Chapter 18: [Boxer] VS Lord-Class 'Giant Rock Black Bear'

Bang!

A massive metal fist crashed down upon the forehead of a grey-backed wolf, caving in its skull with a single blow. Blood and shards of bone and brain matter spattered in every direction. The wolf’s hard head could not withstand even a single strike.

Even without the use of the “Ripper,” that heat-based weapon, the sheer force of fists and feet alone was more than any ordinary monster could hope to withstand.

However, combat was not Jarvis’s forte. The subprogram controlling the “Boxer” moved quickly and powerfully, but there were occasional moments of stiffness, and sometimes obvious vulnerabilities emerged in its movements.

In battles between opponents of similar strength, even the briefest opening could be fatal.

Yet, the learning capacity of artificial intelligence is top-tier. In the thick of battle with the wolf pack, Jarvis’s progress was almost visible to the naked eye.

At first, when beset by three or five grey-backed wolves at close range, the “Boxer” left gaps that could be exploited directly. But as the fight continued, even when facing six or seven wolves, it could deftly dodge every attack and seize each opportunity to kill its foes.

Within just a few minutes, the pack had been whittled down to a mere dozen or so.

The Silvermoon Wolf, hidden within the ruins, realized it could not crack this hard nut. With a howl of frustration, it ordered the pack to retreat.

The “Boxer” detected the presence of the Silvermoon Wolf but did not pursue; instead, it fired a few shots, picking off several of the slower grey-backed wolves, and then pressed on, venturing deeper into City 003.

As for the bodies littering the ground, the “Boxer” showed no intention of cleaning up. Monster corpses at the Beast Soldier level had little value; there were too many, and transporting them all back would be an unnecessary burden.

The “Boxer” advanced, obliterating several more reckless packs along the way and even slaying two Beast General–level monsters. Unfortunately, both were only low-level generals, and the corpses were badly damaged, greatly reducing the value of their materials.

Nevertheless, the “Boxer” carefully dissected the two Beast General–class monsters, extracting the most valuable components and stowing them in the storage compartment within the mech.

Through the remote video feed, Jiang Chen watched this scene with surprise and asked, “Jarvis, your subprogram can assess the value of monster materials and collect them accordingly?”

“Yes. Among the data I programmed into the subroutine are the market prices of various monster materials. Collecting only the valuable parts, I believe, is its own judgment,” Jarvis replied.

Once the network connection was severed, Jarvis could no longer predict what decisions his subprogram would make. Still, he was confident in the overall direction, as the core instructions had been embedded before disconnection—those commands would not go awry. As for minor details, even if mistakes occurred, they would not cause significant problems.

“However, the energy consumption is still a bit high. Since leaving the forward base, it’s already changed batteries four times.” Jiang Chen frowned, reviewing the “Boxer’s” parameters.

The functional modules imposed the heaviest burden. Powered by batteries, the “Boxer’s” sustained combat ability had dropped significantly, requiring frequent replacements to maintain combat effectiveness.

The ammunition consumption was also far from trivial.

Although the “Boxer” could fight hand-to-hand, its main means of killing relied on the “Ripper” rifle. No matter how accurate the shooting, when facing fast-moving, evasive beasts, the chance of hitting vital points was only about fifty percent.

With the sheer number of beasts, a single small-scale skirmish could burn through hundreds of rounds.

Only because the “Boxer” was mechanically driven, with a far greater load capacity than human martial artists, could it maintain such combat effectiveness after so many battles.

But even the greatest load capacity had its limits.

This meant that, despite its formidable power, the “Boxer” still had clear weaknesses when operating alone. Only by establishing a robust logistics system could its battle prowess be reliably sustained.

As Jiang Chen mused over these issues, the “Boxer” had already penetrated deep into one of the core areas of City 003—once a landmark building before the Great Nirvana, a slender high tower.

According to the intelligence provided by Li Dawei, within this tower dwelled a mid-level lord-class monster: the “Titan Black Bear,” the very target the “Boxer” had set out to hunt.

After all the fighting along the way, the “Boxer’s” exterior was smeared with filthy blood and bits of flesh—trophies from the monsters felled in close combat, now adding a savage edge to the mech’s imposing presence.

Arriving before the high tower, the “Boxer” paused briefly, as if considering its next move.

—

Inside the workshop, Jiang Chen stared nervously at the large screen.

Given the “Boxer’s” capabilities, it stood a fair chance even against a high-level lord-class monster. Against a mid-level lord-class, as long as it wasn’t a flying beast, the odds were almost certain.

But that was just a calculation based on numbers: speed, attack, defense. Real combat was no mere game of statistics.

Could a lone “Boxer” defeat—or even kill—the “Titan Black Bear,” which commanded a vast horde? Jiang Chen could not be sure.

Only its performance in actual battle would truly matter.

“There are still 1,132 rounds left, and the battery is fresh. That should be more than enough for this fight. Ordinary Beast Soldiers or Generals pose no real threat—the only question is whether it can deal with the ‘Titan Black Bear’ smoothly.”

He muttered to himself.

On-screen, the “Boxer” had already broken through the defenses at the base of the tower and ascended to the third floor, where the “Titan Black Bear” resided.

The “Titan Black Bear” stood nearly ten meters tall—three times the height of the three-meter “Boxer”—its massive form exuding overwhelming menace.

Seeing the “Boxer” slaughter its underlings, the beast let out a furious roar. The powerful sound waves sent spiderweb cracks crawling across the walls.

Boom!

The “Titan Black Bear” slammed its feet into the ground, leaving a deep crater, and its entire body accelerated in an instant, surpassing the speed of sound. Huge, shaggy claws crashed down upon the “Boxer” with a force that could shatter mountains and split stones—even a god of war would not dare to take the blow head-on.

By design, the “Boxer’s” armor could withstand such an attack, but it had no intention of doing so. With a swift sidestep, it dodged to the side, raised the “Ripper,” and opened fire on the “Titan Black Bear.”