight, and the walls are embedded with countless huge and sophisticated mechas.
Yael felt like an ant that had accidentally entered a large mechanical warehouse. He was shocked by the scene before him and was a little dazed. He looked around but couldn't find the direction.
Xi Ze waved his hand, and a half-open suspended vehicle drove over from a distance and stopped at his feet, "Master, here."
The closer he got to the surface of the mechas, the more real everything seemed to him. Yael thought of what the female insect had just said and hesitated for a moment.
"Is this a real mecha? Or is it just a simulation?"
"These mechas actually remain in the arsenal, and are virtual in theory."
"But here, you will feel extremely real when you touch it or drive it. If something goes wrong, even the worm belt mecha will suffer real damage. This is actually a superposition of reality and virtuality."
Yael nodded after thinking deeply, and watched the hovercraft pass by various types of mechas and finally stop in front of a white wall at the end.
A red light shot out from above, scanning the female insect from all sides.
And the next second, the wall in front of him slowly opened to both sides, revealing the scene inside -
A silver-blue mecha is parked on the huge platform, like a shining gem, and every smooth line interprets the breathtaking power and beauty.
"Guardian-S... Is this your mecha?"
Yael whispered the golden nameplate on the chest of the mecha, and realized later that this was most likely Xize's exclusive mecha.
"Yes, you may try to touch it."
Xi Ze whispered behind him, took Yael a few steps forward, and watched the male insect carefully reach out his hand and touch the cold surface of the mecha.
"What a wonderful feeling."
Yer felt it carefully. Although it was a cold machine, he seemed to be able to touch the warmth of flesh and blood, and could sense the heartbeat of the mecha in front of him invisibly.
A vague feedback came from the end of his mental power, and Xize lowered his head and kissed the tip of the male insect's ear, his voice a little hoarse.
"It likes you... just like me."
Yael widened his eyes slightly and asked in surprise, "Can mechas also have intelligence?"
He reached out and touched the silver-blue surface again, and felt the warmth in his palm more clearly.
The female insect did not answer him, but the mecha in front of him slowly opened the door of the cockpit, as if inviting him to come in and play.
"Let's go in."
To ensure the accuracy of manipulation, the space in the mecha control room is relatively small. It is enough for one insect to sit, but two insects need to sit a little closer together.
Cize tried hard to make some space so as not to squeeze Hyer, but the conditions were still limited and large areas of their bodies were pressed together.
"Okay, that's enough. If you go any further, there will be no room for you."
Yael patted his knee, signaling him not to move any further.
"Okay, I'll explain the basic functions to you. You're so smart, maybe you can learn it right away."
Xize smiled, raised his hand and pressed a button on the complex panel in front of him, and a full-scale exploded diagram of the mecha instantly rose on the groove of the panel.
"Look, this is ..."
The female insect had just sweated a little during the intense exercise, and her whole body was steaming hot. The scent of her strong yet soft flesh was faintly mixed with a hint of bitterness, like a piece of melted pure chocolate.
When they were in the same small space, the breath slowly spread to the entire cabin, completely enveloping Yael.
And because they were too close, the soft part would rub against my shoulders from time to time, and the light pink bulge was faintly visible because of the sweat on the shirt.
…pressing my shoulders again and again, the sensation was very noticeable.
The tips of Yael's ears turned slightly red, and he pursed his lips and forced himself to listen carefully to the female insect's explanation.
Ah - I can't concentrate at all.
"You see, this part is..."
The silver-blue light and shadow flowed silently, shining on Cize's angular profile. A faint light and shadow fell under his slightly drooping eyelashes, making his focused golden eyes appear calm and deep.
It was different from the brutality he showed just now, and also different from the toughness he showed when facing the media or political opponents. It was a bit like the calm and steady demeanor he usually displayed when interacting with him, but with a hint of something else.
It seems as if he has entered a field of expertise and appears to be very comfortable with it, but he still takes mecha driving very seriously, with an unprecedented love and strong vitality.
Infected by this serious atmosphere, Yael coughed softly with some shame, and finally he was able to calm down and listen to those tedious control matters.
It was really well explained and easy to understand. Even Chong, who knew nothing about mechas, could understand it.
Yael tilted his head to look at the three-dimensional structural display diagram that rose up, and listened to the female insect quickly decomposing the complex structure and clearly dividing the different functions and areas.
He listened attentively and could not help but move closer to the female insect. He felt a little uncomfortable being squeezed and moved his legs subconsciously.
Caesar paused slightly, and immediately felt Yeel's strange movement. He stretched out his hand to feel the tightness of his thigh muscles, which made him a little worried.
"Is it too crowded? How about we go on a starship? It's more spacious there."
Yael came to his senses and denied it again and again, "No, I'm not going. I like it here."
Seeing that he insisted, Xize said nothing more. After explaining the basic functions, he directly pressed the start button.
"I just went through it briefly. It's better to just look at the intuitive points of operation. If you don't understand anything, just ask me directly... Oh, remember to wear a protective belt."
The female insect stood up slightly, touched something, pulled out a spare protective belt, wrapped it around Yer's body and buckled it into the groove.
After the mecha was officially activated, the silver-blue energy bar on the screen quickly loaded up, and large buttons lit up faintly one after another, illuminating the cockpit.
After confirming that everything was correct, Xi Ze turned his head to look at him, with a gentle smile in his eyes.
"It's about to begin. Are you ready, Lord?"
"Yeah, I'm ready."
Yael tried to ignore the pounding in his chest, looked at the screen in front of him, and nodded nervously.
"My Lord, please try pressing here."
Cézar pulled Yael's hand over and placed it on the steering column, then reached out to cover both of them and slowly began to apply force.
Yael felt his palms sweating a little, but the dry and warm touch on the back of his hands eased the tension, leaving only a slight throbbing feeling.
The process of the mecha rising rapidly and penetrating the atmosphere is a bit bumpy. Insects that have not received special training will generally feel a little uncomfortable, and some weaker ones will even vomit.
The female insect asked Yael to close his eyes tightly, and he did not open his eyes tentatively until he felt the fuselage stabilized.
The next second, he almost instantly lost consciousness——
It was a vast and boundless universe, as if it spanned endless space and long history, containing endless mysteries and continuously generating the eternal miracle of countless lives.
Just looking at a corner of the universe through the narrow field of vision in front of you is enough to shock you speechless.
"This is the first time I have felt the existence of the universe at such a close distance."
After a long while, Yael gradually came back to his senses. As he took a breath, he couldn't help but chuckled.
Xi Ze controlled the mecha to roam freely among the meteorite fragments, shuttling deeper at a very constant speed, wanting to take Yael to see more bizarre and changeable scenery.
"Before I became an admiral, my favorite thing was to go on missions, to visit one strange planet after another, and to see countless different landscapes."
"But what I miss most is the universe itself. Even the boring trips back and forth are very exciting."
The female insect whispered, thinking of her previous life, with a warm feeling of nostalgia in her eyes.
Yael turned to look at him and agreed, "Indeed, I like it too. I once wanted to apply for astronomy, but I thought about it for a long time and finally decided not to go."
He smiled, his eyes brightening slightly, "Now I finally have no regrets."
Xize was originally concentrating on controlling the mecha to pass through a meteorite belt. Upon hearing this, he transferred the control to his left hand and put his right hand down to squeeze the male insect's hand soothingly.
"There is an observatory at home, and it is fully equipped with the best equipment, but it seems that you have never been in it. I will take you to familiarize yourself with it after we get home, so that you can observe the universe by yourself in the future."
After passing through a meteorite belt, we arrived at an area with many small planets. The mecha slowed down its speed and kept approaching the outer layer of those beautiful planets.
A beautiful milky white planet suddenly came into view, and Yael couldn't help but move closer to look at the planet's atmosphere with a halo of light flowing.
"You see, this is the planet I mentioned before, the one that's home to many fluffy lambs. There was a large-scale chaos here before, and the army I'm with was sent there to evacuate and suppress it."
The female insect's deep voice rang in my ears, but it did not break the shocking and mysterious atmosphere. Instead, it cast a friendly filter over the planet in front of me.
"The source of the chaos was that the lambs felt so good, which triggered a large-scale theft. It eventually developed into a plan to hijack this small planet and smuggle all the lambs away. The herders there had no choice but to sound the planet's first-level alarm."
Yael suddenly turned his head to look at the female insect and was shocked for a moment.
After a long while, he couldn't help but ask, "Does it really feel so good?"
Xi Ze thought about it, but did not describe it to him directly. Instead, he smiled and said, "I reserve my opinion for now. When you go there with the Lord in the future, you will know it by yourself."
The mecha slowly passed the milky white planet and headed for the next destination. Yael looked out of the side window and watched it being left behind, feeling a little reluctant.
The next second, a planet came into view. The light green patterns on the sphere were intricate and beautiful, and carried a strange sense of familiarity.
The mecha slowly moved further away, and the moment he saw the whole picture, Yer instantly remembered which planet he was in front of, and his tone was even a little unbelievable.
"I know this planet... I've seen it in my textbooks. There lives a race of elves on it. They live in snowy mountains or forests all year round. They don't care about worldly affairs and don't have any diplomatic relations with other planets."
"Originally, the economy here was very backward, but later the tourism industry developed and now it has become one of the top ten must-visit tourist destinations. The most famous is the Snow Mountain Hot Springs."
The illustrations that come with the teaching materials are very beautiful. It was the middle of winter when we learned that lesson, and the cold wind was howling outside, blowing in through the gaps in the windows that couldn't be closed tightly.
At that time, he stared at the picture for a long time, thinking that he could go here for a few days during the New Year holiday. Later, he picked up Xize and this plan was forgotten.
"Can we go to this planet to play when the time comes?"
Yael stretched out his finger and touched the beautiful virtual little planet, barely able to conceal the anticipation in his expression.
"Okay, we'll go wherever you want to go."
Caesar responded, marking the planet on his list, "How about making this our first destination?"
"……Um."
It was the first time that a request was made so clearly. After Yael came to his senses, he felt a little embarrassed and his fingertips curled up.
But this unnatural feeling soon disappeared in the as-if-it-is-a-matter-of-course acceptance and the importance that I took to heart.
Xi Ze controlled the mecha and approached the planet. All he could see was the male insect's face clearly illuminated by the light. There was amazement in his dark eyes, as well as frank and thorough joy.
The vigilant cat, nurtured with love and wealth, is finally softened by the safe and comfortable environment. It lets go of its unfamiliar manners and begins to actively make requests.
The corners of his lips lifted unconsciously, and his loosely clasped hands changed position, interlacing his fingers with Yael's.
"Look, this planet..."
The mecha drove slowly in a circle, taking a look at all the planets in this area.
Because it was afraid that it would be unsafe to go too far, the mecha turned around before reaching the habitable zone and headed for a neighboring galaxy of the same level.
After drifting quietly for several hours, the concept of time has disappeared completely.
Time seemed to stand still and yet it seemed to be slipping away rapidly, leaving only a sudden and peaceful state of mind, and I couldn't even feel my breathing.
There is still a lot of work to be done, a lot to worry about, many unfulfilled goals or plans, and almost endless distractions.
But during these few hours, all those useless things were completely forgotten and left behind on the distant planet.
Only this narrow but safe cockpit, the boundless universe before my eyes, and the insects breathing fresh air beside me are real and indispensable.
Yael stared at the scene in front of him in a daze.
It was the first time that I was so deeply immersed in the starry sky that I had gazed up at countless times. After the initial novelty and interest subsided a little, the biggest feeling was actually tranquility.
It’s like the vast ocean in my spiritual picture. Although there are all kinds of fish and sea creatures, too often I just drift alone, quietly listening to the voice of my heart.
The Zerg's technology is already very advanced, but they have only explored a small part of the universe.
And in some corner of this vast universe, is there also a blue planet?
It’s just that the time and space between us are too far, and we have not yet connected with the life on this side of the universe. We stay contentedly in a corner, slowly experiencing the overlapping tides of life.
Perhaps the moment he traveled through time, the hands of time had already been moved, and the world had changed dramatically over the years, easily erasing familiar things, and there was no longer any trace of his existence.
Yael seldom makes such speculations. After all, he can't see it anyway, so he might as well fantasize about something positive so as not to fall into the quagmire of pessimism.
He sighed.
I hope the earth is still in good condition. I will work hard on technology and maybe I can go back one day.
"Hero Lord?"
The hand placed at the side of the body was held in a warm palm, which was slowly kneaded to relieve the cold body temperature and soothe the male insect's temporary loss of emotions.
Yael came back to his senses, held the female insect's hand tightly with his backhand, and said with a smile, "This place is really beautiful, thank you for bringing me here to see this."
"If you adapt well, it would be nice to drift in space forever."
It seems to be able to cleanse all the chaos and desires, and be enlightened by this stunning and endless beauty, even the soul becomes transparent and quiet, no longer confined to trivial and boring pain.
Even if you are among the stars, your heart will not easily sink into the mud.
"I'll take you to see the Heart of Valar."
Xi Ze suddenly said, Yael was stunned for a moment and repeated his words, "Vera...Heart?"
What a familiar name.
He pondered for a while, and suddenly remembered.
This was the nebula he had talked about while sleeping with the female insect in Etal. The first person to discover it was Cecil.
Thinking that the female insect wanted to share her discovery with him, Yael shook their clasped hands and raised his voice in a cheerful tone.
"Okay, I heard it's beautiful, let's go take a look."
Xi Ze just laughed softly.
"Don't worry. You haven't tried driving a mecha yourself yet. This area is very spacious. It's a good place for you to practice."
Yell's eyes widened immediately, with a look of disbelief, "Drive a mecha? Let me do it?"
This is a mecha, not an electric car. You have to change it at will. If you are not careful, something serious might happen.
Xize slid the virtual control screen to the position between the two insects and spoke in a nonchalant tone.
"It's okay. I'm not just giving up. I'll help control the general direction."
It doesn’t seem to be impossible…?
Yael hesitated for a moment, thinking back to what the female insect had just explained, and tentatively pressed the forward button...
A few minutes later, this extremely cool-looking mecha started up, stumbling like a toddler.
After going through several deformations and strange movements, including but not limited to the yangko dance, it finally became stable and slowly ran towards an unknown distance.
“…”
"Are we almost there? Are we about to turn a corner?"
Yael looked at the buttons with a serious expression, asked the female insect, and then pressed one of them.
The mecha successfully changed direction, but because the button was pressed for too long, it made a 180-degree turn and went back a distance. The distance it had just slowly moved forward suddenly became a negative number.
"!"
Yael was a little stunned.
Xize coughed softly to hold back his laughter, then took full control of the control panel again.
"Well, we are almost there... We have to pass through the meteorite belt ahead, I will take care of the rest."
"You laugh at me."
Yael stared dead for a second and complained to the female insect who was enjoying the excitement and making trouble.
But a kiss fell on the cheek, and Caesar's voice rang close to her ear, his tone serious with a hint of smile.
"I'm not laughing at you. Many insects take a long time to learn and master. You mastered it so quickly. You are really talented and amazing."
Yael's face turned red and he tilted his head to show that he didn't buy it, but the depression he felt had completely disappeared and he couldn't even remember that he was still feeling lost just now.
"arrive."
The female insect's voice rang out again, causing him to turn his head subconsciously, his pupils shrinking slightly for a moment.
It was a magnificent, rose-colored nebula, unprecedentedly majestic and beautiful, as if a god had dipped his pen in cinnabar and casually splashed ink.
The petals are stacked one after another, slowly spreading out from deep to shallow, expanding and contracting with the rhythm of the flow, as if interpreting the most primitive rhythm of life.
And it is named the Heart of Vera for a reason.
The first impression of the nebula is a rose, but as you continue to gaze and observe, you can see through the illusory appearance and see the beating, bright red heart inside.
Bang…bang…bang…
"Bang--"
The vibration in his chest hit his eardrum, waking Yael from his trance, but he still couldn't look away.
It was as if this tiny dirt also resonated with the same frequency and began to absorb the vigorous energy involuntarily.
Inexplicably, he felt an unprecedented sense of security and belonging, as if the fetus had returned to the mother's body, curled up in the warmth of the amniotic fluid and the beating of the mother's heart.
"This is..."
Yael cleared his throat, but still lost his voice, and could only mutter, "Heart of Vera?"
The lost heart of the gods.
An inexplicable warmth and sadness attacked his soul, causing him to almost burst into tears in an instant, yet he seemed to be bathed in warm light and no longer felt the slightest bit of sadness and despair.
go home.
These two words appeared in my mind again, but they no longer carried with them an unattainable hope:
It seems that I can touch the familiar sunshine with my hand.
A tiny call echoes deep in the soul, as if planting a seed of life, implanting its young roots deep in the flesh and blood, waiting for the moment to bear fruit.
But before Yael could try to figure out what that feeling was, he was brought back to his senses by the voice of a female insect in his ear.
"Yes."
Caesar said softly, and tried to wipe away the tears on his face with his fingertips, but found that he couldn't wipe them away completely, so he leaned over and kissed the source of the tears.
"The first insect to discover a new nebula can enjoy the ownership of it for a hundred years. It is currently under my name, and it will take another eighty-nine years before it is truly free."
Yael looked at him with tearful eyes, his expression stunned.
"I now give this heart to you."
"If you ever feel lonely or insecure, look at this heart with a stargazer. As long as it beats, the love inside will never fade away...until the end of eternity."
The female insect's forehead was pressed against him, so close that their breaths blended together. The low, smiling voice lingered in his ears, like a parable sent down by the gods.
In the dimness, I could only see a little dazzling and warm golden light, with tender love, in the misty tears, like a scorching spark burning in the air——
Just for him.
Yael's eyelashes trembled, and a well-filled tear fell, leaving a sparkling mark on his cheek, which earned him a few painful kisses.
His breathing became increasingly rapid. He suddenly stretched out his hand to grab the female insect's shoulders, groped and kissed the soft lips forcefully, and tasted the salty taste of tears between his lips and tongue.
“Hmm… um…!”
Only when the air in his chest was exhausted did Yael let go for a moment, but he held the female insect in his arms even tighter, choking and mumbling, "——"
"What?"
Caesar was stunned, and a conjecture that he dared not verify emerged in his mind, making him eager to listen again. His voice was tense, "What did you just say?"
The male insect in his arms sniffed hard, swallowed his sore throat, and then buried his face and spoke loudly.
"I say—I love you, too!"
His heart trembled violently for a moment, and Xize's pupils shrank the moment he heard it clearly. He came to his senses and found that his face was wet, and he didn't know when he had shed tears.
He opened his mouth and took a deep breath almost silently, without letting Yael notice that something was wrong with him. After a long while, he managed to hold back his trembling voice and said, "... Yeah."
The soft red halo flows slowly, casting a veil over the two figures embracing each other, as if it were an eternal blessing.
…
Even when the mecha entered the return track, Yael still hadn't recovered from the shock. Fortunately, he didn't cry too hard just now, so the swelling of his eyelids should go away soon.
He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, but Caesar pulled him down and said, "Don't keep wiping it. The area around your eyes will turn red."
Yael hummed in a muffled voice, closed his eyes as the female insect whispered instructions, and felt the mecha swooping down from the universe to the planet.
After an unknown amount of time, the mecha landed smoothly and returned to the armory, and the scene in front of him finally returned to the previous training ground.
"Okay, do you feel dizzy? If you feel uncomfortable, remember to tell me..."
When his head was touched, Yael felt it carefully. Apart from a little dizziness, he felt nothing else, and the discomfort quickly disappeared, so he shook his head.
The cabin door slowly opened, and Xi Ze jumped down first, reaching out to help the male insect land steadily.
It was almost evening.
When Yael went out, the training ground had changed its mode to a wide open flat land, and there was a brilliant glow overhead.
The training seemed to have ended. The mechas hovering in the sky were landing and docking one after another, and teams of soldiers were constantly adjusting their formations to form squares.
The warm sunset was a little dazzling. Yael couldn't help but stretch out his hand to block it. He actually felt as if he was in another world.
He had just stopped to wait for the female insect when he suddenly heard Bai Lang shouting:
"Salute!!!"
As soon as the words fell, the neatly-organized army stood at attention and raised their hands in a standard military salute. The scene was extremely spectacular.
Thinking they were saluting Cizek, he quickly took a step to the left, but the direction of the army's salute actually changed to follow his direction, all in unison.
Yael was stunned for a moment, put down his sunshade hand, and felt a little helpless for a moment.
"New Marshal Lieutenant General Bai Lang salutes you!"
Bai Lang, standing at the front, stood tall and straight, still maintaining his saluting posture, his voice firm and loud.
Following him, clear shouts rang out from left to right, one after another, well-trained, and the atmosphere on the plain was solemn and dignified.
"Colonel of the New Marshals, and Class A monitor Andri, salutes you!"
"New Marshal Lieutenant Colonel, Class B Leader Agara, salutes you!"
"New Marshals..."
"Thank you for your help in continuing the glory of the former First Legion!"
After hearing the last sentence, Yer suddenly understood, but his nose suddenly felt sore, and he covered his eyes in a somewhat wolfish manner.
Then he straightened his back, raised his hand in a not-so-standard but very formal salute, and looked into those determined eyes.
In stark contrast to the tired and exhausted look on their faces when we first saw them on Etel, their eyes were now open and bright, like swords that had been brushed off the dust and unsheathed.
——Radiates an incomparably sharp and profound brilliance.
The Imperial Blade, once embraced by the people and used to defend the country, was on the verge of breaking after suffering a heavy blow. After years of suffering and pain, they were finally reunited and reorganized, regaining the glory that once belonged to them.
That's great.
Yael couldn't help laughing, but a hand reached out from behind and wiped the tears from his cheeks, as gently as a breeze.
"Why are you crying again?"
He sniffed, his voice had a slight nasal tone, and his soft smiling eyes almost melted in the dazzling sunlight.
"Because I'm so happy, I can cry even though I'm like this."
The author has something to say:
Yeye was made to cry twice in one day, but he was so happy hehe~ (a little foreshadowing, remember to cherish this sweetness w)
When teaching mecha, it always feels like two cats, one big and one small, are squeezed in a nest. The big strong cat talks about how to dominate this neighborhood and become the boss. The little cat nods repeatedly, completely unaware that the hair on his tail has not grown completely, and he will fall flat on his face when he walks on four short legs.
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