ABFMV Chapter 41 Part 2

This kind of close-quarters combat between mechs was the most exciting kind of showdown. Every move X made was sharp and decisive, and compared to him, LQ’s skills were immediately shown up.

The black mech stood tall in the middle of the arena, imposing, towering over the gray mech that had just been thrown to the ground.

The crowd’s eyes burned with feverish excitement. This kind of smooth, thrilling clash was exactly what they worshipped.

Everyone remembered X in that instant.

That included Xu Linlang.

She suddenly felt that the mech academy’s entrance assessment she had watched earlier was nothing more than child’s play. What was happening before her now—this wild, primal duel—was the real deal.

LQ piloted his mech back to its feet. The machine itself wasn’t badly damaged, but both of his twin blades had been broken.

That alone was enough to show just how much power X was packing.

Yet even without weapons, LQ showed no hint of panic. He flexed the mech’s joints, then deliberately smashed the stubs of the blades.

The spectators exchanged confused looks. Why destroy your own weapons at a moment like this?

Was he about to surrender?

The very next moment, they saw the truth—inside the hollow blades were two concealed shafts, like oversized arrows.

LQ gripped them with both hands, locked them together, and in an instant, they formed a razor-sharp spear.

He steadied the new weapon in his hands and launched into a fresh assault, striding forward in massive steps, the tip aimed straight at the black mech’s control hub.

The air howled with the force of the strike. The black mech moved again, swinging its longsword in a sweeping arc that slammed hard against the charging spear.

A screech of metal-on-metal split the air, and the two mechs’ movements kicked up a storm of dust across the arena floor.

The crowd leapt to their feet, desperate to see who had the upper hand.

A heartbeat later, the sound of weapons clashing rang out again. Sparks burst from the cloud of dust, the clash of steel echoing without pause.

Even without seeing clearly, everyone could feel how brutal the fight beneath the haze was.

Inside his cockpit, sweat streamed down LQ’s forehead. His eyes, locked on the opposing mech, were full of dread.

He hadn’t expected X’s piloting to be this precise—so precise it was monstrous.

The black mech was moving so fast, it was almost more agile than LQ’s own body.

When X’s blade had swept across just now, he had felt an overwhelming sense of danger.

And the terrifying part was—this wasn’t the mech’s power amplifiers doing the work. That raw force was X’s own control, his own execution. How was that even possible?

Before LQ could think further, X’s longsword was already pinning his spear dangerously close to his control hub.

When he thought about tossing the spear aside and switching to thermal weapons, X anticipated his intention with uncanny accuracy. One moment, the sword was pressing near his core systems; the next, it hacked down at his thrusters.

In all his years of mech combat, LQ had rarely encountered anyone who could attack with such speed and precision while maintaining a low stance.

This man was a born fighter—someone with unmatched talent for battle.

Gritting his teeth, LQ tried to fight back. His mech was still intact, but his own spirit was already flagging.

Normally, he only felt this kind of fatigue after a long, grueling battle. But the match had barely begun, and already he felt worn down. That could only mean X’s relentless attacks were pushing him to his limit.

Before he could recover, X’s mech darted forward. Instinctively, LQ whipped out his last line of defense—a particle gun.

But before he could fire, X didn’t slow for even half a step. He kept closing the distance, his longsword thrusting straight at LQ’s control hub.

Madman!

LQ’s eyes widened. He didn’t even have time to shoot—he could only throw himself aside in desperation.

X spotted the opening in that dodge. His sword pierced directly into the control hub and then twisted violently inside.

Sparks exploded across the gray mech’s chest. The screech of electrical failure shrieked through the arena.

The spectators froze, shocked at the brutality.

That black mech looked like a starving hyena—only far deadlier.

X’s mercilessness had a twisted beauty to it, like a bloody kind of art you couldn’t look away from even as it made your skin crawl.

The arena’s system announced X’s victory, and staff rushed in to pry open LQ’s cockpit.

Inside, LQ had already lost consciousness. His body was scorched from the sparks that had burst out of the control hub.

X leapt down from his mech, tapped the spatial button to store it away, and left the arena in silence.

The battle had been exhilarating to watch, but seeing the pilot injured afterward left the audience uneasy.

Yes, it had been virtual combat—but for a moment, it had felt like a fight to the death.

Xu Linlang rose from her seat, walking in the direction X had gone.

She admitted to herself—she was being more emotional than rational right now.

That fight had lit her blood on fire. She never imagined mech combat could be this breathtaking.

What started as simple curiosity had now turned into a full-blown obsession. She even wanted to learn more about the virtual world’s mech battles.

And she wanted to get closer to X. After that performance, he was already an idol in her eyes.

His moves were ruthless and dazzling. Absolutely stunning.

If she could, Xu Linlang wouldn’t mind volunteering herself. She had noticed a component on his mech’s right arm was slightly damaged. If she could repair it and become his mechanic, that wouldn’t be bad at all.

Working with someone that skilled, she was bound to learn a lot.

“X, hi—do you need a mechanic?” Xu Linlang called out behind him.

“No.” X didn’t even pause, nor did he look back.

“I noticed the MK-3 component on your mech’s right arm is damaged. If you don’t fix it soon, it could cause problems. Don’t worry—I’m a student in the Mech Engineering Department. I’ve got experience. I wouldn’t approach you unless I was confident.”

At the words Mech Engineering Department, X suddenly stopped and turned.

He saw a silver-haired, golden-eyed girl standing there.

X blinked, and his voice softened unexpectedly. “What’s your name?”

Xu Linlang was about to give her real name, then remembered—this was a virtual world. She needed to use her alias. “Uh… 007.”

When she first picked that handle, she thought it was cool. Saying it out loud now, though, felt pretty embarrassing.

“007…?” X repeated, sounding almost amused.

“Well, since you want to fix it, I’ll leave it to you.”

Xu Linlang hadn’t expected him to agree so easily. She was genuinely surprised. Maybe that cold attitude at the start had just been her imagination.

He actually seemed pretty nice.

“So, where should we do the repairs?” Xu Linlang scratched her head. “It’s my first day in the virtual net—I don’t really know my way around yet.”

X chuckled lightly. “Come to my villa.”