Chapter Sixty-Six: Risk

"5g acceleration, normal gravity."

The gradual shifts in acceleration and gravity made Li Daoran quite uncomfortable. The highest acceleration on a roller coaster usually does not exceed 1.5g; at 5g, most people would feel dizzy, nauseated, lose judgment, or even faint. Astronauts from Water Blue Star are required to adapt to a maximum acceleration of 10g. Fighter pilots, during ejection, can experience accelerations of 12 to 20g, and 20g for even a brief moment is enough to cause blindness, brain congestion, swollen blood vessels, blood seeping through the skin, and ultimately death.

The minimum requirement for operating a mech is the ability to function under 5g acceleration, because a mech’s instantaneous acceleration can easily reach 2g, and collisions can easily exceed 1000g. For example, a Water Blue Star car hitting a wall at fifty kilometers per hour, restrained by a seat belt, subjects its occupants to an acceleration of 20g.

However, with the protection of exoskeletal armor, the acceleration acting on the body during a collision does not exceed 20g. Thus, being able to comfortably withstand 5g acceleration is the baseline, since both movement and sudden stops will often surpass this value. The extreme standard is generally considered to be withstanding 20g acceleration for one minute; achieving this qualifies one as a mech pilot.

Li Daoran showed no signs of discomfort under 5g acceleration, easily enduring it. Even Scrap was quite surprised. He knew Li Daoran’s physical fitness must be excellent—after all, among the new recruits in this fighter, only he and Xu Xingxing could walk out on their own and even assist others. They were the best of the batch. Still, Li Daoran’s performance data astonished Scrap.

"You’ve found a real talent, Scrap. Even on these numbers alone, he qualifies to apply for battle armor," Wang Mo remarked.

"Of course! When have my instincts ever been wrong?" Scrap suppressed his surprise and replied smugly, not mentioning that this was Bear Mountain’s soldier.

"Now we begin the extreme test. It could cause irreversible physical harm—are you ready?" Wang Mo spoke into the microphone.

Hearing the warning about physical harm, Li Daoran’s expression changed. He quickly waved his hand and shouted, "What kind of harm? Why is it irreversible? Explain it first—if it’s not clear, I won’t do it!"

Wang Mo scratched his head. He had just asked as a formality, not expecting such a strong reaction. He looked at Scrap and said, "Didn’t you tell him?"

Scrap turned to Xu Xingxing: "Did you guys not explain it?"

Xu Xingxing looked confused; he had no idea either.

Wang Mo patted his head, and Scrap said bluntly, "It’s just a possibility. With this kid’s physical condition, he’ll be fine. No need to explain—just go for it."

"No, no, you have to make it clear! If I refuse, then that’s it," Li Daoran protested from inside. At that moment, the glass chamber was still simulating 5g acceleration. While his body felt fine, moving around recklessly was obviously unwise. Without armor or protective gear at this acceleration, bone fractures could easily occur.

Li Daoran was concerned; this wasn’t something he could decide on alone. How much risk was involved? What were the consequences? Anything that could cause physical injury had to be considered carefully. He didn’t want to end up injured in a test rather than on the battlefield.

Wang Mo looked troubled. Running the machine consumed considerable energy, and each data point was reported. If the test was interrupted and had to start over because of lack of preparation, he would be held responsible. Yet forcing the test while Li Daoran was uninformed and unwilling went against his conscience, even if nothing went wrong in the end. It violated his moral principles. He sighed and prepared to shut down the machine.

Scrap couldn’t stand it. He’d pulled strings for this opportunity, and now Wang Mo had to take the blame. Scrap knew how precious this chance was, even if Li Daoran and the others didn’t. He also knew all the intricacies involved. Once the test was interrupted, Li Daoran’s data would be reported.

Li Daoran certainly could retest—no issue there, since the responsibility wasn’t his. But Wang Mo might be punished, because every test required risk disclosure and consent. This was protocol, but since it was done through back channels, no one was assigned to inform him, and testing without consent violated operational rules. It wasn’t a small matter; ultimately, it was detrimental to Wang Mo.

Scrap stopped Wang Mo and spoke into the microphone: "Are you in or out? You only get one chance. If you refuse, that’s it—no second opportunity. Decide for yourself. Will you pilot a mech or not? The risks on the battlefield are much greater than this, even in training. If you’re afraid of this risk, you might as well forget about piloting a mech altogether."

Scrap finished and folded his arms, watching Li Daoran.

Li Daoran forced a smile, understanding Scrap’s anger. On Water Blue Star, even for an appendectomy, you had to sign a surgical risk disclosure and waiver, but life was full of risks. They were headed to battlefields, yet hesitated over a simple test. Like refusing a chest X-ray for military service because of radiation hazards—it was bound to infuriate others.

Xu Xingxing grew anxious. He spoke into the microphone: "Boss, what are you doing? Nothing’s risk-free. So many have done the test; your physique is better than theirs, so what could happen? Hurry up and finish—I’m next and waiting to get my armor. The risk report is probably long and scary, but you’re fine if you don’t know. If you do know, you’ll just worry more, which isn’t good. Besides, even if you know, you still have to test. What’s the difference? Don’t overthink it."

Wang Mo glanced at the time. Li Daoran had already endured over five minutes at five times gravity, data still steady. He had met the base standard, but an extreme test was still needed. Many people performed well at lower accelerations but faltered at the extremes, which was unacceptable. For a mech pilot, sudden violent collisions were common; if one’s extreme endurance was low, piloting was impossible.

"Xu Xingxing is right, Daoran. Even knowing the risks, we can’t back out. Go on," Chen Ming’s voice came through.

Li Daoran readied himself and said, "Go ahead. I’m prepared."

Wang Mo nodded. "Alright. Next is the 20g acceleration test. If the data looks abnormal, I’ll stop immediately to prevent irreversible harm. You might experience tinnitus, dizziness, chest tightness, and other adverse reactions. Try to keep your breathing steady, don’t speak, focus and hold your breath, and avoid moving."