Beneath the metal dome of the lunar base, the blue light from the holographic simulation pod stretched everyone's shadows long and thin.
Lin Yi's combat boots made a clear sound as they stepped on the alloy floor. He could hear his own heartbeat—not from nervousness, but like a war drum setting the tone for the upcoming charge.
"Su Qing, first explain the energy circuit of the Anti-Entropy Blade." He stopped in the center of the training area, and the team status panel automatically popped up in the tactical goggles. Long Wu's physical fitness value was 92%, Chu Yao's nerve reaction speed was 0.3 seconds faster than yesterday, and Xuan Mingzi's star power reserve was full.
very good.
Su Qing walked over carrying a data tablet, her hair still damp with the cool air from the lab.
She pressed the projection button, and a semi-transparent battle blade model floated in mid-air, with azure light patterns flowing along the blade: "The core of this sword is the anti-entropy field, which can reverse 30% of energy attacks. But remember—" She lightly tapped the blade spine with her fingertip, and the model suddenly split into microscopic particles, "Each time the anti-entropy field is released, it will consume 15% of the user's mental energy. If it is released more than three times, you must switch to the backup energy source."
Long Wu leaned closer, his iron gauntlet brushing against the afterimage, his Adam's apple bobbing: "Can it cut through the intruder's quantum armor?"
“During last week’s test, we cut through the hull of their main ship.” Su Qing looked up, a glint in her eyes. “But the prerequisite is—” she looked at Long Wu, “that your True Dragon Power can be continuously injected.”
Long Wu grinned, revealing his canine teeth: "My blood is warmer than their armor."
Chu Yao's terminal suddenly beeped. She shook her wrist, and the holographic screen on the wall instantly switched to a blood-red battlefield.
“Simulation scenario loading complete.” She adjusted her blue light blocking glasses. “This time it’s the intruders’ ‘Annihilation Array,’ three waves of attacks, with increasing intensity.”
"Same as always, Xuanmingzi opens the Star Gate Shield, Long Wu goes first, and Su Qing and I will cover the rest." Lin Yi tugged at his tactical vest, and the voices "Roger" came through his throat microphone.
As soon as the first wave of simulated enemy soldiers poured out of the portal, Long Wu's Tyrannosaurus Mech crashed into them.
The moment the electromagnetic blade slashed down, the phantom of the anti-entropy battle blade suddenly covered the blade, and a burst of dark blue and crimson gold light exploded into a blaze.
"Good!" Su Qing clenched her fist at the control panel. "Energy injection compatibility 87%!"
But during the second wave of attacks, Long Wu was a beat too slow.
An intruder's quantum mech took the opportunity to pierce the mech's shoulder guard, simulating blood mist spraying onto the holographic screen.
"Stop!" Lin Yi raised his hand, and Long Wu's heart rate soared to 180 in the tactical goggles.
He walked up to the mecha, looked up at the man in the cockpit: "Were you distracted just now?"
Long Wu ripped off his breathing mask, sweat dripping from his forehead onto the metal panel: "That mech's movements... are like the recruits I couldn't save back at the border." He clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white. "I can't let my teammates die before my eyes again."
Lin Yi paused for two seconds, then reached out and patted the mecha's arm armor: "So you need to be stronger." He turned to Chu Yao and nodded, "Change the simulation scenario to a memory fragment of 'new recruit sacrifice'."
"Team Leader Lin!" Chu Yao exclaimed, her eyes widening.
"Do it." Lin Yi's voice was like a quenched knife. "Fear must be killed in training, not brought into the battlefield."
The holographic screen suddenly went black, and when it lit up again, it showed the border snowfield from twenty years ago.
Seventeen-year-old Long Wu held a new recruit covered in blood, turning the snow a dark red.
The simulated cold wind rushed into the training area, and Long Wu's breathing suddenly became heavy.
"Attack!" Lin Yi's voice boomed like thunder.
The invading mechs burst out of the snow and mist, but Long Wu's electromagnetic blade remained unraised.
He stared at the mechanic's face—it had the same brow bone as the recruit who had called him "Captain" in his memory.
"Long Wu!" Su Qing's voice pierced through the simulated sound effects, "You're not saving the past, you're saving the present!"
Long Wu's pupils suddenly contracted.
He roared, the sound shaking the dust off the dome.
The joints of the Tyrannosaurus Rex mech burst out with blinding light, and he saw the progress bar of "True Dragon Power" on the tactical screen climbing wildly—60%, 70%, 85%!
The moment the electromagnetic blade swung down, the light patterns on the anti-entropy battle blade suddenly materialized, like living blue scales wrapping around the blade.
The mech soldier's quantum armor shattered into stardust, and Long Wu's mech stepped over the fragments, each step causing the ground to tremble.
"Breakthrough!" Chu Yao stared at the terminal. "The purity of the True Dragon Power has increased to 91%, and the peak energy output has exceeded the historical record!"
In Su Qing's projection, the buzzing sound of the anti-entropy battle blade rose a notch, as if in response.
Long Wu took off his helmet, sweat dripping down his chin. He grinned, revealing his bloodied gums: "That was great! Ten more waves!"
Suddenly, Xuanmingzi's star chart made a crisp sound.
The old man stood in the corner of the training area, and the light trails of the Twenty-Eight Mansions were three times brighter than yesterday.
“Try the synergy between Star Gate Technique and Anti-Entropy Field.” He nodded to Lin Yi. “I always thought that spells should be a system on their own, but now I understand… protection is never a one-person affair.”
He traced the star chart with his fingertips, and a gate made of starlight unfolded above Long Wu's head.
Almost simultaneously, Su Qing pressed the operation button, and the blue light of the anti-entropy battle blade surged into the stargate.
A rainbow light suddenly appeared at the edge of the star gate, and the defensive shield, which was originally only supposed to last for ten seconds, lasted for seventeen seconds.
"Compatibility is 93%!" Chu Yao's voice trembled. "That's 12% higher than the theoretical value!"
Xuanmingzi paused on the star chart, his eyes slightly red when he looked up: "My master once said that the art of astrology requires one to guard against the lonely moon, and now I understand... only by guarding against the mundane world can one be considered a true successor."
The atmosphere in the training area was getting heated when Su Qing's monitoring terminal suddenly emitted a piercing alarm.
She rushed to the control panel, her fingers flying across the holographic screen, her face instantly turning pale: "The intruders' main anchor energy fluctuations have surged! Their warp drive activation progress... has been advanced by four hours!"
Everyone froze in their tracks.
Long Wu's electromagnetic knife clattered to the ground, Chu Yao's terminal slid into the pocket of her tactical vest, and Xuan Mingzi's star chart dimmed for a moment before lighting up again.
Lin Yi's tactical goggles automatically popped up a red countdown timer—originally seven hours, now only three hours remain.
He touched the burning Spacetime Overlord emblem on his chest, and could clearly hear his own heartbeat mixed with the hum of the Star Gate activating, the vibration of the Anti-Entropy Battle Blade, and the lingering echo of Long Wu's roar.
"Su Qing, what's the progress of mass production of the locators?"
"92%, but it can be prioritized for core members."
"Chu Yao, what about the Xuanxiao Guard's defenses?"
"The last section is being reinforced and should be completed two hours ahead of schedule."
"Long Wu," Lin Yi looked at the man still wiping his sweat, "how long can your new state last?"
Long Wu slung the electromagnetic knife over his shoulder, the blade reflecting his gleaming eyes: "I'll chop them until their own mothers don't recognize them. Hold on for another half hour."
Lin Yi nodded, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.
Su Qing's fingertips were still dancing on the terminal, Chu Yao had already begun to recalibrate the simulation scene, Xuan Mingzi's star chart was drawing a brand new star track, and Long Wu's mecha was humming in the repair pod.
He took out his terminal and opened the team group chat.
The last message was from last night, "See you at the Moonlit Gate," and now the group chat is flooded with red dots.
He typed in a new message:
[Four hours in advance, adjust the battle plan. Assemble in the tactics room in twenty minutes.]
The moment the send button was pressed, Long Wu's mech cabin popped open with a "bang," Chu Yao's terminal had already projected the defense line map, Xuan Mingzi's star chart began to rotate, and Su Qing rushed towards the equipment area with the sealed box in her arms.
The alarm at the lunar far side base suddenly sounded, as if in response to some grander rhythm.
Lin Yi gazed at the dark purple sky outside the window, where a pair of eyes were approaching—but this time, there was no fear in their staring gaze.
He turned and walked toward the tactics room, each click of his boots seeming to say:
"It's our turn."
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