Fight! Let's fight!

Xiao Bai didn't rush to repair himself first. He installed the three Energy Storage Batteries, completing this round of upgrades.
He glanced at his current performance parameters:
Model: Apprentice Type III Maintenance Mecha
Power: 15
Defense: 0
Processing Power: 12
Energy: 55/90
Equipped: Terror Turtle Power Engine, Basic Power Armor Structure, Tier 1 Energy Storage Battery x3, Other
Focusing on the "Other" category revealed a detailed list of his currently equipped gear and modules:
Simulation Question Bank, Echo-Class Electromagnetic Interference Module, Original Formula Autonomous Multifunctional Mechanical Arm
Including the external Medical Bay and surveillance camera, this comprised his entire current inventory.
"Not bad. It feels like steady progress. My Training Mecha has even upgraded into a proper Maintenance Mecha."
Xiao Bai smiled, then immediately moved on to the next task without delay—
The three Base Stations for the 'Spider' mechs still hadn't been reclaimed.
He had briefly examined them earlier and noted they were significantly different from the similar Base Stations under the dormitory building. These were much larger and clearly of a higher grade.
Actually, he could have easily smashed the base station earlier and absorbed its energy. His fist had already been raised, but a sudden realization struck him, suggesting a better use for it.
Returning to the scene of the incident, Xiao Bai remained vigilant, keeping an eye on the ghoul's movements in the surveillance footage while using three hands to dig up the buried base station.
The ghoul seemed unconcerned, likely because the 'Spider' responsible for early warnings had already been neutralized.
"Hmm? This structure at the bottom is strange... And there are no connecting cables or anything. Where does the 'Spider's' power come from?"
Xia o Bai examined the unique drill-like structure at the base station's bottom, initially assuming it served a stabilizing function. However, the excavation process had been surprisingly easy, with no resistance encountered, indicating a more complex purpose.
"Never mind that for now. Let's focus on the main task first."
Since the ghoul showed no objection, Xiao Bai didn't hesitate. He proceeded to unearth all three base stations, retrieve another camera, and carefully dragged the intact base station away.
T his was the plan Xiao Bai had devised. By exploiting the Ghoul's programmed response to electromagnetic interference—returning to the Maintenance Station for repairs—he could redirect the station to a new location, such as the territory of the Metal Worms.
If successful, he could position himself as the opportunistic 'skylark' reaping the benefits. If it failed, the loss would be minimal; he could simply destroy the Base Station and absorb its resources, wasting only some time.
Of course, he had to carefully control the distance to avoid getting himself caught in the crossfire.
Xiao Bai cautiously avoided the Ghoul's operational area, slowly dragging the Base Station while 'opening blind boxes' along the way, until he reached the area where the Metal Worms had previously been active.
First, he set down the Base Station, then found a high spot to mount the camera, aiming it at the large pit where the Metal Worms had emerged earlier.
Then, like a seagull testing the depth of the waves, he carefully, step by step, probed the Metal Worms' 'sensitive skin'.
Whenever he felt the soil begin to tremble slightly, he quickly withdrew his foot and stuck a piece of red metal he'd picked up into the ground as a warning line.
At first, the Metal Worms cooperated, responding to the intrusion. But after realizing the intruder was merely skimming the surface, they stopped paying attention to Xiao Bai.
This was exactly what Xiao Bai wanted. His actions grew bolder as he hoisted a base station onto his shoulder, crossed the warning line, and dug a shallow pit with both hands to bury it.
The Metal Worm remained unresponsive, allowing Xiao Bai to repeat the process and complete this "relocation."
"Script in place, set ready. Time for the actors to make their debut."
Following the surveillance camera's tracking, Xiao Bai returned to the Ghoul's vicinity and activated the electromagnetic interference, encouraging it verbally:
"Come on, don't be stage-struck. Ideally, you should blast the brains out of the thing on the other side."
Just as before, the Ghoul momentarily froze under the interference. But when Xiao Bai turned off the module, it quickly recovered.
Then it began circling in place, like a drunkard unable to find its bearings.
Xiao Bai didn't idle away the time. Seizing the opportunity, he calmly cleared the nearby trash piles, his demeanor relaxed and steady.
Ten minutes later, the Ghoul in the surv eillance feed stopped its erratic movements. Having likely reacquired the location of the Maintenance Station, it began a reckless charge, demolishing mountains of trash in its path as it hurtled straight toward the "new home" Xiao Bai had selected for it.
"It's done!"
Xiao Bai's heart swelled with satisfaction as he quietly crept toward the preselected "viewing area" ahead, ready to watch the unfolding drama through the cameras.
"Fight! Fight already! I want to see rivers of blood!"
Soon, the Ghoul arrived near the newly constructed Maintenance Station. Without hesitation, it rammed its way inside, even deliberately collapsing a nearby pile of rubble to make a bigger commotion.
As severed limbs scattered in all directions, the Ghoul settled near the three Base Stations, just as before, waiting for the "Spider" to emerge and serve it.
It seemed oblivious to the ground beginning to tremble faintly beneath it...
Only when the shaking grew more violent did it belatedly realize something was amiss. The large-caliber rocket launcher on its back raised again, and the high-pitched speaker began its routine announcement:
"Warning: You have entered a Military Restricted Zone. Leave immediately or face forceful expulsion."
Its warning was answered by a massive eruption of earth ahead. A colossal Metal Worm burst through the ground, emitting its distinctive hissing roar as a warning to the intruder before it:
"Sssssss~"
The Ghoul responded fearlessly:
"Warning! You are damaging military facilities!"
With that, the 16-tube rocket launcher on its back fired first, while its self-defense autocannons simultaneously spat torrents of flame.
The Metal Worm, its gaping maw wide open, braved the incoming hail of fire and lunged forward.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of explosions blanketed the battlefield in smoke, leaving Xiao Bai's monitor screen a hazy gray. He could barely hear the grating, metallic clashing of metal against metal.
Several seconds l ater, as the smoke began to dissipate, Xiao Bai saw the Metal Worm, its jaws wide open, attempting to swallow the Ghoul whole. But the Ghoul raised its digging claw, stubbornly resisting the bite, then unleashed all its firepower into the creature's mouth.
The Metal Worm's carapace could withstand the initial barrage of large-caliber rocket fire, but its mouth was clearly not as resilient. The impact sent chunks of flesh flying, followed by a pained roar from deep within its throat.
"Good! Nice shot!" Xiao Bai cheered from the back.
"What? Keep going! Why did you stop firing?"

Chapter end