Chapter 27: First Victory
The VR Training Hall fell silent as Instructor Zhao made the announcement that changed everything.
"Team 7," his voice carried through the pod bay speakers, "based on your exceptional performance over the past two weeks—eighteen scenarios, fourteen victories, consistent improvement in coordination metrics—you've been approved for accelerated Land of Origin authorization."
Lin Feng climbed out of his pod, still processing the words. Beside him, Chen Hao looked equally stunned.
"Authorization?" Chen Hao repeated. "You mean actual Land of Origin entry? Not VR?"
"Correct," Instructor Zhao's voice continued. "Most teams wait four to six weeks before field authorization. You've demonstrated capability and coordination that exceeds standard requirements. Green Valley Zone entry is approved for this Saturday. Portal access at 0800 hours. Prepare accordingly."
The pod bay erupted in excited chatter from other teams who'd overheard. Green Valley Zone—the safest region in the Land of Origin, but still real. Real beasts, real danger, real equipment drops.
Tang Yue emerged from her pod, her expression mixing excitement with concern. "Saturday? That's two days away."
"Barely enough time to prepare," Wang Min said nervously.
Li Xin, however, was grinning. "This is what we've been training for. Real combat. Real challenges."
"Real consequences," Lin Feng added quietly. "In VR, failure means retry. In Green Valley, mistakes have permanent effects."
"Are you saying we're not ready?" Li Xin asked.
"I'm saying we need to prepare differently. VR scenarios are controlled environments. The Land of Origin is chaos with patterns. We need to adapt our approach."
Instructor Zhao appeared in person, walking through the pod clusters. He stopped at Team 7. "Lin Feng's correct. Your VR performance is exceptional, but real-world operations introduce variables that simulations can't replicate: environmental factors, unexpected beast behavior, equipment failures, mental fatigue from actual danger."
"What do you recommend, sir?" Tang Yue asked.
"Two days of preparation. Study Green Valley terrain maps, review beast behavior patterns, check your equipment thoroughly, and rest. Mental preparation is as important as tactical knowledge." Instructor Zhao looked at each of them. "You've earned this opportunity. Don't waste it by being overconfident."
Friday afternoon was dedicated to preparation. The team gathered in Conference Room 2B with tablets, holographic displays, and detailed maps of Green Valley Zone.
Lin Feng pulled up the terrain data. "Green Valley is 12 square kilometers of forest and grassland. Purple sky, thicker atmosphere than Earth. Gravity is 1.1 times normal—barely noticeable but it affects energy consumption. Temperature averages 28 degrees Celsius."
"Safe zones?" Chen Hao asked.
"Forward Outpost Delta is the main human base. Fortified perimeter, medical facilities, equipment vendors. We start and end there. Beyond the outpost, the entire valley is contested territory."
Tang Yue studied the beast distribution data. "Tier 1 Rabbit Beasts are most common—60% of encounters. Tier 1 Scorpions are 25%. Tier 2 Wolf Beasts are 15%, usually in packs of three to five."
"What about Tier 3?" Wang Min asked nervously.
"Rare in Green Valley. Less than 1% encounter rate. But they exist." Lin Feng marked dangerous zones on the map. "Northern ridge and western caves have reported Tier 3 sightings. We avoid those areas."
"Equipment drops?" Li Xin asked, getting to what really interested him.
"Tier 1 beasts drop Colorless or White-tier components—30% drop rate. Tier 2 beasts have 60% drop rate for White or Green-tier. Standard equipment progression." Lin Feng pulled up the drop tables. "Average successful team collects two to three equipment pieces per six-hour operation."
"What's our objective?" Tang Yue asked.
"Survival first, equipment second. We're not trying to maximize drops—we're proving we can handle real combat. Conservative approach, controlled engagements, no unnecessary risks."
"That's boring," Li Xin complained.
"That's smart," Lin Feng corrected. "We can take calculated risks after we establish baseline capability. First operation is about learning, not glory."
Chen Hao raised his hand tentatively. "What happens if someone gets seriously hurt? Like, actual injury?"
"Soul space damage translates to neural trauma," Lin Feng explained. "Minor damage causes headaches and fatigue. Major damage can cause temporary paralysis, memory issues, or unconsciousness. Extreme damage—" he paused, "—is permanent. Lost limbs in soul space mean permanent neural damage. Death of your mecha means brain death."
Silence fell over the room.
"That won't happen," Tang Yue said firmly. "We'll be careful. We have coordination, support, and we'll retreat if things get dangerous."
"Tang Yue's right," Lin Feng said. "The risk is real but manageable. We treat this like a serious operation, not a game. Everyone stays within communication range, nobody engages without team support, and we retreat at first sign of overwhelming odds."
They spent three more hours reviewing tactics, equipment loadouts, emergency protocols, and fallback routes. By evening, everyone had a clear understanding of the operation parameters.
Saturday morning arrived with clear skies and nervous energy.
Lin Feng woke at 5 AM, unable to sleep further. He entered his soul space for final preparations, reviewing the Analysis Protocol settings for real-world operation.
ANALYSIS PROTOCOL v0.3 - REAL-WORLD OPERATION MODE
ENVIRONMENTAL ADAPTATION: ENABLED
ENERGY CONSERVATION: PRIORITY
THREAT ASSESSMENT: MAXIMUM SENSITIVITY
TEAM COORDINATION: ACTIVE
EMERGENCY PROTOCOLS: LOADED
SYSTEM OVERHEAD: 60 UNITS (ACCEPTABLE FOR 6-HOUR OPERATION)
The system was ready. Lin Feng just hoped he was.
At 7:30 AM, Team 7 gathered at the academy's portal facility—a massive complex on the eastern edge of campus. The dimensional portal itself was housed in a reinforced chamber, guarded by Tier 20+ military pilots and bristling with defensive installations.
Other student teams were assembling as well. About forty first-year students had been cleared for Green Valley operations. Some looked excited, others nervous, a few overconfident.
"Team 7, over here!" Instructor Zhao waved them toward a briefing station.
A military officer in crisp uniform stood beside Instructor Zhao. "I'm Captain Wei, portal security. Final briefing before entry. Listen carefully because this determines whether you live or die."
That got everyone's attention.
"Green Valley is the safest Land of Origin zone, but 'safest' doesn't mean 'safe.' Every year, students die because they forget that simple fact." Captain Wei pulled up a holographic display. "Current conditions: Purple sky clear, no storm activity. Beast activity moderate. No major threats reported in the past 24 hours. Temperature 29 degrees, 1.1g gravity, dense atmosphere."
He continued. "Your authorization permits six hours in Green Valley, no more. You have emergency beacons—" he held up a small device, "—that will summon immediate extraction if you're in lethal danger. Use them wisely. Extraction teams can't always reach you instantly."
"What's the emergency extraction response time?" Lin Feng asked.
"Variable. Minimum two minutes if you're near the outpost. Up to fifteen minutes if you're at maximum authorization range. That's fifteen minutes you need to survive on your own."
Captain Wei's expression became grave. "Equipment inspection now. Every piece of gear will be checked. If anything is faulty, you don't go through the portal. No exceptions."
The next thirty minutes were thorough examination of their mechas' integration, synchronization stability, energy reserves, and communication systems. Lin Feng's Logic Frame passed all checks. So did his teammates' mechas.
"Team 7, cleared for entry," the inspection officer confirmed.
They lined up before the portal—a swirling vortex of energy contained within a massive metal frame. The gateway hummed with power, distorting the air around it.
"Final reminder," Captain Wei said. "Stay together, stay alert, and don't do anything stupid. You have six hours. Make them count."
"Entry in thirty seconds," a technician announced.
Lin Feng activated his Analysis Protocol fully. The system hummed to life, ready to process real combat data for the first time.
Chen Hao looked nervous. Tang Yue was calm but focused. Wang Min's hands trembled slightly. Li Xin looked eager.
"Together," Lin Feng said. "We go in together, we fight together, we come back together."
"Together," they echoed.
"Portal active. Entry authorized. Go now!"
Team 7 stepped through the dimensional gateway.
Reality twisted. For a disorienting moment, Lin Feng existed in two places simultaneously—Earth and somewhere else. Then the sensation passed, and they emerged into the Land of Origin.
The first thing Lin Feng noticed was the sky—deep purple with swirling patterns that had no earthly equivalent. The second was the air—thick and charged with energy that made his skin tingle. The third was the gravity—slightly heavier, making every movement require fractionally more effort.
They stood on a paved platform outside Forward Outpost Delta. The outpost was a fortified compound of concrete and steel, defensive walls bristling with weapons. Human soldiers patrolled the perimeter. Other student teams were already dispersing toward the valley beyond.
ANALYSIS PROTOCOL - ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN COMPLETE
LOCATION: GREEN VALLEY ZONE, LAND OF ORIGIN
ATMOSPHERIC ENERGY: 3.2x EARTH NORMAL
THREAT LEVEL: MODERATE
TEAM STATUS: ALL MEMBERS SYNCHRONIZED, NO ISSUES
RECOMMENDATION: PROCEED WITH CAUTION
"It's real," Chen Hao whispered, staring at the alien landscape. "We're actually in the Land of Origin."
"Stay focused," Lin Feng said. "We have six hours. Let's make them productive."
They moved beyond the outpost's safe perimeter and into Green Valley proper. The forest was dense, vegetation more vibrant than Earth plants. Strange sounds echoed through the trees—calls from creatures that had never evolved on their home world.
Lin Feng's Analysis Protocol tracked everything: team positions, environmental hazards, movement in the peripheral vision, energy signatures that might indicate beasts.
"Contact," Wang Min said suddenly. "Thirty meters ahead. Small creature, moving through undergrowth."
The team stopped. Lin Feng's system focused on the movement pattern.
THREAT ASSESSMENT: TIER 1 RABBIT BEAST
DANGER LEVEL: LOW (SOLO SPECIMEN)
RECOMMENDED ACTION: CONTROLLED ENGAGEMENT
"Single Rabbit Beast," Lin Feng confirmed. "Standard engagement. Chen Hao forward, I'll support left, Li Xin right. Tang Yue stay back with Wang Min. This is practice—execute cleanly."
They moved into position. The Rabbit Beast emerged from the undergrowth—a two-meter creature with powerful hind legs, sharp teeth, and surprisingly aggressive demeanor.
It saw them and attacked immediately.
"Intercept!" Lin Feng called.
Chen Hao's Iron Wall caught the beast's lunge on his shield. The impact was harder than VR simulations—real mass, real momentum, real force. But Chen Hao held.
Li Xin struck from the right, his blade cutting deep. Lin Feng attacked from the left. The Rabbit Beast died in seconds.
Then it dissolved into light particles, leaving behind a small crystalline object.
"First drop!" Chen Hao said excitedly.
Lin Feng examined it. Colorless-tier energy crystal. Basic tier advancement material. Value: 100 credits.
"Not bad for first kill," Li Xin observed. "How did the real combat feel compared to VR?"
"Heavier," Chen Hao said. "Impacts have more weight."
"Agreed," Lin Feng said. "The gravity and atmosphere affect energy consumption. The Analysis Protocol is adjusting its calculations based on actual data now."
They continued deeper into Green Valley. Over the next hour, they encountered and defeated seven more Rabbit Beasts and three Scorpions. Drops included two Colorless crystals and one White-tier leg component.
"Who gets the component?" Wang Min asked.
"Speed types benefit most from leg enhancements," Lin Feng said. "Wang Min, you take it."
"Really?" She looked surprised.
"Your mobility is a team asset. Improving it improves our collective capability."
Wang Min accepted the component, installing it with Tang Yue's assistance. The process was uncomfortable—she gasped as the foreign component integrated with her mecha—but successful. Her movement speed increased by 12%.
TEAM ENERGY STATUS (AFTER 1 HOUR):
LIN FENG: 420/500 (84%)
CHEN HAO: 590/650 (91%)
TANG YUE: 380/400 (95%)
LI XIN: 700/750 (93%)
WANG MIN: 430/450 (96%)
Energy consumption was higher than VR due to environmental factors, but manageable. They were operating efficiently.
"Larger contact," Lin Feng said, his system detecting movement ahead. "Multiple signatures. Wait—"
Three Tier 2 Wolf Beasts emerged from the forest, moving in coordinated pack formation.
THREAT ASSESSMENT: TIER 2 WOLF PACK
DANGER LEVEL: HIGH
PACK TACTICS: COORDINATED FLANKING, ALPHA LEADERSHIP
RECOMMENDED ACTION: DEFENSIVE FORMATION, FOCUS FIRE
"First real challenge," Li Xin said, readying his weapons.
"Formation Delta," Lin Feng ordered. "Chen Hao center, Tang Yue behind him. Li Xin and I take flanks. Wang Min, harassment and opportunity strikes. Focus fire the alpha first—left-most wolf."
The wolves attacked with frightening intelligence. The alpha directed its packmates, creating pincer movements that tested the team's coordination.
Chen Hao absorbed the alpha's charge, shield absorbing massive impact. Lin Feng and Li Xin struck simultaneously from both sides. The wolf was tough—Tier 2 durability was significantly higher than Tier 1.
The two beta wolves tried to flank. Wang Min intercepted one, her enhanced speed allowing hit-and-run attacks. Tang Yue channeled energy to Chen Hao, keeping him stable under the alpha's assault.
COMBAT ANALYSIS: PACK COORDINATION DETECTED
ALPHA CALLING TACTICAL ADJUSTMENTS
RECOMMENDATION: ELIMINATE ALPHA QUICKLY, BETA WOLVES WILL LOSE COORDINATION
"Focus everything on the alpha!" Lin Feng commanded.
All three attackers concentrated fire. Chen Hao blocked, creating openings. Li Xin's heavy strikes damaged the alpha's legs. Lin Feng's precise cuts targeted joints and weak points identified by his Analysis Protocol.
Thirty seconds of focused assault brought the alpha down.
Immediately, the beta wolves' coordination collapsed. Without their leader, they fought individually—aggressive but disorganized. Much easier to handle.
Two minutes later, all three wolves were dead.
Three Chaos Crystals dropped, plus a White-tier shield component and a Green-tier weapon attachment.
"Green-tier drop!" Chen Hao exclaimed. "That's worth at least 5,000 credits!"
"More importantly, it's a significant equipment upgrade," Lin Feng said, examining the weapon attachment. "Li Xin, this fits assault-type configurations. It's yours."
Li Xin took the attachment reverently. "This will increase my damage output by 18%. Combined with my natural efficiency... thank you."
They rested for ten minutes, recovering energy and letting Tang Yue restore anyone below 80%. The real combat was noticeably more exhausting than VR—mental fatigue from actual danger, heavier impacts, environmental stress.
TIME ELAPSED: 2 HOURS 15 MINUTES
EQUIPMENT ACQUIRED: 5 CRYSTALS, 2 COMPONENTS
TEAM STATUS: GOOD, MINOR FATIGUE
"We should head deeper," Li Xin suggested. "We have almost four hours left."
"Or we consolidate our gains," Lin Feng countered. "We've proven we can handle Tier 2 enemies. First operation objectives are met. Pushing further increases risk."
"Since when do you avoid risk?"
"Since we're in real combat where mistakes are permanent. There's a difference between calculated risk and unnecessary exposure."
"He's right," Tang Yue said. "We've been successful. No need to get greedy."
Before they could decide, Wang Min's voice cut through the discussion. "Movement. Large signature. Multiple... no, it's one massive creature."
Everyone tensed. Lin Feng's Analysis Protocol focused on the approaching energy signature.
THREAT ASSESSMENT: TIER 3 BEAR BEAST
DANGER LEVEL: EXTREME
SIZE: 8 METERS TALL
RECOMMENDATION: IMMEDIATE RETREAT
"Tier 3 Bear," Lin Feng said urgently. "We can't fight that. Retreat now, move toward the outpost."
"Wait," Li Xin said, "we could—"
"No." Lin Feng's voice was sharp. "Retreat is not negotiable. Move!"
The Bear Beast crashed through the forest—a massive creature of muscle and fury, easily three times their size. Its roar shook the trees.
Team 7 ran.
The retreat was controlled chaos. Lin Feng's Analysis Protocol calculated optimal escape routes, steering them away from terrain obstacles. Chen Hao took rear guard, ready to intercept if the bear got close. Wang Min scouted ahead, finding the clearest paths.
The bear pursued for two hundred meters, then lost interest and returned to its territory. Apparently, they hadn't been worth the effort.
They reached safe distance and stopped, breathing hard.
"That," Chen Hao said between gasps, "was terrifying."
"That was smart," Tang Yue corrected. "We recognized we were outmatched and retreated instead of fighting."
"I could have—" Li Xin started.
"You could have died," Lin Feng interrupted. "We all could have. Tier 3 enemies require specialized tactics and preferably Tier 2 pilots. We're all Tier 1. The math was clear."
Li Xin looked frustrated but nodded. "You're right. I just... wanted to test myself."
"Test yourself against appropriate challenges. That bear wasn't appropriate—it was suicide."
They continued operations for another two hours, avoiding the northern ridge where the Tier 3 bear patrolled. They fought six more Rabbit Beasts, four Scorpions, and one more Wolf pack.
By the time their six-hour authorization expired, they'd collected:
EQUIPMENT HAUL:
8 Colorless-tier Chaos Crystals3 White-tier Chaos Crystals1 Green-tier Chaos Crystal2 White-tier components1 Green-tier componentTotal estimated value: 28,000 credits
They returned to Forward Outpost Delta exhausted but successful. The portal back to Earth shimmered before them.
"Successful operation," Captain Wei said, reviewing their report. "No casualties, conservative tactics, appropriate risk management. Well done, Team 7."
They stepped through the portal and emerged back on Earth. The academy's portal facility had never looked so welcoming.
Instructor Zhao was waiting. "Report."
"Six hours, zero casualties, encountered Tier 1 and Tier 2 enemies successfully," Lin Feng said. "One Tier 3 contact, executed successful retreat. Total haul: twelve crystals, three equipment pieces."
Instructor Zhao nodded approvingly. "Textbook first operation. Most teams either take excessive risks or are too conservative to accomplish anything. You found the balance."
"When's our next authorization?" Li Xin asked eagerly.
"Two weeks minimum. You need to process this experience, install equipment, and advance in training before the next real-world operation."
As they walked back to the dorms, the team was quiet. Real combat had been different from VR—more intense, more dangerous, more meaningful.
"We did good today," Chen Hao finally said.
"We survived," Lin Feng corrected. "That's the victory. Everything else is bonus."
"Still," Tang Yue added, "we worked together perfectly. The coordination was flawless."
"The coordination was functional," Lin Feng said. "There's room for improvement. I logged seventeen tactical errors, six energy management inefficiencies, and four communication delays."
"Of course you did," Li Xin said, but he was smiling. "Always analyzing."
"Always improving," Lin Feng replied.
STATUS: FIRST LAND OF ORIGIN OPERATION COMPLETE. GREEN VALLEY ZONE, 6 HOURS, ZERO CASUALTIES. EQUIPMENT ACQUIRED, REAL COMBAT EXPERIENCE GAINED. TEAM COORDINATION VALIDATED IN ACTUAL COMBAT. TIER 3 THREAT IDENTIFIED AND SUCCESSFULLY AVOIDED. NEXT OBJECTIVE: EQUIPMENT INSTALLATION AND CAPABILITY ADVANCEMENT.
That evening, Lin Feng entered his soul space and reviewed all the combat data the Analysis Protocol had collected. Real-world beast behavior, environmental effects, energy consumption patterns under actual conditions.
The Tactical Pattern Library grew significantly, filled with authentic combat data that VR simulations could never fully replicate.
They'd survived their first real operation.
And more importantly, they'd learned.
Systematic improvement, one real battle at a time.