episode_0036

Amidst the steel structures of the abandoned industrial complex, an eerie wind howled chillingly as it passed through.

The Stinger squad belonging to Nesis Corporation had been dispatched here two days ago.

Their mission was simple: find a power core in this vast area, which was presumed to be the source of an unidentified energy explosion that had previously devastated the region.

“How are we supposed to find something that won’t even show up? Especially with guys from other corporations loitering around.”

Lieutenant Kyle, flight leader of the Stinger squad, frowned from the cockpit of his craft.

Knowing that friction with other corporations was inevitable, they had agreed to act cautiously and avoid disputes.

“I just want to withdraw quickly.”

If someone found the power core, they would immediately try to snatch it from each other.

At that point, agreements would mean nothing.

The priority was to recover the target power core.

Life was precious.

Kyle thought this, wanting to escape this place as soon as possible.

“Reporting, Flight Leader-nim. Strong electromagnetic interference is still hindering precise scans.”

Reports from his subordinates continued.

“A reconnaissance drone has detected unidentified energy on the third basement level of the facility. We are currently pinpointing the exact location.”

Kyle urgently straightened his posture.

“Good. Others might be hiding nearby, so maintain a strict perimeter. As soon as the location is pinpointed, immediately deploy the search team.”

“Understood. I will also contact the other squads.”

“Good.”

Kyle wore a faint smile.

If it was indeed the power core they were looking for, all they had to do was recover it quickly and return.

This industrial complex was incredibly vast.

It would take a long time for the others to notice.

He also didn’t forget headquarters’ condition that additional rewards would be given if they succeeded not only in the search mission but also in the recovery.

“I’ll be making some more money.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than a thunderous roar rang out.

-BOOM!

A single blue particle beam accurately pierced the cockpit of a Stinger that was on guard at the rear.

The highly compressed particles tore through the craft’s energy shield and armor like tissue paper, instantly vaporizing its internal systems.

“Damn it! Was our communication hacked?”

Kyle urgently took cover and shouted.

Those rat-like bastards, waiting in hiding for them to find it.

“Everyone scatter! Prepare for immediate counterattack! Pinpoint the enemy’s location!”

Before the squad members could react, another blue flash exploded.

A Stinger, its engine room pierced, exploded futilely.

Two attacks, two crafts destroyed.

“This is Lieutenant Kyle of Alpha Team! We’ve been ambushed by an unidentified enemy! Location is the central waste disposal facility! Requesting immediate support! Also, there’s a high possibility our communications have been hacked!”

[Alpha Team, this is Bravo Team. Received. Providing immediate support. Expected to arrive on site within 5 minutes.]

In the meantime, another Stinger exploded.

“Damn it! Where are they shooting from?”

Kyle gritted his teeth.

He ordered the remaining squad members to take cover as much as possible and draw the enemy’s attention with scattered suppressive fire, while he fixed his gaze in the direction Bravo Team would arrive from.

Not long after, Bravo Team, consisting of four Stinger crafts, was seen approaching rapidly from another entrance.

[We’ve arrived. Lieutenant Kyle, report the current situation.]

“Including me, two squad members are alive. I’ve sent the estimated coordinates based on the location of the last friendly craft hit! Please confirm.”

[Confirmed. Alpha Team, hold your current position.]

Bravo Team immediately turned their crafts and headed towards the coordinates with their search formations.

[Arrived on site. Pinpointing enemy location. Alpha Team, please provide cover fire.]

“Understood.”

[Wait, stop!]

An urgent communication spread across the channel.

From behind the massive pile of scrap metal they had rushed towards, predicting the sniper’s direction, a dark red craft soared up.

*RUMBLE!*

With an earth-shaking roar, the Stinger of Bravo Team’s flight leader was crushed beyond recognition and engulfed in a massive explosion.

[W-What was that?!]

Bravo Team, having lost their leader in an instant, stared at the craft before them in confusion.

[W-What is that craft? It’s an unidentified craft!]

[Are they mercenary bastards?!]

[Even after checking the identification number, there’s no information!]

[It disappeared immediately. Find its location again!]

A completely unfamiliar dark red mech, not even registered in their information network.

Its overwhelming presence plunged everyone into fear.

[A pile bunker? That madman!]

In modern warfare, pile bunkers were practically obsolete weapons.

Not only was approach difficult, but even if successful, achieving that level of destructive power required sacrificing immense energy efficiency and craft balance.

“Insane.”

Lieutenant Kyle felt goosebumps rise all over his body.

But now, a sense of duty to lead Bravo Team made him pull himself together.

“Bravo Team, snap out of it!”

Kyle’s voice echoed through their communication channel.

“Verso! Immediately transmit the current situation and enemy coordinates to the other squads and request support!”

[Yes! Lieutenant-nim!]

Verso, one of the remaining Alpha Team squad members, replied.

“And from now on, I am taking over all command authority of Bravo Team, according to Nesis regulations.”

[Understood, Lieutenant Kyle-nim.]

[No complaints. Just give the order to destroy that cursed craft immediately.]

“We have an overwhelming numerical advantage. Everyone scatter and form a pincer movement, then attack simultaneously from all directions!”

Lieutenant Kyle’s mind raced.

No matter how skilled a pilot, they couldn’t evade attacks from all directions simultaneously.

As the order was given.

Verso and Kyle, the two Alpha Team crafts, and the three Bravo Team crafts – a total of five Stingers – began to move.

Using the complex terrain and collapsed structures as cover, they widely narrowed their encirclement around the dark red craft.

[Found it. 9 o’clock direction, behind that pile of scrap metal!]

A Stinger that had first pinpointed the location rushed in, firing its beam rifle wildly.

Simultaneously, two crafts from the opposite side launched a pincer attack, blocking its retreat.

[Idiot bastard! There’ll be nowhere to run!]

[Have you given up?? Try moving like before!]

[Movement flow activated. Reactor load 120%.]

Instantly, the agility of the craft before them explosively increased.

It grazed past the beam streaks and bullets flying towards it by a hair’s breadth, instead digging into the weakest link of the encirclement formed by the three Stingers.

[W-What? What’s that movement?]

They were flustered by its unpredictable movements and hastily tried to adjust their aiming, but the craft had already burrowed into their blind spot.

[D-Damn it, save me!]

The GX-Final Impact Pile Bunker mounted on its right arm once again spat fire.

The target was the closest Stinger forming the encirclement.

*CRUNCH!*

With an enormous tearing sound, another Stinger turned into a pile of scrap metal.

While the shockwave and fragments from the explosion temporarily hindered the movements of the surrounding Stingers.

That craft had already left its position and was heading towards its next target.

[The encirclement has been breached!]

[We can’t predict its movements at all!]

The Nesis pilots were engulfed in shock and terror.

Their precise coordinated tactics were meaningless against that unknown craft.

The advantage of numerical superiority was also useless before its overwhelming individual skill and destructive power.

[Lieutenant Kyle-nim, orders!! Argh!]

[N-No, don’t come!! Take this hit! Damn it!]

Kyle could only watch blankly as Bravo Team was annihilated.

His body wouldn’t move.

He had countless experiences on the battlefield, but this was the first time encountering such an enemy.

“Is this the end?”

The red monocular sensor embedded in the center of the craft’s headgear precisely locked onto him, glinting eerily.

The particle accelerator cannon on its left hand slowly aimed towards his cockpit, appearing as if in slow motion.

[L-Lieutenant Kyle-nim! It seems it will take quite a while for the other squads to arrive! The fastest support right now is at least 10 minutes away…!]

The urgent and desperate voice of Verso, the remaining Alpha Team squad member, flowed through the communication.

At that voice, Kyle’s heart grew even emptier. 10 minutes. In this situation, it would be difficult to last even 10 seconds.

“This is fucked.”

Kyle swallowed dryly and muttered.

He couldn’t die so meaninglessly like this.

“I have to at least put up a fight!”

Reflexively, he gripped the controls and pushed all the craft’s output beyond its limits.

The Stinger’s reactor vibrated violently as if screaming, and red warning lights began to flash madly inside the cockpit.

[Warning! Reactor overload threshold imminent.]

He ignored it.

Kyle fired the beam cannons on both shoulders, which were only permitted for flight leaders.

“Die!”

Kyle’s Stinger, with its reactor pushed to the limit and boosters ignited, charged forward, moving left and right.

Dozens of beam streaks and live rounds poured down without stopping.

‘It’s charging *at* me?’

Kyle doubted his eyes.

And it evaded all attacks with maneuvers that human eyes couldn’t follow.

“You monster bastard!!!”

Kyle struggled and pressed the beam cannon firing button, but it was overheated and unusable.

“This s-…”

With the craft right in front of him, Kyle closed his eyes.

“Verso, escape. The mission is a failure. Tell the other squads to retreat too.”

The pile bunker once again deployed with a heavy mechanical sound.

An unavoidable death sentence.

*CRASH!*

Verso’s body trembled at the situation unfolding before him.

And remembering Kyle’s last words, he opened the communication channel.

[R-Reporting. Everyone in Alpha and Bravo Teams, except for me, has been annihilated. I repeat, everyone has been annihilated.]

[W-What?! We’re still a long way from arriving!]

[I will relay Lieutenant Kyle-nim’s final message. The mission is a failure. Everyone, escape.]

[Don’t talk nonsense! We’ll arrive soon, so tie him down! Shouldn’t you avenge your squad members?!]

Revenge?

Verso looked at Kyle’s crashing craft.

And his gaze returned upwards.

Seeing the dark red craft standing without a single scratch despite the multitude of bullets, he softly muttered the word that came to his mind.

[Red Ogre… A-Asura]

A malevolent deity from some myth who enjoyed slandering and fighting.

Why did that come to mind upon seeing that craft?

[I-I need to escape!]

Verso hastily turned the controls before the gaze fell upon him.