First and foremost, he had to learn to respect and awe!
Respect and awe are the first rule that all mech servants must learn.
[You are paying combat experience points to correct your mech maintenance behavior…]
[You are learning "Knowledge — Mech Maintenance", progress 55%...]
[...Mech Maintenance experience +1.]
[You are learning "Knowledge — Mech Maintenance", progress 61%...]
[...Mech Maintenance experience +1.]
[Current Mech Maintenance experience 0/300, mastery of "Level 2 Mech Maintenance" will be achieved at 300 points.]
[Mech Maintenance (1/3 level): You have learned most of the common knowledge about mech maintenance and acquired basic hands-on ability. From now on, you can handle most minor malfunctions and potential hazards on the mech, albeit "slowly".]
'Quite slow, but it wins through carefulness.' Hou, who was watching from the side, stroked his chin, somewhat satisfied.
Regardless of ability, at least the attitude is correct.
Newcomers shouldn't aim too high. Only when one's own duties are carried out meticulously, can they gradually aim for faster efficiency.
As time passed, experience points occasionally jumped up.
Until after he had finished working on the entire mech, the sunset outside the hangar cast a dim, dusky yellow light.
3000 combat experience points converted into a total of 900 knowledge experience points was completely insignificant for Bai E now.
[You are learning "Knowledge — Mech Maintenance", progress 100%...]
[...Mech Maintenance experience +1.]
[Current Mech Maintenance experience 500/500, you have successfully mastered "Level 3 Mech Maintenance".]
[Mech Maintenance (3/3 level): You have learned all the common knowledge about mech maintenance and possess extensive hands-on ability. From now on, given the necessary facilities, you can handle all malfunctions and potential hazards on the mech, with "extremely high" efficiency.]
[Detection: Character possesses notable "Spiritual Energy" cultivation and has previously formed a "link" with similar mechanical structures, you have the qualification to unlock advanced "Knowledge — Quick Mech Repair".]
[Trigger side quest — Knowledge Training.]
[Knowledge Training: Advanced knowledge encompasses the coordinated abilities from broader aspects. You need to integrate and apply your mastered skills into your current art through continuous trials. Quest requirements: Complete a certain number of repeated mech maintenance operations 1/??? Reward for completion: Scientific research experience +3000, Knowledge — Quick Mech Repair, Spiritual Energy +10/10, current link strength conversion delay reduced by 50%.]
"..."
Bai E was slightly taken aback. There were more advanced things?
Foll𝑜w current novℯls on ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm.
"..."
Hou was stupefied.
Completed... completion?
Hou, engrossed in his observation, realized a fact—
On his first try, Bai had already completed a full maintenance check on an entire mech.
Even though he was set on pointing out mistakes, having watched the entire process, he couldn't find a single opportunity to correct anything afterward.
The speed indeed was a bit slow, but for someone on their first attempt, the ability to fully apply what was learned to conduct a complete inspection of the mech was already an impressive feat.
On such a foundation, it was too nitpicking to demand speed, and he just couldn't say such words.
Not to mention that 'slow' was only at the beginning stage—later on, as Bai became more adept, his movements were anything but sloppy.
Unable to utter the words to teach the newcomer to respect and awe, Hou could only pat Bai E on the shoulder after restraining himself for a while and sincerely exclaimed, "Well done. Want to give it another try?"
The mech he had chosen was a new one, recently manufactured to deal with the expanding Mech Armored Corps. Even though there were some minor issues with the mech, there certainly weren't many, and nothing that was beyond the curriculum.
It's only the old mechs that have been in service for a long time strange issues can arise, issues that even experienced technicians like them couldn't predict.
Today was the first lesson, and it was essential, no matter what, to teach Bai, this newcomer, to respect and awe!
Bai E nodded, "Okay."
I couldn't ask for more!
Unlocking new advanced knowledge required repetitive tasks, and although there was no clear upper limit, doing as instructed was definitely the right choice.
Perhaps what Hou mentioned about that legendary master was a manifestation of some mech quick repair technique.
"Then we'll just wait..."
There weren't many mechs in the hangar to begin with, and the other two remaining were also new; there was no need to waste time on them.
It was only when the mech pilots from the Mech Armored Corps returned from their training that they could gain enough hands-on experience from the truly old machines.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
As the two were talking, a slight tremor was felt.
The heavy mass shook the ground, the vibrations drawing closer from afar.
"They're back!"
"They're back!"
The watchful mech servant shouted loudly, and suddenly the whole silent hangar buzzed with activity.
Without Bai E's mech in training, it was so lonely; almost all of the mechs returned in one piece on their own.
Bai E's gaze suddenly focused on a particularly wretched-looking mech among them, the number on its ankle—
W0721
That was his mech...
Bai E stepped aside and silently waited for the pilots to climb out of the mech cockpits.
Most of the pilots coming down from the mechs didn't look back at the hangar, but one pilot with golden curly hair jumped down from the ladder and immediately scanned the entire hangar, trying to find a particular figure.
Bai E hadn't informed anyone in the squad of his actions that night, and after the incident, they were all ordered not to contact Bai E or even to inquire about his whereabouts without permission.
But there were quite a few who knew about Bai E's situation, and for Rose, who had a wide network, finding out Bai E's whereabouts wasn't difficult.
Should the mech servant be here in this hangar, right?
"Rose, what are you looking at?" a fellow pilot asked enthusiastically from behind, "The training's over, let's go eat together?"
Rose glanced at him as one might look at trash, "You fought like shit in today's training, and you still feel like eating?"
This was the new partner assigned to her from above, allegedly the son of some mid-level military officer.
Rose wasn't averse to trying new things; if he had a good character and they got along well, then she might be able to do more for Bai E in the future.
After learning that Bai E had taken his mech out alone and wiped out an entire Intelligence Machinery Group Army, Rose knew that even if she got the chance to pilot a mech again, Bai E would most likely not act with her.
But what she hadn't expected was... this guy was all talk and no skill.
When working with Bai E, she only felt the strain of chasing after him, but with this guy, she felt helpless with her skills going to waste.
Perhaps that's how Bai E felt when he worked with her...
Irritatingly, Bai E's "intimidation" was still influential; during training, those kids targeted his mech with a ruthless beatdown, almost dismantling it.
"Stupid! All so stupid!" Although Rose was usually well-mannered, now she was utterly frustrated.
The military leadership were all fools; they were willing to sideline someone with Bai E's fighting capabilities, no wonder he kept so many things from the military base.
Right now, Rose just wanted to take this rare opportunity to find Bai E and ask about the specifics and his future plans.
If there were secrets he couldn't share, she could make preparations for him in advance.
But with this guy sticking around, that would definitely be impossible.
Rose showed her disgust openly, "If you have time, ponder more on how to pilot a mech. We're about to go into battle, and I don't want to die with you."