Buzz buzz.

With a whirr, the three futuristic screens in front of him lit up one by one—the Titan’s UI interface came online!

Inside the cockpit, Ayin could now see the outside world through BT’s visual neural system!

And what he saw—

Dozens of IMC soldiers wielding rifles were frantically firing at him from atop the cliff!

Just like before... only this time, the roles were reversed!

“Hey hey! Sht! You little f**ers!”

Seeing the bullets bounce harmlessly off BT’s body—so ineffective they couldn’t even scratch the energy shield—Ayin let out a wild, arrogant laugh.

“Why doesn’t it hurt, huh, bros? You forgot to eat today or what? This is pathetic! Trash!”

Synchronized through the neural link, BT’s massive mechanical arm lifted in tandem.

Buzz—!

A shimmering blue energy shield formed in front of him!

All the bullets seemed to get sucked into a gel-like force field, floating there like they’d hit magnets!

And then—

Ayin flipped his hand.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!!

The bullets flew back like they had homing instincts!

Instantly, the cliffside erupted in debris and dust!

Screams echoed, and blood sprayed into the air. A few IMC soldiers who were hit even tumbled right off the cliff!

‘OHHHHHHH—’

The livestream chat exploded!

“Holy sht that mech detail is insane!”*

“AAAAAA big robot! BIG ROBOT!!!”

“It’s the energy shield from the promo! That’s a PERFECT replica!”

“You can always trust Golden Wind’s promos! Lao Gou never lies!”

“Got it. From now on, treat Golden Wind trailers as actual gameplay.”

“It’s ridiculous, but they really pulled it off.”

“Time to call in Professor Gu.”

“What’s that? Auto name recognition?”

“That bullet deflect is f**ing sick!”*

“...”

Just as everyone was hyped up in the chat—

Another wave of IMC soldiers arrived. This time, along with infantry, flying drones joined the fray!

Rat-a-tat-tat—!

Whoosh whoosh—!

The intensity of the firepower skyrocketed.

Fortunately, BT’s cluster missile system had just come back online.

Zzzzt zzzzt—BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!

These cluster missiles had only a cooldown, not an ammo limit. Maybe it wasn't the most realistic—but who the hell cared when it felt this damn good?!

“This fing thing—feels SO. FING. GOOD!!!”

Zzzzt—!

Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!

BOOM BOOM BOOM—!

Ayin held the line with one hand, while cluster missiles blasted from BT’s shoulders in rapid volleys!

The roar of missile launches seemed to come from just beside the ear, and explosions lit up the canyon like a fireworks show.

Enemy drones burst into flames, and IMC soldiers flew screaming through the smoke and shrapnel!

“No joke, guys, seriously.”

In the cockpit, Ayin was covered in goosebumps.

“If you’ve got YiYou x2, I HIGHLY recommend you get this game.”

“The missile recoil, the bullet absorption, the deflection feedback—”

“This steel texture, this weapon impact—”

“I’ve got nothing else to say. Go experience it yourselves.”

“I’ll say this: even if the game didn’t have anything else, I’d still be happy just standing here launching cluster missiles all day.”

This wasn’t Ayin trying to hype things up—it was pure, unfiltered emotion.

He didn’t know how many times Golden Wind had tweaked the numbers to reach this level of tactile perfection.

But what he did know—

Even without the full story revealed yet, just the immersive experience and technological breakthrough already made this a game-changer.

Pure adrenaline.

That was the only word he could think of.

And if anything could make it even better—it would be unlocking BT’s movement system and enabling run-and-gun combat!

And as if his thoughts were being read—

Supernova Designer Gu Sheng, reborn with the System in hand, clearly had that exact idea in mind!

【BT: Primary weapon and motion systems fully restored】

Click—Ka-chunk!

The massive chaingun was drawn, and the Titan began to move—sending water splashing across the shallows!

RUMBLE—

CLANK! CLANK! CLANK!

“AY! AY! I CAN MOVE NOW—!!!”

If the cockpit hatch weren’t closed, Ayin might’ve jumped out from excitement!

The vibration of the mechanical joints, the weight of each step, the rumble beneath his feet—

Everything made his scalp tingle!

He pulled the trigger.

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG—!!!

Heavy, savage blasts rang out!

The chaingun spewed flames, sand and gravel exploded on the ground, and every shot that hit the enemy sent up a mist of blood!

“HOLY F*!”**

Ayin was stunned!

“This caliber is INSANE! They’re getting turned into paste—hell, their ashes are flying into the wind! HAHAHAHA—!”

Pure joy.

That’s what gaming was all about.

Like when you got your favorite robot model as a kid—simple and pure.

And when he discovered that BT could run, and even slide—that joy went off the charts.

The massive Titan barreled left and right, crushing tiny IMC soldiers like ants!

Chaingun, cluster missiles, energy shield—

Weapons rotated in and out, and the IMC troops were utterly wrecked. Ayin was having the time of his life!

“I’m f*ing invincible, boys! Let’s see who can stop Titan Pilot Ayin today!”**

As Ayin shouted in glee—

BT’s voice chimed in:

【BT: Enemy Titan detected. Pilot, let’s carve a bloody path forward.】

Ayin: “...”

Huh?

I’m not done flexing yet.

The chat instantly burst into laughter:

“Sweatin’ now, huh, buddy?”

“Alright, you’ve mastered multiplication—time for some calculus!”

“Hahahahahaha!”

“You were enjoying yourself? Too bad, here comes Big Daddy.”

“That battery you just got? Kiss it goodbye.”

“Yeah, good luck piloting that Titan now.”

“BT: Trial period over. Wanna subscribe, kid?”

“Golden Wind reminder: trial has ended. Join the wheel spin on the official site to unlock!”

“HAHAHA you dog!”

“They know how to make money.”

“Report to Xunteng Games tomorrow! No—NOW!”

“HAHAHAHA…”

Ayin was starting to sweat a little.

Not just because he still remembered that enemy Titan yanking his battery out the other day—

But because with Gu Sheng, the sadistic designer, there was no telling if BT would be taken away just like that.

Ah, sh*t...

As he hesitated, a set of scripted dialogue options popped up on the UI.

Just like the chat predicted—in this version of Titanfall, Gu Sheng had added AI conversation systems to nearly every NPC.

Players could chat with them at any time to enhance immersion.

But what made Titanfall unforgettable was the quality of its scripted lines.

So in special moments, scripted dialogue was still key.

The UI would show two preset lines to choose from, which could trigger unique BT or NPC responses.

Of course, you could also say something totally unrelated and goofy—but you might miss out on plot content.

As a streamer, Ayin obviously chose the scripted line.

And this one? It actually matched his current thoughts:

“Uh… can we really do this?”

BT paused.

【BT: Trust me.】

His voice wasn’t loud or emotional.

But somehow, it filled Ayin with unwavering confidence.

Hearing that, Ayin focused up.

This was his first time facing an enemy Titan head-on with BT—also the first step in the quest to find Major Anderson.

“Then let’s go!”

As soon as he said it, the music swelled dramatically.

RUMBLE—THOOM!!!

With a thunderous crash, the enemy Titan known as Beast dropped into view.

Ayin narrowed his eyes—its glowing orange-red shield lit up around its frame. It was the same model that almost stomped him during the breakout battle.

Back then, Lastimosa had controlled BT and body-slammed its "coworker" into the dirt, ending with a face full of missiles.

Thank god it’s not the one with the giant sword.

Ayin breathed a sigh of relief.

That one was probably a future boss fight.

As he thought that—

Beast dropped its shield.

Zzzzt zzzzt—!!

Three spinning cluster missiles locked on. Ayin instinctively slid sideways!

BOOM!

One of them hit BT directly, shaking the cockpit hard. Ayin let out a startled cry.

BT’s shield bar dropped by a fifth in an instant.

“F* you, motherf*er!”

Ayin cursed.

Yesterday you nearly stomped me ‘cause you were a Titan—and today you wanna bully me again?!

“Come try my version of cluster missiles!”

Lock-on!

Beast Titan was instantly bombarded with a full barrage!

RUMBLE—!

Beast staggered back, engulfed in flames.

BANG BANG BANG BANG—

Ayin’s chaingun roared, hammering Beast backward!

And Beast retaliated in kind—machine gun fire and triple missiles flying non-stop!

It was a brawl!

In a canyon that felt like a Roman gladiator arena, the firefight raged.

The two Titans weaved and clashed, dodging attacks and countering with fury.

RUMBLE—

BANG BANG—

BOOM! BOOM!

Dust flew. Steel titans collided. The echo of war filled the gorge.

Ayin was completely absorbed in the fight!

The shaking, the smoke, the heavy movement—every recoil, every shield impact, every vibrating shot—

It all pulled him deeper into the moment.

Buzz buzz—

As BT’s blue shield turned orange, Ayin caught three incoming missiles and some stray bullets with perfect timing.

Deflect—return to sender!

BOOM—BOOM!

The force field launched them right back at Beast!

Now!

Beep beep beep— Lock-on successful!

Missiles swarmed like hornets and smashed into the stumbling Titan!

Shh shh shh—BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!!

Beast was completely broken!

Go time!

Ayin dashed forward—BT’s rocket boosters igniting, sending the Titan charging like a rampaging rhino!

Buzz—CLANK!

He grabbed the smoking waist module of Beast—

“YOU’RE DONE FOR TODAY—BRO!”

CLANK!!!

Beast was lifted and slammed into the shallow waters!

As the splash flew high, BT pointed the cluster launcher at the cockpit—

BOOM BOOM BOOM—!

A perfect tribute to Lastimosa’s execution finisher!

Missiles in the face! Explosions everywhere! Epic!

【BT: Enemy Titan eliminated】

The chat exploded!

“OHHHHHH—”

“Boss, that was too f**ing badass!”*

“Think you can take me? My mentor is Lastimosa!”

“This is the mecha battle of my dreams!”

“Take the damn camera out of my brain, Lao Gou!”

“My x2 doesn’t arrive for another day, I’m dying here!”

“Day one without BT hugs. I miss him.”

“Fine! I’ll buy it, alright?! YiYou x2 order incoming!”

“This reminds me of the dumb horse joke again…”

“YiYou: Welcome, horse daddy. Pick a favorite exec to ride into battle.”

“Hahahahaha this is insane.”

The opening fight—

Ignited the entire gaming community that night.

Everyone was blown away by the quality.

Streamers proudly piloted Titans, cheering all the way.

Meanwhile, for professional reviewers, it marked the beginning of a sleepless night...

At that very moment, Xu Xiaolin, one of the chief editors and reviewers at Daily Game News, was inside his full-body sensory pod, thoroughly testing this very game.

There was no doubt about it—

As one of the six flagship titles released alongside the new-generation sensory pod, Titanfall had been under the spotlight ever since it was announced.

A ¥170 million investment. A legendary "Three Heroes vs. Lu Bu" showdown in the market.

No matter who looked at this, they’d all say the same thing: "Wishful thinking."

Xu Xiaolin had thought the same.

Sure, Titanfall had made headlines with its trailers, even overshadowing Xunteng’s three top titles and helping YiYou reclaim market share.

But to Xu Xiaolin, that was nothing more than a hollow victory built on hype—a bubble waiting to burst.

The real competition? That had to come down to actual in-game quality.

As a seasoned reviewer and one of the leading editors at a top-tier gaming media outlet in the country, both YiYou and Xunteng had shipped him their sensory pods well in advance.

Yes—while regular players were still tracking their delivery status, Xu Xiaolin had already started testing both sides' lineups.

His mission? To deliver a fair and unbiased review.

Over the past two days, he had already gone through the three FPS titles launched on Arctic Bear Gen-3 pods.

And to put it simply?

Utterly underwhelming.

First Up: 《Smoke and Fire》 by Tianlang Studio

Tianlang, an old veteran studio specializing in shooters, had always delivered consistently.

This time, they brought a classic first-gen FPS: Smoke and Fire.

Compared to Crossfire Transit, it only showed visual improvements—more dynamic effects, lighting, and details.

But in terms of core gameplay, there was no real innovation. At most, they added the much-requested Biohazard Mode and Arms Race Mode.

The only somewhat novel element was a dungeon co-op mode.

Since the player base was still small at that stage, Xu Xiaolin teamed up with a few fellow reviewers from other platforms.

The mode played like an FPS take on co-op dungeon crawling—kill mobs, fight bosses. But the level design was rigid, the plot was paper-thin, and overall, it felt plain and forgettable.

In theory, there was still potential.

Xu Xiaolin gave it a tentative 85/100.

Second: 《Special Ops》 by Guangyao Studio

He dropped this one after about an hour.

Why? There was nothing to review.

It was a complete PUBG clone.

Gameplay, plot, mechanics—all copied.

The only thing Guangyao had done was sanitize it for review boards—toning down the gore and violence to get a lower age rating.

Sure, the graphics were better than PUBG.

But in terms of controls and movement fluidity? It wasn’t even close.

Let’s be real: the true heir of Gen-2 FPS games was Golden Wind, under the hands of Gu Sheng.

Final verdict? 60/100. Just barely passing.

Third: 《Bug Swarm 2100》 by Zhenting Studio

Now this one?

Actually had merit.

Big budget. High production value. No argument there.

As a single-player story-driven FPS, it nailed the pacing.

There were blood-pumping fights against insect swarms, moments of grief and sacrifice when comrades fell, and uplifting victory scenes.

The hero’s journey framework gave the story solid structure.

It even had dual endings, which added a nice touch.

But...

The gameplay and level design?

Mediocre.

You basically just shot bugs. Flying bugs, swimming bugs, underground bugs—every kind imaginable.

Most of the battles were in open plains, occasionally interrupted by a cave.

This led to visual fatigue pretty quickly.

To their credit, Zhenting tried spicing things up. Some levels had basic puzzle elements, and the exosuit mechanic was a nice break from the monotony.

Still—

All these opinions came from Xu Xiaolin's perspective as a pro reviewer.

His standards were sky-high.

After all, he had reviewed countless games over the years, and his taste was considered top-tier in the Chinese game review community.

Honestly, if you handed Bug Swarm 2100 to the average player?

They’d love it.

It truly was the most polished, most technically advanced, and richest in narrative among all domestic sensory pod games in the past five years.

Even internationally, it would qualify as a top-tier release.

Having completed his full evaluation of Xunteng’s three major titles, Xu Xiaolin documented his review points and final scores.

And then—

He moved on to YiYou x2’s lineup of flagship titles.

The first game he chose?

《Titanfall》.

This was the so-called "Lu Bu of the battlefield"—the one facing down three rivals at once.

Until now, Xu Xiaolin had always chuckled at the comparison, brushing it off as marketing fluff.

No matter how good it was, there was no way it could outclass Xunteng’s games.

It didn’t even deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as the nearly billion-yuan investment in Bug Swarm 2100.

As far as he was concerned, Titanfall should be grateful if it could match Bug Swarm on even one single metric.

That is... until he actually entered the game.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com