Exploding God

Ten minutes ago.

In the lounge on the second floor of the reconnaissance tower, several young faces gathered together. In the corner of the room was a transparent maintenance room, where six armored mechs were suspended in mid-air, their mechanical arms constantly welding and repairing.

"Captain, that's a whopping 5000 points! And all we got was a piece of junk equipment! That's a whole five thousand points! If we hadn't killed that Ghost-Eyed Moth, we wouldn't have gotten that many even after grinding for half a year. Are we giving up on trying to become an S-rank team?"

"How is my shield trash? Without your strong brother's shield, how could your little body withstand the heavy spikes of that 5-star Ironhide Porcupine? It would blow your balls to bits!"

In the corner, Suo Qiang, who was 190cm tall, looked up with dissatisfaction and said bluntly.

"That stupid pig's heavy spikes can hit me? That's laughable." Han Zhen laughed wildly with his hands on his hips. He was the most flamboyant fighter in the Hibiscus Squad.

"Anyway, the shield is already in my hands," Suo Qiang said cheerfully, his face full of smugness.

"Damn it!" Han Zhen was so angry that his hair almost stood on end. The 5000 points he and Qi Yuan had gotten by clinging to Qi Yuan's leg were exchanged for an alloy arm shield with a diameter of less than one meter.

"I'm sorry, Han Zhen, but I hope you can understand this arrangement. Even with those 5,000 points, our total is only 7260, while the promotion standard for an S-rank team is... a full 500,000." The tall and handsome captain, elemental manipulator Ye Tianming, walked over and helplessly spread his hands. "Even if we abandon our studies from now on and fight non-stop, considering the maintenance costs of the Combat Association, we still won't reach S-rank in 5 years."

"I... I shouldn't have replaced that crappy shield anyway. I should have given Qi Yuan a precision stabilizer or a better jetpack. That would save points and be more useful!" Han Zhen argued. "If all else fails, give me a new engine cooler. That way, I can sprint longer, and I won't be caught off guard by an overheated engine in an emergency!"

"Without the Berserker Mechs to withstand the firepower, our combat radius cannot be extended, which means our loot acquisition speed will be greatly reduced. And if we rashly venture into the wilderness to fight, and are surrounded by alien beasts, without the heavy firepower of the Berserker Mechs to provide fire support, the consequences would be unimaginable."

"..." Han Zhen remained silent, wanting to argue but finding that what was said seemed to make sense, so he huffed and didn't speak.

"The captain is right. That power shield isn't just a shield for the Berserker Mech, it's a shield for our entire team. Locking up the Berserker Mech's defense coefficient increases by 24%. Next time, we can try entering the dense forest for combat. I vote in favor of this allocation." Qi Yuan, who was carrying a toolbox, happened to hear this and said directly to Han Zhen.

"Alright." Han Zhen thought for a moment and finally said helplessly, since they were a team after all.

The complaints and arguments just now weren't really about being dissatisfied with Lock Strong, but rather because I felt the pinch of spending 5000 points at once.

"However, what Han Zhen just said is not without reason." Ye Tianming sighed. "In the past few days of fighting, our equipment has been severely worn out, and the consumption of ammunition has been huge. Everyone's equipment also needs to be resupplied, which is another large expense."

At this point, even the once-debonair captain of the Hibiscus Squad had a wry smile on his face.

"The Lock-on Berserker Mech's rockets are estimated to be able to support two more small-to-medium-scale battles."

"Qi Yuan's sharpshooting mech has 17 high-explosive rounds, 3 armor-piercing rounds, and 1 plasma round remaining..."

"Purchasing these supplies would require approximately 50 yuan. If we were to redeem them using points and aim for a full replenishment... we'd probably have to be downgraded to Level B..."

At this point, Ye Tianming scratched his head in frustration, "The Combat Association's twice-monthly free supply quota has been used up, and the school's one supply will have to wait until next month."

"So, Tianming, you mean we can only pull off two more heists at most?" Han Zhen chimed in, browsing the fog map shared by the Combat Association.

"That's right. So we need to be careful when accepting the next two team assignments. Then the rest of the month is your free time."

"OK! Captain."

"receive."

"clear."

The team members responded very calmly.

This has clearly happened more than once or twice.

This also reflects how difficult it is for a team without financial backing to reach the A-level ranking.

"Very good, then our next operation will be in 7 days. Free time!" Ye Tianming called out crisply, dismissing the group, the bitterness on his face instantly disappearing.

"Yay~~"

The members of the Hibiscus Squad cheered in unison. If anyone else were here, they would probably be dumbfounded. It turns out that their previous frowns were all an act.

"Seven days. Should I go back to Shanglan? I miss those pretty junior girls." Zhong Yu is a ranger pilot in the Hibiscus Squad, often playing the role of logistics captain. He is usually taciturn but unexpectedly a closet flirt.

"Let's go together, but I'm jumping off the train halfway. I heard there's something good in the fog over in the Taihu war zone," Suo Qiang chuckled, rubbing his hands together excitedly. "I'm going to be an outside helper and earn some extra cash. Want to come?"

After saying that, the guy winked at Han Zhen, who, in a fit of rage, slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "You idiot!"

"What, you're not going? I'll go by myself."

"...How much can we earn?" Han Zhen coughed and asked in a deep voice.

"Take me with you, it'll make it easier to pack up and rent out." Qi Yuan raised his hand helplessly.

He's not a repressed guy like Zhong Yu. Do I even need to consider the junior schoolgirl and the behemoth in the Taihu war zone?

A real man should face challenges head-on!

"Nice~ Qiang is leading the team, let's go!"

Just as the three of them were about to leave the lounge, Qi Yuan's bracelet emitted a soft buzzing sound.

Ok?

He looked down at his bracelet, and a message caught his eye.

[Wanderer: Are you there?]

Qi Yuan was momentarily dazed, then his heart began to pound uncontrollably. He excitedly activated the holographic projection and rapidly tapped the air with his right hand.

[Force Gunner: Here!]

[Wanderer: Do you have time? Second World, I'd like to talk to you about something, something about improving the capabilities of construct mechs. Are you interested?]

Qi Yuan stared at the message in disbelief: Improve the strength of the construct mech? The master has made an appointment with him, asking if he even needs to consider whether he has time!

[Force Gunner: We absolutely must have it, now?]

[The Wanderer: Now.]

"I'm not going!" Qi Yuan looked up at his two best buddies.

"What!?"

……

Thirty seconds later, when Han Zhen learned that the message was from Lu Ze, his body trembled slightly. He then looked up at Suo Qiang and calmly said, "I'm not going either. I want to study."

A good leek must have a sincere heart that is willing to dedicate itself at any time.

In this respect, Han Zhen is extremely outstanding.

"Please take me with you," Han Zhen pleaded with Qi Yuan again.

Suo Qiang: "..."

Qi Yuan: "..."

So, Qi Yuan, our star senior from Shanglan University and a three-time sharpshooter, nervously inquired with [The Wanderer] before leading Han Zhen into the holographic simulation room on the second floor of the reconnaissance tower.

……

"VR glasses or haptic suit?" Tian He, who was in charge of duty management in the holographic simulation room today, asked listlessly.

"It's definitely a tactile set."

"The Combat Association provides the relatively mature S5 Touch Set, with each set costing over 50. The hourly usage fee is 0.5 points of personal honor, and any damage will result in a deduction of team points according to the exchange ratio." Tian He's every move was filled with a sense of despondency, and she didn't even look up when she spoke.

"Hurry up, GKD!" Han Zhen waved his hand excitedly. He still had more than 200 honor points, which he could afford to use. As for the administrator lying dead here, he didn't care.

"Room 11."

"Room 12."

Tian He yawned and casually tossed out two cards.

VR and alien creatures are all scams.

Ever since seeing that guy who jumped from the 400-meter tower without a parachute and smiled, he felt that reality was even more ridiculous than VR.

***

P.S.: Please cheer for conscience, wave your little paws, and cast your votes...