Two seconds later...

Lao Luo quickly responded:
"He's from Mecha Academy and serves as a platoon leader in the Defense Force. We're both just small fry, stuck as lieutenants for years. You're definitely on a different level, Big Shot."
Ah, this... I'm actually a dropout from Mecha Academy...
Xiao Bai chuckled wryly, then switched to asking a few biology-related questions before ending the conversation. He sighed:
"His skills are only good enough to be a platoon leader. Should I say the Defense Force is full of hidden talents? Or is it just birds of a feather flocking together, since he's just like Lao Luo?"
He didn't dwell on the thought and immediately immersed himself in his studies again.
The next time he consulted Lao Luo, he saw the message:
"Big Shot, Lao Li keeps talking about you. He wants to know if you'd play a few more games with him."
"Sure, no problem," Xiao Bai replied promptly.
It didn't matter who he played with; the contribution rewards were just a bit lower. Besides, he owed Lao Luo a favor.
"Alright, I'll have him contact you through the Tavern."
No sooner had the words been sent than Xiao Bai received a message from an ID called "Silver Gun White Horse":
"Greetings, Raven Big Shot. I'm Luo Ming's friend, Li Ankang. You can call me Xiao Li."
"Hello, Brother Li. I'm Professor Luo's student. You can just call me by my ID."
After exchanging pleasantries, the two entered the private battle room within the Simulation Program to calibrate their mechs.
Little did Xiao Bai expect that this supposed private match would attract three "uninvited spectators."
"Captain Li, doesn't his mech look pretty average? Aside from its speed, I can't see any other advantages. Is it really as overpowered as you described?"
"I've played this sim before. There are tons of mechs available. You're probably the only two still clinging to Second Master's old design..."
"He has no defense at all—practically running naked! And he only brought a chainsaw sword. Are you just letting him win?"
Captain Li glared at his grinning subordinates and abruptly stood up from the simulation cockpit.
"You little rascals... Alright then, you're up first."
A young man, barely older than Xiao Bai, immediately stepped forward.
"Me, me! Let him see the prowess of the Hardcore Squad's number one sharpshooter!"
The battle began!
Two seconds later, it was over...
"Brother Li, are you off your game today?"
"Uh..."
The young man stared at the crimson "Noob" label on the screen, then glanced at the chat window in the lower right corner, his expression turning awkward.
He was taken down before he could even warm up the control stick...
He didn't even see where the enemy came from...
He scratched his head, desperately trying to come up with an excuse.
"The Simulation Program's aim assist is different from what I'm used to. Give me a second to adjust the settings, and I'll get my revenge next time!"
Two seconds later...
"Brother Li, what's wrong?"
"Captain, what should I say?"
"Ah... How embarrassing. Just tell them you were trying out a new strategy."
Captain Li rubbed his temples, then asked:
"Anyone else want to give it a try?"
"I'll do it! But I need to adjust your settings, Captain. Your current setup can't keep up with these high-speed mechs. You need to switch to one of the new models."
"Fine."
Two seconds later...
"That... was ridiculous! He didn't even use his Chainsaw Sword—he just kicked my cockpit open!"
"You weren't even in your cockpit defending yourself. Don't blame others for being ruthless."
"I refuse to accept this. I'll try again. I almost had him last time!"
Two seconds later...
"Brother Li, maybe high-speed maneuvers aren't really your style?"
"Ah ha ha, you're right. Just give me a moment. I'll try something else."
Several two-second intervals later...
Captain Li called for a time-out with Xiao Bai, then turned to his subordinates and asked:
"Convinced now? Anyone still wants to give it another go?"
The three originally stubborn youths shook their heads, their faces a mix of awe, shock, and profound respect. They all agreed:
"Convinced, convinced! The gap is too wide. We're like chickens before him—he's like a hawk circling overhead, swooping down and wiping us out in an instant..."
"Sigh... I used the most advanced mech with top-tier defense, but it was all useless. He just flanked me and sliced through the cockpit."
"This is why he only uses the Chainsaw Sword. We don't have any effective defenses against molecular cutting. Forget all the flashy new weapons—the only thing that can consistently breach defenses and deliver a killing blow is the Chainsaw Sword. He's truly a god!"
"Isn't the real god the skill of the operator? Don't you know how difficult that weapon is to master?"
"Of course I know! Even the marketing blogs call it the 'number one hardest weapon to use.' That's why Raven Big Shot is truly a god—he can make a medium-sized mech perform like a light-sized one, even without motion-sensing controls."
"Yeah, I can't even imagine how strong he'd be with a new mech and motion-sensing controls... But come to think of it, is he really not using motion-sensing controls? Look at the maneuvers he pulls off—they're beyond anything I've ever seen."
"Hmm, I have the same question. Could he have found some kind of legacy in Paradise , like a super motion-sensing system?"
Hearing the skepticism, Captain Li immediately manipulated the tablet in his hand, displaying several images of Xiao Bai performing "anti-human" postures and maneuvers during his maneuvers.
"Think about it—how could a human possibly perform these movements with motion-sensing controls? Does he not have bones? Can his waist rotate 180 degrees?"
The doubts vanished instantly.
"Uh... you're right... So if the human body can't perform these movements, neither can a mech. Doesn't that mean the motion-sensing system actually limits the mech's potential?"
"Exactly."
Captain Li nodded and added:
"There's a lot of debate about this system outside as well. This test is precisely to thoroughly verify that..."
But let's take a step back. You spent four years at th e Academy, studying and training. Then you spent another year wiping down mechs at my place before finally qualifying to sit in the cockpit. That's five years in total. With motion-sensing controls, you could potentially achieve the same in just five days.
"I get it. These days, building mechs is the easy part. Training pilots is a whole other challenge... Looking at this, motion-sensing is clearly the future."
"Exactly. No matter how skilled Raven is, he's just one person. He can't single-handedly hold back the Abyss. In the future, there will be fewer and fewer experts like him. Treasure this bit of favor I'm showing you."
"Understood, Captain! I'll print out every frame of today's footage and tape it to my bedside to admire daily."
"Me too! From now on, Raven is my idol!"
"I've been a Raven fan since birth!"

Chapter end