“Finally here! I was almost dying from waiting. It seems ambushes like this should just be left to 13 and 1. It’s actually coming from 13’s direction? That kid is really lucky. With him there, there’s no more fun to be had.” 36 thought to himself.

“13’s direction? If it’s him, nothing will go wrong.” 24 thought to himself.

East gate of the base...

“What’s that? Such a huge cloud of dust, I can’t see!” the guard said nervously.

“Stop! Or we’ll shoot!” another soldier shouted, raising his gun in fear.

The target didn’t stop, only emitting the distinctive barrel-spinning sound of a Gatling gun. Half a second later, the gate and the two soldiers turned into “persimmons.”

“Still can’t shoot yet...” 13 thought. He had to wait, to wait for a fleeting opportunity. 13 knew he was a sniper, not a god. The mission didn’t require saving anyone; all he could do was kill it!

The dust stopped at the gate. Slowly, slowly, a fully-armored powered suit walked out.

Titanium alloy reflected a faint red light.

“Confirm enemy weapons and equipment! Handheld Gatling gun, modified barrel over two meters. There’s an unfamiliar gun on its back, judging by its appearance, it’s a shotgun-type weapon. There’s a close-combat knife at the waist. Basic combat capability, impossible to estimate.” 13 sighed with interest, “Looks like I might really die this time.”

“‘Angel’ has ‘descended’ on the base. Should we begin the ‘Divine Punishment’ mission?” The mech at the gate didn’t move, waiting for orders.

“Begin. You only have half an hour; that’s the fastest time for David Clark’s outer troops to return. I don’t want to see any damage to the mech. Eliminate every hostile object you find. I want that place to become hell!” Annie said calmly into the communicator.

“‘Angel’ understands!” The mech moved.

Chapter 6: I Want to Kill Her

The mech walked step by step into the base. The shrill alarm seemed unable to remind it that this was an enemy base. The muzzle of the Gatling gun dragged sparks across the ground.

As expected, David Clark had kept a trick up his sleeve. In moments, over a thousand fully armed soldiers had arrived. They didn’t surround the mech, but each found cover to observe its movements. The first to open fire were snipers lying in ambush at high points. Large-caliber anti-materiel sniper rifles, capable of piercing tanks. But over a dozen bullets only sparked a bit of light on the mech’s body before fading away. The heavy body paused, and everyone fell silent. The Gatling gun’s spinning sound started again as the mech spun in a circle, firing clockwise, then stopped. The sniper positions fell silent. The soldiers’ hearts were deeply shaken.

“Commander! There’s a mech invasion!” Secretary Brooks reported in a panic.

“Order the outer troops to stop fighting and return to the base immediately. The troops ambushed inside the base don’t need to destroy the enemy, just hold it off! Hold out for half an hour and it’s our victory! Tell the soldiers, this is the most crucial battle to determine if we can return to TW!” David Clark excitedly ordered Secretary Brooks in the office.

“‘Angel’ reporting, the enemy is lying in ambush. Requesting full system activation, otherwise I cannot retreat intact, or will end the battle in 30 minutes.”

“It’s fine, let them see what real power is.” A cold smile appeared on Annie’s face.

After the communication, the mech suddenly trembled slightly. 13 knew the opportunity was near...

The soldiers received David Clark’s order, and they also understood that it was impossible to complete the mission without sacrifice. No one was afraid anymore; they were proud to participate in such an important battle! The thought of dying for their country filled everyone’s mind. Maybe some of them would never return home from today, never again care for their parents, wives, or children. But no one would regret it. The country would remember them, the people would remember them, because they were heroes! But 13 was destined to be forgotten. After his sacrifice, his body would be recovered, scientists would dissect him to study the reasons for failure, and produce new replacements. This was 13’s sorrow...

A few rocket soldiers rushed out from cover, and almost at the same time, the mech began spinning again. They sacrificed themselves, but not in vain. The last soldier locked onto it and fired a rocket. The mech raised one hand to intercept. The rocket was high-explosive, and exploded as soon as it touched the mech’s palm, exciting everyone’s hearts. Thick smoke blocked everyone’s view, and all prayed or cursed for its death. But the mech was equipped with “Titan” metal—there was still no man-portable weapon in the world that could truly harm it.

“‘Sky Eye’ system activated! Scanning the battlefield... S-class sniper detected in hiding!” A blood-red light suddenly lit up in the smoke, looking toward 13.

“The chance is here.” He pulled the trigger, and the bullet shot out at high speed. But 13 knew the mission wasn’t over—it had just begun...

“Dang...” A loud impact told everyone the battle wasn’t over. In the smoke, the Gatling gun began to spin, its distinctive sound reminding everyone it was still “alive.”

“Die!” The Gatling gun’s bullets tore through the smoke, sweeping up a shower of concrete chips toward the eaves where 13 was hiding.