Ultraman grunts? Call me Space Policeman outside!

"Shaolin Ranger, which once guarded the coastline of China alongside Storm Crimson, was a mech skilled in underwater close combat. It was destroyed during a mission in 2024. After Dr. Albert arrived here, he began the work of repairing the mech."

"However, for some reason, the neural connection system of this mech keeps malfunctioning and cannot participate in subsequent operations."

Marshal Stark looked at the enormous mech that resembled a martial monk not far away and introduced it.

"Looks good." Xia Shu also looked up at the mecha and nodded in satisfaction.

There are also some mechanical creations from other civilizations within the Land of Light, but they are mostly concentrated in the Space Science and Technology Bureau. Those things are quite novel, but unfortunately, after playing with a few, Hikari wouldn't let me into the lab anymore. After that, I had to sneak in, which was really unbecoming.

Unlike here, where if you want to pilot a mecha, they just arrange it for you.

With such a sensible personality, it's hard for Natsuki not to develop a fondness for Earth.

"When will I be able to sit on it?" Xia Shu asked with a hint of anticipation.

"It's 7:20 in the morning now. The installation of the single-person neural driving system should be completed by the afternoon," Marshal Stark said after a couple of seconds of thought.

Replacing the driving system is not difficult and can be completed quickly, since the components are readily available.

“During this time, you can first learn about how to pilot a Hunter mech. Piloting a mech is a very complex process, and our pilots usually undergo several years of training at the academy,” Marshal Stark said.

He wasn't exaggerating at all; piloting a mech is an extremely serious matter in this world.

Before the United Nations withdrew its funding, training academies for mech pilots were even more popular than prestigious universities, and their entry requirements were also higher.

Piloting a mech is not as simple as standing in the cockpit and swinging your fists and feet. It also requires the pilot to have a basic understanding of the various systems inside the mech and to be able to use the mech's various functions in any situation.

"Okay, do you have a driver's manual or something? I'll take a look in a bit." Xia Shu frowned when she heard that she needed to learn how to drive, but considering that she did need it to get the hang of driving the mecha, she accepted it.

"Yes, I'll have someone send it to you later," Marshal Stark nodded.

"Once you've learned a little about how to pilot the mech, you can participate in the mech activation test this afternoon, which will coincide with the activation test of the Dangerous Gipsy."

The selection of drivers for the dangerous vagrants took place in the morning, and the testing began on the same afternoon.

Speaking of this, Natsuki also remembered.

"Speaking of which, Raleigh's partner has been decided by now, right?"

"Is it that girl?" Xia Shu asked.

Based on his observation, it was almost a certainty that Raleigh and Mako Mori would become partners.

Marshal Stark nodded silently after hearing this.

However, there was still a hint of hesitation in his expression.

"What's there to be conflicted about?"

“Raleigh is an old hand. Even if that girl has never piloted a mech before, he can still take her under his wing.”

Natsuki could tell that Raleigh had not lost his warrior's qualities; in fact, he had maintained them very well.

“It’s not that simple.” Marshal Stark frowned, looking at the massive mech in the distance, and said in a deep voice, “She still harbors intense hatred, which will affect her emotions.”

“When two drivers are synesthetically connected, any emotion will be amplified to the maximum extent. Once she becomes immersed in painful memories of the past, the other driver will also be trapped in them.”

"That's why I'm worried... she's not ready yet."

He was worried about Mako Mori, and not just because she was his daughter.

Whether from the perspective of a father or a marshal, he believed that piloting a mecha was a bit too early for Mako Mori.

She hasn't completely let go of the past.

"Tell me more?" Xia Shu asked, looking at him. "Explain your physical condition as well?"

At this moment, another stream of bright red blood flowed from Marshal Stark's nostrils.

He belatedly reached up and touched his nose, then skillfully took out a handkerchief from his suit pocket, wiped the bloodstains clean, and casually put a capsule into his mouth.

He looked at Xia Shu for a few seconds, and after a brief hesitation, he slowly said, "That happened nine years ago."

He confided his worries to Natsuki.

"At that time, I was not a marshal, but just a driver."

"A monster codenamed 'Demon Witch' has landed in Tokyo, Japan, claiming countless lives, including Mako Mori's parents..."

In 2016, the Tier 2 monster, the Demon Witch, emerged from a gap in the Pacific Ocean and landed in Japan. At the time, Stark Pentecost, as the Jaeger pilot, and his partner Tamshin Sewell were piloting the first-generation Jaeger, the Tango Wolf, on a mission.

That year, the mechs did not receive any further upgrades and had many shortcomings in performance, so they were unable to stop the monsters in time.

Even in the heat of battle, pilot Tamshin Seville was killed by the monster, leaving only Steker Pentecost alone.

The monster's enormous figure roamed the city, killing not only Mori Mako's parents but also targeting the young Mori Mako.

It was Steker Pentecost who, under immense pressure, piloted the Jaeger alone, killed the monster, rescued Mako Mori, and adopted the poor girl as his daughter.

"The death of her parents...and the despair of facing monsters when she was young, she used these emotions as motivation to move forward."

"She thought she had let go, but after looking into her eyes, I knew she hadn't."

"She still needs to grow."

After talking about Mako Mori, he then began to talk about himself.

"As for me... I have nothing to say."

"The first generation of mechs all used nuclear power, and due to the emergency situation at the time, there was no design for radiation protection for the pilots."

"After I fought that monster alone in my mech, my body was destined to decline."

Due to the radiation from the mech, Marshal Stark contracted incurable cancer, and his life was nearing its end.

After saying all this, he suddenly felt a sense of relief.

As the backbone of the entire base, he must always project a strong and decisive image to reassure everyone and make them believe that they are a unified whole, a group led by someone.

Now that he is facing beings whose life level is far higher than his own, he no longer needs to consider these things. He can temporarily take off his mask of power and express his worries as an ordinary person.

This was a form of relaxation for him.

"What I'm worried about now is whether there will be any unexpected problems during the launch test."

“Both Mako and Raleigh have a past they can’t bear to look back on,” Marshal Stark said, his brow furrowed with worry.

Designating these two as drivers was a last resort.

I don't have any time left.

Or rather... humanity doesn't have much time left; it must make a choice.

"Will not."

After he finished speaking, Xia Shu looked at him and said.

"Nothing unexpected will happen."

"Because I am right here."

A slight smile played on Xia Shu's lips.

Because he is right here.

These few simple words brought a profound sense of reassurance.

Marshal Strucker looked at him, and for a moment, he seemed to see again that giant with a smile on his lips, whose mere presence could inspire hope in people's hearts.

Chapter 29 Anomaly

Don't you think Connie's acting a little strange today?

Inside the laboratory, Newton sat at the lab bench, staring at the monster's body tissues piled up on it, but his mind was elsewhere. He turned to Herman, who was writing and drawing on the blackboard, and asked him a question.

Connie's behavior today was really unusual.

"So what happened?" Hermann didn't turn around, just replied casually. He was still correcting his formula, trying to find out the reason for the double attack yesterday.

"People always experience emotional fluctuations at times."

He didn't seem to care much about Connie Albert's unusual behavior; what he cared more about was the numbers on the blackboard in front of him.

"That's why I always say that numbers are more stable than people."

Newton rolled his eyes when he heard him say that.

This guy's emotional intelligence is terrifyingly low...

"I shouldn't have talked to you," he said helplessly.

As he spoke, his gaze swept across the laboratory, searching for the next person to speak to.

Another sigh.

This is the only living person in the house who can talk to me.

What a terrible thing...

Finally, his gaze fell on a jar containing a monster's secondary brain, the green liquid reflecting his slightly dirty face.

I can't exactly talk to monsters, can I?

That's what he was thinking.

How crazy would someone have to be to think about talking to a monster?

Okay...actually...

It's all thanks to Hermann. If it weren't for him, how could I have had this idea?

"Good heavens, I must be crazy." Newton stared at the monster's secondary brain inside the jar and chuckled self-deprecatingly. "I actually need to talk to monsters to relieve my boredom."

Hermann raised an eyebrow upon hearing his voice.

She stopped writing with the chalk, turned around, pointed at him with the chalk, and said, "Then you must be crazy."

"Talking to monsters? That's simply impossible."

"All you're presented with is a pile of rotten flesh. Are you going to talk to the monster's cells?"

Verbal attacks between the two have become a daily occurrence.

Being crammed into a single laboratory created even more friction between their already incompatible personalities.

“Just because you can’t imagine something doesn’t mean it’s impossible,” Newton retorted.