Newbie plus one

Typhon

After regrouping with allied forces and replenishing supplies, Chen Nuo set off alone toward the dam occupied by the IMC. He continued his initial protocol mission: to rendezvous with Major Anderson.

The details of his journey didn't need to be told; they could be heard clearly through the IMC's radio channels.

"Is that the Pilot?!"

"That's him! My eldest aunt's neighbor's second uncle's youngest son's boyfriend died at his hands!!"

"The phantom-like Death of Typhon?!"

"..."

Sitting inside the cockpit and listening to the intercepted communications, Chen Nuo's expression was so gloomy it looked like it could drip water.

Fighting this bunch from the IMC was annoying enough, but being slandered like this was too much. Clearly, he was the one being hunted, okay? He was just acting in forced self-defense.

Maybe he had been a bit more proactive with his 'defense' lately, but that didn't change the fact that he was the victim.

They were all Chen Nuo, so how come he had to sleep every night pillowed against BT's cold, hard steel frame, while the other Chen Nuos could hold fragrant girls?

It wasn't that he feared a hard life; it was the comparison that hurt.

Not that there was anything wrong with 'pumping iron,' but since they were all Chen Nuo, he felt like his existence was just to serve as a foil for the others.

"Pilot, multiple enemy titan signals detected ahead."

BT's voice pulled Chen Nuo's attention back.

"Understood. Heading there to handle it now."

Chen Nuo pulled the trigger, killing the IMC soldier in front of him. He had only kept the man alive to gain access to the low-level IMC communication secrets so BT could secretly hack in for information.

He hadn't expected to hear zero useful intel, only a barrage of accusations and slander from the IMC soldiers against him.

Chen Nuo leaped down from the high platform, and BT reached out to catch him, pulling him into the cockpit.

"Neural link established."

Flesh-and-blood consciousness merged with the giant steel machine as if they were one.

Every time he piloted BT, he couldn't help but marvel at the Resistance's neural link technology.

In truth, the only person currently capable of reaching the ceiling of this technology was Chen Nuo. Other Pilots experienced varying degrees of latency.

On a battlefield, that tiny bit of latency might not matter, but when facing Chen Nuo, it became a fatal flaw.

Just as an enemy stalker titan landed and before it could even adjust its stance, Chen Nuo performed an accelerated dash, pinning it against a wall. He then aimed his 40mm cannon directly at its cockpit.

The stalker titan's thin energy shield couldn't withstand more than a few hits at such close range. It overloaded and failed instantly, and the Pilot inside was pierced through along with the machine.

An enemy Pilot of this caliber couldn't even last a single round against Chen Nuo and BT.

Once the only titan capable of hindering BT's progress was destroyed, the remaining IMC soldiers scattered like startled birds.

This wasn't a game; no rifleman would fight a titan without titan cover of their own. That was no different from seeking death.

The weapons in their hands could, at most, drain a bit of the Vanguard-class Titan's ample power.

But who would be willing to do that?

Trade their only life just to cost the enemy a few cents' worth of electricity?

Ultimately, the IMC was just a commercial empire that started in natural resource extraction—a private company pursuing maximum profit through monopolies on shipping lanes and resource harvesting. The soldiers under them were just a group of people working for a paycheck.

The so-called interstellar war was merely a Resistance movement launched by the Frontier's 'farmers' who were dissatisfied with their interests being infringed upon.

At most, this was a minor regional conflict within interstellar human civilization, and a very peripheral one at that.

On a news broadcast, it probably wouldn't get more than five seconds of airtime.

As Chen Nuo piloted his titan into the IMC chemical plant, a heavy enemy titan blocked his path.

"Well, well, well, another lone hero, and with an SRS Vanguard-class Titan to boot. Now that's more like it. Welcome to Kane's party!"

Hearing the somewhat crazed voice of the titan Pilot, Chen Nuo knew he had reached his first boss battle.

Kane was a Pilot hired by the IMC, belonging to Blisk's Apex Predators. Long-term drug abuse made him seem mentally unstable.

However, that didn't stop him from being a very dangerous Pilot. Combined with his 'Scorch' loadout, which could fire thermite grenades, he posed a serious threat to any titan.

Furthermore, he had several stalker titans providing support.

This battle was indeed a bit stressful for Chen Nuo.

Okay, psych.

Chen Nuo pushed BT's kinetic systems to the limit and charged straight at Kane.

The neurotic Pilot was startled by the speed, but his experience allowed him to react correctly. He fired thermite grenades at the ground, attempting to block the enemy's advance.

However, Chen Nuo's 'Tone' 20mm armor-piercing auto-rifle directly knocked Kane's 'Scorch' barrel off course. The thermite grenade landed on an unlucky stalker titan nearby, melting it into molten iron instantly.

"What?!"

Kane shouted in disbelief.

He had never seen a Pilot use a rifle with such precision while moving at high speeds.

Just how high was the synchronization between that Pilot and his titan?

Under the stimulus of impending death, Kane's mind cleared for a rare moment. He was about to pull out his secondary weapon when Chen Nuo kicked him, sending him flying against a wall.

Fortunately, it was a heavy titan; its size and weight kept it from being launched completely, but the machine still stumbled back several heavy steps before barely stabilizing.

Yet, this was only the beginning of Chen Nuo's assault.

While the heavy armor on Kane's titan was tight and solid, the designer responsible for its modifications clearly hadn't considered its performance in close quarters.

Then again, to equip a weapon as fierce and long-ranged as the 'Scorch,' sacrifices in mobility had to be made, making stacked defense the best alternative.

This also indirectly proved the excellence of the Vanguard-class Titan's design. It could adapt to almost any titan weapon, likely inheriting the Resistance's fine tradition of 'scavenging.'

It couldn't be helped; limited by logistics, most of the Resistance's weapons were salvaged from the IMC.

Facing Chen Nuo with his retreat blocked and his machine so sluggish, it was only a matter of time before he was dismantled.

Chen Nuo pulled out a titan-grade tactical knife and plunged it directly into the joint of Kane's titan's arm, severing its circuit connections.

Even with the current top-tier nano-repair technology, that arm wouldn't be regaining mobility for at least thirty seconds.

The energy shields on titan hulls had always had a fatal flaw against melee cutting, especially at the joints, where it was difficult to withstand sustained pressure.

"You bastard, you want to kill me? Then try it!"

At this moment, Kane felt the full weight of the close-quarters suppression Chen Nuo exerted. Feeling his machine being constantly dismantled and sliced, his drug-twisted mind went completely berserk. He prepared to blow himself up along with Chen Nuo.

He was ready to manually detonate the thermite stored on the titan.

But Chen Nuo saw his thoughts and actions clearly. Using the knife, he pinned Kane's titan's only remaining mobile hand to the ground and stomped heavily on the cockpit.

The violent impact caused the visual sensor modules of Kane's titan to fail briefly. By the time clarity returned, Chen Nuo's gun barrel was already aimed at the cockpit.

"Damn it, you..."

Bang! Bang! Bang!!

Successive gunshots cut off Kane's voice and snuffed out his life.

The entire battle had lasted less than half a minute. Chen Nuo had destroyed a heavy titan with overwhelming force.

The other stalker titans didn't even have time to provide effective support. The faster ones among them had launched attacks, but with the firepower equipped on stalker titans, they couldn't even penetrate BT's energy shield in such a short time.

Chen Nuo picked up the 'Scorch' dropped by Kane and turned to look at the few stalker titans. BT's visual sensors flashed with a red light, and the rocket launchers on his shoulders popped up, locking onto them firmly.

Now it was their turn to run.

"Retreat!!"

"Immediate retreat!!"

"..."

After dealing with all the IMC Resistance, Chen Nuo returned to the side of Kane's titan. He forced open the cockpit, hauled out Kane's half-remaining body, and took his Pilot helmet.

"IMC radio detected... decrypting IMC protocols..."

BT successfully hacked into the IMC Pilot radio network.

The voices of several Pilots talking came through, though no valuable intelligence had been heard yet.

"The ability to decrypt enemy communications has significant strategic value in the history of warfare. This will be to our advantage."

BT recited the information matter-of-factly.

"I almost forgot if you hadn't said it—we're still in the middle of enemy territory."

Chen Nuo, who had gotten a bit carried away with the killing, slapped his face to calm himself down. He had to stay steady and couldn't afford to get reckless. This was an interstellar war; a single Vanguard-class Titan was just a high-level combat unit within it.

Actually, thinking this way somewhat underestimated the strategic value Chen Nuo currently generated.

After all, the IMC was just an interstellar corporation. Bound by interstellar law, colonial law, and so on, many strategic weapons could not be used openly.

This undoubtedly amplified the significance of titans in ground operations.

But if the IMC were truly pushed to the brink, there was no telling what they might do.

Next, he had to continue tracking Major Anderson's footsteps and rendezvous with him. He hoped that when he found him, it wouldn't just be half a corpse.

With those thoughts, Chen Nuo re-entered BT's cockpit and left the chemical plant.

Before long, the voices of the IMC's mercenary Pilots came through the radio. Kane's lack of a response had already made them realize something was wrong.

"Kane isn't responding. It seems he likely ran into that titan Killer. He'll probably head your way next. Be careful, Ash. I'll send reinforcements to you."

The mercenary Blisk said in a low voice, his Tone a serious warning to his subordinates.

"titan Killer? They've given me another title. It seems these people are beyond help with their Chuunibyou."

Chen Nuo curled his lip, a bit annoyed.

"Apologies, Pilot. I have no records of a condition called 'Chuunibyou' in my database. However, if the enemy Pilots are ill, it would be good news for us."

BT's flat voice came through.

"Chuuni... never mind, you're right."

Chen Nuo couldn't explain Chuunibyou to an AI. Even if the other party was beginning to develop self-awareness, it would still be a tedious task.

"Suggestion: Pilot, you should take an appropriate rest. You have been in high-intensity combat for four consecutive hours."

BT hadn't detected any physical discomfort in Chen Nuo, but he gave the recommendation based on piloting regulations.

An average Pilot wouldn't have such endurance.

Piloting a steel giant like a titan was a heavy burden for any Pilot, even with highly mature neural link technology.

"Rest... fine."

Chen Nuo rubbed his temples. This wasn't because his body felt tired, but because every time he went to the Pure White Space for an update, the cockpit felt even colder when he woke up.

BT was great, but a healthy man couldn't rely solely on 'pumping iron' for physical and mental comfort.

Life as a Resistance fighter was already hard enough—not eating or sleeping well—and then he had to suffer the devastation of the other Chen Nuos.

But he had to go online; every Chen Nuo was eagerly hoping to latch onto a powerhouse's leg... Pure White Space.

Titan Chen Nuo opened his eyes.

"Bro Nuo, give me a high-five."

Cyber Chen Nuo raised his hand enthusiastically, desperate to update his knowledge base.

The titan world was a massive gold mine; the deeper one dug, the more one could feel its true value.

And the knowledge provided by the Chen Nuos from other worlds was the best pickaxe for digging that gold mine.

While the Marvel Universe had a higher ceiling, its systems were too cluttered. Moreover, marvel Chen Nuo was still in the early stages of the plot, so the gifts he could offer weren't actually better than Titan Chen Nuo's.

Titan Chen Nuo endured the crowding of the surrounding Chen Nuos with an expressionless face; he wasn't happy about it at all.

They were all Chen Nuo, but it was precisely because of this that the gap in their lives after the comparison was particularly heartbreaking.

How did that saying go?

One's own failure is certainly depressing, but the success of a friend is often even more agonizing.

Titan Chen Nuo felt this very deeply. After all, he was still a virgin in the physiological sense.

"A newcomer is here."

Titan Chen Nuo turned his head to look at an exquisite and small cicada on Cyber Chen Nuo's shoulder. He was a bit surprised, yet also somewhat comforted.

He hadn't expected there to be a Chen Nuo who wasn't even human.

After synchronizing with this Cicada Nuo's monotonous and boring memories, his brow couldn't help but furrow.

"Spider Web Cave? Ziyun Mountain?"

Coach, I want to be a demon too!!