On the walk back to the mecha squad, Li Ban used the suit's smart guide to get a rough grasp of the team's situation.
With "Command Tampering" active, he could ask the smart guide anything without triggering suspicion or setting off alarms. It was incredibly convenient.
Better yet, whenever he looked at the other squad members, their names and identities appeared on his screen.
One of the mechas looked no different from the rest—if anything, it was a bit more worn.
Yet he was the captain of this patrol squad.
His mecha's helmet noticeably lingered on the two late-returning members for a moment.
"We're almost back to the city. Whatever your needs are, hold them in."
His voice was cold.
Li Ban suspected the captain had already figured out that Shen 19 was shooting up.
Having trailed them for a while earlier, he had a rough idea of what Shen 19's duties were.
By mimicking Shen 19's movement and work attitude, Li Ban managed to slip by without raising immediate suspicion.
Li Ban had not touched Shen 19's accomplice. He simply used "Command Tampering" to prevent the other man's mecha from triggering any alerts about him, leaving everything else in its original mode.
Li Ban did not know how the Virus element accomplished this, but it was indeed capable of making such precise command changes.
It was truly worthy of being an elite element.
Its range of use might be restricted.
But within its proper domain, it was practically invincible.
With the Virus element handling the mecha's smart system, Li Ban did not worry about the rest.
That was the advantage of a full-body mecha: as long as the machine did not report an error, no one would suspect an anomaly.
This was the drawback of relying too much on a single source of judgment.
A moment later, a squad member ambled over to Li Ban.
The screen in front of Li Ban identified the person as Hu 343, biological sex female, serving as the team's sniper.
In the corner of the screen, there was also a small prompt that read "Expand Details."
"Once we get back, can you lend me some points?" a rather neutral female voice asked.
Lend points?
Borrow money?
No way!
Li Ban stayed silent.
Taking his silence as a rejection, Hu 343 smacked her lips and said somewhat rudely, "Come on, I lent you points before to top up your games."
Li Ban continued to march in silence.
"Ha, your company in the game went bankrupt and got liquidated, didn't it? The Main Brain was right—you really aren't fit to inherit your dad's company."
Leaving behind that stinging remark, Hu 343 ambled over to the next squad member.
Prompted by her reminder, Li Ban checked Shen 19's point balance, only to see a large zero.
Good lord, did he dump it all into the game, or shoot it all into his veins?
Li Ban had not targeted this man for his points—he only wanted to use this disguise to slip into Trash City and approach the core area. Still, he had not expected the guy to be completely broke.
He had even less than the points card Priest Zhong Ye had given him before they parted ways.
The priest had seemingly guessed Li Ban's destination and given him an unregistered 100-point card before he left.
Just as Li Ban finished checking Shen 19's balance, a small rift suddenly appeared above them.
Li Ban then saw the screen before his eyes shift from one-way transparent to a faint red alert state around the edges.
"Abnormal life signs. All units on alert."
Captain Ji 27's voice came from the front.
Before Li Ban could even wonder how he was supposed to be on alert, the screen in front of him acted like a beginner's guide in a game, pointing out his alert position and thoughtfully highlighting the tasks he needed to perform.
A mechanical voice even sounded in his ear.
"Switch to automated operations?"
Li Ban raised an eyebrow and stared at the word "Yes."
The smart system immediately switched to automated operations. The mecha took the initiative to move Li Ban's body to the designated spot, squatted with its gun raised, and aimed at the rift that had suddenly appeared overhead.
So—why even put a person inside the mecha?
He had already roughly guessed that most of the people in this full-body Smart Mecha squad were just like Shen 19: rich heirs with minor assets but no inheritance rights.
They might not have access to core power, but they could spend the rest of their lives living relatively comfortably inside a predetermined box.
Even when going out for combat patrols, smart machines would complete the work that originally required manual labor.
That was why the squad Li Ban had encountered earlier possessed such high combat literacy.
In contrast, the squad Li Ban was with now only possessed a high degree of obedience.
They might even just take a spin outside and consider their patrol mission complete.
If they encountered a situation that truly required combat, they would leave it to the Smart Mecha.
Li Ban did not act as an exception, allowing the mecha to move his body.
The entire group ran to their designated positions at almost the exact same time to prepare for combat.
Watching their stride and frequency, Li Ban was certain that everyone but the captain had switched to automated operations.
Only the captain, although holding his gun, was not fixed in one spot. While guarding against the rift above, he also kept an eye on the squad members around him.
At that moment, a mechanical body that looked somewhat like an octopus tentacle suddenly extended from the rift above.
The tip of the mechanical body quickly swept in a circle around them.
Li Ban saw a camera lens on the tip.
The mechanical body quickly retracted.
The captain did not issue an attack command, and everyone waited in silence.
That small rift clearly could not hold out for much longer. As long as they waited for the rift to close without an enemy coming through, they would not need to fight, saving ammunition and energy.
Unfortunately, the people on the other side did not want to save ammunition for them.
Just before the small rift closed, a long, cylindrical mechanical body zipped through with a swish.
After the mechanical body landed, it instantly unfolded. The tentacles at both ends split into three, transforming into a spider-like form.
In the middle was a sphere half the size of a person, covered in conical metal spikes.
The moment it landed, the captain issued an order: "1 and 3, probing attack."
Li Ban subsequently realized his mecha had actually moved.
Moving alongside him was another squad member diagonally opposite.
Both of them simultaneously fired in bursts at the mechanical body that had come out of the rift.
The Smart Mecha helped them target the mechanical body's joints.
With two clangs, the bullets were deflected.
Li Ban saw the laser emitter on his gun light up, and then a red laser struck the mechanical body.
The spider-like mechanical body was hit but not pierced; however, the rising smoke and blackened, deformed mechanical surface meant Li Ban's attack was not without effect.
While Li Ban and squad member Number 1 attacked, the "giant spider" that had dropped into the Trash Realm did not sit idle.
It seemed to hear that the captain was commanding. Standing on four tentacles, it raised two other tentacles and whipped them toward the captain.
The captain's mecha looked bulky but was actually very agile. The moment the mechanical body moved, it had already judged the opponent's attack speed and position, dodging out of the way.
The "giant spider's" mechanical tentacles were equally agile. Upon realizing the first strike could not hit the captain, it immediately changed direction in midair, and the foremost piece of machinery even detached from the main body, striking the captain's left shoulder like a cannonball.
With a bang, an explosive scorch mark was left on the left shoulder of the captain's mecha; however, it did not affect the mecha's operation.
A preliminary assessment of the enemy's condition had already appeared on the screen in front of Li Ban.
Good agility, average defense, poor offense.
The "giant spider" also emitted biological heat signatures, indicating there was an intelligent being inside the mechanical body.
"Capture it alive." Seeing this, the captain stopped dodging. He raised his hand and changed formation, shifting from a cautious defense to an active offense.
Several squad members—or rather, the Smart Mechas—cooperated seamlessly. They attacked in a crossfire to block its escape. In the end, with no one injured and only three mechas scratched, they dismantled the six main attacking legs of the "giant spider" and captured its main body.
The round mechanical main body was forcefully dismantled. A gray human less than a meter tall, arms crossed over his chest, helplessly walked out of the round mechanical body under the aim of over ten guns.
This gray-skinned human was bald with a relatively large head, looking like an uglier version of a three-heads-tall human.
His crossed arms seemed to be a gesture of surrender.
"Number 4, apply physical restraints and draw a blood sample."
A squad member stepped forward, and a mechanical claw extended from the back of the mecha, preparing to restrain the gray-skinned human first.
But right at that moment, the gray-skinned human suddenly looked up and shouted a strange syllable at Number 4.
To Li Ban, it sounded something like "Baolu."
A bang immediately sounded from inside Number 4's Smart Mecha.
The sound was not loud, but whatever had shattered was clearly not a mechanical object.
This gray-skinned human not only controlled mechanical bodies but also possessed an ability akin to magic.
Li Ban found himself interested in the world on the other side of the small rift.
It was a pity the rift was already closed. Since he had not pinpointed its coordinates just now, it would be almost impossible to find the other party's world.
Seeing what happened to Number 4, the captain shuddered and immediately changed his command. "All units, execute!"
He did not check on Number 4's condition, instead choosing to immediately kill the gray-skinned human who had looked completely unthreatening a moment ago.
He had several children of wealthy businessmen in his squad. If there were casualties, both he and his company would be in trouble.
Upon hearing the kill order, all the squad members, including Number 4, pulled their triggers.
But a ring of silver protection suddenly appeared around the gray-skinned human.
Whether it was bullets or lasers, after hitting the silver protection, they only caused a few ripples before vanishing without a trace.
Still crossing his arms over his chest, he turned to run away from the captain's position, coincidentally facing Li Ban.
"Baolu!"
Li Ban heard the opponent shout the syllable again.
The next second, he felt his head swell as if it were about to explode.
However, the Wizard Embryo Fragment immediately activated, dissolving the force.
A mental attack?
Li Ban immediately took over the Smart Mecha and fired four shots.
The first shot stirred up ripples on the silver protection.
The second shot hit the crest of the ripple.
The third shot hit the trough of the ripple.
The oscillation was disrupted, instantly opening a tiny gap near the first shot.
And Li Ban's fourth shot arrived at almost the exact same time, passing through the small gap and striking the center of the gray-skinned human's massive head.
There was another bang.
The bullet left a small hole in the gray-skinned human's forehead, then spun forward.
The gray-skinned human's skull failed to stop the bullet in the slightest.
By the time the bullet exited the skull, it had already left a fist-sized gap in the back of the gray-skinned human's head.
The gray-skinned human convulsed, and the silver protection around his body immediately vanished.
The rest of the squad's bullets and lasers arrived in succession, turning this dangerous mental attacker into a honeycomb briquette and a roasted sweet potato.
After the battle stopped, Li Ban felt several people turn their helmets to look at him.
The captain also strode over.
He flipped open the epaulet on Li Ban's right shoulder. The life signs underneath were still a healthy green. "You're alright?"
"My head feels a bit swollen, but there are no other problems."
Li Ban's voice was definitely not the same as Shen 19's, but the Smart Mecha had already automatically adjusted his output voice, making them sound almost identical.
"Captain, Lai 987 is dead." Hu 343 had already gone over to check on Number 4's condition. Her voice was calm, holding no grief over losing a teammate.
The captain looked at Li Ban again. "Your luck is pretty good. That person's ability must have failed to execute."
His gaze lingered on Li Ban's gun for two seconds, but he neither asked nor said anything, simply turning back to stow away the gray-skinned human's corpse.
As for that agile "giant spider" mechanical body, he disdainfully swept it aside.
Subsequently, the captain walked over to the deceased Number 4. "Number 4 sacrificed herself working for the team. Her earnings from this mission and one-third of her total estate will be transferred to her designated beneficiary. Do you have any objections?"
No one objected.
Li Ban, meanwhile, wondered: who would get the other two-thirds?
It was unlikely to go to people in the squad; otherwise, this system would catalyze internal sabotage.
Then did it get handed over to the Trash City higher-ups? Or was it given directly to the Main Brain to redistribute?
At this moment, Hu 343 walked over to Li Ban's side and whispered, "Aren't you sad at all?"
Li Ban said nothing.
What did he have to be sad about?
Hu 343 laughed softly, her voice carrying a bit of magnetism. "I knew it. If you really liked Lai 987, how could you let her keep working as cannon fodder in the squad?"
By this time, the squad had resumed their march, and Li Ban still did not respond to Hu 343.
Even the dead Lai 987's mecha was moving at the same frequency—carrying the corpse inside along with it.
The squad walked for another half an hour before they finally saw the massive walls of Trash City.
However, there was still a half-day gap between seeing the walls and actually walking inside them.
Outside Trash City, there was also a well-proportioned outer city district.
There were people patrolling outside the outer city district as well, setting up checkpoints to inspect every squad returning from the outside.
The guards at the checkpoint recognized the captain of Li Ban's squad and raised a hand in greeting.
"Yo, Ji 27, you guys even used the biological pod? Looks like you got quite a harvest this time!"
The captain smiled. "We happened to encounter a small rift with biological reactions on our way back. One person died to exchange for a complete native biological organism."
The checkpoint guard did not care at all. "Ah, a native organism from another world is much more expensive than a Smart Mecha. You've clearly made a huge profit!"