Free Web NovelAs Julian gritted his teeth and swung his sword,
Pavela was silently reciting a checklist.
Armor Deflection Test—Left shoulder plate, 15-degree angle of incidence, impact force approximately 1200 standard units, deflection efficiency 92%. Completed.
Armor Deflection Test—Right forearm, 45-degree angle of incidence, impact force approximately 1800 standard units, deflection efficiency 88%. Completed.
Armor Deflection Test—Left knee armor, 70-degree angle of incidence, impact force approximately 2100 standard units, deflection efficiency 79%. Completed.
Joint Response Latency—Shoulder, 0.04 seconds. Completed.
Joint Response Latency—Elbow, 0.03 seconds. Completed.
Joint Response Latency—Knee, 0.05 seconds. Completed.
Center of Gravity Shift Compensation—Lateral shift, response time 0.06 seconds, compensation accuracy 98.3%. Completed.
Center of Gravity Shift Compensation—Backward lean, response time 0.07 seconds, compensation accuracy 97.1%. Completed.
Steam Line Pressure Decay Curve under continuous load—Thirteen rounds of data recorded, sufficient for fitting. Completed.
Spinal Interface Synchronization Rate—Stabilized between 99.2% and 99.7%, zero latency anomalies, zero signal loss. Completed.
Pavela mentally checked off the items on the list.
All completed.
The data volume was sufficient, the coverage was comprehensive, and there were even several sets of unexpected extra gains.
For instance, when continuously parrying high-frequency attacks, the temperature curve of the cooling system exhibited a very interesting non-linear characteristic; the Doctor should be quite interested in this data.
She caught another of the opponent's horizontal slashes with her left forearm at a 32-degree angle. freewёbnoνel.com
The blade slid across the armor's surface, sparks flying.
The force was precisely guided along the curved surface of the armor to the side, eventually dissipating into the air.
Pavela didn't even look at the sword.
She was looking at the data readings on the control panel.
Hmm, after the left forearm armor sustained seventeen consecutive impacts, its surface hardness dropped by 0.3%.
Within acceptable limits.
But if this were replaced with live ammunition weapons in actual combat, this decay rate would need further optimization.
She noted this data in her mind as well.
To be honest, the level of cooperation from the person opposite her was almost moving.
Cross Fencing.
Thrust, horizontal, cleave.
One, two, three.
One, two, three.
The rhythm was as steady as a metronome.
The variations in moves were as sparse as a textbook.
The force, angle, and speed of every round of attacks fluctuated within a very predictable range.
This allowed Pavela to precisely control the angle of every parry, thereby obtaining armor deflection data under different incident conditions.
If she were to design a test procedure herself, it would probably have about this effect.
No, maybe not even this good.
Because if she designed it herself, she wouldn't have thought of using a 'real person holding a sword and hacking with full force' as a testing method.
But the data quality was indeed top-tier.
Pavela sincerely thanked the tester, who was very likely Julian von Weber, in her heart.
Though the opponent probably didn't know he was playing this role.
However—
Pavela's gaze swept over the opponent's mecha.
Its steam boiler temperature was continuously climbing.
The steam spewing from the exhaust vents was getting thicker and the temperature higher.
From the thermal imaging of the external observation system, the core temperature of the opponent's boiler was already approaching the red line.
This was not good.
If the boiler overloaded, at best the safety valve would pop and the mecha would force a shutdown; at worst, the pipelines would burst, and high-temperature steam would flood back into the cockpit.
The scene of the latter would be very unpleasant to look at.
Moreover, the opponent's attack rhythm had changed.
It was no longer the steady, predictable three-hit combo from before.
It had become faster, more violent, and more reckless.
The intervals between sword strikes were shortening.
The force was increasing.
But the precision was dropping.
This was a typical characteristic of a pilot losing their cool.
Adrenaline overload, rationality giving way to instinct, the body beginning to overdraw its reserves.
Pavela had seen too many such people on the battlefield.
They usually exhausted their stamina quickly after an outburst and then turned into a limp bag of meat inside the cockpit.
If they were unlucky, they would take the mecha down with them as scrap.
Pavela sighed.
Alright.
The data collection was finished.
The tester was also reaching his limit.
Time to wrap things up.
At the edge of the training grounds.
Six Instructor Mechas painted in deep gray had completed their encirclement formation, their Steam Rifle muzzles all pointed at her.
The authoritative voice over the loudspeaker was still repeating standard shouts like 'Cease all actions immediately.'
Pavela ignored it.
It wasn't that she was being uncooperative this time.
If she immediately raised her hands in surrender, that berserk tester opposite her would most likely take the opportunity to charge in.
In his current state, the force of that sword °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° strike would be enough to wreck his own arm joints.
She had to settle him down first.
Pavela quickly did some calculations in her head.
The opponent's charge speed, mecha weight, the load-bearing limits of the joint structures, the cockpit's buffer system parameters—
If she used a standard throw technique, calculated based on the opponent's current charge speed and mecha weight—
The wrist-lock point would be chosen at the third hinge position of the right wrist joint, where the structural strength was lowest.
The overturning torque would be controlled within 4500 standard units, just exceeding the joint lock threshold but not damaging the core components of the Servo Motor.
The landing point for the throw would be selected at the thickest area of the opponent's back armor, using the armor's own buffering to protect the pilot.
The landing angle would be controlled within 15 degrees to avoid the Spinal Interface sustaining excessive longitudinal impact.
In that case—
The right arm joint would dislocate but not break. Repair difficulty would be low, just needing a few hinge pins replaced.
The back armor would deform, but the cockpit structure would remain intact. The pilot would at most be shaken up a bit but wouldn't be injured.
The steam lines would leak in a few places due to the impact, but they were all surface-level pipes and didn't involve the core systems.
Total repair costs—
Pavela made an estimate.
Not bad.
Roughly equivalent to half a month's expenses for a middle-class noble family.
For a custom mecha, this cost was practically negligible. freewebnovel.cσ๓
Mm.
A very perfect plan.
Pavela was very satisfied with her calculation results.
Since the opponent had been so cooperative with her, she had to ensure his life safety.
Then the opponent charged over.
Faster than any time before.
The Steam Thrusters erupted at full power, two deep trenches being kicked into the ground.
The sword was held at the waist, its tip pointing backward.
She hadn't seen this starting stance before.
It wasn't standard Cross Fencing.
Is he so desperate that he's lost all form?
Pavela blinked.
But no matter what it was—
The sword trajectory was already locked.
The target was her waist.
The very spot she had deliberately let the opponent scratch earlier when she needed to test the self-repair rate of the armor's surface coating after being damaged.
But the opponent was now clearly treating that shallow mark as her weakness.
And he was betting everything on this one strike.
Pavela could read this information from the opponent's posture.
Center of gravity completely forward.
No follow-up moves held back.
All speed, power, and kinetic energy—all compressed into this one sword strike.
Deciding victory in one blow.
Quite spirited.
But also very dangerous.
Because it meant that if this strike missed, the opponent would completely lose balance with no room for correction.
And given his current boiler temperature and physical exhaustion—
If she simply stepped aside to dodge, the opponent would fly out due to inertia and crash into the steel fence at the edge of the field.
Crashing at that speed—
The pilot would most likely suffer a spinal injury.
So Pavela took a step forward.
Meeting him head-on.
Before the blade arrived, she used her left hand to precisely lock onto the opponent's right wrist joint.
The third hinge.
Exactly as she had calculated, not a hair's breadth off.
Then she twisted the wrist.
Torque: 4480 standard units.
20 lower than her planned upper limit, a bit annoying, but harmless in the end.
The sword was twisted away.
The arm was pulled along.
The entire mecha was flipped off the ground.
It did a turn and a half in the air.
Back facing down.
Landing.
Boom.
Concrete shattered.
Dust rose.
Pavela looked down at her feet.
The opponent's mecha lay flat on its back on the ground, back armor dented, steam leaking from several damaged pipes.
The cockpit was intact.
Vital signs—from the thermal imaging of the external observation system, the pilot's body temperature and heart rate were within normal ranges.
He was just temporarily stunned by the impact.
Pavela lightly placed her right foot on the opponent's chest armor.
Pinning him down slightly.
The opponent's mecha's right arm joint was dislocated; if the pilot tried to struggle up in a dazed state, the dislocated joint might be further damaged, upgrading from 'replacing a few hinge pins' to 'the entire arm being scrapped.'
Stepping on the chest to limit the range of motion and waiting for the opponent to clear his head and shut down the power system himself.
This could be considered a method for handling emergency situations with allies on the battlefield.
Though the opponent wasn't an ally.
The principle was still the same.
