World’s End: My Keyword is One More Than Others

Gu Qingyan.

In Du Ge's mind, an image of a spirited and heroic girl naturally flashed by.

But soon, he banished this girl from his thoughts.

A man's romance should be with mechas; only a fool would play romance with a girl.

No matter how beautiful a girl is, in the end, she would just become a wisp of a remnant soul, stuffed into the Simulation Field as an NPC.

In the grand scheme, this world is more disaster-prone than any other, with formidable enemies outside and a group of Alien Star warriors wreaking havoc on the planet, only to be harvested by Pan-Universal Entertainment in the end...

The external enemies fight for survival, the Alien Star warriors battle for their lives, everyone has their reasons for doing what they must.

Only Pan-Universal Entertainment does it for the game, the most despicable of them all. Once I have the power, I'll make sure to rid the universe of these pests...

But, mechas!

Du Ge's gaze fell on the design sketches on the table.

Before receiving the memories, these sketches were just a mess of drawings.

But with the knowledge from Lin Hong's mind, looking at these sketches again, Du Ge realized that these mecha parts were simply perfect.

With such beautiful mechas, who needs to think about women!

It's putting the cart before the horse.

Although Lin Hong was a half-baked talent, the technology of Bi Xing was years ahead of Earth. Even now, with the knowledge of mechas from Lin Hong's mind, Du Ge could elevate Earth's weaponry to a whole new level.

Du Ge swiped across the table, admiring the collection of mecha images Lin Hong had treasured, finding them more pleasing the more he looked.

Light mechas, medium mechas, heavy mechas, medical mechas, engineering mechas...

Tsk!

Du Ge couldn't help but click his tongue.

Pan-Universal Entertainment controlled Qi Yuan Star with a cosmic battleship, and Qi Yuan Star's technology was essentially helpless against that battleship.

Du Ge's knowledge of mechanics was practically zero, and this Alien Star Battlefield was like a pillow delivered to a sleepyhead.

Although Bi Xing's technology couldn't match Pan-Universal Entertainment, having this foundational knowledge was far better than being completely in the dark when he eventually boarded a Pan-Universal Entertainment spaceship.

Indeed.

Every Alien Star Battlefield brings unexpected rewards.

Mech Warrior, I must become a Mech Warrior. What's the point of being a repairman?

Du Ge set a new goal for himself. In a world like this, how could he not pilot a mecha into battle?

Just because Lin Hong couldn't do it, doesn't mean he couldn't.

Even without attribute boosts, the subtle transformation of his body by the five million mental power had already elevated Lin Hong's body to a new level.

...

Bi Xing's initial mechas were controlled by warriors using levers and keyboards, but mechanically controlled mechas were clumsy and couldn't meet the combat needs of the battlefield.

Later on.

Mechas evolved through generations, eventually developing into the kind of neural-controlled mechas seen in "Pacific Rim," where the central nervous system controls the mecha, and any action by the warrior in the control cabin is instantly reflected in the mecha.

This reform completely turned mechas into a single-soldier artifact.

But similarly.

The reformed mechas also raised the requirements for warriors.

After all.

The mechas were too large, and even if brainwave signals were amplified infinitely, synchronizing with the mecha would still increase the pressure on the Mech Warrior.

Moreover.

Operating a mecha involves not just walking, running, and jumping, but also performing various tactical evasions, switching weapons to strike enemies, and monitoring the radar to get a comprehensive view of the battlefield...

In short.

The mental power requirements for mecha operators are extremely high, and precise control of mental power is also required.

Those whose mental power doesn't meet the standard, if they rashly operate a mecha, once their mental power collapses, at best, they'll suffer a splitting headache, and at worst, it could cause irreversible damage to the brain.

This eliminates most people.

Bi Xing has cultivation techniques for honing mental power, but even with these techniques, the results vary from person to person.

Lin Hong was a complete failure. He started honing his mental power at six, and by seventeen, his mental power was only seven hundred, while even the lightest mecha requires a mental power of one thousand to operate.

...

Mental power?

Upon learning that operating mechas required mental power, Du Ge's heart was filled with joy.

These mechas were practically tailor-made for him!

Although he didn't know the conversion between Bi Xing's and Pan-Universal Entertainment's mental power, with his mental power of five million, no matter how it's converted, it wouldn't be too low!

The martial soul in the last Alien Star Battlefield was linked to mental power, and now the mechas in this world are also linked to mental power. No wonder Pan-Universal Entertainment used the low-key Keywords to mess with him, otherwise, he'd be invincible from the start.

Low-key!

Low-key!

Du Ge suppressed his joy and opened his personal Interface again.

In this short time, out of three thousand Alien Star warriors, over fourteen hundred had already been eliminated, leaving just over fifteen hundred, and his ranking was near the bottom at 1458.

Lin Hong's social influence was too low, and this ranking was within Du Ge's expectations.

Those who were eliminated likely failed in Body Possession.

In a world where mental power is honed from a young age, it's normal for Alien Star warriors to fail in Body Possession. After all, many newcomers coming out of the Simulation Field have only a few hundred mental power when they go to the battlefield, so having over fifteen hundred left is already quite a lot.

...

As a mech repairman, Lin Hong wasn't qualified to operate mechas. If it were the old Du Ge, he might have already gone to find a teacher from the mech department to request a mental power reassessment, making a stunning debut and taking control of the situation.

In the critical moment of Bi Xing's survival, the emergence of a God of War with extremely high mental power would likely not lead to questions about their origins, but rather, they'd be sent to the front lines as quickly as possible to fight against aliens...

This time, the Keywords are low-key. Du Ge could indeed use the same method to increase his social influence and move up in the rankings.

But going against the Keywords, even if the ranking is high, attributes won't increase, and skills might not awaken.

Too many hidden dangers.

Absolutely can't do that.

A ranking without attributes and skills is meaningless.

Therefore.

He must gradually increase his influence in this world in a way that aligns with the Keywords.

Du Ge searched Lin Hong's memories and quickly found a breakthrough.

The Battle Network.

The Battle Network is equivalent to Bi Xing's internet, but unlike Earth's internet, the Battle Network is also accessed via brainwaves.

On the Battle Network, everyone can create their own virtual persona, use it to acquire resources, communicate with others, express their views, and play games, among other activities.

In essence, the Battle Network is a virtual world independent of reality, an indispensable part of Bi Xing's people's lives.

Before the invasion of alien civilizations, the Battle Network had limited modules open to the public, with more specialized modules like mecha improvement and mecha training only open to professionals.

After the alien civilization's invasion, to find more outstanding talents from the populace, all these special modules were opened to the public.

However, to prevent idle individuals from causing trouble in professional modules.

Modules like mecha training, battlefield simulation, and mecha development require entry thresholds, with more professional modules having higher thresholds.

For instance, the mecha design and development module is divided into entry-level, beginner, intermediate, advanced, expert, and master levels.

Lin Hong, wanting to design a mecha for his goddess, studied mecha knowledge for nearly a year but was still lingering at the entry-level, unable to even reach the beginner level. His questions were so naive that no one bothered to answer them, making him a completely unnoticed rookie.

The mecha training module on the Battle Network is essentially a competition module for pilots. Since everything on the Battle Network is virtual, the mental power required to operate mechas there is much lower than in reality.

And there's no worry of injury.

Whenever pilots need to adapt to new mechas or develop new Techniques, they practice on the Battle Network first, and once proficient, they perform actual operations to reduce the risk of injury.

The practice on the Battle Network is essentially combat.

Pilots practice with opponents of the same or higher level to improve their skills and unlock their potential, so the mecha combat module has higher level requirements, and it's rare for ace pilots to compete with beginners.

Therefore, the requirements for the mecha training module are higher.

Lin Hong, in reality, didn't dare approach his goddess, but he considered getting close to her on the Battle Network. He also participated in the mecha training module assessment, but he couldn't even pass the entry assessment in this module.

What he did most was watch Gu Qingyan's training and battles on the Battle Network.

Then silently cheer for her and send his blessings.

Mecha combat on the Battle Network is open to the public, giving rise to betting. Lin Hong didn't care about others, but whenever Gu Qingyan competed, he would bet on her to win without hesitation. Gu Qingyan, a mecha genius, won more than she lost in the arena, allowing Lin Hong to earn a decent fortune, the only benefit he gained from liking his goddess.

Poor guy!

Du Ge shook his head, picked up a helmet from the side, put it on, and logged into Lin Hong's account to enter the Battle Network.

Being high-profile online and low-key in reality should align with the Keywords.

Pan-Universal Entertainment's replay videos are all broadcast from the first-person perspective. Du Ge didn't know how Pan-Universal Entertainment observed them, but given their technological level, hacking into the Battle Network of the Alien Star Battlefield shouldn't be difficult.

Otherwise.

If Alien Star warriors frequently put on helmets and performed in the Battle Network, what fun would there be for the audience? If the system couldn't judge their performance in the Battle Network, how would it rank them?

Those high-tech matters weren't within Du Ge's concern. What he needed to do was survive the Alien Star Battlefield and secure first place.

...

It must be said, Bi Xing's technological level is very advanced, and the Battle Network's technology is almost equivalent to Pan-Universal Entertainment's Simulation Field.

Entering the Battle Network felt to Du Ge like a real self had entered a virtual space, with the visuals, smells, and tactile sensations all incredibly realistic, lacking only the Simulation Field's sense of reality.

Entering the Simulation Field feels like traveling through time, making you forget that it's a fictional world.

The background in the Battle Network is equally exquisite, with virtual backgrounds showing people chatting and trading on the streets.

But the virtual icons in front of Du Ge constantly reminded him that this was a fictional world.

Lin Hong's ID on the Battle Network was "Lin·Lovesick·Qing," with the avatar being a standard handsome face. The icons in front of him included mecha training, mech repair, mecha development, and various lifestyle, game, and data modules.

These modules were likely the ones Lin Hong frequently used.

Looking at the ID name, Du Ge silently curled his lips and decisively changed the ID to "Ten Steps to Kill One," then pressed the mecha training module icon.

Immediately.

The scene in front of Du Ge changed, presenting two options: visitor entry and pilot login.

Familiar with the Battle Network through Lin Hong's memories, Du Ge unhesitatingly pressed the pilot login button and then selected the assessment icon.

He was then transported into a virtual combat arena, with a mecha placed in front of him.

This mecha was just over five meters tall, an entry-level mecha, entirely white, named "Petrel," with only a simple machine gun and a broadsword as weapons, simple and easy to understand, perfect for beginners.

The entry assessment for the mecha training module involved operating this entry-level mecha, using cold weapons, hot weapons, and all weapons to defeat the instructor three times to become an official pilot on the Battle Network.

The instructors for the entry assessment also used the same mecha, usually new students from the mecha department, not official pilots, relying on unconventional methods, making it not easy to pass their assessment.

This is the difference between amateur and professional.

...

Du Ge didn't choose to take the assessment immediately but first donned the mecha to get accustomed to it, as memory and practice are two different things.

One must personally experience unfamiliar things to know if they suit them.

After putting on the mecha, Du Ge's head, arms, and thighs were all connected to lines, and various data appeared before his eyes, such as the distance to the opponent, current mecha energy, ammunition, defense value, etc.

It was a particularly novel feeling.

Like a dream becoming reality, Du Ge, following Lin Hong's memories, operated the mecha, trying to walk and jump. There was a slight discomfort, like wearing armor while walking, but it quickly disappeared.

His extremely high mental power made Du Ge feel as if he and the mecha had become one. He tried drawing the broadsword from his back and swinging it, with no delay, as if it were his own hand holding the sword.

Du Ge even twirled the broadsword in a flourish, and when he took out the machine gun, he didn't even need the mecha's auxiliary targeting. With a lift of his hand, he shot a bullseye on a distant target.

At this point.

Du Ge finally felt at ease and selected the assessment button.

He intended to fight his way up, clearing the mecha training module as quickly as possible, making the ID "Ten Steps to Kill One" a nightmare for all pilots.