Counterfeit Hero

Chapter 54: Chapter 14: Great Generals in a Chaotic World

”Look at this person!” Carl flipped to the first page, pointing at a man dressed in the uniform of a Feiyang Republic Marshal. ”Hastings, the only Marshal in Feiyang currently, known as the War God of the Republic, my idol!”

Even though Tian Xingjian was unaware, he had heard of the name Hastings. However, it was the first time he saw a photo. In the photo, Hastings, in his fifties, appeared handsome and resolute, with a composed expression, looking like a movie star or a suave university professor.

However, this renowned tactician’s strategic thoughts were inconsistent with his appearance. Ruthless and decisive, he would cut losses when necessary and kill when needed, often sacrificing parts to gain an overall advantage. In the twelve super-large-scale battles he commanded, he never lost once. Though the casualties were significant, he always achieved victory.

On the first page, there was another photo. The only military tactician comparable to Hastings was General Sobel of the Binart Empire.

Sobel was not very old, appearing under forty and also very handsome, but with a somewhat sinister look. His thin lips tightened, giving a cold impression.

”This is the most cunning tactician in all of humanity!” Carl’s evaluation of Sobel did not reveal whether it was praise or criticism.

”During our time at the academy, we studied almost all their battle cases. Sometimes we even doubted if these people were human. They were too calm, always able to grasp the most crucial elements and make the most reasonable commands in rapidly changing situations. I really wish they could have a face-off.” Carl said longingly.

Tian Xingjian flipped through the pages, looking at the young and old tacticians. It felt like he was browsing through an ancient copy of ”Romance of the Three Kingdoms,” with heroes from chaotic times appearing before his eyes.

In turbulent times, heroes emerge. Is a chaotic era really coming?

”And then this one, ’Mechanical Warrior Ranking’.” Carl, like performing a magic trick, pulled out another book.

”Yes, and this one ’Warship Commander,’ and this one ’Aces of Fighter Pilots,’ flip through them more, don’t always be so ignorant.” Carl kept pulling out books from his collection one by one.

Ignoring Carl’s ridicule, Tian Xingjian mechanically glanced through these illustrated character profiles.

He suddenly felt a bit panicked, as if he had wasted too much time. Compared to the people in the photos, he was merely an ant at the feet of giants. A light press of their finger would crush him to pieces.

A strong sense of crisis enveloped the Fatty, making his heart thump wildly. His intuition told him that these people would turn this world into hell on earth.

For one general’s success, countless bones dry.

Among those countless bones, perhaps were himself and everyone he knew.

Tian Xingjian’s back felt as cold as ice.

A week later, in ”Sky-Filling Fire,” as the Mecha levels increased, various awaited competitive maps gradually opened. The immense Central Observation Room was packed with people. This was a safe zone where system settings made attacks ineffective. So, when SM01314 swaggered into the observation room, the surrounding angry glares, if they had been arrows, would have pierced him a thousand times over.

Tian Xingjian completely ignored these stares. He was so stimulated by the upcoming battle that he was trembling all over. The Mecha’s modification was complete. Whether in speed or power, the Fatty was very satisfied. This was the first Private Mecha he had ever built. He had never imagined himself making such a thing. In peacetime, Private Mechas were indeed playthings for the wealthy.

”Magic Beast” was not a Private Mecha but a Military Mecha of the Leray Federation from thirty years ago. Although it was outdated and its data no longer a secret, because ”Magic Beast” utilized long-range attack techniques, it was not listed among the Mechas that could be chosen to manufacture in the system.

When ”Magic Beast” appeared in the observation room, it inevitably caused a stir. Players were shocked. This Mecha should be the first player-made Mecha in the system. Since it could be made, it indicated that besides looking like ”Magic Beast,” this virtual Mecha had excellent close-combat abilities like a Private Mecha.

Virtual Mecha parts were too difficult to acquire. Most people were forced to opt for Mechas with less demanding part requirements, let alone modifying them themselves. If they painstakingly assembled a Mecha and made an error during modification, the entire Mecha would be scrapped.

The ”Magic Beast” before them revealed two things: first, SM01314 had grabbed enough parts to support the creation of a Mecha, and second, this elusive guy was absolutely a Transformation Master!

In the world of Private Mechas, what was a master-level modifier? It was a revered, desperately sought, and nearly unattainable figure!

The development paths for Private Mechas and Military Mechas were entirely different. Aside from special teams with granted rights, no Private Mechas dared to be equipped with energy weapons. Therefore, their combat relied solely on close combat!

As cutting-edge weapons that changed the nature of war, Mechas involved too many aspects. Mastering these theories already seemed extremely difficult, let alone possessing outstanding modification skills. Typically, modifying a Mecha required a large team working collaboratively.

In an individual network presence, such a team was impossible. Moreover, the system’s Mecha modification room could only be operated solo. Whether due to theoretical mistakes or operational errors, the outcome was the same: the Mecha and parts would be scrapped, reverting to ET status.

Thus, the SM01314 in front of them could absolutely be considered a genius-level Mecha Master. He independently completed the modification work and modified not an existing Private Mecha, but an original long-range attack Military Mecha.

Utterly astonishing! The unrestricted space in the Central Observation Room gathered players from almost all countries, and more than half of the Anti-SM Alliance was present here. Yet now, some of them even felt honored to have their parts stolen by such a masterful modifier.

If those parts were in their hands, could they turn into such a Mecha? For a person of such caliber, it was always better to be his friend than his enemy.

However, when SM01314 entered his name into the challenge list, a million challengers instantly gathered behind his name.

This elusive guy had offended too many people. Moreover, everyone still had to confirm with their own eyes the close-combat abilities of this ”Magic Beast” before making any judgments.

The Fatty proudly looked at the list before him. His Mecha struck a peculiar flamboyant pose while he picked challengers as if selecting livestock. Eventually, the dazzling list and introductions made him lose patience. With a random tap, he was automatically transported into the combat map by the system.