Chapter 167: Mountain-Like

Chapter 167: Like a Mountain

Chen Jian, with a slightly uneasy heart, walked toward the already unfolded exoskeleton, and after stepping onto the foot pedal as Lingxi instructed, he entered.

When he completed his turn, the foot pedal's hydraulic system activated, automatically adjusting the exoskeleton's height to match his stature.

The nearly 2.5‑meter‑tall exoskeleton fit his body perfectly; then he raised his arms, allowing the hydraulic‑and‑motor‑controlled self‑locking system to secure his limbs and torso.

The chest‑and‑abdomen armor folded together, and the helmet attached to the titanium‑alloy spine on his back descended automatically.

Darkness filled Chen Jian's vision, and a sliver of light ignited a moment later.

“Program initiated.”

A gentle female voice whispered in his ear, and the holographic projection system instantly cast the outside scenery into his eyes with ultra‑high definition.

“Mobility system check.”

“Mobility system nominal.”

“Weapon system check.”

“Weapon system nominal.”

“Active defense module test.”

“Active defense nominal.”

“Communications test.”

“Communications nominal.”

After the series of checks, Chen Jian took his first step inside the “Nezha” armor.

In truth, this contraption differed in several ways from the mecha he had once imagined.

In motion there was no heavy sensation of “piloting a behemoth”; on the contrary, he could barely feel the exoskeleton at all.

He was still himself—though his movements were slightly constrained, the feeling was no different from wearing heavy ballistic armor.

Walking, running, leaping, rolling.

Every motion flowed effortlessly, and even when he rolled along the ground he sensed no clash of metal frames against the earth.

Because every point that might touch the ground was sheathed in composite material, giving the “Nezha” exoskeleton a complete flexible covering.

It could almost be called a perfect piece of equipment.

It was not a “war machine” in the traditional sense, yet it was unmistakably the gear most suited to a real battlefield.

Satisfied, Chen Jian paced the armory, while Zeng Yi and Xie Liu beside him attempted to don the exoskeleton.

It was clear, however, that they were not accustomed to the device.

Their movements were not agile—indeed, they were clumsily awkward.

In the time it took to turn, Zeng Yi crashed to the floor with a thud, struggled to rise, then staggered into a nearby wall.

“System reports EEG signal disturbance.”

Lingxi’s voice rang overhead:

“You seem unable to adapt to this exoskeleton; perhaps it relates to the characteristics of your brain‑wave activity.”

“Do you require medical assistance? The brain‑machine interface indicates you may be at risk of a seizure.”

“.No, thank you.”

Zeng Yi, looking a little disheveled, stepped down from the exoskeleton and said:

“I can’t use this thing—it feels like it’s fighting against me.”

Seeing his regret, Chen Jian offered comfort:

“It’s alright; being unable to use it now is normal.”

“You ‘Holy Blood’ ones differ from us in bodily structure, and your neural activity is worlds apart.”

“You couldn’t have used the previous exoskeleton either; this device was designed for ordinary people.”

“If the chance arises, we can fine‑tune these things.”

“Then perhaps you’ll be able to use them.”

“Understood.”

Zeng Yi nodded gratefully and, turning to Chen Jian, said:

“There’s no need to rush; we may not even need these things.”

“Perhaps, without relying on a mech, our agility would be higher and more useful.”

“That’s a fair point.”

Chen Jian gave a slight nod and continued:

“Nevertheless, there are other items you’ll certainly need.”

“Wear the gear we originally had, all of you.”

“Bullet‑proof vests, smart lenses, night‑vision goggles, IFF, air‑call. All of these are already integrated into the Nezha mech, so we don’t need them—take them.”

“Give them to us??”

After Chen Jian finished speaking, Zeng Yi, Xie Liu and the others reacted rather calmly, but Ji Xing stared in disbelief.

“You’re just giving them to us? Aren’t you going to seal these items away?”

“Why seal them? Are they unnecessary?”

Chen Jian, puzzled, asked immediately:

“In this world, is it standard procedure to lock away secondary equipment?”

“.Not exactly.”

Ji Xing sighed, then said:

“But the powers that be here usually prefer to keep relatively powerful assets under their own control.”

“Otherwise, their own positions could be threatened.”

“Perhaps they have their own considerations, but we needn’t adopt theirs.”

“Why?”

Ji Xing, a bit curious, asked:

“Aren’t you worried about betrayal?”

Chen Jian smiled faintly, though Ji Xing could not see the expression behind his helmet.

“It’s all right.”

“At least for now, we need not fear betrayal.”

“Don’t ask Zeng Yi or Xie Liu; ask yourself—if you had a choice, would you follow us or align with the other factions of the wasteland?”

“.Understood.”

Ji Xing tipped his head, then took the smart ocular that Zeng Yi handed him.

When she slipped on the smart ocular, the world shifted in an instant.

It turned out that this was the world they beheld.

Ji Xing was enveloped by an intense sense of novelty; she reached out to seize the luminous strands before her, only to discover they were but insubstantial phantoms.

"Can you adapt?"

Shen Yue stepped forward and said:

"Typically, newcomers to AR feel a slight vertigo, but I sense you are faring well."

"Indeed, we are fine."

Xie Liu had already mastered the smart ocular's interface; she glanced at Chen Jian, who was busy decoding the IFF signals of the group.

The gear they had brought from the past lay twenty years apart from the equipment uncovered in 095, yet the IFF principle remained essentially unchanged; once the frequency band was identified, friendly markers blossomed before Chen Jian's eyes.

"All set."

"All configurations complete; we may depart."

Chen Jian nodded in satisfaction, while Lei Jie, standing nearby, asked:

"We've only surveyed the third and fourth tiers; shall we ignore the others?"

"No rush."

Chen Jian shook his head:

"The fifth tier houses supplies for the base's self‑sufficiency; the first tier contains food and medicine, the second tier holds production materials—these are already known."

"Even if we extract them now, they cannot be put to immediate use."

"The Mechanical Cult has already moved; we must hurry as well."

"Truth be told, we've lingered here long enough; let's set out without delay."

"We aren't going in empty‑handed; this time we must locate the precise position of that Level‑2 beast and devise a clear battle plan." "Lingxi, check the drone launch runway—does it meet take‑off conditions?"

Moments later, Lingxi's voice rang out again.

"No runway beacon detected, no satellite guidance signal, Beidou signal detected but weak—unusable."

"The drone can operate in ground‑controlled mode, yet no ground station has been erected."

"Comprehensive assessment: take‑off conditions not met."

"...I guessed it."

Chen Jian sighed regretfully, then said:

"A drone of this size cannot lift without a runway—but that matters not. We'll advance, confirm the coordinates, then decide whether to bomb with the drone or strike from afar with the railgun or the 152 cannon. We'll settle that later."

"Everyone, gear up and depart at once!"

"Copy that!"

An hour later, Chen Jian's eight‑person squad left the 095 shelter, fully armored, and returned to the peril‑laden surface.

Compared with the moment they first set foot in the unknown ruins, they now radiated a confidence as bright as a rainbow.

For nothing else—their weapons were fully maxed.

Each of the four Nezha mechs bore a flat, lightweight six‑tube 107 mm rocket launcher on its back, occupying two hardpoints.

Two shoulder hardpoints each held a rocket tube, one loaded with a cloud‑burst warhead, the other with a high‑explosive lethal warhead.

The waist featured two optional hardpoints; Chen Jian equipped them with direct‑fire weapons: a .338 mm QJB‑221 universal machine gun—rare even in his homeland—and a 201 universal machine gun.

Yet that was not the apex of firepower, for in his grasp he also bore a so‑called 15 mm micro‑grenade launcher, the infamous blast‑gun.

Its drum held an astonishing sixty rounds; each projectile resembled a standard shotgun slug, yet, according to Lingxi, its maximum range approached fifteen hundred meters.

One might say this somewhat awkward weapon possessed both conspicuous strengths and glaring weaknesses.

It was excessively heavy, its recoil brutal, and a lone soldier's ammunition load was worrisome.

Yet the problem vanished if the bearer was a mech warrior; all its shortcomings became negligible in an instant.

With that gun in hand, Chen Jian felt that no Level‑4 monster could dare approach him.

——

In contrast to his focus on direct fire, Lei Jie and his comrades sported a more varied arsenal.

Lei Jie's waist hardpoints bore a mortar and a semi‑automatic grenade launcher; their ammunition finally replenished in 095, allowing him to recover from the suffocating shortage.

As for the other Sanctified, lacking exoskeletons or mechs, their weapon and ammo capacity was limited, so Chen Jian adhered to the original allocation.

A 191 and a 201 suffice.

Like hedgehogs, the eight‑person squad squeezed into the cramped cat‑cart.

Chen Jian grimaced, then said:

"If we can clear a path this time, let’s try to field the Maengshi again on the next sortie."

"This cat‑cart is far too cramped; we can't haul many unmanned units, the robot dogs won’t fit."

"Nothing we can do; the road is unknown, and if the Maengshi gets stuck, we're finished."

While deftly steering, Lei Jie remarked:

"Do you know what we lack most now? Not an all‑terrain vehicle, but a road‑roller bulldozer."

"Once things settle, I’ll have the high ground forge a bulldozer on the lathe."

"Then we’ll roll straight through; who could stand against us?"

"...you’d be better off cobbling together a 99A."

As Chen Jian’s words faded, the two cat‑carts veered onto the G104 highway, heading north.

Two drones lifted off in unison, their feeds integrated into Chen Jian’s helmet; thanks to the War‑Cranium AI, the once‑fuzzy imagery was rendered into crisp models, boosting informational fidelity by several tiers.

"Destination is 14.3 km away: follow G104 to the Ka‑zi‑men Avenue overpass, then turn right at the airport connector onto the inner‑ring east line."

"Understood."

"Copy."

With tactical oculars, the Sanctified finally grasped the place names and routes embedded in Chen Jian’s orders, a clarity that, unseen, surely amplified the squad’s combat potency.

"The fungal carpet’s active layer is thickening, now about four‑tenths of a meter."

"The nearer we draw to the core, the less the fungal mat is chilled by cold air."

"Temperature seems to be rising as well—what’s happening?"

Zeng Yi continuously relayed data seen through his smart ocular, perhaps a touch overly verbose.

Nevertheless, Chen Jian admired his attitude.

Striving to master a new device and exploit its potential is, after all, a testament to one’s zeal.

Moreover, his reports proved useful.

After a brief contemplation, Chen Jian replied:

"It may be related to the fusion reactor beneath Facility 011; given its scale, the waste heat should be considerable."

"Of course, it could also be a composting effect."

"In any case, stay vigilant."

"If we keep approaching, we'll enter the true danger zone."

"The monster could appear at any moment; be ready!"

"Understood!"

The others answered at once, while He Shuo slowed his pace slightly; after confirming the surroundings were safe, he proceeded along the predetermined route at a measured walk.

From point 095 to the 14‑kilometre stretch of Zijin Mountain, they spent a full half‑hour to cover merely six kilometres.

The fungal carpet grew ever denser, and the frequency of umbrella‑shaped fungal forests increased.

Ordinary vegetation's niche was almost entirely squeezed out; by the time they entered the five‑kilometre radius of Zijin Mountain’s core, Chen Jian and his companions could scarcely see any regular trees.

"The environment here feels strange."

"The fungal carpet is too thick; the path is almost invisible."

"Yet the terrain has become considerably flatter."

"With such a wide view, theoretically we should have spotted that monster long ago."

"But there’s clearly nothing around here."

When Chen Jian’s words fell silent, Ji Xing also furrowed his brow.

"The Mechanical Cult’s intelligence shouldn’t be that erroneous on a matter this critical— the monster should be near Zijin Mountain or Zhongshan."

"But you’re right; we’re already that close, why haven’t we found it?"

"Could its lair be underground?"

The moment he uttered that, Chen Jian’s heart leapt.

Damn.

If it truly lies underground, aren’t we finished??

Given the magnitude of Facility 011, it could easily accommodate a monster.

If the creature has nested within the interior of 011, how much of it could possibly remain intact??

Chen Jian exhaled deeply, about to order the drone to lower its altitude for a daring close‑range reconnaissance, when he suddenly sensed an oddity.

The ground trembled faintly.

"Stop!"

Chen Jian snapped to awareness.

Then he shouted:

"Retreat back!"

"Dammit, we’re already too close!"

"That hillock two kilometres away is the monster!"

"It’s as big as a mountain!"

(End of chapter)