Chapter 292: The Prelude to Something Greater

Graves wore his Titan’s Guard Mark II and quickly activated it. However, he noticed that Richard was not doing anything.

"Sir...I thought we were going to join the frontlines. Don’t tell me you are going out there naked," Graves said jokingly.

Richard chuckled at the remark. "Don’t worry, I have something up my sleeve."

Richard opened his system’s inventory and clicked the icon of the Model: Titan’s Defender - Level 1 Mecha.

[Specs: Height: 8 meters

Weight: 30 tons

Armor: Nano-composite armor plating with reactive armor capabilities. Provides high resistance to ballistic, energy, and explosive damage.

Power Source: Dual-core fusion reactor, providing extended operational capability and high energy output.

Propulsion: Hybrid system consisting of legged mobility for ground operations and jet propulsion for short-range flight and enhanced mobility.

Armaments:

Primary Weapon: Dual shoulder-mounted railguns, capable of firing armor-piercing rounds at hypersonic speeds.

Secondary Weapon: Arm-mounted plasma blades for close combat, with adjustable intensity for cutting through various material densities.

Tertiary Weapon System: Chest-mounted micro-missile launcher, housing a rapid-fire array of guided missiles.

Defensive Capabilities: Deployable energy shield, capable of deflecting projectiles and energy beams. Integrated countermeasure system for missile and tracking disruption.

Additional Features:

Advanced targeting and surveillance systems with real-time data link capabilities.

AI-assisted piloting and combat decision-making systems.

Environmental adaptation systems for operation in diverse climates and terrains.

Emergency ejection system with pilot safety capsule.]

He planned on testing it first before making it operational. But there’s no perfect place for it to test than in a real combat situation.

But it would be odd to summon it right beside him, especially when her little sister is present, and there’s no way the Mecha would fit inside the command center at all.

"Let’s go, Graves, to the frontline," Richard said as he turned to his heels and walked forward—an arm grabbed by the arm stopped him in his tracks.

He glanced over his shoulder and saw Lisa. "Brother...be careful, okay, someone is waiting for you to come back."

Lisa glanced at her brother’s girlfriend, Sara, who was touched by Lisa’s concern. Sara nodded in agreement, her eyes conveying a silent message of support and worry.

Richard gave his sister a reassuring smile. "Don’t worry, Lisa. I’ll be careful. We’ll handle this and be back soon." He then turned to Sara and mouthed. "I love you."

With a final nod to his sister and Sara, Richard led the way to the frontline. The frontline wasn’t that far away from the command center, and so Graves lifted Richard up and once they arrived in the frontline, Graves dropped him in a clear spot.

Upon landing, Richard opened his inventory and summoned the Model: Titan’s Defender - Level 1 Mecha. The mecha appeared in a flash of light, its massive form towering at eight meters. Richard quickly climbed into the cockpit, the familiar hum of the dual-core fusion reactor greeting him as the systems came online.

He started with the primary weapon, the dual shoulder-mounted railguns. These powerful guns fired armor-piercing rounds at hypersonic speeds. Richard targeted a group of approaching zombies, and with a smooth pull of the trigger, the railguns unleashed a barrage of rounds. The impact was immediate and devastating, the zombies disintegrating under the sheer force of the high-speed projectiles.

Next, he switched to the secondary weapon, the arm-mounted plasma blades. These blades were designed for close combat, their intensity adjustable to slice through various densities. As a group of zombies closed in, Richard activated the blades, their bright blue energy illuminating the dark battlefield. With a swift, sweeping motion, he cut through the undead horde, each strike leaving nothing but ash in its wake.

The tertiary weapon system was the chest-mounted micro-missile launcher. Housing a rapid-fire array of guided missiles, it was perfect for taking out larger groups from a distance. Richard locked onto multiple targets and fired. The missiles streaked across the battlefield, finding their marks and erupting in fiery explosions. The concussive force from the blasts tore through the ranks of the undead, significantly thinning their numbers.

But those are all zombies, it’s time to put it to a test with mutated zombies—specifically, the Juggernaut. He saw one of them approaching, locking his gaze at Richard.

"Hoh...so you wanna go huh?" Richard mused as he prepared his dual shoulder-mounted railguns, aiming at the Juggernaut.

The Juggernaut was unfazed by it and instead charged forward. Richard pulled the trigger, sending a hypersonic projectile in the Juggernaut’s direction. The Juggernaut sensed the incoming projectile in the blink of an eye and quickly raised his forearms and brought it together, forming a shield. However, the sheer velocity and power of the hypersonic round proved too much, disintegrating the Juggernaut’s forearms upon impact and slowing its advance.

Richard, observing the effectiveness of his primary weapon, quickly switched to the tertiary weapon system – the chest-mounted micro-missile launcher. He aimed at the now-vulnerable Juggernaut and fired a volley of guided missiles. The missiles, homed in on the Juggernaut, detonating on impact. The series of explosions engulfed the massive zombie, tearing it apart with a combination of concussive and incendiary force.

As the smoke cleared, Richard could see the remnants of the Juggernaut scattered across the battlefield. He had anticipated a challenge, but the Titan’s Defender’s advanced weaponry made short work of the mutated zombie. There was a moment of disappointment in the lack of a formidable challenge, but Richard quickly refocused on the battle at hand.

The numbers of zombies are still increasing, and the first squadron of the air force ranging from gunships, fighter aircraft, attack helicopters, and close-in low-altitude close air support aircraft arriving from Clark International Airport were now visible in the sky.

"Let’s give them a clear target," Richard communicated to the pilots via his mecha’s advanced communication system. He directed the aircraft to focus their firepower on the densest clusters of zombies, where their support would be most effective.

The gunships began strafing runs on the designated targets with its 105 mike mike and 25 mike mike. The fighter aircraft, though primarily designed for air-to-air combat, effectively utilized their precision-guided munitions to hit key areas, causing massive damage and chaos among the zombies.

Attack helicopters, hovering at a safe distance, launched their missiles. The explosions sent shockwaves through the horde, dismembering and annihilating the infected in large numbers. The close-in low-altitude support aircraft, flying daringly close to the ground, unleashed their gatling guns, shredding through the zombies.

"After clearing the clusters, focus on the mutated zombies," Richard instructed.

***

Meanwhile, in China, Lin Feng watched from various angles and perspectives.

"Mecha? That’s unexpected. Well let’s summon something unexpected as well," Lin Feng grinned.