"Well done!" There was no time to think about who was piloting the enemy Turtledove Mecha, but now it was his turn to fight back.
Caught in a pincer attack, the sole remaining mercenary Mecha realized it was distinctly outmatched and began to think of retreating. Managing to fire a few shots in rapid succession, it struck Xu Da's Mecha in the head, then threw down its Laser Machine Gun and started to flee.
Qiao Long from behind attempted to intercept, but due to his lack of proficiency, he was easily dodged by the opponent who even managed to leave a shallow cut on Qiao Long's Mecha with a counter slash.
However, at this point, the enemy no longer had any desire to continue the fight. Even though the Swallow-level Mecha in front of them appeared inexperienced, they had no intention of staying and instead turned around, rushing toward the exit and then climbing up the channel to the outside.
"Don't let him get away!" Xu Da yelled over the public communication channel.
Unfortunately for Qiao Long, even if he wanted to pursue, he was incapable. His Mecha stumbled several times in the complex environment, banging into walls, and the inertia of the impacts left him somewhat dizzy.
Xu Da, getting back on his feet, reattached his previously severed arm, but because the Mecha's sensory devices were largely damaged due to the hit to the head, even with a Laser Machine Gun, it was difficult to aim at the moving target. Multiple shots were fired and missed.
In the end, the sole remaining mercenary Mecha escaped the base, burst from the ground, flew into mid-air, and was then caught by a hook from a large passing Flight vehicle before being slowly retracted inside.
Once the enemy Mechas stopped wreaking havoc, the Autonomous Combat Units wreaking havoc throughout the base were swiftly cleaned up, and the base, having been through a fierce battle, finally regained a momentary peace.
A few minutes later, with the help of technicians, Qiao Long finally managed to shut down his Mecha's systems and stepped out of the cockpit. When his feet hit the ground, he felt unsteady for the first time, almost stumbling over.
"How are you feeling? Can you stand alright? We need to give you a full checkup immediately," the people around said, crowding around the man who just emerged from the Mecha.
"I'm not too bad." His head still hurt, and his body felt a bit weak, but overall, it was within what he could handle.
"You really have a strong constitution, not ending up with broken bones or unconscious from the impact inside," Xu Da took off his Helmet, shook his sweat-soaked hair, and approached Qiao Long.
"The first time I piloted a Mecha, even with all the safety measures and prior practice at the military academy, I still got hurt and laid in bed for several days afterward."
"Ha, I am part of the Dragon Sequence. I can handle this much pressure," Qiao Long took the water bottle, gulped down a big sip, and then poured the rest over his head, releasing a burst of steam and a wisp of smoke. It was the residual heat emitted from his Transcendent Core running at full strength.
"Get some good rest. The next few days won't be peaceful," another veteran of the base came over and patted his shoulder.
"Our position here has been exposed, and the commander has ordered a relocation to be done before dawn tonight."
"So soon?" someone asked, surprised.
"Of course. Now that the mercenaries have found us, the groups behind them will definitely report today's footage to the Federal Officials."
"Think about it. The four Mechas that went missing showed up here. Whether for legal reasons or to save face, the military police headquarters of North Fourth District will surely send a team immediately."
"But you all don't need to panic. Knowing the Federal bureaucracy as I do, even if their internal approvals are fast, it will still take them several hours before they dispatch an operation team."
"Moreover, the Mechas piloted by the mercenaries are also illegal products banned by the Federation. If this gets out, the groups that hired them will face a lot of trouble. These groups will likely have to find a way to deliver the footage to the officials without implicating themselves."
"In any case, time is of the essence, but there's still a chance. Get moving as quickly as possible."
"Yes, sir!" Everyone stood at attention and then dispersed, quickly arranging the transfer of materials and personnel.