episode_0006

Above the old training ground of the Chronos Mercenary Squad, the modified Bugbear rumbled heavily as it settled into position. The fatigue from the all-night work had long since melted away into adrenaline and tension. Across from me, Yuna’s Silvera stood silently, gleaming silvery-white in the dawn light. Its form was unrealistically beautiful, yet simultaneously exuded an overwhelming presence that intimidated anyone who saw it.

Outside the training ground, countless spectators had already gathered even before dawn. From the mercenaries who had been drunk last night to the mechanics who had lost sleep, and even Squad Leader Han, who watched with a complicated expression, arms crossed, and Sergeant Bulldog, whose face revealed nothing of his thoughts. It was no exaggeration to say that the entire Chronos Mercenary Squad had gathered to witness this confrontation. Their murmuring sounds faintly reached inside the cockpit.

“Hey, that’s really Silvera, right? It’s no joke, the luster alone is different.” “He’s going to fight that monstrosity? That Cog7 guy, is he really trying to die?” “Hey, doesn’t that Bugbear look a bit different? They were clanking away all night yesterday, looks like they attached something?” “It’s still just a Bugbear. Just because you repaint the outside, does scrap metal turn into steel?”

Voices mixed with ridicule, pity, and a touch of curiosity. Then, someone shouted loudly. “Alright, alright! In celebration of the match of the century! Those who want to bet, step forward! I’m putting 100 credits on Yuna-nim’s overwhelming victory!” “An overwhelming victory is a given, you should bet on how many minutes he’ll last! I’m putting 50 credits on it ending in under a minute!” “One minute? That’s too generous! 30-second knockout! I’ll bet 70 credits on 30 seconds!” “I’ll bet 20 credits that Cog7 will last three minutes! He’s the guy who took down six pirates, you never know, right?” “Hahaha! You’re just throwing away 20 credits!”

In an instant, an impromptu betting pool was set up in one corner of the training ground. Most of the mercenaries were betting credits on how quickly I would be defeated. Though the amounts weren’t large, their mocking voices clearly reached me inside the cockpit. ‘Fools. Betting on how long I’ll last.’ I gripped the controls tightly. Yes, laugh all you want. But the results would speak for themselves.

“Hmph. Considering what that rookie did all night, you never know. I’ll bet 50 credits on him landing one effective hit.” Squad Leader Han? That was unexpected. He probably didn’t think I’d win at all, but it seemed he expected me to at least show something. It wasn’t a bad feeling, even if it was slight.

Amidst the commotion of the betting pool and the murmuring of the mercenaries, Yuna remained motionless, staring at me. As if she wasn’t even aware of the surrounding noise. [Are you ready, Driller?] Her voice was still clear and cold, but somehow, a hint of excitement seemed to be in it. I took a deep breath, gripped the controls tightly, and replied curtly. “Anytime.”

[Good, the rules are simple. The match ends when a mech is incapacitated or a pilot declares surrender. This is a training simulation, but be careful of mech damage.] Her voice carried a strange nuance, as if she was warning me while also showing consideration. But that couldn’t be her true intention. She was testing me. She wanted to see my limits.

[Then, let’s begin.] No sooner had Yuna finished speaking than Silvera moved—no, “moved” was an understatement. It closed the distance in an instant, leaving only afterimages behind. It was her signature move from the game, the Silver Comet Dash. A sense of speed so overwhelming it was hard to follow with the eyes. ‘Damn it, full power from the start!’ My heart pounded. I reflexively pulled the throttle and ignited the boosters, but the Bugbear’s reaction speed was like a snail’s compared to Silvera.

The beam rifle in Silvera’s hand spat fire. A blue flash burst forth, grazing past my right shoulder armor. [Warning! Right shoulder armor damaged!] “Ugh!” I barely avoided a direct hit, but it was a dizzying start. In the game, she was known for her unpredictable movements and precise shooting. At this rate, I wouldn’t last 30 seconds, let alone three minutes. There was only one way.

‘Kinetic Flow.’ I concentrated my consciousness and activated the skill I had just acquired. Then, the newly installed reactor boosters began to increase output with a sharp whirring sound. I could feel the energy flow inside the mech changing. Energy that had been flowing inefficiently through the system was forcibly concentrated into the mobility system and inertia control device. Along with the tingling sensation of every cell in my body tensing, a subtle sense of the world’s speed slowing down came over me. [Kinetic Flow activated. Reactor load 130%.] System warnings blared, but I ignored them. For now, I had no choice but to rely on this.

Yuna attacked again. This time, it was another one of her specialties, ‘Stardust Rain’ pattern — a rapid-fire beam rifle volley, moving left and right with unpredictable steps, firing in short bursts. If this were the game, my Asura would have landed a counter-attack precisely at the third shot. ‘Damn it, my body isn’t keeping up!’ A perfect evasion and counter-attack route was drawn in my mind, but the Bugbear’s sluggish reaction speed and massive weight couldn’t follow my ideal movements.

I moved the Bugbear as if dancing. Evading left with reverse booster thrust, sharp turn right for posture control. The mech shrieked and groaned, but the actuators and frame, reinforced overnight, barely held. Beam streaks grazed the afterimages of my mech or burned the ground right beside me, missing their mark. If not for ‘Kinetic Flow,’ I would have been riddled with holes by now.

“Ooh!” “He dodged it! He dodged it again!” “No way! Is that a Bugbear’s movement? I can see his steps!” The surprised shouts of the mercenaries watching from outside the training ground faintly reached me. Their betting pool must have already gone into chaos. Yes, it was surprising, because those movements weren’t the Bugbear’s. I was merely imitating the movements of the Asura in my mind.

Of course, there was a price. The G-force pressure exerted on my entire body while maintaining ‘Kinetic Flow’ was beyond imagination, and the reactor temperature was soaring rapidly. I couldn’t maintain this state for long.

[Hmm… an interesting energy pattern. Is that your secret?] Yuna’s voice came through the comms. She was thoroughly analyzing me now. At the same time, I felt her attack style subtly change. No longer standardized patterns, but unpredictable attacks changing improvisationally to match my movements.

A silver flash burst forth, and Silvera closed the distance in an instant. She drew a small energy blade mounted at her waist. That was ‘Nova Strike,’ one of her ultimate skills from the game. ‘Danger!’ I reflexively raised ‘Kinetic Flow’ to its maximum, twisting the mech backward to evade. A harsh screech echoed as the energy blade deeply sliced through my left arm’s armor. If I had been even a moment slower, my entire arm would have been severed.

The moment I narrowly dodged the attack, I instinctively attempted a counter. In the game, there was a very short post-delay right after Nova Strike. I had to aim for that opening. Although I didn’t have a drill bit or similar weapon yet, I had to land at least a heavy steel punch with the mech’s arm. I stretched my right arm out as fast as I could and threw a punch towards Silvera’s flank. But Silvera surpassed my expectations. She was different from the game’s data. As if there was no post-delay, she smoothly rotated her body, dodging my punch by a hair’s breadth. Then, using that rotational force, she delivered a powerful kick to my Bugbear’s abdomen. Thud! With an enormous impact, the mech was pushed back forcefully and lost its balance. Warning alarms blared frantically from the dashboard inside the cockpit. [Warning! Abdomen armor damaged! Internal system shock!] “Ugh…!”

Was it still not enough? Even with game knowledge, the gap in mech performance and the pilot’s improvisation ability were insurmountable. Yuna seemed to be toying with me, yet I was barely keeping up by exerting my full power every single moment. But I couldn’t give up. I gritted my teeth and straightened the mech’s posture. I checked the HUD’s timer. 2 minutes 53 seconds… 54 seconds… 55 seconds… Please!

Yuna closed the distance again, raising her energy blade as if to deliver a final blow. I squeezed out all my remaining energy, maintaining ‘Kinetic Flow,’ and desperately took a defensive stance. 58 seconds… 59 seconds… Just then, amidst the clamorous warning sounds, a new system notification appeared. [+5000CR (Additional reward objective achieved: Survive for 3 minutes or more)] I did it. The first objective was achieved. Relief and a slight surge of confidence welled up. I had endured Yuna’s attacks for three full minutes.

Yuna’s attack paused for a moment. She also seemed slightly surprised by the fact that I had lasted three minutes. At that very instant, I saw it. That fleeting opening when she let her guard down for a moment. Near Silvera’s right shoulder, exposed defenselessly from swinging the energy blade wide. Even in the game, she sometimes showed subtle openings after such a big move. An opportunity that Asura would not have missed. ‘Now!’ This wasn’t a planned attack. It was instinct. And it was the certainty born from my game experience. A reflexive movement created by senses sharpened through ‘Kinetic Flow.’ I used the damaged vulcan cannon on my left arm as a shield, simultaneously obstructing her vision, and stretched my right arm out as far as it would go, delivering a punch towards her shoulder, just as she had done to me moments earlier. If I succeeded in landing just one effective hit, I could earn another 5,000 credits.