LMWD 🍁 Chapter 12: The Little Mermaid Tests a Mecha

That sound made Lu Feng open his eyes. Wen Yanzhou, terrified, quickly hid his optical computer. He'd nearly been caught daydreaming.

A message popped to the top of Lu Feng's optical computer. It was a reply from Wen Yanzhou.

The avatar was Wen Yanzhou himself, looking up blankly at the camera. The high angle made his head look large and his body small, fists clenched as he stood there. Lu Feng glanced at Wen Yanzhou standing not far away.

Mm. That awkward, stiff posture, exactly like the avatar.

Lu Feng typed back on his optical computer: I wouldn't lie to you.

Watching Wen Yanzhou jolt backward in fright when his optical computer chimed with the forum reply, his hair practically standing on end, Lu Feng felt a strange lightness in his chest.

Enough. Stop teasing him.

"Go back." Lu Feng waved a hand, signaling Wen Yanzhou was dismissed.

"Yes, yes! Goodbye, Admiral!"

Wen Yanzhou finally escaped the monster's clutches. He turned and fled at top speed, vanishing from sight within seconds. He was probably using every trick he knew to save his own skin.

Training resumed the next day. This time Wen Yanzhou actually arrived on time, reaching the camp safely and waiting for the instructor to begin.

But today, before the instructor appeared, a group of "giants" arrived at the field first.

Rumble, rumble,

A squad of silver mechas marched into the camp in formation. There were about four or five of them, each roughly two and a half times the height of a person. Their silver casings looked sturdy and sharp, yet their forms were far from clumsy—they moved with agility and grace, even capable of lifting straight up into the air.

"Wow! They're mechas!"

"Good heavens, so these are the legendary mechas? They're so cool!"

"Whoaaaa, they're coming closer! Will we get to learn how to pilot them too?"

The arrival of the mechas instantly captured everyone's attention, electrifying the atmosphere of the entire camp. All the recruits cheered for these legendary machines that could amplify combat power by dozens of times.

"I heard our class gets to learn basic mecha piloting! Those with real talent might actually get pulled into special training and eventually get their very own mecha!"

"Wow! We're so lucky! Please, please let me work hard enough! Please grant me my own mecha!"

Wen Yanzhou watched the scene with some astonishment and gently nudged Ai Yuan's arm: "Ai Yuan, are these mechas really that impressive?"

Ai Yuan was also completely transfixed by the mechas, his eyes practically sparkling with stars.

"Of course they are! These mechas, they can move mountains and shake the seas, strike fear in all directions, their might overshadows even their masters! You know the Admiral, right?"

Under Ai Yuan's excited gaze, Wen Yanzhou nodded slowly.

"The Admiral piloted his own mecha alone against a hundred strange beasts and returned to land safely! I heard when he came back, the mecha was covered in scarlet, sticky fluid—all the remains of the strange beasts he'd destroyed!"

"Good heavens, that's incredible!"

Wen Yanzhou pictured the scene in his mind: Lu Feng with that sour expression of his, piloting his mecha and slicing through strange beasts, and even mermaids, with a single stroke. Would a mermaid be cut clean in half instantly, watching his own blood splatter across the mecha before dying immediately?

The more Wen Yanzhou thought about it, the more terrifying it became. He craned his neck backward nervously.

"Everyone! Form up!"

Thankfully, the instructor's voice shattered the images in Wen Yanzhou's head. If he'd kept going, he was certain he would have imagined himself being hacked to death by that giant machine any second.

"As you can all see. Today, I will teach you about mechas."

"Mechas are extremely rare. Piloting one requires pheromones as a medium. Activating a mecha demands high concentrations of pheromones—the higher your pheromone level, the stronger the mecha and the longer it can remain operational."

"Therefore, mechas can only be piloted by Alphas or Omegas." The instructor paused here: "Note that you must pilot strictly according to your own pheromone capacity. Once your pheromones are depleted, the mecha shuts down immediately. The pilot falls unconscious from pheromone exhaustion, their body as vulnerable as an infant's. The slightest mishap can be fatal."

The instructor's words were grave, but they did nothing to dampen the recruits' enthusiasm upon seeing the mechas.

"Instructor, Instructor! Can we really learn to pilot mechas?"

"Will we be able to have our own mechas?"

The speakers were several Alphas, so overwhelmed by their first sight of mechas and the chance to actually pilot one that their grins stretched nearly to their ears.

"Now for the important part." The instructor glanced at the speaking Alphas and continued: "It is true. You may learn to pilot mechas."

"Furthermore, those who achieve extremely high compatibility with a mecha and pass the final mecha trial may apply to receive their very own mecha."

"WOW!" A deafening roar went up. The recruits were beside themselves with excitement.

"But let me be clear from the start. Piloting a mecha is extraordinarily difficult, and those who can truly bond with one are few and far between. If you fail, you will not be given another opportunity to pilot."

The instructor paced with hands behind his back, surveying the crowd. Every face before him shone with excitement. Even the Betas, who lacked pheromones and therefore had no chance of piloting, looked thrilled at seeing mechas with their own eyes for the first time.

Watching everyone line up for the first mecha's cockpit, Wen Yanzhou hesitated.

Could I pilot a mecha too? If I could successfully bond with one of these giants, would I become very strong too? Would I be able to fight bravely if that cruel Admiral ever came hunting mermaids? Could I block his attacks and protect everyone in the sea?

Wen Yanzhou burned with hope. But he couldn't even control his own pheromones, and his pheromone level was only D-level. Could he really pilot a mecha?

"This is impossible! It won't move at all!"

"Swap me out! Let me try!"

"Good heavens, what do you do? It's completely unresponsive!"

"None of you have what it takes. Let me go! Hey, why isn't anything happening? No, wait, let me try again."

"Get down from there already. Activation failed. This mecha isn't for you."

The first few Alphas scrambled eagerly into the cockpit of the silver mecha at the front. But after several minutes, all emerged looking dejected and dusty.

Piloting a mecha required injecting pheromones of sufficient concentration and establishing a bond with the machine itself. Without that, even activation was impossible.

The training mechas brought out today were models with broad compatibility across different pheromone types. But those first few Alphas simply didn't have high enough pheromone concentrations, and all failed to activate.

The instructor watched their performance from the side, his expression unchanged, as if he had already predicted this outcome.

"He's in! He's in! Qu Zhuo is inside!"

"He should be able to do it, right? He's an A-level Alpha. If even he can't, we might as well stop dreaming."

Wen Yanzhou pressed forward to watch. Qu Zhuo was the A-level Alpha they had seen during registration. Word was he was performing excellently in training, completing nearly every exercise better than anyone else.

THUD.

The cockpit sealed shut. Qu Zhuo was alone inside, waiting silently for the mecha to respond.

The air grew very still. Everyone, including the instructor, watched the mecha and the Alpha within.

Beep.

Finally, the eyes of the nearly four-meter-tall giant lit up green. Its massive body slowly turned, took one step forward, and even raised an arm to wave clumsily through the air.

"He did it! Qu Zhuo successfully activated it!"

"Good heavens, he actually did it! That's so cool!"

"Look, look! He's already making it move! Is this the power of an A-level Alpha?!"

The onlookers were probably more excited than Qu Zhuo himself, cheering and crowding around the mecha.

The instructor beside them also looked pleased. Qu Zhuo was truly exceptional. Barring accidents, he would likely win the New Recruit Tournament, join the Admiral's legion, and go on to have a brilliant future.

"Alright. Now line up in order and approach the cockpits. Those who successfully activate stand on this side. Mecha piloting will be added to your regular training starting next week. Those who fail to activate stand on that side, with the Betas."

The crowd automatically sorted into several lines according to the instructor's words, queuing behind their chosen mechas. Wen Yanzhou selected one that looked slightly smaller, slimmer, and more agile—hoping it would consume less pheromone and that he might successfully activate it.

Ai Yuan stood ahead of him, staring at the mecha before him with longing. Like Wen Yanzhou, he desperately hoped to pilot it successfully.

"Wen Yanzhou, do you think we can do it?" Ai Yuan licked his lips nervously.

Wen Yanzhou shook his head. He had no idea either. The mecha before him was so large and powerful. How wonderful it would be if he could control it.

A cry of surprise went up from a nearby squad. A second person had successfully activated a mecha.

"I want to succeed too!" Ai Yuan's eyes shone with envy. "Come to think of it, my pheromone level is almost B-level. Is there a chance I could make it?"

Wen Yanzhou saw how badly Ai Yuan wanted to succeed and was about to encourage him—tell him he could definitely do it.

But before he could speak, a mocking voice cut in: "You? How could you possibly? I'm already B-level and I failed. What makes you think you, who haven't even reached B-level, could succeed?"

It was one of the Alphas who had failed earlier. He curled one corner of his mouth at Ai Yuan, sneering at him for dreaming the impossible.

Ai Yuan bristled and shot back immediately: "Oh, and who might this be? Just because you can't do it, you think everyone else is as weak and helpless as you are?"

"Not much ability, but plenty of enthusiasm for picking fights and showing off, hmm?"

"Hey, watch your mouth!" The Alpha, bewildered by Ai Yuan's idioms, clenched his fists and stormed over.

Seeing they were about to come to blows, Wen Yanzhou quickly stepped between them to stop Ai Yuan: "Don't fight, don't fight! It's not worth it. Piloting the mecha is what matters. It's almost our turn. Let's just try activating first."

But Wen Yanzhou's peacemaking only seemed to enrage the Alpha further. He turned and pointed a finger directly at Wen Yanzhou's nose: "And you! The most useless of the useless! I heard you're a D-level Omega, and you're thinking about activating a mecha too? Looking at you, your pheromone concentration is probably about the same as a Beta's hahaha."

One taunt wasn't enough: "Oh right, probably even worse than a Beta. At least Betas don't faint on the first day of training and skip the second!"

Ai Yuan was about to throw a punch when the instructor, overhearing from nearby, barked at the Alpha to back off. The matter was dropped.

Wen Yanzhou lowered his head. Actually, he's not wrong. He had been a little good-for-nothing since childhood, unable to control his pheromones, barred from any training. Now on land it was the same: his pheromone level was the lowest, D-level, and he couldn't even complete all the training. He really did seem useless.

He wanted to protect everyone, but he was always the one being protected.

Under Ai Yuan's concerned gaze, Wen Yanzhou forced a smile: "Mm-hm! I know. It's your turn now. Go on!"

The previous recruit emerged dejectedly. Now it was Ai Yuan's turn to enter the cockpit.

With another THUD, Ai Yuan climbed inside. Wen Yanzhou stared intently at the mecha before him, hoping Ai Yuan would succeed. But a long time passed, and the machine remained as motionless as before.

Just when everyone assumed Ai Yuan too would fail, the mecha's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Activation successful!"

Ai Yuan had done it! Not only did the mecha's eyes glow, but its head even turned slightly under Ai Yuan's control—a tremendous achievement!

"I really did it! I knew I could!" Ai Yuan practically leaped from the cockpit. On his way down, he couldn't resist shouting toward the Alpha who had mocked him: "I succeeded!"

"Wen Yanzhou, you can do this too! If I can, you can!"

Ai Yuan looked at Wen Yanzhou excitedly, his eyes wider and brighter than usual.

Buoyed by Ai Yuan's confidence, Wen Yanzhou felt a flicker of hope. Maybe? Maybe I really can?

"Mm!"

But the Sea God did not seem to smile upon Wen Yanzhou. When he sat in the cockpit and strained with every fiber of his being to control his pheromones, the nape of his neck felt nothing.

Wen Yanzhou tried to guide his pheromones down through the control stick to activate the mecha. The red control stick felt smooth beneath his palms, which were slick with sweat. But the electronic display remained exactly as it had been when no pheromones were received—no change whatsoever.

Really... really can't do it? Just try once more, please...

Suddenly, the back of his neck grew hotter and hotter. As if sensing Wen Yanzhou's desperation, his pheromones began pouring out in greater and greater quantities. The entire cockpit felt as though it were being submerged in seawater. Could it be... could it be working?

The thick, briny sensation seemed to carry the infinite power of the ocean, nearly bursting through the cockpit walls.

Just before reaching its peak, the emergency self-preservation button at the back of the mecha's control room suddenly flashed—then was instantly suppressed and extinguished. To anyone outside, the mecha gave only a faint click, too quiet to draw notice.

Wen Yanzhou jumped down from the cockpit. As everyone had expected, he had failed.

"Don't be discouraged." Ai Yuan didn't quite know how to comfort him: "Maybe... maybe it's just the compatibility. With the right mecha, you could still succeed."

Wen Yanzhou returned to his quarters feeling thoroughly dejected.

Worse still, the stimulation from the mecha cockpit seemed to have triggered his scales—they were faintly threatening to reappear.

Wen·Melancholy Little Fish·Yanzhou had no choice but to set out again. That dreadful Admiral had said he only came to the pool on Mondays. Today, surely, he wouldn't be there.

Fortune finally favored Wen Yanzhou. He made his way stealthily to the pool and encountered no trouble at all. Only when he had actually shed his clothes and slipped back into the water did his racing heart settle.

"Phew. The Admiral isn't here." Wen Yanzhou patted his chest. His sadness lifted a little at being back in the water.

Once submerged, Wen Yanzhou's legs transformed back into a tail. Pale blue scales lined his waist in neat rows, tapering down into a sleek, powerful fluke that cut through the water, leaving a faint trail behind it.

"It's still so small."

The pool was plenty large for a human. But for a mermaid like Wen Yanzhou, it was tiny. He had barely dived in and swum two strokes before he had to turn around. His tail slapped the edge as he reversed course, and just as he was about to build up speed, he bumped into the opposite wall.

So small. Just like... just like the one in that dream.

But having something was better than nothing. Wen Yanzhou knew to be grateful. He leaned against the steps on one side, his tail flicking lazily back and forth.

A few of the less secure blue scales scraped against the stone steps and came loose, glowing faintly in the water.

Wen Yanzhou cupped one in his palm: "Oh scales, scales. Why are you as useless as I am?"

"Why couldn't I activate that mecha? I really do seem so weak."

"Brother has powerful pheromones. Axi knows so many spells. Ai Yuan successfully activated a mecha. It seems like only I... only I'm good for nothing, with my D-level pheromones."

Wen Yanzhou's small figure drifted alone in the pool, swimming occasionally, then floating still.

And his voice, transmitted through the optical computer, reached another person's eyes and ears in full.

"Admiral, what are you watching?"

Zhang Chuan walked in suddenly, faintly noticing what looked like footage playing on the Admiral's optical computer—probably from some security camera somewhere.

"Nothing."

Lu Feng closed the screen entirely.

"The latest defense deployment arrangements have been compiled." Zhang Chuan held out documents for Lu Feng to review: "Any changes needed? I can organize a meeting at any time."

"Leave them there for now."

Lu Feng gestured to the desk, indicating Zhang Chuan should set the documents down.

"The purity stone I had you replace at the new recruit registration desk. Bring it to me."