Chapter 5: Mecha - The Mortals' War Colossus

With continuous breakthroughs in core technologies like nuclear fusion energy, high-energy batteries, quantum chips, and strategic AI, the "Mortal Mecha" project, codenamed "Project Mortal Mech," entered its most critical prototype manufacturing phase.

These were no longer props from a sci-fi movie, but steel fortresses carrying humanity's hope for survival.

Deep within a top-secret forging facility, hundreds of meters underground, colossal gantry cranes precisely hoisted module after module, each forged from ultra-high-strength composite materials.

These materials weren't any known Earth alloy. They integrated the reverse-engineered results of trace "divine substance" brought back from the far side of the moon – a unique structure capable of withstanding non-material impacts and resisting energy erosion at the molecular level. To the engineers, it was a miracle born from the combined "gift of the gods" and "wisdom of mortals." Every armor plate underwent quantum-level lattice reconstruction, ensuring integrity even under extreme deformation, and even possessing micron-level self-healing capabilities after an attack.

"Mech skeleton connected! Initiating self-check!" The commander's roar echoed through the workshop.

Following the command, a ten-meter-tall mech prototype slowly rose, assisted by countless hydraulic and mechanical arms.

Its framework was streamlined and full of power, with complex and precise "bionic joints" at the articulation points, mimicking human muscle contractions to provide unparalleled flexibility and explosive power. Inside, countless hair-thin liquid metal nerve bundles intricately connected the cockpit to every movement module of the mech, striving for the ultimate "man-machine integration" in control.

The power system was the mech's "heart." In the core of its chest cavity, a miniaturized "KuaFu" nuclear fusion reactor was precisely implanted, providing an almost infinite energy output for continuous power.

Surrounding this core reactor were "next-generation high-energy battery packs," capable of unleashing terrifying torrents of energy in milliseconds, ensuring the mech's energy shields and counter-attack weapons could operate uninterrupted when subjected to instantaneous high-intensity attacks.

"Weapon systems loaded!"

The mech's arms and back began to mount a series of "Mortal Blades" specifically designed to counter "gods." These weren't conventional cannons or missiles, but an integrated energy weapon system composed of plasma cannons, high-energy laser emitters, and electromagnetic pulse generators. The plasma cannons could instantly condense and fire super-high-energy beams in a near-plasma state, theoretically capable of inflicting "conceptual damage" on divine entities – temporarily disrupting or even tearing their energy structures through ultra-high energy density.

High-energy lasers were used for precise strikes against any "weak points" or "energy connection points" that divine beings might possess. The electromagnetic pulses, in turn, could interfere with and weaken the gods' manipulation of space and laws over a wide area.

The most critical components were the mech's "brain" and "soul" – the piloting system augmented by the "Pangu Core" strategic AI. Pilots deeply integrated their consciousness with the mech's network through a highly complex brain-computer interface. This not only allowed them to control the mech with reaction speeds beyond human limits, but also enabled the "Pangu Core" to analyze battlefield data in real-time, assisting the pilots with "god-level predictions" and "strategic decision-making." Every subtle movement of the mech, every weapon lock, contained the AI's deep learning and pre-judgment of divine behavior patterns.

The selection and training of pilots also reached a superhuman level. They were one in ten thousand elites, needing not only superhuman physical prowess and willpower but also the ability to withstand the immense mental pressure from the brain-computer interface and the psychological impact of "fighting gods."

They were told that piloting these mechs wasn't about killing the enemy, but merely to "restrain," "contain," and "buy time" – because the gods were "unkillable."

This realization itself was a form of mental torture.

On the training grounds, the mechs underwent extreme testing in environments simulating divine attacks. Massive energy shields shimmered around the mechs, repelling simulated "divine impacts." Each flicker of the shield meant the pilot inside was enduring immense mental and physical pressure.

"Report! Mech Unit Three, energy shield overloaded! Pilot vital signs fluctuating violently!"

"Hold on! This is for humanity! For us to continue gazing at the stars!" the commander roared hoarsely.

Every malfunction, every failed test, meant humanity paid with lives. But everyone knew there was no retreat. The bells of 2045 were steadily approaching, and what they were forging would be the last dignity of mortal civilization.

These steel colossi were the roar of mortals, their silent challenge to the divine. They were not merely weapons; they were the embodiment of human will, the pinnacle of mortal technology, and the only hope for humanity to grasp a sliver of survival for themselves and their descendants in desperation!