Chapter 1145: Chapter 144: Giant Beast (25)
"Emergency training..."
Stack’s eyelids twitched at the words, even though he knew that the sudden transformation of the Hansen father and son during the battle with the Ridgeback Turtle was the key to victory,
but their constant blabbering about being "useless" and then "strong and powerful"
made it appear...too strange.
Moreover, there was no time to carefully verify whether such "modifications" would affect a person’s physical and mental health, or whether they would still be themselves after the modifications.
In Stack’s mind, a struggle ensued, but he quickly made up his mind, "I will do my best."
"Alright."
Li Ang nodded and continued to review the data in his hands, ignoring the rest of the PPDC personnel.
In the next few hours,
the entire PPDC and indeed human civilization, had started to operate at high speed.
Civilians from various countries were being moved into underground shelters in batches. Not only were those in coastal cities evacuating urgently but also people from inland areas.
Conventional military forces were urgently deployed to coastal fortresses, while sea and air military forces were ready, setting off to the sea areas near Manila.
International seed banks in places like the Norwegian Svalbard Islands, Alaska, Wickershire, UK, and the Arctic Dome of Doomsday had activated their doomsday protocols,
housing millions of plant seeds underground along with more animal fertilized eggs and microorganisms.
If the worst-case scenario occurs where human military and facilities are destroyed by the deep-sea civilization, and victory seems unattainable,
then PPDC will launch nuclear bombs, devastating the global surface,
striving to make the earth uninhabitable in desperation, forcing the deep-sea civilization to retreat,
destroying their armies or rendering Earth worthless in their eyes,
and afterwards using the international seed banks for post-war reconstruction.
The precondition is that the nuclear bombing is truly effective.
Among human groups, some who were either smart or thought themselves smart have already started to despair—according to the norms of civilization warfare, if a full-scale war breaks out, it means one side has absolute certainty of victory.
There have already been deep-sea Giant Beasts bombed by nuclear weapons before. If the deep-sea civilization dares to wage large-scale war knowing the power of nuclear bombs, then hope for human victory is exceedingly slim...
Not to mention the billions of restless citizens,
soon Stack gathered nearly two thousand pilots and reserve trainees and presented them to Li Ang.
To counter the continuous onslaught of the deep-sea civilization, PPDC had set up Hunter Academies around the world, specifically training elite soldiers capable of piloting Mechas and deploying the A.T. Force Field.
Whether they were previously accomplished fighter pilots,
seasoned mercenaries,
or high school graduates unexpectedly detected to possess A.T. Force Field talents,
they all need to start anew at the Hunter Academy,
learning knowledge related to piloting and repairing Mechas,
cultivating partner (related by blood or not) synchronization,
and undergoing day after day of rigorous physical and mental training.
The cost of training each Mecha pilot far exceeds that of the old era’s fighter pilots,
and the final pass rate is even lower.
However, due to the pressing time,
Stack could only temporarily muster over a thousand suitable candidates,
half of whom were various Mecha pilots from Port City, a small portion were trainees still in training, and some came from other continents via emergency flights.
At this time, humans were rather transported luckier than Mechas,
Medium-sized Mechas could only be transported with a limited number of transport planes to Port City near Manila, and Bangkok Fortress,
whereas heavy Mecha transport required ocean freighters, which couldn’t make it in time.
Therefore, these seventeen hundred people were the maximum Stack could muster.
"Mr. Li, what do you plan to do?"
After summoning the personnel, Stack asked Li Ang.
Li Ang casually said, "Take them to an empty space, and prepare wireless microphones, professional sound systems, stage lights, mixers, mixing consoles, those concert equipments for me."
Stack’s eyelids twitched at the words, "Huh?"
"Huh what?"
Stack hesitated, "Shouldn’t the modification be private, one on one? This concert form..."
"There are over a thousand people, and there’s not enough time."
Li Ang shook his head, "Actually, a concert is just a formality. I can perform large-scale modifications without a microphone.
But having over a thousand people sitting on an empty space watching me is too odd,
I am not about to give a lecture like the monk Tang Seng."
"Alright."
Stack nodded, just about to turn around and leave to arrange work, when Li Ang called him, "By the way, there’s still a fifth-generation Mech in the Broken Dome Fortress’ hangar, right?"
"Huh?"
Stack hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "That’s right. That’s the Obsidian Model, which is at the same level as the Eureka Raider, a fifth-generation Mecha, being constructed at the Broken Dome,
estimated to be 76 meters in height, weighing 7900 tons, nuclear-powered,
but due to the massive construction scale, it’s only half-completed with no weapon modules installed yet."
Li Ang nodded, "Doesn’t matter if it’s not fully completed. Just power up the Energy Core, I’ll need it later."
"You...also plan to pilot a Mecha?"
Stack frowned and said hesitantly, "Operating a heavy Mecha requires years of intensive training,
the Obsidian Model’s control system is manual, with over a thousand buttons, extremely complex and cumbersome..."
"Ha!"
Li Ang spread his hands, smiling, "Mechas aren’t only operated by piloting..."
————
Twenty hours ago, the bustling Manila City, once known as "Little Luzon," is now deserted.
The streets and building lights are bright, yet no human silhouette can be seen,
abandoned cars scattered all over the roads.
Flocks of birds and rodents have reclaimed the city,
crows perched on electric poles, croaking hoarsely, "Caw, caw!"
Rats emerge from dark sewers, strutting through the streets with the occasional dodge from stray cats and dogs.
The corrective ability of nature is astonishingly strong,
humans’ evacuation ironically resurrected a different life for this city.
"Woo—"
A horn sounded from beyond the coastline,
in the ocean west of Manila, dozens of ships and submarines were lined up, all marked with PPDC’s emblem.
Each is a testament to human civilization’s wisdom, and the weapons of mass destruction aboard could in an instant obliterate a city from the map.
But at this moment, they’re not the real protagonists.
"Boom!"
A thunderous splash as huge objects plunged into water, three heavy Mechas slid into the sea from the edge of a cargo ship, regaining balance upon landing.
The three Mechas, namely Eureka Raider and Gypsy Danger from New Port Fortress, and Echo Combat Knife from Bangkok Fortress,
three heavy Mechas, six pilots,
each of them elite of the elite, heroes of humanity,
but at this moment, they appear rather peculiar.
