Chapter 30: Chapter 28 He really does, I'm crying to death! _1
Translator: 549690339
"Weren't you off to deal with the abyssal creatures? Why did you bring it back like this?"
"Bai Ying already handled it. It's completely paralyzed and has lost the ability to move. It can't threaten anyone anymore."
"Why didn't you just kill it?"
"Bai Ying followed Master's orders, and the ownership has been transferred to you now."
"But as I'm still Master's Mecha, you can't absorb the abyssal essence when I kill the abyssal creatures."
"So, if you take action to suppress it, you can maximize the profits."
"...pretty considerate."
"...err, could you guys put me down before you start chatting?"
"Sorry, sorry, Bai Ying, let go!"
"Splat."
...
Bai Ying stood by the roadside, continuously apologizing to the grateful survivor.
Although the man didn't know she was actually a 7th Rank Mecha, he understood that this little girl was a mecha pilot, and she had saved his life.
Hence, he wasn't angry but was instead thanking Bai Ying and took the opportunity to ask what the abyss was really like...
After all, many people knew that those who've experienced abyssal creature attacks had a high chance of awakening an Abyss Rune.
Jiang Chen then drew his lightsaber and, with a swift motion, decapitated the Orc, turning it into abyssal essence that dissolved into the air.
At the same time, a strand of abyss atmosphere flowed into his palm.
[You have slain an Evil Energy Orc and obtained a Module: Evil Energy Crystal.]
[Your Abyss Rune has been fully charged. Would you like to initiate Descension now?]
"No."
Jiang Chen decisively chose to refuse.
Descension was the trial for a mecha pilot's rank advancement, allowing one access to deeper layers of the abyss, unlocking Mecha evolution restrictions, and providing new Nascent Form Mecha.
It was an essential path for the growth of every mecha pilot.
And since it was a trial, naturally, it involved scoring.
Jiang Chen hadn't acquired his 0th Rank traits yet, and his attributes weren't awfully high, so initiating Descension immediately might not yield the highest benefits.
He planned to take some time to gather himself before entering the rank advancement trial in a few days.
His gaze shifted upwards, focusing on the line of text above.
A 0th Rank, non-leader creature actually dropped a quality auxiliary module?
Weren't the burst rates a little too high?
Did abyssal creatures that entered the real world come with a burst rate bonus?
No wonder Bai Ying insisted that he be the one to handle the creature, saying it would maximize the benefits...
However, Jiang Chen felt a bit helpless.
Burst rates and such were fine.
He could solo high-difficulty abyss scenarios, and the drop rates from abyss leaders were much higher than any real-world creatures, so he hardly cared for these minor creatures.
Could the creatures from the real world even drop a Supercharge Module?
The key point was that Bai Ying's behavior seemed a bit naïvely serious.
Or to put it another way, her earnestness and sense of duty made her lack the flexibility typically found in humans.
"Bai Ying, are all of Senior Ruan's other Mechas like you?"
Bai Ying was busy explaining the trial rules to the grateful survivor.
When she heard Jiang Chen's question, she froze for a moment before realizing what he meant and spoke.
"They're different, sir."
"Bai Ying is rather clumsy, Sister Bai Lu is much smarter, and Bai Ning is more lively..."
"If you're dissatisfied, Bai Ying can tell Master to have Sister Bai Lu protect you instead..."
"It's fine, no need!"
Jiang Chen waved his hand dismissively.
Although Bai Ying was somewhat naïve, she was still very responsible.
He was just confirming something.
"Do Senior Ruan's intelligent Mechas each have their own personalities?
"Is it because of the settings, or inclinations, or perhaps... the mecha soul?"
Jiang Chen remembered the point Senior Ruan had emphasized many times.
Mechas possessed souls.
If Bai Ying's personality was based on the evolution of a mecha soul,
what kind of mecha soul would his first model Zero Mecha possess?
Moreover, because of his talent, he was constantly undergoing expanded armor, even deliberately absorbing attacks to accelerate the damage to the Mecha.
Having only awakened for a little more than a day, the model Zero Mecha had exploded three times already.
Using Senior Ruan's words, the mecha soul had just been born and had already died a violent death three times, and it was still unconscious...
If the mecha soul experienced too many deaths, it might give up completely.
This could potentially make Mecha Enhancement with materials more challenging and decrease its potential.
"No, I must find a solution!"
...
Bai Ying explained the basics of the survival trial to the older survivor.
The alliance's rescue team also received the notification, and a squad quickly arrived to provide follow-up support.
However, after waiting a full two hours, the survivor did not awaken his Abyss Rune.
Feeling both relieved and disappointed, the older survivor recorded his identity information with the rescue team and then left the place.
Jiang Chen didn't stay any longer either, and returned directly to his rented space.
The room he rented was a typical single apartment, with no clear boundaries between the bedroom and the living room, and not much space.
He looked around and simply straightened up his bed, summoning the model Zero Mecha onto it.
At that moment, the purple and white Mecha was thoroughly shattered, merely cobbled together to retain the shape of a mecha.
It needed to be repaired to be fully restored, to regain its strength once more.
Jiang Chen still had a tool for automatically repairing mechas, but he didn't plan to use it for now, intending instead to repair the mecha himself.
"Practice makes perfect, watching the repair tutorial ten times is not as good as doing it once with your own hands..."
Jiang Chen reviewed the essence posts of mecha repair tutorials several times on the alliance forum.
Finally, he took out the repair tools and began his first attempt.
Bai Ying stood by, quietly observing.
As a 7th Rank mecha, she had entered numerous abyss carbon copies and had experienced complete destruction before.
She had also watched her master repair other mechas many times and was thoroughly familiar with the repair process.
It can be said that though she was a mecha and had never truly repaired her own kind,
she was nonetheless a master-level theoretical expert.
From her perspective, even though Jiang Chen's movements were awkward at first, his strong control over his body allowed him to become adept quickly, and his progress was very rapid.
It seemed he had the potential to become a top-tier repair engineer.
The problem was...
When Master Jiang Chen was repairing the mecha, not only his hands, but why was his mouth also so active?
He was a continuous stream of talk as he worked on the mecha.
"Zero, hang in there, this might hurt a bit..."
"Ah, it's all my fault, thinking you could face anything alone after I installed the Supercharge Module and used super-premium high-grade materials to enhance you..."
"I didn't expect the enemy to be so formidable..."
"Sorry, Zero."
"As your mecha pilot, I will find better materials to strengthen you and make you more powerful."
"That way, one day, you might catch up to my pace."
"How I wish that when vanquishing the enemy, I'm not alone but have you by my side."
"I also hope to become a mecha pilot with a powerful mecha like others..."
"Let's work hard together, Zero..."
"..."
Bai Ying, standing to one side, felt moved to her very mecha soul, which trembled slightly.
So this was what Master Jiang Chen thought?
Yes, the Master was a mecha pilot genius who surpassed his master, and he also had a talent for physical enhancement.
His own strength and potential actually far exceeded that of the mecha.
Under such circumstances, wearing a mecha didn't provide him much help.
It was more like putting on restraints and could even prevent him from deploying his full defensive capabilities.
But still, he wanted to fight alongside the mecha!
That's why he unreservedly spent all his contribution points on Mecha Enhancement.
As for the mecha's damage...
The mecha pilot had already given his all to enhance the mecha.
At such a time, should the mecha blame its pilot for not valuing it enough during combat, not protecting it well and causing it damage?
Wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse?
Remember, the primary duty of a mecha is to protect the mecha pilot during combat!
A mecha that couldn't even do that had no grounds to harbor resentment against its pilot.
Moved in her heart, Bai Ying couldn't help but speak up.
"Master... You shouldn't blame yourself either; mechas exist to protect their pilots."
"Moreover, you don't have a special trait, nor can you communicate with the mecha soul..."
"I believe that true bonds can transcend traits!"
Jiang Chen gently stroked the model Zero Mecha and spoke earnestly.
Thinking that he would also need to use a trait to communicate with the mecha soul in the future, he added another sentence.
"Moreover, even if I can't feel Zero's presence now... This sentiment will surely reach its soul!"
"Master..."
Bai Ying only wished she had the function to shed tears.
He was truly gentle!
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone