Silicon Invasion

In Luo Rui's mind, the Warrior series mechs were extremely strong in close combat, after all, they sacrificed long-range fire weapons to achieve this. Moreover, watching Niu Wei play Warrior III, wielding a two-handed axe with powerful, sweeping movements, looked incredibly satisfying, making Luo Rui want to switch to a Warrior mech to play as well.

However, these freshmen were playing too conservatively. Clearly, it was a Berserker mech, yet they insisted on playing so cautiously. In Luo Rui's opinion, five Warrior IIIs, each wielding a two-handed axe, dividing the area and spinning around, could easily clear the first stage.

Of course, this was just a thought. The 'windmill' maneuver was quite difficult. If he tripped and fell, it would be a minor issue, but a more serious fall could twist his leg. He might end up killing himself before the enemy even attacked.

They had a lineup of five long-range fire mechs and five close-combat mechs, but Luo Rui didn't see a lineup of five support mechs. Thinking about it, it was understandable; no one would be foolish enough to choose that lineup.

If it were just a recreational event, someone might actually try to be sensational and play around with it, but this intra-school competition was quite formal. According to the teachers, it would be recorded in their files, so everyone took it seriously. No matter how bizarre the lineup, they were aiming to pass the stage. A purely comedic lineup of five support mechs was naturally out of the question.

Besides these slightly conventional oddball lineups, Luo Rui also discovered some wildly imaginative combinations. For example, he saw a team called 'Daddy's Love,' which had a mix of long-range and close-range mechs, seemingly normal, but they included a first-generation T3 Pioneer mech.

The biggest characteristic of first-generation mechs was that human technology was still very backward at the time. Whether it was materials science or various sensing and transmission structures, they hadn't developed to the level they were now.

So, the mechs of that era didn't have legs, but a tracked structure, looking like a tank with a humanoid torso on top, appearing quite awkward.

However, they completed the early exploration of Maikan for humanity and were great contributors to human progress. But later, because Maikan's crystallized ground caused too much damage to the tracks, logistical support couldn't keep up, and many terrains were impassable for tracked structures, they eventually withdrew from the stage of history.

But no matter how many shortcomings they had, there was one thing that bipedal mechs couldn't compare to, at least not the third-generation mechs: in certain terrain environments, their speed was far faster than bipedal mechs.

And the large plains of the first round of the qualifiers were perfect for Pioneer mechs to run wild. Given that the map wasn't known before the competition, Luo Rui could only say that this 'Daddy's Love' team had made the right gamble.

Because it simulated the Maikan environment, even on the plains, there wouldn't be things like dust on the ground, at most small crystals. Therefore, a Pioneer running at full speed would feel a bit lonely.

This team's thinking was also very interesting. They actually referred to the monster-fighting methods of some games, trying to use the Pioneer mech to first pull away the silicon-based beasts, and then have others lure them out one by one, slowly nibbling away at them.

Logically speaking, their idea was sound, and they initially succeeded. The silicon-based beasts were attracted by the Pioneer mech that rushed up, completely ignoring the others who were still five hundred meters away.

The Pioneer T3 Mod was a late-stage model of the first-generation mechs. At that time, humans had a further understanding of the energy core of silicon-based beasts and could use it better. The output energy per unit time was also higher. Coupled with the progress of other technologies, many aspects had been improved, especially in the drive system. As a result, the peak speed of the Pioneer T3 Mod could even reach 150 kilometers per hour.

If it weren't for the limitations of material science, plus the fact that the half-body shape had too much wind resistance, it could have run even faster.

However, even at 150 kilometers per hour, this speed was beyond the reach of third-generation mechs, but it was still slightly inferior to the Swift Wolf. Because the Swift Wolf's top speed could even exceed 200 kilometers.

Of course, this top speed was only for reference. There were too many things to consider in actual combat, and the Swift Wolf's speed would not reach that fast, especially when rushing in groups. This meant the Pioneer's monster-pulling journey could barely be maintained.

Although the start was good, the 'Daddy's Love' team was thinking too simply, because this wasn't a game.

Why was the simulation battle object always the Swift Wolf? Because it was the silicon-based beast that humans encountered the most, and it was also the silicon-based beast whose behavior had been recorded the most.

Through the large database composed of these behavioral records, intelligent AI could simulate the various behaviors of Swift Wolves almost realistically, as well as their reactions when encountering hunting or danger.

So, although these Swift Wolves were virtual, their thinking was close to living creatures, which was the biggest difference between them and game monsters.

When the 'Daddy's Love' team realized this, it was already too late. The Swift Wolves didn't have a hatred system at all, so the basis for pulling monsters didn't exist.

When they discovered that the four mechs in the distance posed a greater threat to them, the Swift Wolf pack unhesitatingly abandoned the toy that was exercising with them and turned to rush towards the four mechs in the distance.

The result was predictable. After their teammates were successively killed, the Swift Wolf pack once again remembered that toy. The pilot of the Pioneer mech could only desperately face the siege of the Swift Wolf pack.

Luo Rui felt a little sorry. This was one of the few teams with old mechs appearing, and they were eliminated in the first round, which was a lot less fun.

Apart from those more interesting combinations, the remaining combinations were basically conventional, with a mix of long-range and close-range, relying on strength to pass the first round. The sophomores basically belonged to this category.

Their foundation was better, and they didn't need to take shortcuts to gamble. They could rely on solid strength to advance steadily. Correspondingly, their matches were a bit monotonous, basically a combination of three close-combat and two long-range fire mechs. The three close-combat mechs were usually three Warrior 7s, or two Warrior 7s and one Warrior III.

The advantage of this combination was that Warrior 7s could provide some long-range fire support in the early stages, which could more effectively inflict some damage on the Swift Wolf pack. After firing a full ammunition load, they could unload components, reduce weight, and better engage in close combat.

Although such matches were a bit less entertaining, they could better show the strength of each person. In this process, Luo Rui became very familiar with many people.

However, sophomores were not like freshmen, who were all new. After a year of study, most of the experts among them had already been contacted in advance by various major teams and were almost booked. It would be somewhat difficult for Luo Rui to select some teammates from them, especially since he had to wait two years until Tong Yue and the others left. By then, the current sophomores would have already become seniors, and the lone experts without teams would probably be more than just scarce.