Then Only One Last Option Remains

The Wolf Spider tank pressed beneath the rubble was mostly intact, aside from some chipped paint, and its fire control system remained undamaged.

It had likely been abandoned simply because others had better options, but Ye Lan now had no choice but to rely on it.

He struggled to move the stones pressing on the cockpit cover and barely climbed inside.

Wolf Spider tanks typically require three crew members, so the interior was spacious.

But with the tank unpowered, it was pitch black inside.

Ye Lan groped his way to the driver’s seat and pulled out Haiderei’s tactical dagger from his pocket.

This tactical dagger was an electronic warfare weapon, capable of linking to a machine unit’s circuits and uploading a virus to hack it.

Ye Lan gripped the dagger and stabbed it into the control panel.

“Crack!”

The dagger pierced the panel, and as its blade contacted the internal circuits, the small display at the handle’s end lit up.

In just seconds, the percentage on the display shot from 1% to 100%.

Immediately, the Wolf Spider tank’s engine roared to life.

Lights, displays, and instrument panels flickered on.

Its six strong mechanical legs easily supported its weight and the rubble pressing down.

With the autopilot engaged, the tank shook off the debris, revealing its menacing 120mm smoothbore cannon.

Once the tank stood on the ground, waiting for pilot commands, the dagger’s display changed from “100%” to “9:59.”

Ye Lan had only ten minutes.

He began following the standard startup procedures to activate the tank’s functions, but the onboard AI kept returning errors.

“Insufficient permissions.”

“Insufficient permissions.”

“Insufficient permissions.”

“Bang!”

“Damn it!” Ye Lan punched the control panel in frustration.

The error was not the AI’s fault—it was his.

As a freshman who had not completed the “Tank Operation” course, he had no driving permissions.

The tank recognized him as a friendly student of Zhanhun Military Academy but would not allow an unauthorized driver.

Was there truly no way out?

His sniper rifle could damage armored units, but “able to” was not the same as “crippling”—useless against a mecha.

No! Think of a solution!

His mind quickly calmed in a second.

The dagger’s hack would last only ten minutes, three of which had already passed.

He could drive a ground vehicle, but his permissions were insufficient; voice commands were all he could use.

Then only one last option remained.

“Activate ‘Follow Mode,’” Ye Lan ordered.

“‘Follow Mode’ activated.”

In follow mode, the Wolf Spider tank would move with him, provide perimeter defense, and attack any targets he engaged.

The mode sounded good, but Ye Lan never liked it.

The AI was clumsy—it didn’t seek cover, angle its armor, deploy shields at the right time, or properly switch targets in multi-enemy scenarios.

But he had no time now.

He climbed out of the tank and quickly opened the academy map.

The map clearly showed his and Su Lixiao’s positions, along with the rampaging mecha.

It also displayed reinforcements approaching from all directions, likely responding to his distress signal.

But not all weapons could harm the mecha—only heavy fire units like the Wolf Spider could.

The nearest heavy support was over twenty kilometers away; reaching him in a minute or two through the ruined terrain was impossible.

He had no choice but to rely on himself and the Wolf Spider, with only four minutes remaining.

Returning to Su Lixiao with the tank was unrealistic.

He needed a vantage point to strike the mecha from a distance.

After a few seconds of searching, he found a high slope with a clear view and no obstacles.

Not ideal for hiding, but hiding was unnecessary.

Ye Lan stowed the map and sprinted up the slope.

The Wolf Spider’s six mechanical legs moved at a speed disproportionate to its size, keeping pace with him.

…

The fifteen-meter-tall black mecha was strikingly visible among the ruins.

Su Lixiao, engaging it with her lightsaber, appeared tiny in comparison.

Whenever her blade struck the mecha, red mist oozed from the joint gaps, blocking the strike.

Though the mecha no longer had an energy shield, the red mist allowed it to remain unscathed.

Every swing of the power axe generated unstoppable force.

Su Lixiao could not block it and was forced to evade constantly.

The black mecha toyed with her like a cat with a mouse.

Su Lixiao had no time to rest; her energy and stamina were bound to deplete first.

From his vantage point on the slope, Ye Lan saw this and grew anxious, yet he knew he had to stay calm.

The dagger’s hack had only two minutes left.

He set up his sniper rifle, aimed at the black mecha, and pulled the trigger.

Simultaneously, the Wolf Spider fired its 120mm smoothbore cannon.

“Boom!”

The red mist tried to block the armor-piercing round, but it barely diminished its impact.

The cannon hit the black mecha squarely.

Caught off guard, it staggered—but that was just the beginning.

“Boom! Boom! Boom! …”

The second, third, and fourth rounds struck in succession.

Under this relentless barrage, the mecha was forced to open its defensive shield toward the Wolf Spider—but this was useless.

The Wolf Spider stopped firing.

The dagger’s hack had ended, returning the tank to its silent state.