What the Hell Did I Get Into?

After the class ended, Captain Li returned to the simulation pod and, while apologizing, confessed the truth to Xiao Bai.
"Damn it! I freeloaded off Lao Luo's class, and now you're just using me as free sparring practice?"
Xiao Bai smiled, not bothered by the minor grievance. "No problem, Brother Li. I'm just glad I could help."
He understood cl early that the Defense Force, tasked with repelling both Demonic Beast invasions and criminal activities, was the world's absolute mainstay of protection. The stronger they became, the safer the world would be. Helping them was essentially helping himself.
Besides, with his enemies wielding such immense power, it was always good to have more allies. He couldn't fight alone forever, could he?
"Brother Raven, you're always so easy to talk to. Shall we play two more rounds?"
"Sure."
A minute later...
"Captain is still the Captain. In all three matches combined, I barely lasted half a minute against him. If I switched to a stronger mech, I might actually have a chance."
"Right! Especially in the second match, that grenade nearly caught his landing spot. But he actually dodged the shot by bending his lower body! What a shame!"
"Captain Li had a good chance in the third match. During the Chainsaw Sword duel, he was already grazing his opponent. But Raven's angle was still more cunning, and his speed allowed him to dismember Captain Li's arm first..."
"Watching a clash between such experts is truly a feast for the eyes. Raven's speed, angles, and unpredictable Z-shaped maneuvers are simply mesmerizing. The Captain held his own too, showing real skill with his counterattacks and turning defense into offense. If he wasn't married, he might have actually won."
"Sigh... Captain, you really shouldn't be stuck herding us here. Those Dumb Old Men aren't even a match for you. Should we pool some money and see if we can help you out?"
Captain Li gave a faint, enigmatic shake of his head, exchanged brief farewells with Xiao Bai, and stood up, shaking his head again.
"Alright, alright, let's not dwell on this. And stop talking about those Dumb Old Men. They've got their own merits too."
But his subordinates remained defiant:
"Hmph! Just a bunch of wetware. So what if they're skilled? I'll only ever respect a Big Shot like Raven, someone with real heart."
"Heh~ Envious? It cost me my life."
"So you're just going to throw our lives away like grass?"
"Alright, alright, enough already! Don't you fear Internal Affairs might come knocking?"
Captain Li curtly silenced their grumbling. After a moment's thought, he sent another message:
"Brother Raven, if anyone from the Silent Iron Cavalry comes looking for you, don't answer."
He dared not elaborate further and simply ignored the question mark the other had sent.
"Silent Iron Cavalry? Isn't that the most elite, mysterious star unit in the Defense Force?" Xiao Bai asked, puzzled by the sudden mention.
That unit was famous, their name frequently appearing in the news, often touted by marketing accounts as the "top of the ten elite units" and a "constant in top combat power rankings."
In reality, however, all they knew was the name; details like personnel numbers, mech models, and functions remained classified, hence the description as the "most mysterious star unit."
"I'd even welcome them coming for me. It'd give me a chance to send an anonymous letter."
"It's time to study. We've played too long today. The sea of knowledge is boundless; let's use our livers as boats."

After several peaceful and productive days, Xiao Bai finally arrived at a special day.
His Big Ship Anchor was fully charged!
"Come on, come on. If I don't get out and move around soon, my parts are going to rust."
Xiao Bai approached the Space Anchor with anticipation. First, he changed its appearance back from a portable charger to its original form as a ship anchor. Then, following the mental instructions he'd memorized, he attempted a search.
After waiting for about ten seconds, a line of Alien Script appeared on the anchor:
Search failed. Continue?
"Strikeout on the first pitch? Good thing it's fully charged and I can try again."
Xiao Bai chose to continue.
This time, he waited a full hour before the anchor responded:
Search failed. Continue?
"Another strikeout? Do I need to set up a bait station first?"
Xiao Bai tried again.
This time, he didn't have to wait long. After about ten minutes, different text appeared on the anchor.
Xiao Bai quickly read it:
Unnamed Region
Hazard Level: 8
Rules: Invasion, Corrosion, Mist, Madness, Disorder
Scale: Gigantic
Predicted Outcome: Devoured
No Signs of Human Activity
Anchor?
After reading this, Xiao Bai felt his engine and reactor nearly sputter to a halt.
"Have I just caught a Cthulhu?"
The anchor's design resembled a fishhook, and its usage was like fishing—uncertain when something would "take the bait," and unclear who was really doing the fishing.
He hastily selected "No" and didn't dare search further.
Next, he opened the "Tavern" and found a paper explaining the rules of "Paradise," wanting to understand what these rules actually entailed.
However, he only found records of the first three rules:
Invasion refers to demonic beasts or harmful substances escaping from within, posing the greatest threat. Any contact with this rule starts the hazard level at 5.
Corrosion indicates the presence of highly corrosive acid rain, acid fog, or similar energy fields that can make mecha as brittle as biscuits.
Mist signifies extremely low visibility, drastically limiting the effective range of communication and instruments. Entering this rule feels like being immersed in dense fog.
Any encounter with these two rules starts the hazard level at 4.
As for the subsequent Madness and Disorder rules, the paper didn't mention them, leaving it unclear whether this was due to secrecy or simply that humanity hadn't encountered them yet.
The paper also noted that the highest hazard level humans had ever faced directly was level 7, during the Third Invasion.
They had observed a suspected level 8 entity and neutralized it through a special operation codenamed "Cutting," preventing its invasion.
Xiao Bai didn't know if he'd caught the same one, but he certainly didn't dare provoke it.
He patiently waited for most of the day, estimating that this "Cthulhu" had likely moved on, before daring to cast his line again.
This time, after waiting over two hours, he finally reeled in a small white fish—
Uncharted Territory
Hazard Level: 2
Rules: Humid, Flocking
Scale: Micro
Predicted Outcome: Devour
No Signs of Human Activity
Anchor?
"Same level as me? Excellent, this is right in my comfort zone."
Xiao Bai nodded, then checked the details of the two rules.
One indicated high humidity and frequent rainfall; the other meant a large number of Demonic Beasts, moving in groups.
Compared to the previous one, this was practically a paradise.
After anchoring, it would also be a devour, so there was no need to worry about finding his way back.
"What are we waiting for? Anchor!"

Chapter end