First Battlefield Commander! - Chapter 125
Chapter 125: Relay
Training begins at 2 PM.
Several students woke up fifteen minutes early, splashing cold water on their faces to wake themselves before heading to their respective training grounds.
Zhao Zhuoluo and his team were already training inside. When Lian Sheng pushed open the door, she saw them drenched in sweat as they climbed an irregular metal frame.
The structure was a simple assembly of iron rods, over four meters tall with an indeterminate length.
This training ground was unusual—the walls seemed to be flat display screens, and the students wore bulky outfits. Whatever they were doing, everyone's movements appeared awkward.
This was definitely not what Lian Sheng had imagined.
"What's going on?" Lian Sheng walked over and asked. "Shouldn't we be doing mech training? Isn't this sensor training?"
Zhao Zhuoluo, halfway up the frame, looked down at her voice and shook his head miserably before letting go and dropping down.
Lian Sheng asked, "Have you eaten?"
"Yes," Zhao Zhuoluo said after catching his breath. "We started training at one."
Lian Sheng: "..."
The instructor suddenly appeared behind her and snorted. "Sounds like someone who skipped morning training to cut corners, huh?"
Lian Sheng turned and was surprised to see it was the Alliance University instructor leading their team. "Huh? Instructor? You're in charge here?"
She looked past him and noticed four or five other instructors standing in the training area.
The instructor sternly said, "Go change and get over here!"
Zhao Zhuoluo clapped his hands and had already grabbed the bars again to resume climbing.
Lian Sheng walked away while glancing back.
If even Zhao Zhuoluo was struggling like this, it probably wasn't going to be pleasant.
Lian Sheng slowly made her way to the equipment distribution area.
A vaguely familiar instructor sat behind a table handing out gear. "What type of mech? What position? Any experience or confidence? Did your instructor give you recommendations?"
After thinking, Lian Sheng said, "I want Pojun."
The instructor smirked and swiped on his optical computer. "Forward, huh? Alright. What's your size? I'll grab you a small, okay?"
Lian Sheng nodded.
The instructor turned and carefully pulled out a set from the floor, placing it on the table for her to take.
Lian Sheng picked it up and was startled—it weighed about three kilograms. The design was intricate, with what felt like wires and electromagnets embedded in the fabric.
This suit resembled the sensor equipment but was more comprehensive, covering every part of the body without separate connections. The simulator gear was fragmented by comparison.
It took Lian Sheng five minutes to put it on. Following the instructions, she checked every fastening point before testing her movements.
Wearing this unfamiliar sensor suit made her limbs feel foreign, as if they weren't her own.
Her joints moved clumsily. Each step met resistance—the larger the motion, the stronger the opposing force.
She attempted a high kick but was abruptly halted midway.
When she lowered her leg, an inexplicable downward pull nearly made her lose balance.
The instructor approached, arms crossed. "How is it?"
Lian Sheng flexed her hands, fascinated. "What's happening?"
"Look ahead!" the instructor pointed.
Lian Sheng saw a red Pojun mech on the screen mirroring her movements.
When she lowered her head, it did the same, its hands making odd grasping motions.
She quickly stopped and stood straight.
"You need to adapt. Real mech piloting isn't as smooth as in Sanyao. The heavier the mech, the more it demands from you. You've felt that resistance," the instructor said. "Uncomfortable, right? Most think sensor-controlled mechs move as fluidly as their bodies. Wrong. If you're unfamiliar with a mech's joints, you'll move as awkwardly as it does."
It was awkward.
She tried lowering her hands. The screen showed them at its sides, but her actual arms hadn't reached her thighs—the mech's structure differed from human anatomy.
This subtle disconnect was maddening.
The instructor turned to the next student. "Hurry up. You'll get used to it. Well, actually, you won't have time, but at least get familiar."
Lian Sheng adjusted her stride and jogged toward her instructor.
"Wait!"
The instructor circled her, arms behind his back. "Lian Sheng?"
"Reporting. Yes, Instructor." Lian Sheng turned. "Can't recognize me in new clothes?"
He glanced at the screen, then her swollen silhouette. "What did you pick? Forward?"
Lian Sheng nodded. "Pojun. I want to play forward."
"I told you anything but forward or heavy armor!" The instructor frowned. "Are you defying me? After all my concern, what dissatisfied you? Even if you're unhappy, don't gamble with your future. I don't like students like this."
Lian Sheng said, "You're overthinking it, Instructor. Someone advised me."
"Who? Who's undermining me? Instructor Liu? Don't listen to his nonsense!"
Instructor Liu, distributing gear nearby, jumped up. "The hell? You're the one spouting crap! Want to fight?"
"She's my student—I know her! You've barely seen her!"
Instructor Liu, unjustly accused, placed his hands on his hips. "Ohhh... wow! You're something. Let's spar later—don't cry for daddy."
Sympathizing, Lian Sheng admitted, "Reporting, it was our school doctor's suggestion."
"What?!" The instructor found this worse than blaming Liu. He cupped his ear. "You took medical advice over a professional instructor's?! Don't listen to his crap!"
Lian Sheng shrugged. "I can relay that. But he's not just anyone."
The instructor stared as if she were an idiot.
Lian Sheng leaned in. "Do you know who he is?"
Suspicious, the instructor asked, "Who?"
"A doctor."
"..." It took him a moment. "He's not our base doctor—why should I care?"
Lian Sheng: "But he's our school's doctor."
"..." He stiffened. "He still shouldn't interfere!"
Lian Sheng gave him a sidelong glance. "I'll go train now."
The instructor didn't force her to change. "Watch the screen while climbing. Adapt to the mech's real center of gravity. Most importantly, forget your habits and relearn your body."
Lian Sheng nodded.
She understood now. Earlier, her high kick was physically possible, but the mech's joints restricted it, stopping her midway.
Since sensor operation synchronized mech and pilot, external forces on the mech affected the pilot. They were one entity.
A mech's center of gravity and perspective differed from a human's. The hardest part was unlearning instinctive movements.
Scratching her head, Lian Sheng approached just as Zhao Zhuoluo fell for the nth time. Thankfully, thick cushioning and the low height prevented injury.
"How is it?" Lian Sheng asked.
Zhao Zhuoluo rolled away to avoid being landed on. "Exhausting. Worse than 20kg weights. No—worse than 40kg."
Lian Sheng: "That's half a Fang Jianchen."
Fang Jianchen, hanging from a bar, yelled, "Half?! More than half! Your dad isn't 80kg yet!"
An 80kg muscular man wasn't fat, and Fang Jianchen was tall. Even if not quite 80kg, it was close.
Ignoring him, Lian Sheng asked, "Any tips?"
Zhao Zhuoluo said, "Balance. Move slowly. Don't rush, and don't assume you're light as a feather."
Lian Sheng tightened her belt and stepped up.
She faced the screen displaying a dark red Pojun.
Jumping, she grabbed a bar. Immediately, something felt off. If she'd been a sponge floating in wind, now she was waterlogged, constantly dragged down.
Knowing she couldn't hang, she pushed off a side bar to flip up. Her arms lifted, and her left leg hooked the bar—but she couldn't secure it.
Her left side felt weightless while her right grew leaden.
Attempting to adjust, the mech's bulk and shifting center made it impossible. Her grip slipped, and she fell.
Lian Sheng retreated, looking up at the frame.
This sensor suit truly replicated mech conditions. When the center shifted, extra force localized on her body—harder than weighted training.
This was absurdly frustrating.
They said real mechs differed from Sanyao—no kidding.
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Ty for the update as always!
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