episode_0002

Icarus Technology Far East Branch, 7th Briefing Room.

As expected from a company famous for its cutting-edge facilities, a giant holographic image floated vividly in the center of the conference room.

In the video, against the backdrop of a dusty, abandoned mining base, a dilapidated 3rd generation mech ‘Bugbear’ was displaying unbelievable movements.

[Playback speed 0.5x. Frame-by-frame analysis mode activated.]

The video slowed with a cold mechanical sound.

The Bugbear swung its heavy drill bit like an arm, accurately striking the cockpit of an approaching pirate mech.

Shrapnel flew, and sparks burst forth.

Its movements were crude, yet impossibly precise and fast.

“…Is this really a real video?”

A sharp-featured mercenary with the callsign ‘Lazer’ asked, frowning.

He was one of the aces belonging to Icarus.

“Well, it’s original data directly filmed by our reconnaissance drone. No traces of manipulation have been found.”

‘Doctor’, who was in charge of data analysis, said, adjusting his glasses.

His eyes were busy tracking the floating figures in the holographic video.

“Impossible. Look at the G (gravitational acceleration) force values generated during that movement. An ordinary pilot would have been crushed to death in the cockpit. That’s not a human’s movement.”

‘Titan’, a mercenary in heavy reinforced armor, countered in a deep voice.

His specialty was heavy armor breakthrough combat.

“Then… is there a possibility it’s a relic from an older era?”

Doctor cautiously put forward a hypothesis.

“For example, a pilot who received illegal augmented human procedures, which were only used during the Imperial War era.”

“Augmented human?”

Lazer scoffed.

“Augmentation procedures from that era had severe side effects, so they’re practically obsolete technology. Even if that were the case. That mech is a Bugbear. A 3rd generation mass-produced junk!”

Lazer sighed, as if dumbfounded.

“If movements like that were performed with a mech like that, the joint actuators would have been destroyed first. The torque overload values are abnormal!”

Titan agreed and added.

“That’s a movement impossible given the mech’s specifications. It would be more convincing to say it’s a forged video created by an AI. It could also be psychological warfare from competitors or pirates.”

“Or a promotional video made by those Chronos Mercenary Corps guys after taking drugs.”

As Lazer spoke sarcastically, cynical silence briefly fell over the briefing room.

Chronos Mercenary Corps.

They were a third-rate group that barely scraped by, using cheap mercenaries, incomparable to giant corporations like Icarus.

There was no way such a pilot could come from a place like that.

Just then, a figure, who had been silently watching the video in a corner of the conference room, moved.

She was a woman with clear, cold eyes, in stark contrast to her pure white, almost silver-colored hair.

Her spotless white pilot suit further accentuated her ethereal aura.

Her name was ‘Yuna’.

She was a living legend among the mercenaries belonging to Icarus Technology, famous for her unrivaled skill and enigmatic nature.

Lazer, Titan, and Doctor simultaneously fell silent and focused on her.

Her opinion was more than just a suggestion.

Yuna rose from her seat and approached the holographic image.

Her gaze was fixed on the wreckage of the destroyed pirate mechs and the precariously standing Bugbear.

“Speculation is pointless.”

Her voice was low, yet it held the power to silence all other sounds in the room.

“We’ll just have to confirm it ourselves.”

Leaving those words behind, Yuna exited the briefing room without hesitation.

“W-wait! Yuna! What do you mean by ‘confirm’… how?”

Lazer asked in a fluster, but Yuna didn’t look back.

The door closed, and an awkward silence once again filled the briefing room.

“She’s always like this.”

Titan let out a hollow laugh.

“Leave her be. If Yuna steps forward herself, it’ll be clear whether that video is real or fake.”

Doctor mumbled and immersed himself in data analysis again.

Lazer made a displeased expression but said nothing more.

Yuna’s independent actions were nothing new, and she always delivered results.

A moment later, in the special hangar of Icarus Technology’s Far East Branch.

The latest custom mech ‘Silvera’, made of elegant silver-white curves, quietly activated.

It was a mech of a different dimension from general mass-produced models, created solely for Yuna.

Yuna’s cold eyes, seated in the cockpit, reflected the lights of the dashboard.

New target information appeared on the HUD.

[Target confirmed and engagement]

Target: Unidentified Mercenary (Temporary Codename: Driller)

Last Confirmed Coordinates: Sector Gamma-7, inside the abandoned asteroid mining base.

The Silvera smoothly took off and exited the hangar. Yuna’s silver eyes gleamed coldly.

“Whether you’re real, or just a piece of data. I’ll go see for myself, ‘Driller’.”

Her mech sliced through space like a streak of silver light, flying towards Sector Gamma-7.

*****

Fragments and debris from the recent fierce battle were scattered everywhere.

Fallen pirate mechs sparking.

And in the center of it all, a battered Bugbear, spewing smoke. It was my mech.

I was buried deep in the cockpit, breathing heavily.

Incredibly, I had just finished dealing with all six pirate mechs by myself.

After smashing the first two with the drill bit, I honestly don’t remember well how I dealt with the rest.

I probably swung the drill like crazy, hid behind old structures, used collapsing debris, and fought desperately as survival instinct guided me.

In the end, only I survived.

Jinx, Sparky, and Squadron Leader Cog4. I didn’t want to think about any of them.

Only the cold reality struck my head.

Just then, notifications began to appear loudly in the system window.

[Hostile forces completely annihilated (6/6) confirmed]

[Partial mission objective achieved: Elimination of threats in the area]

[Combat efficiency analysis: Phenomenal]

[Special bonus awarded: Multiple close-quarters combat performance +3000 CR]

3000 credits! I couldn’t believe my eyes.

It was several times the amount of a normal mission reward.

With this money, I wouldn’t have to worry about starving for a while, and I could properly repair, or maybe even modify, this damn Bugbear.

But it wasn’t over there.

Below the credit reward, a new notification was blinking.

[Special bonus awarded: Skill acquired – ???]

Skill?

Skills exist in this world too? Like in a game?

The ‘???’ text slowly disappeared, and in its place, a word familiar enough to make my heart stop appeared.

[Special bonus awarded: Skill acquired – Kinetic Flow]

“…!”

I gasped. My heart began to pound frantically.

‘Kinetic Flow’, this wasn’t just any skill.

It was the core of all core skills that allowed me to complete the Asura build in Galaxy Titans.

This skill temporarily redirected excess energy from the mech into its mobility and inertia control systems, maximizing unpredictable movements and shock absorption capabilities.

It easily ignored safety regulations, pushing the mech beyond its limits to enable close-quarters maneuvers that were both smooth like flowing water and explosively powerful.

It was dangerous, but if used correctly, it could unleash overwhelming close-quarters combat capabilities far beyond any other mech.

Numerous rankers tried to analyze this skill, but due to its extremely difficult control complexity, I was the only one who could use it properly.

This manifested here? Why? How? Was it because my combat style was similar to my game build?

Or was it simply good luck?

With trembling hands, I touched the skill icon in the system window.

Then, the skill’s usage and effects flowed into my mind as if I had known them all along.

As I focused my consciousness, a new sensation emerged, allowing me to subtly control the Bugbear’s energy flow.

It was still crude, but it was clearly the sensation of ‘Kinetic Flow’.

If I could feel this much with this junk heap, what if I got a proper mech!

3000 credits, and the ‘Kinetic Flow’ skill.

This wasn’t just luck.

This damn reality might be opening a path for me in the way I know best.

Perhaps this is an opportunity.

An opportunity not just to survive, but to live a different life in this wretched reality.

I firmly gripped the tattered Bugbear’s controls again.

For a long time, I caught my breath and checked the mech’s status.

The outer armor was torn to shreds, and warning lights were blinking everywhere, but fortunately, the reactor was stable, and basic mobility was still possible.

The communication equipment was barely alive. Now I had to report.

I took a deep breath and opened the communication channel.

There was heavy static, but it seemed to be connected.

“Chronos Base, this is Cog7. Respond, please.”

After several calls, a familiar voice finally came through the speaker.

It was Sergeant Bulldog. His voice sounded rougher and more anxious than usual.

[Cog7, you’re alive? What on earth happened! Report!]

“We were ambushed inside Sector Gamma-7.”

I tried my best to remain calm, excluding emotion and conveying only the facts.

“Cog4, Cog5, Cog6… all perished.”

[W-what? All of them? Then what about you?]

“There were a total of six hostile mechs. I handled them all.”

For a moment, silence fell over the communication. Only the crackling noise lingered in my ears. A moment later, Sergeant Bulldog asked again, as if disbelieving.

[Say that again, Cog7. You took out six enemy mechs by yourself?]

“That’s right. My mech is severely damaged, but it’s mobile. Pilot is unharmed. I will await further orders at my current location. Over.”

Silence again. Sergeant Bulldog clearly seemed to disbelieve my words.

Indeed, I would have found it hard to believe myself.

Does it make sense that a rookie in a junk Bugbear took down six pirates?

[Alright, Cog7. Hold your current position and wait. We’ll send a recovery team immediately. And…]

Bulldog paused.

[…Don’t do anything useless and wait quietly. Bulldog out.]

The communication cut off.

His final words seemed to contain a complex, indescribable mix of emotions instead of his usual bullying tone. Confusion? Or perhaps a very slight hint of expectation?

I turned off the communication equipment.

Inside the cockpit, only my ragged breathing and the system noise of the damaged mech remained.

It would take quite a while for the recovery team to arrive.

I leaned against the tattered mech and looked up at the dark ceiling of the abandoned base.