Chapter 211: I am Eighteen

US military base, central control room.

Dead silence.

Everyone stared at the screen, staring at that suddenly disappearing life signal, their faces full of disbelief.

“Di… disappeared?”

A technician murmured.

“How is that possible? Such a massive beast, how could it vanish into thin air?!”

Another person frantically tapped the keyboard, pulling up all satellite footage.

Nothing.

There was no footage at all.

That giant beast seemed as if it had never existed.

“What about the radar? What about the life-detection radar?”

“Nothing… there’s nothing…”

The entire control room fell into an eerie silence.

Since that giant beast wasn’t a Kaiju, it could only be a creature of Blue Star.

But it was simply impossible for Blue Star to have such a massive and strange creature.

Then what… exactly was it?

“Commander, what do we do now? Should the mechs still be dispatched?”

An adjutant asked cautiously.

The commander was silent for a long time before slowly speaking.

“No need.”

His voice was low, and his eyes held an unprecedented heaviness.

“Record the information of that giant beast in the archives.”

He paused and continued.

“Codename—Tyrant.”

Everyone fell silent.

Tyrant.

This name was too fitting.

That hideous exoskeleton, that fan-shaped crown that seemed to symbolize an emperor, that slender Bone Tail, those dragon wings with sharp blades…

It was entirely a body born for slaughter.

Based on the physical structure and form alone, it was destined that no human mechs could ever engage it in close-quarters combat.

If that giant beast harbored ill intent toward humanity…

No one dared to think further.

On the screen, the final satellite image captured was pulled up—

The silver-white giant beast, spreading its dragon wings, four crimson vertical pupils staring directly into the lens.

As if mocking the helplessness of humanity.

“Tyrant…”

Someone murmured, repeating the name.

Outside the window, the sirens gradually died down.

But everyone knew that from this day forward, the threats humanity faced would not only come from the monsters of the deep sea.

…

Above the Pacific Ocean, a petite figure tore through the clouds, streaking past at high Speed.

Lilith took only one hour to cross the entire Pacific Ocean.

Below, a bustling metropolis came into view.

Hong Kong.

This Pearl of the Orient shone brilliantly in the sunlight.

But Lilith knew that this place was about to become the front line in the fight against the monsters.

In the plot of the Pacific Rim movie, Hong Kong was the core hub of the Pan Pacific Defense Corps in the Far East.

All mech deployments and strategic decisions were made here.

And most importantly—

Although the headquarters of the Jaeger Academy was located on Kodiak Island in Alaska, Hong Kong was the real stage.

Lilith stood atop a skyscraper, looking down at the massive building below.

Hong Kong Jaeger Operations Base.

There, she had everything she wanted.

Lilith tapped her toes lightly and dropped from a height of a hundred meters.

She controlled her descent Speed, landing steadily on a street on the outskirts of the base.

This was the first time she had returned to the country of her previous life.

Therefore, she landed very softly.

No violent landing, no smashing the ground, no causing any commotion.

Just lightly, she landed on the ground.

She brushed off non-existent dust from her clothes and stepped toward the base’s main gate.

…

Hong Kong Jaeger Operations Base, Registration Office.

Under a massive tent, a long line had formed.

People from all over the world gathered here, harboring dreams of becoming mech pilots.

Among them were burly retired soldiers, sharp-eyed martial arts masters, tall athletes, and even frail-looking scholars wearing glasses.

Lilith walked to the end of the line and waited quietly.

Her conspicuous long silver-white hair and excessively exquisite face quickly drew the attention of those around her.

“Hey, look at that Little Girl.”

A young man with a buzz cut nudged his companion’s arm and lowered his voice.

“So cute, and she has white hair.”

The companion turned his head to look and couldn’t help but smile.

“No way, someone so small is coming to register?”

“Probably just here for the excitement, or she’s in the wrong place.”

“But that face is truly incredible. If she were ten years older, I’d definitely chase after her.”

“Give it a rest. She’s only a few years old; your thoughts are very dangerous.”

Whispers rose and fell.

Lilith turned a deaf ear.

She just queued quietly, her crimson eyes calmly scanning everything around her.

The line moved forward slowly.

Finally, it was her turn.

Behind the registration window sat a middle-aged woman in a military uniform.

The name tag on her chest read Li Shuyi.

She looked up, about to ask a question, but froze the moment she saw Lilith.

“Little one…”

She paused, gazing at the little loli who was exquisitely beautiful to an unfair degree, trying to make her voice sound gentler.

“This is the mech pilot registration office, not an amusement park.”

She forced a kind smile and continued.

“Where are your parents?”

Lilith looked up, her crimson eyes staring at her calmly.

“I’m here to register.”

Her voice was tender, yet it carried an unquestionable certainty.

Li Shuyi was stunned for a moment.

Then she laughed.

In that smile, there was a bit of helplessness, a bit of amusement, and a bit of doting on how cute the child was.

“Little one, do you know the requirements for a mech pilot?”

She pointed to a screen nearby, which displayed the detailed registration requirements.

“Must be at least 18 years old, have excellent physical fitness, and pass psychological tests and simulated driving assessments.”

She lowered her head to look Lilith in the eye.

“So, you, are you an adult?”

Lilith stared with those bright, intelligent eyes and said with a serious face and utter certainty.

“I am.”

Even Lilith didn’t believe what she was saying.

“…”

The smile on Li Shuyi’s face froze.

She looked the Little Girl up and down.

A height of 1.3 meters, at most 1.35 meters.

She looked like she weighed less than thirty kilograms.

That little face was fair and tender, with a hint of baby fat still in her features.

No matter how one looked at her, she didn’t seem like an adult.

“Little one.”

She took a deep breath, trying to maintain her patience.

“Falsifying your age will result in a lifetime disqualification.”

She pointed to the screen.

“Look, the first rule says: Must be at least 18 years old.”

“So, how old are you really? Seven or eight? I can arrange for someone to help find your parents.”

Lilith glanced at the screen and then withdrew her gaze.

She slightly tilted her chin, still insisting stubbornly.

“Eighteen.”

The Main God Game can only be joined at eighteen.

Therefore, her age was eighteen.

Yes, that’s right!

“…”

Li Shuyi was completely speechless.

Several people in line couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“This Little Girl is quite stubborn!”

“Eighteen? I’d say eight at most!”

“But her arrogant look is really cute.”

A young man held his hands to his heart, his eyes full of stars.

“I really want to hold her in my arms and rub that fluffy little head!”

Lilith ignored those voices.

She just looked at the worker in front of her and spoke flatly.

“What a mech pilot needs is constitution and Spirit, not age.”

She paused.

“If I can prove my strength, can I register?”

Li Shuyi was taken aback by her words.

The surrounding laughter also gradually subsided.

Everyone looked at this silver-haired little loli, eyes filled with curiosity and a bit of amusement.

How could she prove it?

Lift dumbbells? Run a thousand meters? Or do ten pull-ups—but can she even reach the bar?

Lilith didn’t wait for an answer.

She turned around, her gaze scanning the surroundings.

Finally, it landed on a heavy armored vehicle parked nearby.

It was a military armored vehicle, made entirely of thickened steel plates, weighing over twenty tons. Even for ordinary Reincarnators, it would be difficult to move.

Lilith stepped toward it.

Everyone was stunned.

What did she want to do?

Under everyone’s dumbfounded gaze, Lilith walked up to the side of the armored vehicle.

And then—

She raised a foot.

That little foot, wearing a short boot, lightly pressed against the edge of the armored vehicle’s chassis.

“Boom—!!!”

A world-shaking explosion of sound!

That heavy armored vehicle weighing twenty tons was kicked over by that tiny foot before everyone’s unbelievable eyes!

The massive vehicle body flipped twice in the air, and then—

“Boom!”

It slammed heavily onto the ground, wheels up!

Dust flew, and the ground trembled!

The entire registration office fell into a dead silence.