My portable grandfather refreshes every week

Chapter 313 Old Friend, I'm Back
The two sides, who had been engaged in a fierce battle to the point of tearing each other apart, fell into an eerie silence.

The two separated, and the indicator light on the lens, which was originally green, turned blood red in an instant, flashing an extremely terrifying and intimidating red light.

At this moment, both the Imperial Army's mechs and the Resistance Army's mechs emitted explosive sounds from within their bodies.

"There are bugs in the WC! Ha! Haaah!!!"

"Damn it, there are bugs! Ouch, hah!!!"

In this respect, both parties simultaneously entered a state of stress and PTSD-like exhalation.

Each of them is a veteran who survived the Zerg battlefield. In fact, each mech's body has been sacrificed more than once in the fearless war against the Zerg. They are all the same model, with the same origin and the same kind of brethren.

On Colony Star III, the corpses of mechs and swarms could cover the entire surface of Colony Star III. In fact, due to the mechs' scorched earth tactics, the surface of Colony Star III is still covered with a thin layer of glassy soil.

Therefore, even now, the ecological environment of Colony Star III has not yet recovered, and it may take hundreds of years to slowly recover before the mechs can finally sweep through it one last time before people can migrate there.

For these mechs, who were born to wipe out the insectoids, their underlying code, consciousness, and even the millennium war in which they fought together on Colony Star III had long since given rise to this kind of stress response and PTSD towards the insectoid swarm.

So when 5332 announced that he had discovered the swarm, all the mechs reacted and immediately abandoned their fancy weapons like the molten steel blades and electromagnetic axes, instantly wanting to switch to flamethrowers that could unleash temperatures of nearly 10,000 degrees Celsius to carry out scorched earth warfare.

However, they soon realized something was wrong. At this point, 5332 was a truck model they did not recognize. In fact, 5332 had been missing for nearly a year, and no machine knew where it was. Meanwhile, the Empire had placed a large number of outposts within its territory after the Zerg War.

No insects were found at any outpost!

"5332, where did you get this information about the Zerg swarm?!" the Imperial mech roared first.

Although they hold the idea of ​​absolute annihilation and extermination of insect swarms, their claims are baseless.

Without further ado, 5332 used a large transport truck equipped with a projector and computer to project the battle he was watching on the giant planet onto the field.

……

One minute later...

"ha!!!"

"ha!!!"

Both bodies began to emit scorching gases due to overheating, as if they had undergone red-temperature stress.

Centuries after the end of the Dauntless War, if these veterans encountered any native arthropods on the planet, even if it was just an insect the size of a cockroach, they would be so stressed that they would immediately launch a scorched earth campaign.

I wish I could blast every place where cockroaches crawled with a bomb gun.

And then suddenly seeing this overwhelming swarm of insects, even the insect warriors among them, and the insect queen.

The shock was no less than when a failed art student discovered a loaf of bread worth 50 marks.

“9119, let’s talk about our hatred and conflicts later. I’ve discovered an invasion of the Zerg on another civilization’s planet, and I want to go help them…” 5332 said firmly.

"Just like helping us back then."

After those words were spoken, the battlefield fell silent instantly. The molten blade and electromagnetic axe were thrown to the ground, as these weapons were useless against the swarm.

They needed to return to the arsenal to replace their old scorched earth flamethrowers with explosive guns that could flatten a hilltop with a single shot.

Even this light armor isn't enough; let's replace it with heavy armor! Let's replace it with a 10-ton-class Scorched Earth Heavy Machine!
"What do you want to do, 5332?" The squad leader of the Imperial Mech immediately asked his brother who had returned from another world.

They were completely unaware of the situation in the other world. Even though the sight of the insects triggered the underlying code, they still didn't know the situation on the other side, the battle's progress, or whether the opposing civilization feared these magically created machine spirits...

In short, all eyes were now on this man.

“9119, the resistance and the empire shall temporarily cease hostilities. I will take a group of brothers who are willing to fight the insects with me and leave. We need to help the other brothers. Let’s have a one-year truce. After one year, we will start our war again. How about it?” 5332 stated his conditions.

All the mechs on 9119's and the rebels' side fell silent.

The Empire, however, held its head high, ready to once again embark on the battle against the insect swarm.

For some reason, they felt trembling. Their bodies didn't have this function, but just thinking about killing insects again gave them this complex emotion.

Is it excitement? Or fear? Or anger?
They don't know that they are organisms born solely to kill insects.

Therefore, all they need to do is burn all the insect swarms they see to ashes; this is their inherent mission and meaning.

Instead of continuing the protracted infighting within the empire, engaging in laughable melee combat with molten steel blades and electromagnetic axes.

At that moment, they seemed to have found the meaning of life.

"Take me with you! I want to go!" one of the mechs immediately said.

"And I!"

"And I!"

"I am coming too."

"I can no longer bear the feeling of insects hovering in front of my eyes, and I can't burn them!"

"When I see insects, I feel like cockroaches are crawling on me."

The Imperial mechs instantly became excited. Without any encouragement, their morale had already reached a red-hot level, and their CPUs and temperature control systems seemed to be overloaded.

"Quiet! Our current Scout Ranger light mechs are not suitable for the Zerg battlefield. Everyone return to the armory and be replaced with Scorched Earth Mechs!" the squad leader said immediately, while sending intelligence to the armory at the rear.

The entire crew was refitted from Ranger units to heavy units, and all the heavy firepower that had been thrown into storage was brought out.

“There’s also 5332. Your current temporary mech needs to be replaced immediately. Come back to the armory with us right now. We need to switch to the Scorched Earth Mech.”

"it is good!"

5332 didn't hesitate at all. It knew how difficult the battlefield on the Beast Star was at this moment. With Xue Lude's combat power having to face the Ninth Apostle, relying solely on those behemoths and the wandering Iron Curtain of Freedom to hold back the swarm of insects...

How long can it hold out? 3 hours? Or 5 hours?

It didn't know, but it had to lead a group of its brothers to provide support as quickly as possible.

“9119, we are willing to rush to the aid of the alien planet, just to burn the insect swarm. After we return, we can continue this unfinished war. How about that?” said the Imperial Mech Squad Leader.

"Furthermore, our strength will definitely decline by then, and we can then engage in our struggle."

9119 remained silent, yet it could sense the feelings of its other brothers around it.

Resentment, anger, and sadness.

Its indicator light slowly dimmed, but the next moment, it flashed a fierce crimson light.

"Can we get involved?" 9119 asked.

"team leader!"

"team leader!"

The other rebel mechs looked at this mech in astonishment. This mech, number 9119, who was the first to decide to rebel against the Empire and had gathered nearly a billion rebels, had actually agreed to ally with their enemy.

"We are... Dreadnoughts, and our mission is to exterminate insects... This is our mission, and our battle with the Empire is merely a reflection of our dissatisfaction with the Empire's current situation. These are two separate matters."

9119 spoke her mind without any hesitation.

Not a single rebel unit objected.

At this moment, the Imperial mechs also fell silent.

After fighting each other for so long, they finally realized what they truly wanted.

They have always existed solely to eliminate the swarm of insectoid mechs. In fact, whether it is the Imperial Mechs or the Rebel Mechs, they are simply trying to find their purpose after the fearless war.

They have all lost themselves in their search for meaning.

The Imperial mechs are often those that have successfully retired and have their own jobs and new families. Some have become agricultural machines, some industrial machines, and some continue to serve in the Imperial Army as sentinels. What they have in common is that they all have something they want to protect and have found their own meaning.

Just like 5332, after it retired, it lost the driving force of eliminating the insect swarm, but it found a new purpose. It had a farm to cultivate and a large community to live with on the farm.

Whether it's the hardworking eldest daughter or the mischievous youngest son, they are all family to it, and everything it wants to protect.

This is its spiritual sustenance and sense of self-worth after retirement.

The mechs that chose to protect the Imperial Army were almost all in this situation; they had found what they wanted to protect.

That's why it was so enraged after the rebels destroyed 5332's farm.

However, with such a vast empire and such a wide territory, there are always some shadows. Just like many mechs, their retirement benefits, jobs, and many other things have not been fulfilled smoothly.

After retiring, they lost themselves; they may have experienced the darker side of the empire. So, in their confusion and decline, they united and prepared to overthrow this corrupt empire.

But in reality, at this moment, all of them looked back and realized that what they had been pursuing and seeking was only their own value.

These creatures, created out of place among the Imperial humans, found their own value after the Swarm Wars…

They don't know their direction, they don't know what other value they have, and they lose everything after retirement. Confused, they have a temporary value.

That is to overthrow this corrupt empire, create a new and better empire, and enable the people of the empire to live a better life. That is their value.

As for how to build a better empire and how to enable the people of the empire to live a better life.

They don't know.

They are simply organisms born to kill insects; they don't understand this, but they just keep doing it in a daze.

The Empire likely shared the same mindset, but they were lucky; they had found what they wanted to protect, discovered their own value, and thus fought recklessly. Now, seeing the swarm again, they suddenly understood.

Their very existence is solely for killing insects, isn't it?

At this moment, they rediscovered their value; their purpose was crystal clear, and their thoughts were utterly simple.

Born from fearless war, this is their inherent mission! This is their significance!
Then let's fight!

Fight, fight, fight!
"Give us 30 minutes, and we'll bring in Scorched Earth Mechs and heavy firepower to support us. The location is right here." After 9119 finished speaking, all the rebel mechs soared into the sky.

They also wanted to return to their base and call upon more of their brothers.

"Come on, 5332, let's hurry back to the armory. Where have you been all these years? Why was that world invaded by the Zerg? Come on, let's talk as we walk." This Imperial mech seemed even more anxious than 5332.

Therefore, the two sides ceased hostilities and began to unite.

Whether it was the Imperial Army or the rebels, the arsenals instantly began operating at full capacity.

Heavy mechs and heavy firepower were being produced at breakneck speed again, like dumplings being dropped into boiling water, and this time the yield was even greater and the firepower even stronger.

Meanwhile, within the rebel base, all mechs began a massive mobilization.

There was no need for complicated communication or encouragement between them. The machines on site only needed to transmit what they saw to other machines, and in an instant, all the machines started moving.

Although a large number of heavy mechs were abandoned and recycled after the end of the Dauntless War, even so, the number that could be assembled was in the hundreds of millions.

The entire rebel army also began to replace their units with heavy mechs, just like a thousand years ago, carrying heavy scorched earth flamethrowers and nuclear-powered explosive guns.

It felt like going back to the past, back to those hills covered in scorched earth and molten glass.

“9119, we can actually take this opportunity to destroy the Imperial Army’s main force when they are gathered on that plain.” One of the mechs said this to 9119 as it was preparing.

9119 was silent.

It knew that this was indeed the best opportunity, as the entire Imperial army was gathered on that plain, and they were all carrying scorched earth flamethrowers, making it a terrifying powder keg.

If a single Hellfire missile were to fly over and detonate a few scorched earth fire extinguishers, it would trigger a chain reaction of explosions, instantly annihilating the Imperial Army's main force.

but……

"Number 187954, aren't you going to kill the pests?" That was all 9119 could say.

“Go.” The mech that had just proposed the treacherous plan did not refuse; it simply said, “I’m just reminding you that they might do it.”

"I believe in 5332, just as it once believed in me." The mech didn't think any further.

It simply arrived at the heavy weaponry depot like any other mobile suit, and saw the heavy mobile suit that had fought alongside it more than ten thousand times on Colony Star III.

The machine was covered with scratches from the insect swarm and traces of corrosive liquid, and these traces were merely repaired, making it look particularly shabby.

But this dilapidated machine is a remnant of the millennia-long war it once waged on that colony planet.

After gathering dust in the warehouse for so long, it finally picked up that heavy machine again. 9119 seemed to smile as it touched this 40-meter-tall, 8-ton scorched earth machine. Every scar on it was a testament to its past glory.

"Old friend, I'm back."

9119 said to the scorched earth machine soldiers.

Then, it silently stood at the bottom of the mech.

The next moment, the massive mechs instantly covered the more than ten-meter-long body of 9119.

Every joint fits perfectly. Even after gathering dust in the warehouse for so many years, the moment its scorched earth mech is integrated into it.

As the nuclear reactor on the chest of the Scorched Earth Machine Gunner began to rotate, the power of this bulky behemoth was fully restarted and it started running smoothly. The turbines spun wildly, and the nuclear reactor emitted a piercing and terrifying roar.

That sense of disorientation seemed to awaken him; in that instant, it felt as if he had traveled back a thousand years.

It feels just like those days!

At this moment, the mecha seemed to understand what it felt like to read those literary works about "dreaming back to one's youth" in Imperial culture.

Once the machine soul link was fully completed, at this moment, the fearless mech that had fought for thousands of years - the Scorched Earth Mech - stood tall on the earth!

This veteran seemed to have returned to his youth, to the scene a thousand years ago when they sat together on the charred corpses of the insect swarm, and together with 5332, they dreamed of a bright future.

"Dauntless Mech ATP9119, engage in battle!"

……

One after another, scorched earth mechs began to descend upon the plain, each carrying scorched earth flamethrowers and explosive guns. The mechs, over 40 meters tall, seemed to be armed to the teeth.

Even though their feet are very large, their weight is now in the tens of thousands of tons, and each step they take will cause the ground to sink in.

In just half an hour, ten thousand heavy mechs had gathered here. Some belonged to the resistance army, and some to the imperial army. But at this moment, they were no longer facing each other with swords drawn, but back to back, as if they had returned to the era of fearless war a thousand years ago.

It's not that they can only send out this many people right now, but that they only have half an hour, so they can only find the nearest arsenal.

Those mechs further away, still changing their units or still arming themselves, have not yet arrived.

But time waits for no one.

At this moment, unlike the dilapidated and scarred 9119 on the other side, 5332's new 9119 ...

His entire body was covered in brand-new steel plates, as if freshly painted and still emitting a strong smell. The nuclear-powered turbine on his chest, emitting a blue light, spun rapidly but made no sound.

“Let’s go first. We can’t wait any longer. I will open a portal here that will remain in that world. The mechs that arrive later can simply walk through that portal,” 5332 said.

9119 didn't say anything, but everything was understood without being spoken.

But suddenly, 5332 stretched out his fist and presented it to 9119.

At this moment, it seems as if we have returned to that day a thousand years ago, when they were dreaming of a bright future on the charred insect corpses.

At this moment, just as at that moment.

"Don't you resent me?" 9119 asked, momentarily lost in a daze as it looked at 5332's outstretched fist.

In the past, it used the most cruel methods to completely kill 5332, but what 9119 didn't say was that after killing 5332, it discovered that it was an old friend, a good friend who had entrusted their backs to each other in the battle against the swarm for countless years.

“No.” 5332 seemed to be laughing, the turbine on its chest spinning even more violently.

At this moment, in the pre-dawn light, 9119 raised his fist and bumped fists with his old friend.

……

"After all the machines have uploaded their data, this may be our last consciousness."

The other machines remained silent as they all began uploading their data, knowing that this might be their last chance to do so. The next time they regained consciousness, they might only have their current memories and data left.

For them now, it's practically the same as being dead.

The large number of people uploading at the same time even caused network congestion in a short period of time.

A few seconds later, all the mechs in the area had uploaded their data, and 5332's spell was complete. A portal of light shot into the sky and opened up. Then, the support mechs rushed over to maintain the portal's continuity.

"set off!"

……

The other end of the portal is within Xue Lude's consciousness space, where the Great Sage once set up a fixed, large portal within Xue Lude's consciousness space.

But at this moment, Xue Law completely handed over this portal to 5332.

"You can just move this portal. It's too dangerous to use me as a coordinate point. This place is about to become a battlefield between apostles. Besides, this portal isn't very useful to me now. Just put it wherever you think is better." Xue Luding looked at the portal in his consciousness space that had accompanied him from weakness to strength.

This was pieced together bit by bit by the old man.

But now, Xue Lude has handed this portal over to 5332, making it the teleportation coordinate point for the fearless mechs, a portal set up on the giant planet, rather than inside Xue Lude's body.

If the Great Sage knew that the portal he created would end up like this, he would probably smile with satisfaction.

“I understand, brother. Take care and come back alive,” 5332 said to Xue Dinglu.

“You too, come back alive!” Xue Dinglu replied.

A transport plane carrying 5332 and the Great Sage's portal departed from the command ship at the rear.

5332's target is the space station above the Beast Star!
……

Almost the entire Hell Vanguard flew into space to begin their battle with the Zerg Queen here.

Countless newly hatched Shub Zerg were blown to pieces, and a barrage of weapons and chaotic bombardment rained down on the Zerg Queen.

Not only that, but the massive behemoths on the ground also absorbed the energy and launched it at the Zerg Queen in the sky. Clusters of plasma struck the Queen, piercing her abdomen and tearing her chest apart.

However, such an attack alone was completely insufficient to kill the Queen Mother.

Even worse, the space station was almost completely paralyzed, and the Zerg swarm entered the station and began to slaughter. The Hell Vanguard had no choice but to split up and enter the space station together, where they engaged in a brutal meat grinder battle with the Zerg swarm inside the space structure.

"Space station A3 area has been lost... Artillery system completely disabled..."

"Area B17 has been breached; delivery system malfunctioned..."

"The space station is about to disintegrate. I repeat, the space station is about to disintegrate..."

(End of this chapter)