Chapter 248: Welt and Otto Collectively Shocked! Titanfall 2's God-Tier Level Design!
Returning to June 22nd, inside the Gramoth Studio Titanfall 2 special livestream room—
Welt Yang and Tesla appeared as invited guests, while the host for this special program was miHoYo's legendary ambassador, Elysia.
Elysia can do anything (not really).
As the stream began, a massive audience of onlookers flooded into the room. Many were veteran Honkai Impact 3rd players or simply fans of Elysia. Fortunately, the "Little Television" streaming platform had prepared multiple servers in advance, preventing the stream from crashing.
[Elysia! How is the Old Scoundrel? Is he okay?]
[The Director isn't even in the livestream for his new game's release; is he really seriously injured?]
[Elysia, say something!]
Many players were asking about Su Mu's condition. Elysia did not hide the truth, telling the audience that Su Mu was fine but would be hospitalized for a while, which wouldn't affect the future scriptwriting for Honkai Impact 3rd. Upon hearing this, the players finally felt their hearts settle.
Soon, under Elysia's introduction, Welt and Tesla appeared before the viewers. Seeing them, many viewers began to tease them.
[Welt, did you really marry your adoptive mother?]
[I couldn't tell, Welt; a man with such thick eyebrows and big eyes is actually so capable!] [Dr. Tesla, who handles the money at your house?]
The fans' irreverent questions made Tesla clench her fists: "You guys! Don't mix up the game with reality! What adoptive mother?!" The hot-tempered lady instantly transformed into a roaring dinosaur, leading the viewers to remark that the character designs in Honkai Impact 3rd were incredibly accurate; this Tesla was indistinguishable from the one in the game!
"Alright, alright, the Q&A session ends here—I see our Uncle Yang can hardly wait. Although I, Elysia, really wanted to play this live gameplay myself, I know Uncle Yang, a veteran mecha enthusiast, has been looking forward to this day for a long time. I can only painfully give up my turn~"
Following Elysia's words, Welt didn't waste any time and impatiently opened Titanfall 2. As he launched the game, Elysia introduced various details about the new title.
"Titanfall 2 is a first-person FPS game produced by Su Mu and developed by Lead Creator Firefly and Gramoth Studio. It features both online multiplayer and a standalone single-player campaign. In multiplayer, players can play as Pilots, fighting other Pilots, piloting various Titans, and using cool weapons... while in the single-player campaign, players will take on the role of a legendary Pilot—Jack Cooper—and experience a massive war that changes the world..."
While Elysia explained, Welt had already opened the offline mode and started playing the story campaign.
The story of Titanfall 2 takes place in the future. Humans used emerging Titan and interstellar jump technologies to begin long-term space exploration. A group of ambitious explorers sought to find the edge of the galaxy and, after an endless journey, reached a star system completely untouched by human civilization, which they called "The Frontier." Because this system was so far from human civilization, it remained a "gray area" ignored even by the government for a long time.
In the 20 years since The Frontier's discovery, immigrants had been arriving: farmers who couldn't afford Earth's high land prices, explorers seeking the deeper universe, or anti-social types wanting to stay away from society. Of course, many were criminals with nowhere else to go. In this anarchist gray zone, this motley crew miraculously coexisted in peace. They called themselves Frontier residents, becoming the first colonists and peacekeepers of this mysterious system.
However, the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation (IMC) discovered the value of this lawless land. Initially a small mining company extracting materials and fuel for Titans, Hammond Engineering eventually established a monopoly on Titan manufacturing through territorial expansion and exclusive patent databases. The accumulated wealth allowed the company to merge with all competitors within a century, forming the commercial empire known as the IMC.
The IMC's massive mining machines displaced the original owners and hollowed out planet after planet. Frontier residents knew that in this anarchist land, whoever held absolute power controlled the narrative. The reckless mining drove the residents past their breaking point, and conflict finally erupted. Farmers, pirates, mercenaries, and outlaws from overseas colonies formed a loose alliance called the "Frontier Militia," which became the IMC's greatest obstacle to expansion.
The player takes on the role of Jack Cooper, a rifleman in the Marauder Corps led by Sarah Briggs.
["Of all the things I've seen on the Frontier..."]
["...the Pilot is the apex predator."]
Accompanied by the roar of artillery and the smoke of the battlefield in the CG, Jack Cooper's narration began.
["Fast and agile."]
["Graceful, yet devastatingly powerful."]
["Perceptive... resourceful... and relentless."]
["A Pilot sees the world differently."]
["Where others see a wall, a Pilot sees a path."]
["Pilots fight differently. They excel at assassination, achieving victory even in the most perilous situations."]
["But the greatest difference between a Pilot and all the infantry and machines on the battlefield..."]
["...is the link between the Pilot and the Titan."]
["Once linked to a Titan, a Pilot can only be defeated by an overwhelming force, or another Pilot."]
["The Frontier has been my only home for as long as I can remember."]
["For years, the IMC has been forcibly taking our resources... polluting and destroying our planets, and massacring anyone who resists."]
["Now... I am a rifleman in the Militia, fighting for the freedom of the Frontier."]
["The day I become a Pilot is still far off."]
["When that day comes..."]
["...I hope I can live up to the name."]
Just the opening CG and Cooper's introduction made Welt, sitting before the computer, tremble. Watching the figures of the Titans and Pilots on the battlefield, the middle-aged man covered his eyes, tears of excitement welling up.
The viewers in the stream were equally stunned. The incredibly cool opening CG of Titanfall 2 displayed the brutal war between the Militia and the IMC right before their eyes. The high-level art and fluid movements reaffirmed the audience's beliefs.
[Dammit, is miHoYo really an animation company?]
[This CG quality is ridiculous...]
[How much money did they burn to make this?] [I can't take it; this intro is making me fired up! Just for this CG, I'm buying Titanfall 2 immediately!]
[Mechas are a man's ultimate romance!!]
Amidst the rapidly scrolling bullet chats, the game shifted to its first level—[The Pilot's Gauntlet]. Captain Lastimosa, seeing Cooper's potential to become a Pilot, personally instructed him in Pilot training.
As Cooper activated the training pod, interactive elements appeared. Titanfall 2 uses light calibration to test if players need Y-axis inversion. After a neural link, Cooper successfully entered the simulated space for the Pilot's trial.
["I shouldn't really be training you, but I see potential. Besides, we're at war. Who has time for hierarchy, right?"]
Under Captain Lastimosa's prompts, Welt quickly familiarized himself with the basic controls. Seeing Cooper wall-run, double-jump, and perform agile movements made Welt feel like a superman, filling him with joy.
As an invited guest, Welt fulfilled his "duty" to evaluate and score the game.
"The Pilot's Gauntlet is a fantastic tutorial. Lastimosa's narration sets the background and basic relationships... and I don't know how it looks to everyone else, but playing it myself, the movement is excellent and very fluid. The gunplay also has a unique style..."
Unfortunately, just as Captain Lastimosa was about to teach Cooper how to control a Titan, the training was interrupted. Welt, watching the Titan descend from the sky, was practically drooling, but the sudden interruption nearly made him stumble.
It turned out the Militia's campaign on Planet Typhon had begun. Captain Lastimosa had to carry out his mission, and Cooper, as a rifleman, had to drop onto Typhon with his comrades to fight the IMC. Lastimosa praised Cooper's training and promised to finish it later, but they were out of time.
Before leaving, Lastimosa greeted Anderson and boarded his Titan.
["See you on the ground, Cooper. Good luck."]
Then, Cooper's comrade threw him a weapon.
["Get out of that pod, Cooper. See you on the dropship."]
The battle with the IMC had begun—
Welt was expecting a grand battle, but the next transition brought an unexpected scene.
[TITANFALL 2]
As the Titanfall 2 logo appeared, weightless space-like music played. Above Planet Typhon, a lifepod trailed exhaust as it entered the atmosphere. Panic-stricken voices filled the radio.
["We're under anti-orbital fire at Typhon!"]
["Intelligence was wrong!"]
["IMC on the left!"]
["This isn't a standard research op!"]
["We're going down! Repeat, we are going down! Coordinates unknown!"]
["Repeat, everyone abandon ship! Abandon ship!"]
["Get to the lifepods!!"]
["We're going to crash, we're going to crash!!"]
Amidst the noisy radio, countless lifepods streaked like meteors into Typhon's atmosphere. This cinematic cutscene once again shocked the viewers!
The perspective shifted to inside the lifepod. The battlefield outside was chaotic. Cooper crawled out of the pod into a world of smoke, artillery, and countless fighters and missiles overhead, making the player feel like they were truly on the Typhon battlefield!
Welt focused on controlling Cooper, clearing out IMC enemies with a rifle, until the impact of a descending Titan knocked him to the ground! The strength of a rifleman seemed so weak before a Pilot. Just as the enemy Titan was about to kill Cooper, a volley of missiles struck it.
It was Captain Lastimosa and his Titan, BT-7274! As a legendary Pilot, Lastimosa instantly used an over-the-shoulder throw and shoulder cannons to kill the enemy Titan. He hopped out of his Titan and injected Cooper with a survival kit originally meant for himself.
The enemy's Apex Predators appeared in their Titans. Lastimosa re-boarded BT and knocked down an attacking Predator in front of Cooper, while deploying a shield to block an attack from another Predator behind him.
However, another Predator appeared behind BT and attacked. BT was eventually defeated and collapsed, while Cooper lost consciousness.
[Crap, these Predators have no honor? Four-on-one??]
[Captain Lastimosa instakills one Titan, downs another, and instantly matches a third; if not for the sneak attack, wouldn't all these Titans have died here?] [Wait? The IMC is that heartless? Four Pilots against one BT? That's shameless!!]
Seeing Lastimosa and BT fall, many viewers cursed. After all, the Captain was not only Cooper's teacher but had just saved his life; to the players playing as Cooper, Lastimosa was a savior. Knowing the enemy was coming, he told Cooper to hide while he fought alone. This naturally inspired respect for the legendary Pilot!
Yet, he ultimately fell to a sneak attack while being ganged up on... If it were a fair fight, the outcome would have been uncertain! This tragic end left them feeling sad and angry!
Senti, also watching the stream, couldn't help but jump off her bed, her face full of resentment. "Four against one? What kind of skill is that! Come and 1v1 me if you dare! Hah? 1v1 me!!" From her look, she wished she could travel into Titanfall to fight alongside Captain Lastimosa.
Senti had already bought the game but hadn't started playing; now, she felt she had to. In her world, loyalty was everything! The Captain saved the player, and seeing him defeated by underhanded means was unbearable!
[Those weirdos in Blisk's corps! Just you wait, I'm coming for you!] [I can't take it; I'm going to take Blisk out!] [This opening story is too much; I have to become a Pilot immediately and avenge the Captain!]
Many undecided players now wanted to take on the IMC and Blisk's corps. This reached a peak when Cooper woke up and was nearly killed by a beast on the planet. Nearby, Lastimosa, with his last breath, commanded BT to fire and kill the beast. After that, BT stood up and stumbled toward Cooper.
BT knelt, the cockpit opened, and a dying Lastimosa fell out.
["BT... transfer authorization to new Pilot. Linking..."]
["BT-7274..."]
Lastimosa grabbed Cooper's hand and sat up with his remaining strength.
["Cooper, take my Titan. Use my helmet and jump kit... this is for real... take care of him."]
After saying these words, Lastimosa collapsed, never to speak again.
The Captain's dying wish made Welt feel as if he had truly become Jack Cooper. Only one thought remained: become the new Pilot, complete the mission, and... avenge the Captain. This immersive feeling made Welt forget he was even streaming until the transition showed Cooper burying the Captain and putting on the helmet.
"Joachim, I've been calling you for ages; why didn't you react??" Tesla glared at Welt, who gave an embarrassed smile.
"Haha, sorry, I just got completely absorbed..."
Tesla sighed: "You always get obsessed with games and mechas... fine, I don't blame you; I know that feeling of seeing something you love. And it seems the audience doesn't mind..."
[Lol, Welt looks pretty cool when he's playing seriously.]
[This reminds me of when Welt faced Kevin alone in Honkai 3rd... he had that same fearless expression.]
[They say serious men are handsome, and it's true!]
Meanwhile... In Theresa's hospital room. Otto Apocalypse was intensely playing Titanfall 2. Theresa had called him several times, but he gave no reaction.
"Seriously... what kind of game did Su Mu make now? To make Grandpa this obsessed?" Theresa grumbled, but seeing Otto like this, she knew he wouldn't notice her. She openly got out of bed and slipped into Su Mu's room.
Su Mu was watching the Titanfall 2 livestream, but he appeared to be thinking about something, a small device on his ear—a Synesthesia Beacon modified by Ruan Mei and Herta, though Theresa had never seen it before.
Seeing Su Mu completely oblivious to her presence, seemingly immersed in his own world, Theresa puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.
"Seriously... Su Mu, you're just like Grandpa."
Seeing Su Mu in that state, Theresa huffed and snatched the tablet from in front of him, only to find him still motionless.
"?"
Theresa slowly formed a mental question mark. Why was this guy frozen?
"Hmph... keep pretending. If you keep it up, I'll... I'll..."
Theresa gestured wildly at Su Mu, but seeing no reaction, she became convinced he was intentionally pranking her. In a fit of pique, she grabbed Su Mu's trousers.
"If you don't speak, I'm going to pull your pants down! You wouldn't want the nurses to see you half-naked, would you?"
When Su Mu still didn't respond, Theresa paused.
"Fine. Since you love pretending so much, just stay still. Let's see how long you can hold out!"
Looking at the Su Mu before her, a bold idea sprouted in Theresa's mind, and she quickly put it into action. As she spoke, she kicked off her shoes and climbed onto Su Mu's bed. She unbuttoned her hospital gown and pushed Su Mu down. Normally, she would feel shy about such a bold act, but for some reason, she didn't feel that way now. Perhaps, deep down, she had been longing for this moment for a long time—
"Woof woof! Woof woof?!"
Kamisato Ayaka's dog Sangonomiya Kokomi... no, it was Peppey.
It pushed open the ward door and saw Theresa on the bed straddling Su Mu's "joystick," moving up and down; it felt as if the sky had collapsed. Of course, while it looked like an innocent little dog, the one controlling Peppey at this moment was Su Mu himself.
During a previous collaboration with Herta's studio, Su Mu had become a "guinea pig" for Herta and Ruan Mei. As a user of the Synesthesia Beacon, he had undergone consciousness mapping with Peppey multiple times. Peppey regarded Su Mu as her "big brother," even shamelessly sharing secrets about her owner Asta, which had embarrassed Su Mu to no end.
The modified Synesthesia Beacon allowed for longer consciousness mapping while preserving the subject's own consciousness. On the way back to miHoYo, Peppey had introduced Su Mu to many animal friends, telling him to just call them if he ever needed help and to use her name, Sister Peppey. When asked how she gained these followers, Peppey said she simply shared her leftovers with them—having seen Peppey's meals, Su Mu understood one thing: being Asta's dog was an incredible life.
"I... I just used the Synesthesia Beacon to check in on Peppey and map my consciousness to her to look at some office documents!"
Looking at Theresa on the bed, Su Mu didn't know whether he should cut the connection with Peppey.
"Whoa! Big Brother! You're amazing! This female human's pelvis is great; she'll definitely produce healthy offspring!!"
Peppey's voice made Su Mu feel like his world was ending.
"Don't talk nonsense, we aren't in that kind of relationship."
"So you're friends with benefits? Big Brother, I get it! Powerful males instinctively attract females! In the dog world, it's normal for a strong male to maintain relationships with multiple females! Sometimes even several at once!"
"...Peppey, as a thoughtful little dog—a female one at that—your words leave me speechless."
"Big Brother, by the way! The only male Peppey recognizes now is you!"
"Pfft!!"
Su Mu felt like he was going to cough up blood. This wasn't a "Help, I've turned into a dog" situation; it was much worse. And it was a rich girl's dog! It turned out that certain phrases weren't just insults.
—
On the other side.
Elysia, of course, had no idea how dire Su Mu's situation was, or that he was on the brink of "losing himself." If she had known Su Mu was being eyed by Peppey, she likely would have rushed to the scene to mock him.
By this time, Welt had successfully found a spare battery for BT. After inserting it, BT finally rebooted.
[Linking...]
[Protocol 1: Link to Pilot]
[Neural Link in progress...]
[Neural Link complete... Rifleman Jack Cooper, you are now the acting Pilot of BT-7274.]
[Protocol 2: Uphold the Mission] [Pilot, we must uphold the mission. Orders are to continue Special Operation 217 and rendezvous with Major Anderson.]
[Enemy forces detected.]
[Protocol 3: Protect the Pilot]
[Rebooting primary systems...]
With BT successfully started, Welt finally got to pilot the mecha of his dreams. He used BT's Vortex Shield to catch enemy bullets and fire them back! After familiarizing himself with the Titan's combat modes, Welt cheered like a child, controlling BT to slaughter his way through the IMC encirclement.
When facing the enemy Titan Pilot "Brute," BT distracted the opponent while Cooper used cloak to get close, pull out the battery, and blow up the enemy Titan! Although Welt performed this as the player, the story showed Cooper and BT working together seamlessly, which shocked the viewers.
[Cooper doesn't act like a rookie Pilot at all?]
[The enemy Pilot didn't expect this tactic and got taken out just like that?]
[I love this protagonist!] [This is the character we're controlling, of course he's strong! Plus, Cooper has talent, which is why the Captain chose him for training!] [This cockpit view is amazing! It feels like actually piloting a Titan!]
[Adrenaline is peaking, brothers!]
On the way to meet Major Anderson, many Militia soldiers were still fighting. Cooper fought alongside BT, becoming more skilled and acquiring new Titan loadouts to enhance BT's power. The return of the supposedly defeated BT caught the IMC's attention. Soon, the Apex Predator Kane appeared in his mecha—he was also a member of Blisk's mercenary group.
Despite being an Apex Predator, Kane was eventually defeated by Cooper and BT. By salvaging the radio from Kane's helmet, Cooper gained the ability to eavesdrop on the mercenaries' internal communications. To reach Anderson quickly, BT and Cooper took a shortcut through a heavily guarded IMC manufacturing plant. This plant detailed how the IMC manufactured and assembled Titans, and the massive, precise machinery made Tesla gasp in awe.
For a science enthusiast, such a facility naturally commanded Tesla's full attention.
"Whew... this is incredible. It looks like a real factory in a future world. The operational logic and the construction of the large machinery feel so real..."
"Even though it's a sci-fi game, it feels authentic... In this regard, the quality is top-tier."
"What? Why look for realism in a virtual world? That's a silly question! If it's completely detached from reality, there's no immersion! Immersion is vital for players!!"
"Huh? Just because I'm a scientist doesn't mean I don't understand games! Why wouldn't I understand something the person I like enjoys?!"
"You—stop teasing! I'm not happy even if you praise me, hmph!!"
Seeing Tesla interacting so energetically with the viewers, Elysia couldn't help but wear a knowing smile.
"Oh dear, showing off your affection in front of a single person like me... I'm burning with jealousy~"
Tesla was flustered: "Hey, even the host shouldn't join in the teasing!"
The atmosphere was filled with joy as other miHoYo staff laughed along. In the factory, the Apex Predator Ash—the Pilot who had ambushed the Captain—used a ruse to separate BT from Cooper. Cooper refused to abandon his partner and pursued them to the deepest part of the factory. There, Cooper entered an IMC simulation arena and encountered the new "Reaper" Titans.
With strength that left Ash in disbelief, Cooper broke through the encirclement. In a desperate attempt to stop them, Ash tried to blow up the entire factory. However, this allowed BT to break free and reunite with Cooper. The reunited pair once again showcased their power, and Cooper defeated Ash.
After defeating Ash, Cooper and BT finally arrived at Major Anderson's location. However, the facility was eerily quiet and overgrown, as if no one had been there for a long time. Before reaching Anderson, Cooper experienced a strange phenomenon: time inside the facility jumped back and forth between a ruined corridor and a pristine lab.
This time-jumping shocked Welt. When he saw the massive ring-shaped facility in the plaza, the contrast between the two timelines—one a ruin under thunderous skies with unknown beasts, and the other a functional base—was visually stunning.
However, when they found Major Anderson, it was a grim sight. Anderson's corpse was trapped in the ceiling in a bizarre fashion, with his upper body hanging down...
After retrieving Anderson's helmet, Cooper learned the mission: two weeks ago, Anderson had infiltrated this facility because the IMC had discovered a powerful force capable of warping spacetime, named the "Fold Weapon" (or "Ark"). Because the helmet was damaged, Cooper couldn't find out what happened next. He had to investigate further, but the ruined facility offered no clues.
The only way forward was to use the wrist device on Anderson's body to actively jump between the two timelines to piece together the events.
Thus, in the following level.
Welt and the viewers witnessed what would be remembered as a masterpiece of level design—true "Ninth Art."
["Sorry, Anderson."]
As Cooper put on Anderson's watch and activated it with a pinch of his hand, he instantly jumped to the other timeline. Another pinch brought him back. This level required using time-jumping to fight through enemies, overcome obstacles, and uncover the truth!
A corridor blocked by fire in one timeline was pristine in the other, allowing passage. Infrared security beams in the past could be bypassed by jumping to the ruined present! Cooper moved like a ghost through the massive facility, jumping between eras! IMC soldiers in the past discovered him but couldn't track his movements. They set up roadblocks, but nothing could stop him.
What impressed Welt the most was navigating a ventilation shaft engulfed in flames; he had to jump through time mid-fall to escape fire and high-speed fan blades! Combined with the Pilot's mobility—sliding, double-jumping, and wall-running—this high-speed traversal between timelines left the viewers wide-eyed.
Thrilling! It was absolutely thrilling!
Many players had come for the mechas, but they never expected the level design for Pilot missions to reach such heights. This experience sent Welt's adrenaline soaring!
Finally, Welt controlled Cooper to uncover the truth. The IMC had unearthed an ancient relic, the "Ark." General Marder discovered it could fold spacetime and generate massive energy. During a test, a small-scale failure of the Ark had shattered Typhon's moon and destroyed the research base. General Marder planned to use this weapon to attack the Militia home planet, Harmony, killing forty million civilians.
While scanning the Ark, Cooper entered the timeline at the exact moment of its explosion. Everything except Cooper was frozen in time: the soldiers, the exploding ships, the debris, the corridors... all motionless. This scene gave Welt goosebumps. He hadn't expected to be so profoundly shocked twice in the same level!
At the same time.
In the hospital, in Theresa's room.
After finishing this level, Otto Apocalypse let out a long breath, his body slightly trembling with excitement. The power of the "Ninth Art" was truly soul-shaking. Although Otto wasn't an FPS or mecha fan, he was stunned by the game's quality. He had been completely immersed.
"...Theresa? Hmm?"
During the loading screen for the next level, Otto realized Theresa was gone. He stood up in a panic, but the door opened before he could rush out. Theresa walked in.
"Theresa, where were you?"
Otto relaxed upon seeing her.
"Grandpa, you didn't react when I called... I was thirsty, so I went to the vending machine for some bitter melon juice."
Theresa shook the bottle in her hand.
"Ah, right... Sorry, Theresa, Grandpa didn't mean to ignore you..."
Otto smiled awkwardly. He really had been too absorbed. However, he soon noticed something odd about Theresa. Her face was flushed, her clothes were slightly disheveled, and, most alarmingly, there was a short, black, curly hair near the corner of her mouth.
"Theresa, is that... a hair on your mouth?"
Theresa froze. She quickly wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and shouted flusteredly.
"Grandpa, aren't you going to keep playing? Go on... I'm tired and want to sleep!"
Otto still felt something was off. Was that really a hair? But Theresa's hair was white. He shook his head and turned back to the screen.
Theresa turned away from Otto and took a big gulp of bitter melon juice.
"I shouldn't have swallowed it... the taste is so strange... bitter and astringent... not good at all."
Clearly, she wasn't talking about the juice.
END OF CHAPTER
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