Chapter 117: I Am Going to Build a Mecha!

That evening, a heavyweight arrived at the military base: a "Heavenly Master."

"Heavenly Master" is a title bestowed by the Demon Suppression Bureau, reserved exclusively for Tier 4 Exorcists—the equivalent of an international S-rank powerhouse. At this level, while they may not quite be the "humanoid nuclear weapons" of hyperbole, they are undeniably "city-leveling" threats.

They cannot destroy a city with a single massive strike like the superheroes in films—that remains the domain of fantasy. However, once an individual of this caliber infiltrates a city, there is effectively no way to stop them from killing at will or using various methods to raze infrastructure. Killing is trivial, no different than crushing an ant; a flick of a finger suffices. Destroying infrastructure is even easier, particularly in modern cities. Unlike the ancient world, where cities were built of wood and brick, modern urban centers are filled with flammable and explosive zones like chemical plants, gas stations, and transport vehicles carrying hazardous materials.

Normally, the transport and storage of such substances are handled with extreme caution. But for a "super-soldier" of this power, causing destruction is as easy as holding a torch to a match. Reinforced concrete cities may appear sturdy, but when these internal components explode, the result is catastrophic. The gleaming glass curtain walls that define modern skylines become deadly showers of shards under the force of the blast waves.

There are essentially only two ways to stop them. The first is to deploy a warrior of equal rank—a classic case of "only magic can defeat magic." The second method is far more blunt: strike the area where the S-rank warrior is located with high-yield missiles. The yield must be massive—comparable to a nuclear weapon—or, if the yield is lower, it must involve an incredibly dense saturation of firepower.

This is because once the body’s "glow" intensity exceeds 400, human physical defense becomes immense and movement speed becomes blindingly fast. If the blast radius is small, an S-rank warrior can easily escape it; if the yield is low, they can simply duck into a corner to avoid the brunt of the force, or even shrug off the shockwave entirely. Of course, after such a bombardment, the entire city would be effectively ruined, and the lives of those in the city center would be forfeit. Hence, the term "city-leveling." The S-rank fighters who earn this designation are truly terrifying.

This "Heavenly Master," named Feng Hai, was reportedly over fifty, though he did not look a day past his prime. Unlike Liu Zhangfei, the Tier 3 Beast-Speaker who was built like a fortress, Feng Hai possessed a much more balanced physique. One could only wonder what his specific ability might be.

Upon his arrival, there was no welcoming ceremony; he went straight into a briefing to review the latest intelligence. Although the Longevity Hall was not located in the bustling city center, it sat in a quiet, secluded pocket. While the civilian population in the immediate vicinity was not dense, they still needed to plan their assault carefully to avoid collateral damage.

Because the authorities had not yet found a reliable channel to verify the interior layout of the Longevity Hall that afternoon, they decided to wait until the following day to confirm the details. While they were 99% certain they had the right location, that final 1% of uncertainty remained—and if they were wrong, the consequences would be dire.

After the meeting adjourned, Zhou Shu found Li Decai in the combat gear maintenance hangar. While they had been busy outside, the soldiers selected to pilot the power armor had been spending their time familiarizing themselves with the units, ensuring they would be at their best on the battlefield. The armor had been in operation all day and required meticulous maintenance.

Zhou Shu had come to discuss mechs with Li Decai. He understood power-assisted exoskeletons well, but his knowledge of true mechs was limited to works of fiction. A mech is far more complex than just an oversized exoskeleton. While exoskeletons typically rely on battery packs and servo motors, mechs require liquid-fueled batteries, electric motors, internal combustion engines, or even more advanced, experimental power modules.

Zhou Shu didn't know much about this, but Li Decai, a master in the field of mechanics, certainly would. Zhou Shu even suspected that Li Decai might have researched mechs in the past—perhaps even drafted designs for them. As it turned out, Li Decai guessed his intent before he even finished his sentence.

"So, you want to build a mech?"

"Uh, that is the plan." Since he had been called out, Zhou Shu didn't bother to hide it and spoke candidly.

His vision was for a small-scale mech, similar to the AMP suits from the movie *Avatar*, standing about four meters tall, with superior protection rather than just a glass canopy. If a mech could reach that level of performance, it would be invaluable in specific environments. In complex terrain where armored vehicles couldn't maneuver, a bipedal mech could navigate through. Because of its moderate size, its weight wouldn't compromise its agility, yet it could carry heavy armor plating, unlike the "fragile" exoskeleton suits. Its larger frame could also accommodate a pressurized, sealed cabin, allowing it to perform missions in toxic environments, or even in outer space or on other planets.

It was a grand idea, but such machines didn't exist on Earth. One reason was technological limitation; another was the lingering doubt that they were simply impractical. Fortunately, Li Decai didn't share that skepticism. He had actually participated in a similar project years ago, though it had been shelved due to technical limitations and the prevailing climate of the era.

Times had changed. Not only had technology made significant strides, but the global situation had shifted, making it possible to restart the project. It was like the explosion in aerospace technology decades ago, when many believed that humans would be living on Mars by now. Instead, here they were, still stuck on Earth, having even lost the capability to return to the moon. Today, the most rapid development was in computer networking; it was the Information Age, and humanity loved it. Even monster intelligence was gathered from the web.

Li Decai possessed systematic foundational data from that old project. It had once been classified, but that no longer mattered; he could show it to Zhou Shu. However, that would have to wait until after the upcoming battle.

Knowing this, Zhou Shu felt relieved. The authorities didn't consider the mech concept useless; they were simply waiting for the right application in a specialized theater of war. As for the fight itself, he wasn't afraid. He would be performing his role as a sniper from a safe position. That was his specialty.

The two spent the rest of the time maintaining the equipment before heading off to rest. Zhou Shu’s mental fatigue wasn't severe; he had recovered by the afternoon and felt full of energy. Since the authorities wouldn't be gathering intel on the Longevity Hall until tomorrow morning, any combat would likely take place in the afternoon at the earliest. This meant he had time to enter the virtual battlefield tonight.

By increasing his stats tomorrow, his mental energy would be fully restored, perhaps even boosted. The time for battle was approaching, and his "insufficient strength anxiety" drove him to upgrade one more time. After tonight, his mental attribute would certainly break 4. In terms of individual stats, he would be at the "Heavenly Master" level. His other four attributes—physique and agility—would likely break 3, and strength might reach that threshold as well. Endurance was a lost cause, but reaching 2.5 would be a success.

He made his decision. It was time to begin.