The space inside the cabin was enormous, with countless rooms lined up in a row. Most of the rooms were transparent, allowing one to see all kinds of mechas inside undergoing combat training.

"Hey... Schneider."

"Hey... Bolton, you're here too." Schneider laughed heartily and walked toward a tall man.

The two seemed very familiar with each other, greeting with a bear hug. Even though it was in the virtual world, it was clear that both were using considerable strength.

"Where's your teacher?"

"He didn't come."

"Oh, want to play a round with me?"

"No, I brought a friend. Besides..." Schneider said straightforwardly, "I don't want to get beaten up."

The man seemed to only now notice Schneider's companion, William Carter. He reached out his hand with a simple smile and said, "Michael Bolton."

"William Carter." He also extended his hand and gave a firm handshake.

"New here?"

"Yeah."

"Played before?"

"No, I'm a beginner."

A hint of a smile flashed across Michael Bolton's face as he said, "No worries, everyone starts as a beginner. I believe you'll get the hang of it soon."

"Thank you."

Michael Bolton waved goodbye to them and walked straight into one of the rooms to begin his training.

"He's an honest guy, and his mecha piloting skills are top-notch. In our Karim intermediate zone, he's definitely one of the best."

Watching Michael Bolton move with leopard-like agility in his virtual mecha, William Carter nodded sincerely and said, "I can tell."

After opening a new training room for William Carter, Schneider handed him a helmet and said, "You're a newbie, so you have to start from the basics. Put it on."

Following instructions, William Carter put on the helmet. A beam of light flowed down from above, and in an instant, he was clad in the most basic training mecha.

In the real world, this mecha weighed over 40 tons, and if equipped with various auxiliary modules, the total weight could exceed 60 tons. Of course, in the virtual network, there was no weight at all.

This mecha was the most basic and balanced of all mechas. It had no obvious strengths, but also no glaring weaknesses. However, for training beginners, it was the best choice.

"Alright, now you can try moving your arms and legs," Schneider instructed.

"Okay."

Modern mecha control was no longer manual; instead, commands were issued directly from the brain, with sensors directing the mecha's various parts to complete a series of actions.

Therefore, piloting a mecha required a high level of mental strength. The higher one's mental level, the faster the reaction speed. If a high-level person faced a low-level mecha pilot, they would have a huge advantage.

Of course, this wasn't absolute. Familiarity with the mecha, level of training, talent, and other factors were also very important.

Piloting a mecha for the first time, William Carter was no different from any other beginner. The mecha raised one arm, looking like a puppet being manipulated, which was quite comical.

Seeing this, Schneider couldn't help but laugh. He remembered his own awkwardness the first time he tried piloting a mecha—not much better than this. He hadn't expected that in just a few years, it would be his turn to teach others.

After raising his arm, the mecha wobbled as it stood up. Although a bit unsteady, at least it managed to stand.

Schneider shook his head. As expected of a level seven mental-type expert. He clearly remembered how clumsy he was when he first learned to pilot a mecha on the SkyNet; just standing up had taken him a full half hour.

However, William Carter was not having an easy time. At this moment, he felt as if he had returned to childhood. He realized he didn't even know how to walk anymore.

Barely managing to stand, his two legs felt as if they were filled with molten lead, yet also weak and powerless, making it impossible to take a single step.

"Damn it, is this mecha really that hard to control?" William Carter kept cursing under his breath.

"Come on, take a step forward, baby, don't be afraid, hurry up..."

That annoying voice kept ringing in his ears, and Schneider's enthusiastic urging was starting to get on his nerves.

Suddenly, Schneider's figure appeared before his eyes. Seeing William Carter standing motionless, he simply stood right in front of him and shouted, "Idiot, how can you be worse than a child? Be braver, come on, you coward..."

Irritated by the scolding, William Carter decisively took a step forward. Maybe it was because of his anger, but this step was steady and firm, planted on the ground like a nail.

Chapter 9: Walking

"Ah, excellent! You're a genius, absolutely..." Schneider's eyes lit up as he exclaimed, "You're the best genius I've ever seen. Although you're a bit worse than me, you're already amazing. Now, take another step, slowly, step forward..."

Having successfully taken his first step, William Carter was greatly encouraged and excitedly strode forward.

But for some reason, as he took this step, he suddenly felt his supporting leg go weak, as if a gust of wind had blown over and toppled the seemingly mighty iron giant.