For those who could achieve a six-times force field, piloting a mech was as easy as driving a mag-lev vehicle; for those who reached eight times, piloting a mech for a lifetime wouldn't even affect their bodies.

Upon reaching the eight-times force field, Bran’s breathing hitched slightly, but Tang Wen’s expression remained unreadable.

Bran had long been aware of Tang Wen’s capabilities and wasn't surprised, but seeing Ziye possess the same ability filled him with awe beyond mere disbelief.

Even Tang Wen’s gaze toward Ziye shifted in a subtle, intriguing way.

Bran adjusted his posture, channeling mental energy throughout his body until he no longer felt the surrounding pressure. He then asked Tang Wen, "Shall we proceed further?"

Tang Wen replied coolly, "You don't need to."

A look of abandonment flashed across Bran’s face before he stood still, obediently waiting.

Ziye glanced back at him, wanting to offer comfort, but the words wouldn't come. Bran noticed this and couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and vexation; he was actually being pitied by a student.

His physical conditioning was top-tier in the military; it just meant these two were overwhelmingly powerful!

After Ziye entered the nine-times force field, sweat beaded on her forehead, and the rhythm of her breathing changed. In the quiet room shared only by the two of them, only the sound of her struggling breath could be heard.

Ziye felt intensely awkward. The harder she tried to regulate her breathing, the more erratic it became, until finally, she gave up in exasperation and opened her mouth wide, gasping for air.

Seeing her distress, Tang Wen stopped moving forward and turned around to walk back.

Ziye watched him walk away, one hand casually tucked in his pocket, his demeanor so calm and detached that she couldn't help but ask, "Are you alright?"

Tang Wen stated flatly, "I grew up in a force field."

Ziye blurted out, "It’s amazing you grew so tall while living in a force field!"

Tang Wen shot her a brief glance and said nothing.

Ziye instantly realized she had said the wrong thing and covered her face in frustration.

—How could I have just mocked the teacher? If he’s the petty type, won't I be doomed if he starts making things difficult for me later?

Ziye secretly stuck out her tongue just as they returned to the eight-times force field. Bran caught the expression and teased, "Did Mr. Tang Wen bully you?"

Tang Wen said with a cold expression, "You take her to learn piloting; I'll go to the design studio."

Bran watched him leave, then turned to Ziye, "Did you anger him?"

Ziye puffed out her cheeks, "Who knows if he's that petty."

Bran laughed and led her toward the Mech Pilot Training Base.

This was the real Mech Pilot Training Base, not the virtual one Little Sprout had taken her to. The base was enormous, occupying one-fifth of the entire space station, stretching beyond the horizon.

The base was divided into three sides: one for test flights, one for close-quarters combat, and an outer perimeter facing the boundless void of space, featuring gliding jetties where one could launch out to practice cruising and long-range artillery attacks.

Ziye was once again stunned by the research institute’s opulent displays of resources.

Bran drove the mag-lev vehicle with Ziye as they went to retrieve a mech. Along the way, they saw mechs engaged in close-quarters PK; the piloted machines moved with more agility than any human.

There were flashes of electric light and thunderous steps, bodies bending with flexible grace, and kicks delivered with sharp precision… The two combatants fought to a standstill.

Bran explained, "These two mechs are newly released combat frames, currently testing their close-quarters performance."

Ziye’s eyes lit up. "Can I try it?"

Bran couldn't help but chuckle. "Close combat is more difficult than ranged combat. Ranged fighting mainly relies on the onboard equipment; as long as you know how to use the devices, you can fire the shells. Close combat relies entirely on your ability to manipulate the mech."

Ziye considered this carefully and nodded in agreement.

If there are shells, there must be launchers. The shell launcher integrates with the target-locking system; once a target is locked, provided it’s within range, there’s a baseline 30% hit rate.

Furthermore, firing shells requires time, and the time it takes for the shell to impact also takes time, providing a relatively longer buffer period—unlike close combat, where you must fuse completely with the machine.

The duel was only a month away.

During this month, she had to learn to pilot a real mech, master both long-range and close-range combat, and only then practice fighting techniques in the virtual pilot training base.

—Because the duel she had with Mei Jing was a virtual fight!

Ziye pondered. "Bran, can I study virtual combat first?"

She had played twice before in the virtual base, mostly to check her own loadout configurations. In a duel, her advantage relied primarily on different performance specs; when it came to fighting technique...

Ziye couldn't help but recall the Platinum Tycoon-class pilot she had briefly encountered once.

That was what a master looked like.

Bran shook his head. "Virtual combat is just child's play. You can play around with it sometimes, but don't invest too much time. Once you master real mechs, learning virtual combat will be as easy as flipping your hand."

Ziye nodded, "Understood!"

Upon reaching the mech hangar, Bran casually assigned her a Disaster-class model.

Ziye was so shocked her jaw nearly dropped.

Military mechs—Jun Jia, as the name implied—were for military use.

The distinction of military mechs from others was that every aspect of them was engineered purely for warfare. Thus, from head to toe, inside and out, every component was researched and coordinated based on the most precise data.

They were incomparably superior to ordinary mechs.

The Disaster-class was a flagship among military mechs and one of Tang Wen’s signature designs, currently issued to the Star Federation’s special forces.

Ziye practically wanted to leap onto it right there.

Being Tang Wen’s student was truly the best. Previously, finding a mech like this was harder than ascending to heaven. Little Sprout, hanging at her waist, was even more excited; if Ziye hadn't been gripping it, it would have already rushed forward to scan the machine.

Bran smiled faintly. "Don't worry about it. You have full clearance here; you can use any standard equipment freely. Just don't touch the specialized gear for now."

Ziye nodded happily.

Bran added, "There is also a Battleship Captain Training Base here. After you master the mechs, I will teach you how to command a battleship."

Ziye’s eyes widened. "If I can't find a job after graduation, can I go pilot a battleship?"

Bran gave her a side-eye. "You could also use your pilot's license to drive an interstellar bus."

The two burst into laughter.

Bran opened his terminal interface and sent Ziye a training schedule. They dismounted the mag-lev vehicle, boarded the Disaster-class, and just as he had taught her to fly the shuttle, he explained the usage of every device on the mech.

Ziye listened while practicing on the touchscreen terminal. Bran spoke quickly, forcing her fingers to alternate between rapid and slow movements to keep up.

The intelligent robot R-SDD, standing beside the mag-lev vehicle, maintained its posture of gazing upward at a ninety-degree angle toward the sky, watching her mech. It watched as, under her control, the machine suddenly lunged forward, then twisted its rear end, and finally, it simply squatted down on the ground…

The last two steps Bran taught were cruising and jumping.

Her Disaster-class mech was still crouched on the ground, not yet having stood up, when it began cruising according to Bran’s instructions. The poor machine slid into the jetty while squatting, then shot out into space! RS