Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Move It
Editor: Noodletown Translations
Finally, under Black’s guidance, Mu Fan found a clip-on switch and opened the two layers of pressure spiral gates on the back to enter the cockpit.
It looked exactly the same as last time, but last time he hadn’t clearly seen it before Black tinkered it into body coordination mode.
Of course, Black followed Mu Fan into the cockpit and was instructing while floating around: “This time, the mecha you’re training with is still this EH01 model.”
Mu Fan mumbled softly, which Black keenly caught.
“Why? Because it’s broken enough, low-level enough, can you handle a high-level one?” Black flew in a figure-eight pattern in the air.
“The moves you did with the EH01 last time don’t even exist in reality, or if they do, they aren’t easily seen. Without flowing metal muscle components, completing humanoid movements is more than ten times harder than you imagine! So, don’t even think about it before the sixth-gen mechas.” Lord Black felt his tone was extremely stylish and noticed Mu Fan’s serious learning attitude, with a smiling expression flickering on the spherical body when turning behind Mu Fan.
“What are we teaching today? Today, I’ll teach you real mecha operation.”
Mu Fan sat in the driver’s seat, surrounded by thirteen red and blue interlaced mechanical rods on both sides and a semicircular array of 178 control keys on the keyboard in front.
“The purpose of mecha creation is based on the idea of enlarging the human body into a robot. Improvements are added on this foundation. This mecha is a product of the human Earth era, and achieving a relative number of human actions with 178 keys is already streamlined to the extreme.”
Mu Fan had a bitter expression; even the first generation was so streamlined, what about the first and second generations…
“Once you’re familiar with this basic setup, you’ll start to approach the next-gen 196-key control. I’ll provide you with systematic training. Rest assured, you won’t get to use this mecha again, it’s specially brought out for you.” Black explained following his own thought process and did not notice Mu Fan’s mindset.
“Don’t raise ideas that mechanical keys are outdated; that’s just ignorance! Just the parts on these low-generation mechas number in the thousands, let alone high-generation mechas. A hundred times the weight of a machine to mimic human actions, that’s the initial intent. But don’t forget, in real combat, you’re required to perform non-human actions! Can you simulate that? Can you contort joints? A true mecha master uses the existing mecha body to perform unimaginable actions!” Seeing Mu Fan’s pouting at the mechanical key controls, the white sphere turned red in an instant—Black was angered.
Corresponding to strength is skill: when controlling most mechas, the personal strength requirement is zero. What’s needed is body endurance and mental acuity. Listening to Black’s philosophy, Mu Fan felt these words had depth.
How could he know that on the fringe planets of the Federation, in such a barren land, a robot was instilling in him a more vast and ancient mecha philosophy inherited from another parallel plane?
Under Black’s teaching, Mu Fan pressed the start button, the screen in front lit up, and Mu Fan’s palms sweated a bit, operating this incredibly lifelike mecha for the first time.
The left hand pushed the hydraulic control rod, “buzz”—Mu Fan felt the cockpit move with him. Right hand, where’s the right hand? Quickly adjust the horizontal force.
The left hand swiftly tapped on the console’s A3, A7, B4, E5…
This was for fine-tuning the mecha leg movements. If the toes pointed downward, the mecha would undoubtedly fall with a step.
E5, what comes after E5?
Mu Fan’s hands became flustered, and what started smoothly soon got stuck.
The white-skeleton EH01 at the base abruptly lifted its left foot, then took a step forward, but mid-air, the mecha’s ankle twisted right, and it landed like a person with a fractured foot.
“Bang!”
The white-skeletoned EH01 fell backward to the ground, the surrounding lights cast it like an exhibition specimen.
Mu Fan’s face turned a bit red; despite Black’s lengthy explanation, he was confident he could master the first step.
“Mu Fan, that pose was so embarrassing! I took a picture for you, see?” As Mu Fan looked over at the horizontally laid mecha, Black flew over, projecting an image from its eyes.
The EH01 lying spread-eagle in the base looked as awkward as possible.
So embarrassing! Mu Fan felt incredibly embarrassed, just being too boastful a moment ago.
He had no idea that most of the mechas in the Battle Net had half the control keys reduced, whereas Black had restored the mechas with 100% real data. The shell was identical, but the insides were a world of difference.
“I’ll try again,” Mu Fan faced Black with humility for the first time.
“Hahaha, alright, Lord Black is so kind; let me explain one more time, come on, I’ll teach you how to get up. Push the right hand’s red number 2 control stick 0.7 degrees, press sequentially the console’s A8, C6, H1 keys, while simultaneously pushing the left hand’s blue number 1 and red number 3 control sticks, with a 2-second interval, switch the right hand’s control stick, keep your hand steady, yes, like that…”
Mu Fan didn’t take the first step but successfully controlled the mecha to stand up from lying down under Black’s guidance.
He finally succeeded. Mu Fan was tearfully elated.
The white-skeletoned EH01 wobbled to stand up in the abandoned base and took its first step!
In the cockpit, Mu Fan was fully focused, with his hands alternating back and forth over the console and mechanical rods.
“Don’t look down! Remember every key you press!”
Just as Mu Fan glanced down to confirm the console’s keys, Black caught him, giving another scolding, breaking Mu Fan’s focus, causing his hand to shake.
“Bang!” The EH01 fell to the ground again.
“Mu Fan, you idiot!”
“Fell again…”
“Oh my God! Egg Lord! Could you not embarrass Lord Black!”
Black merrily issued one scolding after another, thoroughly enjoying the day. Lord Black was mighty! The two eyes on the metal sphere were fully narrowed in extreme happiness.
After two hours, when Mu Fan began to doubt himself, the mecha finally wobbled and completed the ten steps set as the standard by Black.
Mentally exhausted, Mu Fan leaned against the driver’s seat, finding this more tiring than fighting fierce beasts outside. Merely maintaining balance while the mecha walks filled his mind with all these dense control keys, not to mention fighting with this mecha in the future.
Wasn’t there a simpler operational method?! Mu Fan complained; this was different from what he had understood before.
“No!” Black lied without changing its expression. It wouldn’t tell Mu Fan there would be a Brain Coordination Device in the future—that kind of thing simply wasn’t suitable in harsh conditions. Hmm, best to train with its method.
Poor Mu Fan was still feeling deeply guilty about his “terrible” results, looking apologetically at Black: “Black, am I disappointing you too much?”
After flying a circle, Black firmly said, “Yes! Knowing you’re weak should motivate you to strive harder! Work hard, young man!”
Mu Fan nodded resolutely with a steely expression.
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