aircannonsinc Chapter 71 Opening
Chapter 71 Opening
On the day of the match, almost the entire city of Kallon woke up earlier than usual.
The outer perimeter of the arena was jammed from the main passageway all the way to the outer elevated road. Streams of spectators poured in, layer upon layer, and the ticket gates, identification areas, and temporarily opened access gates were all operating at full capacity. The broadcast screens high up lit up ahead of time, with the names of Zhonya's Hour and Hercules scrolling by in turn, and light effects sweeping across the outer walls repeatedly, making the entire arena scorching hot.
The main stadium had been expanded once, and several tiers of temporary spectator seats had been added. Even the high secondary stands, which are not usually open to the public, were full this time. The further in you went, the louder and more chaotic the sound became, like the resonance caused by many, many radios reaching their peak of excitement, even making the ground tremble slightly.
The vector was standing at the entrance of a passageway on the inner side. He looked up and saw this scene.
She quickly looked away; she wasn't there to join in the fun.
She glanced down at the last version of the route map in the terminal, confirming that the credentials, temporary identity, short-term jammer, and signal shield were all in place, and the pulse energy cannon newly installed at the right arm interface was also in standby mode.
Internal communications were quiet, but everyone was there. Megatron, Orion, Soundwave, Starscream, Shockwave, Ratchet, Knockout, and Jazz were all online and ready.
Just as she was about to go inside, a voice came through the internal communication system.
Have we reached the first floor yet?
It's Orion.
The vector replied quickly: "Almost there."
"The passageways on the upper floors are more crowded than usual today, so please be patient."
Her lips twitched slightly: "I know."
After saying that, she walked forward along the inner passage.
-
On the other side, the center of the arena had completely erupted in chaos.
The host and referees' lengthy pre-match introductions were hardly being listened to at this point; everyone was only waiting for two names. When the main broadcast screen switched to the heavy gates below the field, the roar from the entire audience instantly rose another level.
Hercules came out first.
The moment the gate rose, the first thing you felt was the ground becoming heavy under your feet. Then, the ridiculously large machine stepped up, its outline full of spikes, angles, and a weight that made your heart clench.
The audience immediately erupted in cheers.
With each step he took forward, the outer railings and the upper-level grandstand erupted with even louder roars. The broadcast cameras above swept across his shoulder armor and spiked shell, and the overwhelming sense of oppression was palpable even through the screen.
As she passed through the second identification gate, she heard the loud, vibrating roar. She didn't stop, but glanced at the broadcast screen.
Hercules has already taken his place in the center of the field.
It's huge, and truly ferocious. Placed next to a regular machine, it looks like a moving mountain of steel.
The next second, the main gate on the other side also opened.
At that moment, the sounds in the stadium seemed to explode as if they had been ignited.
Zhen Tianzun has made his appearance.
The entire arena immediately gained a sharper center of gravity around him. The supporters went wild first, with the light boards and signs on the high places almost collapsing in his direction. When the broadcast camera zoomed in, even the hint of coldness on the side of his visor was clearly visible.
The vector paused for half a second, looked for two seconds, and then continued forward.
In the communication, the sound wave provided the first real-time correction.
First level cleared. Turn left. Avoid the subjective race flow.
She followed the line, avoiding the main flow of people, and walked along the edge where the accompanying observation team and temporary staff were mixed together. The first two layers of identification worked without problems; the permissions Orian had given her were certainly sufficient for this kind of place, preventing ordinary guards from giving her a second glance.
In the center of the arena, Thunder God and Hercules were already facing off from afar.
The referee routinely announced the rules and restrictions, but the audience never quieted down; the cheers and shouts erupted during every pause.
Hercules raised his hand and waved it towards the high stands, and the audience immediately erupted in a wave of cheers.
Zhen Tianzun glanced at the audience and raised his hand in greeting, causing the supporters to shout even louder.
As she cut into the middle tier from the side aisle, she heard that piercingly loud cheer. She steadied her identification card and continued walking forward with the flow of people in the middle tier.
By this time, almost all the spectators had entered the stadium. The middle stands and the upper secondary viewing area were packed with people, all eager to find a seat and get a better view. She blended in rather inconspicuously, and as long as she didn't stay still for too long, the guards wouldn't pay attention to her.
Another voice came through the communication, this time it was Jazz.
"There's a traffic jam on your right front side, don't go there."
"Go around from behind the spectator signage area."
Yin Xiang's eyes darted around, and she quickly spotted the narrow corridor blocked by the flow of viewers. Without making a sound, she changed direction and moved behind an exaggeratedly large secondary screen for the live broadcast, just in time to avoid that small area of backflow congestion.
Meanwhile, the referee finally left the field.
Game start.
Hercules gave them little room to test their mettle; they started by pressing hard. Once that kind of physique got going, the front row could even feel the ground tremors spreading outwards in layers.
Zhen Tianzun didn't stand still and fight head-on. He first stepped aside, and took advantage of that momentary misalignment to close the gap. He then launched his fusion cannon and telescopic blade simultaneously.
The deafening roar of the first collision ignited the entire arena.
All the broadcast cameras immediately switched to the center of the arena, with the main screen, secondary screen, and upper broadcast ring all focused on the two machines that had collided and were spewing sparks. At that very moment, the vectoring device, following the walkway inside the middle tier of the stands, officially entered the more in-depth area.
She passed through the third level.
The road becomes difficult to travel further up.
The audience flow was filtered out; those who could continue to the upper tiers of the viewing area were either registered in the system or possessed internal devices with clear permissions and escort identification. The passageway was narrower than the lower tiers, with clear lighting and fewer obstructions, making it easier for the guards to spot her.
The vector moved forward along the edge of the channel with steady steps.
In places like this, you must not rush.
The sound wave notification rang in my ears again.
"Turn left ahead. Two guards, exchange glances for three seconds. Wait."
She stopped, following the shadow of a protruding metal plate, and looked up. Sure enough, the two guards in front of her were scanning the passage and the upper entrance, one in front and one behind, their positions firmly in sight.
Another muffled, deafening thud echoed from the arena below, the tremor felt throughout the upper floors rising up the stands. A roar, even louder than before, erupted from the audience, and the two security guards were indeed slightly distracted.
"Now."
The vector immediately slid out.
Instead of walking through the central aisle, she used a small blind spot to slip past along the inner curve on the right, disappearing silently behind the next corner. The whole sequence of movements was so fast that she was like a shadow gliding past the wall, leaving no complete outline of the two guards before or after her.
Just as I regained my footing, the sound of jazz music broke in again.
"A temporary escort team is passing by on the floor above you. Don't look up, wait for them to leave first."
The vector responded softly, its back pressed against the wall, and casually touched the signal shielding plate on the inside of its left wrist to make sure it was firmly in place.
Down on the field, Thunder God and Hercules have completely turned into head-to-head combat.
Once Hercules's size fully overwhelms an opponent, ordinary machines simply cannot easily create distance. Every strike he makes is ridiculously heavy; when his spiked armor and thick arms slam down, the railings at the edge of the arena tremble.
Zhen Tianzun did not retreat.
He sidestepped the heavy blow from the front, while the fusion cannon simultaneously blasted into Hercules' left shoulder armor. Immediately afterward, his telescopic blade shot out, slicing into the blasted structural seam. The first strike didn't go deep, and Hercules retaliated with a backhand smash, forcing him to take a half-step back.
The two top-tier Gladiator fighters slammed their mechs and sheer force into each other. Every collision felt like an explosion of energy was about to erupt, drawing the attention of even the fighters that had been maintaining a respectable facade in the VIP boxes.
This is exactly what the vector needs most.
She waited for the accompanying observation team to pass, then continued upwards along the innermost ascending line. The temporary access granted to her by Orian was starting to strain her here; lingering even a second longer would make her easily noticeable.
Orion's instant notification popped up in the terminal very quickly.
"Don't use primary privileges for verification on the right-hand side; switch to the auxiliary layer."
Her eyes flickered, and in the next second she changed the recognition order. The main access layer that was originally going to be sent out was immediately replaced by the auxiliary recognition provided by Master Titanium. The verification light in front of her paused for a brief moment before letting her through.
After crossing the line, she let out a soft sigh.
Orion added softly, "The upper echelons' spectator area is just ahead, be careful."
She didn't reply with anything extra, remaining cautious.
On the other side, Zhen Tianzun began to show signs of injury.
A duel like this with Hercules wouldn't be possible without energy fluid. Just as Zhen Tianzun managed to close the distance with a misaligned maneuver, before he could even thrust his retractable blade deeper, he was struck by a powerful side blow to the edge of his chest armor, sending the entire machine swerving a step away.
A gasp erupted from the audience, only to be drowned out by an even louder roar a second later.
Supporters were chanting his name, and those betting on Hercules were going crazy. The entire arena was filled with heat and noise, and even the air seemed to be churning.
Zhen Tianzun didn't let that move slow down his pace.
As soon as he regained his balance, he immediately took advantage of the opening when Hercules turned around to cut in position, pulling from directly in front of his opponent to a blind spot further to the right. When the Fusion Cannon fired for the second time, the angle was even more tricky than the first, hitting Hercules directly at the joint of his right knee armor.
This shot finally made that behemoth sway.
very short.
Zhen Tianzun immediately followed up, his retractable blade filling the gap created by the previous cannon shot. Hercules retaliated furiously, and another deafening collision erupted in the center of the arena.
The vector heard that very sound as it passed through the fifth interchange.
She was very close to the tier where the highest grandstand box was located.
Therefore, more and more troubles began to arise.
Around the corner ahead, three aircraft accompanying the observation team were standing by the semi-open panoramic windows, talking quietly. These aircraft may not appear to be on alert, but if they spot someone amiss, they react faster than guards.
She had just gone through the possible detours in her brain module when the jazz music interrupted again.
There's a narrow maintenance walkway behind the secondary screens on the left. You can get in, but it looks a bit unsightly.
Yin Zongxing's lips twitched slightly: "Do I even care about looking good right now?"
The reply came quickly: "Okay, then please go ahead."
She ducked down and squeezed into the maintenance tunnel, which was barely wide enough for one machine to squeeze through sideways. It was dimly lit, smelled bad, and had wires and spare structural pieces scattered around.
It's easy to use.
She crouched down and crawled through the passage, emerging from behind the blind spot of the three escort aircraft.
The area in front is the outer perimeter of the private rooms.
She stopped and glanced down at the time.
almost.
The match on the other side of the field has entered an even more intense phase.
Hercules was clearly enraged by Zhen Tianzun's two successful attacks that found openings in his defenses, and every subsequent strike he made was imbued with a ferocious intent to crush his opponent. Several cracks appeared in the metal surface of the arena, and some of the protective railings were also shaken and cracked.
Zhen Tianzun was not having an easy time either.
He was clearly injured; new scratches and marks from heavy impacts were visible on the edge of his breastplate and his left shoulder. Yet, his performance with the machine became increasingly stable, as if he had finally figured out the rhythm of Hercules after all the initial skirmishes and struggles.
Standing in the shadows outside the private room, Yin Vector exhaled, casually raised the activation threshold of the energy blade in his left hand by one notch, and then checked the ready-to-fire status of the pulse cannon in his right arm once more.
Further ahead is the outer gate of the highest grandstand boxes.
She didn't move immediately, but looked up ahead.
There are fewer guards outside the private rooms than before, but their positions are more dangerous, blocking several of the easiest entry points. Even with proper authorization, you'll be stopped if you try to enter via the normal route.
At that moment, a deep, heavy thud resounded from the center of the arena below.
The roar from the audience grew louder and louder.
The fierce battle between Thunder God and Hercules has been brought to the brink of a true climax.