《The Kax Arena》 Prologue Xiao looked around with a big smile on her face. This was her first time stepping into the Kax Arena and she couldn¡¯t wait to explore every bit of it. Watching on the television simply couldn¡¯t match the actual thing. The sights and sounds were exhilarating as she ran from statue to statue. Each of the statues showcased past pilots and their mechs that won significant tournaments. As she walked past each statue, Xiao muttered the pilot and mech names by heart. I hope I get to meet them in person one day! It will be so cool! Once the little girl got past the statues, she stopped before a large screen showing the matches of the day. The ticket she had gave her access to an arena seat for the entire day so she could watch all twelve matches happening that day. The matches were broken into six different categories with each category referring to a mech weight class. Standard matches usually began with the lower weight classes and worked their way up. However, Xiao was at a tournament match where the importance of the match dictated the order with the most important one left for last. ¡°Don¡¯t get lost, Xiao.¡± ¡°Okay, papa!¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Xiao reached out to take her father¡¯s hands. As much as she wanted to explore everything, she could see the large crowds that were normal for these tournaments. It didn¡¯t help that her father told her scary stories about what happened to lost kids in the arena. Lost kids aren¡¯t turned into fuel for mechs¡­.right? A large crowd suddenly surged forward right into Xiao and her father. The two got separated as the little girl was swept up by the crowd. After much struggling, she got free from the crowd to find herself in a different part of the arena. The excitement she felt earlier had disappeared. It was now replaced by fear of the unknown and the uncertainty of where her father was. As she looked around, she felt a presence behind her. ¡°Ah, there you are! I was looking for you!¡± Xiao turned around to see an old woman walk up to her. The woman took her hand and led her down one of the gray hallways that were normally reserved for staff only. She was surprised that the woman, despite being barely taller than her, had a strong grip. She wanted to call out but her voice stopped working. Her body also refused to obey her so she had no choice but to follow the stranger. The two of them went down the winding hallways with their path becoming darker and darker. Finally, they arrived before a dark room where the woman released Xian¡¯s hand. ¡°Now, it¡¯s time for you to get inside and be useful!¡± Volume 1 Chapter 1 Xiao pushed a cart full of batteries towards Bay C. The maglev tracks on the ground removed the backbreaking part of moving the cart throughout the mechbay, allowing Xiao to move even heavy components to where they were needed. Given that this was a holiday, the mechbay was short staffed and she was left with tasks she normally wasn¡¯t responsible for. As she approached Bay C, the mechanic working there waved his hand and ran over. ¡°Thanks for the help,¡± said Vinod. ¡°You saved me so much time with all your deliveries.¡° ¡°You owe me one,¡± replied Xiao. The mechanic before her wore gray coveralls with a gray tool belt. The headgear was a welding helmet that made the man look almost like an alien seen in movies. Large carbon fiber toe boots had mini thrusters underneath that could provide the user more maneuverability. A black backpack provided power to all the tools while also providing AC to the user to prevent the individual from overheating. Vinod, after verifying that all batteries were present, pushed the cart beside the battle armor to unload the goods. ¡°Good luck with your work,¡± said Xiao. ¡°It sucks that you have to work overtime to meet the deadline.¡± Xiao left as soon as she saw the thumbs up from Vinod. She would only get in his way if she stayed behind because, unlike Vinod, she lacked the training to work on battle armor. In addition, the young woman had plenty to keep her busy with her own list of tasks. Due to this being a holiday, she could use the VR simulator without interfering with any pilot¡¯s training. When Xiao stood before one, she went through her own toolbelt to locate a piece of data disk. Let¡¯s see how good this tutorial is. As a novice pilot, Xiao had mastered the basics following a challenging entrance exam. The exam was the first step for any individual who wished to become a pilot and compete in the tournaments. When she prepared for the exam, Xiao still had to rely on books and videos. Since then, the development of the data disk became the new and improved method of preparing examiners. The young woman was fortunate to be selected as a tester of the tutorial to provide feedback. Once she got comfortable in her seat and placed the VR headset on her head, she selected the start button. < Loading¡­.. Loading¡­.. Welcome to Pilot Training Tutorial! By the end of this tutorial, you will have learned all the basics a pilot needs to begin training on an actual mech. This tutorial is broken down into multiple modules and you may revisit the modules whenever you need a refresher. Do you wish to proceed to Module 1? ( Yes / No ) Loading Module 1¡­. Module 1: Mechs A mech is an armored combat vehicle that comes in various shapes and sizes. Most mechs only require one pilot but there are special mechs that require up to four pilots. Before a pilot can compete in tournaments, the individual must first acquire a mech, either through purchase or lease. To know what mech to pick from, the pilot must first understand mech weight classes. Mech Weight Class: There are six mech weight classes in tournament settings: battle armor, light, medium, heavy, assault and superheavy. Each weight class has its pros and cons but the main factor of what weight class a pilot takes is one¡¯s wealth and abilities. Battle Armor: Battle armor weight usually falls between the 0.5 and 5 ton range. While one can argue that battle armor isn¡¯t a mech, tournament rules included battle armor in the weight classes to better organize matches. Compared to mechs, battle armor is a lot cheaper and is the only option for those who cannot afford a light mech. Pilots in battle armor are usually participating in matches that simulate battles so it¡¯s not unusual to see hundreds of pilots in battle armor at one instance. Battle armor also poses the most risks to the pilot. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Light Mech: All mechs weighing from 15 to 35 tons are classified as light mechs. They are typically lightly armed and armored but they more than make up for that fact by their speed and maneuverability. Pilots of light mechs have to make split second decisions because even a single misstep can result in defeat. Due to the low armaments and armor of light mechs, repairs and maintenance are generally on the inexpensive side, making light mechs a good budget mech for most pilots starting out. Medium Mech: All mechs weighing from 36 to 55 tons are classified as medium mechs. They possess more armaments and armor than light mechs but they lose some of the speed. Many pilots agree that medium mechs hit a good balance of speed, armor and payload, thus granting them more versatility over other weight classes. In terms of budget, medium mechs are generally the most cost effective out of all the weight classes when comparing tournament earnings and mech expenses. Heavy Mech: All mechs weighing from 56 to 75 tons are classified as heavy mechs. They sacrifice most of the speed boasted on medium mechs to obtain better armor and payload. Generally, the weapons on these mechs are mid to long range so the lower mobility doesn¡¯t stop them from landing hits on their targets. Heavy mechs are designed to take and inflict damage. Therefore, one must have large funds to repair and maintain these mechs for tournaments. Assault Mech: All mechs weighing from 76 to 100 tons are classified as assault mechs. They basically have no mobility compared to the four lower weight classes but their armor and firepower are sufficient in drawing crowds. Nothing draws a bigger crowd than assault mechs unleashing their full weaponry at each other. Due to the extremely high costs in building, repairing and maintaining assault mechs, these mechs are generally limited to successful pilots with the backing of big sponsors. Superheavy Mech: All mechs weighing at or above 101 tons are classified as superheavy mechs. These are generally experimental mechs that require two or more pilots. The purpose of these mechs is to test the limits of mech development. Most pilots will never see the insides of these mechs as only a select few pilots with the right skills, backing and connections can earn a spot within a superheavy mech. Loading¡­. Loading¡­. Do you wish to make a save here and resume next time you log in? ( Yes / No ) Saving¡­.. You may now exit the tutorial¡­. > Xiao reluctantly removed her VR headset, knowing that she couldn¡¯t afford to finish the tutorial. There was simply too much content and she had priorities. With the data disk safe in her possession again, the young woman returned to her cart. She opened the list she uploaded onto the cart before making her way to the warehouse. She wasn¡¯t exactly thrilled with the task of restocking the shelves but she knew the importance. Once the holiday was over, all personnel would be returning to work and they needed to meet the tight deadlines of getting mechs ready for combat. Any delays would be very costly for the entire organization. Better get the shelves stocked first. That should take a few hours. Several trips of carting the components from the warehouse to the respective bays later, Xiao took a quick lunch break. As she ate, she checked the list to see it had greatly shortened. The list only appeared long due to the numerous shelves. Once those shelves were addressed, only the components more specific to the bays were left. Different mechs had custom components that weren¡¯t seen in many other mechs. Depending on the tournament, pilots might even put in requests to change out their loadout to get an edge on competition. Unlike the shelf components that were purchased in bulk and generally well stocked, the custom components were harder to come by due to the difficulty of keeping inventory of them. I sure hope the shipments arrived this morning or we won¡¯t be ready for tomorrow. As Xiao learned since she joined, her organization, while a respectable one, lacked similar resources as some of the bigger organizations. Therefore, there was no guarantee their ordered components necessarily arrived on time. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for delivery companies to prioritize the highest bidders to take a bigger cut from their deliveries. As a result, her organization had to tackle its schedule with that in mind. Things might not always go their way but they must be adaptable to make their deadlines. Just as in the tournaments, things generally didn''t go the way one expected. ¡°Let¡¯s see if we got lucky this time,¡± said Xiao as she pressed a button. The conveyor belt turned on and the newly delivered goods came in one by one. Xiao checked off the arrived items until the conveyor belt was empty. A 70% arrival rate? That¡¯s higher than normal. Maybe our luck is turning around¡­ Volume 1 Chapter 2 Panting heavily, Xiao paused to wipe the sweat off her forehead. As expected, there were plenty of mechs behind schedule and she had been scrambling to complete her tasks. Unlike the previous day which was a holiday, new tasks were constantly added to the system with her list growing only longer. The upcoming tournaments weren¡¯t making her life any easier. Even the qualifying matches could cost their mech bays a lot of time and resources to repair the mechs in time for later matches. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can stay here any longer,¡± muttered one mechanic to another. ¡°When was the last time we had a single mech getting through the qualifying rounds?¡± ¡°I heard Faytics is hiring right now,¡± replied the other mechanic. ¡°They are looking for mechanics with experience.¡± ¡°Job security and promising record in the tournaments¡­¡± Xiao¡¯s grip tightened around the cart handle as she walked past the two mechanics. She hated the fact that their organization, Cythetic, had nothing to show for. Cythetic had some of the best mechanics in the business but it had failed to attract the best pilots. Most of the organization¡¯s earnings came from contract work for mechanics while a negligible amount came from pilot earnings. Last she heard, the pilot earnings were barely enough to cover the expenses of mechs, making pilots a liability to the organization¡¯s bottom line. As she was ready to load more crates onto her crate, a loud beep could be heard. ¡°All personnel gather at the great hall! We have an important announcement! All personnel gather at the great hall! We have an important announcement!¡± The young woman joined the others as everyone gathered at the great hall. Once everyone was present, a man walked onto the stage. The man wore an expensive suit with a glowing smile. His stride was filled with confidence and his presence commanded silence in the great hall. The man walked over to the microphone. ¡°Hello! I apologize for the short notice of this announcement but it¡¯s integral to the future of Cythetic. To those who are new here, my name is Richardo, the head of Cythetic. Recently, we made a difficult decision but it¡¯s a decision done for the best of our organization and its employees. Starting tomorrow, Cythetic will be completely integrated into Reyzu. Our mechanics will be transferred over while all of our pilots will be dismissed. That is all!¡± The great hall was silent for several minutes after Richardo exited before there was an uproar. Everyone started chatting about what they just heard. Xiao walked out of the room with her eyes focused on the ground. Will I never become a pilot now? Xiao joined Cythetic because she got an unconventional invitation. Normally, one had to get through the entrance exam before one could apply for any organization that accepted pilots. Then, the pilots had to work their way up in the organization until they had proven their worth of operating a mech in tournaments. Xiao¡¯s fated encounter with Cythetic was during her first visit to the arena when she was mistaken for someone else. An old woman took her to a prototype battle armor and she showed promise in it. After the confusion was cleared up, she was offered a chance to join Cythetic and she accepted long before she had her entrance exam. Now, her career was at risk as pilots of one organization tended to not be recognized by other organizations unless the said pilots made a name for themselves in tournaments. Guess I¡¯ll be starting from scratch again. With the news coming so suddenly, Xiao chose to take the rest of the day off. She would come in the following day when she was dismissed and she could collect her belongings then. Cythetic had been her hunting grounds for nearly four years but now was their time to part. Starting in a new organization meant she had to start from the bottom again. She had to accept all the undesirable tasks until she could prove herself with the challenging ones. Her pilot debut might be pushed back a couple of years but such was life. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. I should get some rest early so I can start job hunting tomorrow. For once, Xiao took her own advice and went to bed early. She got up earlier than usual the following day and made her last trip to her workplace. When she entered, she noticed many empty lockers that once belonged to the Cythetic pilots. As she put away all of her belongings in her backpack, Xiao heard footsteps. She looked up to see mechanics she worked so long with. They exchanged their farewells after they wished her luck with her career. Everyone in the locker room was aware of the tough path pilots faced nowadays when they lacked connections. With Cythetic integrated into another organization, Xiao lost her only connection and had to start from scratch. ¡°Good luck with your transition to Reyzu! I¡¯m sure you will all find a big pay raise once you get there.¡± With her backpack weighing her down and nothing else to do for the day, Xiao went to the nearest employment center. She hadn¡¯t entered one since she went to school. She went to one of the many booths and sat down. As expected, her options were very limited once she narrowed down her search to mech pilot. The three jobs that remained were mechanic positions which she had no interest in doing the rest of her life. Xiao was about to step away when a new job was posted. < Mech Pilot Apprentice: Salary: Negotiable during interview Job Type: Full-time Location: Ofel Full Job Description: Zavaso is a new startup mech organization that operates in Ofel. We have a small team of committed mechanics with two light mechs at our disposal. We are seeking a mech pilot apprentice to pilot one of our light mechs for small tournaments and casual matches. While experience is preferred, we do accept a new pilot who is willing to work to make Zavaso a big name in tournaments. If interested, please come in personally for an interview. ¡­ > Odd that they are willing to accept new pilots. Regardless, their address is close by so I might as well apply. Xiao quickly jotted down the address and left at once. She was confident that, since the job was just posted, she could be the first to arrive. She soon found herself standing before an ordinary looking workshop. There was a fresh coat of paint and the bay doors were locked shut. She wasn¡¯t even sure if the place was open until the automatic door opened for her. She walked inside to an empty reception area. ¡°Excuse me,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m here for the mech pilot apprentice position.¡± She repeated herself after a lengthy silence. When there was still no one there, she assumed the job posting was just a prank and turned around to leave. ¡°I¡¯m telling you! I heard someone from the reception area.¡± Xiao turned around to see a young girl pulling a male teenager down the stairs into the reception area. The young girl reached about her chest in height and had brown hair tied up into a ponytail. She wore a t-shirt with the Zavaso logo on it and blue jeans. The big smile on the girl¡¯s face felt warm and genuine. ¡°See,¡± said the girl. ¡°I told you we have someone here!¡± The girl went up to Xiao to inquire why she was there. As soon as the young woman mentioned the job posting, the girl took her arm and dragged her upstairs. Xiao, being confused about what was going on, allowed herself to be guided until they arrived at the mechbays. There were two mechbays side by side with a light mech in each of them. The shelves were neat with tools and parts and the mechanics were in the process of fine tuning a few things. Xiao found herself pulled into the room next to one of the bays. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know what this is,¡± said the girl. ¡°That¡¯s a mech training simulator,¡± said Xiao. Mech training simulators, otherwise abbreviated as MTSs, were expensive and were rare in small organizations. Even Cythetic couldn¡¯t afford any and had simple VR simulators that were cheaper alternatives. The sight of one of these simulators in a new startup organization was baffling. ¡°The interview is simple,¡± said the young girl. ¡°I will serve as your operator who will be asking many questions while you pilot a light mech on the simulator. If you complete the mission and meet my expectations, then you pass. Does that make sense?¡± ¡°Seems simple enough. I¡¯ll take on this challenge!¡± Xiao got herself comfortable in the MTS. Unlike the VR simulator, there were a lot more controls at her disposal once she placed the VR headset of the MTS on her head. There were all the controls within a mech as the details were uncanny. Soon, she could hear the girl over the headset. ¡°Once you¡¯re ready, please turn on the mech and head to the training ground.¡± Volume 1 Chapter 3 After a deep breath, Xiao turned on the mech and performed the standard startup inspection. As she was about to take control, the girl¡¯s voice came through the headset. ¡°Do you know what mech you are piloting?¡± ¡°This is the Ant mech. A standard bipedal light mech that is known to be beginner friendly. This mech is known to be well balanced with decent mobility and decent firepower for its weight class.¡± ¡°Good! Proceed to the training ground outside the mech bay.¡± Once Xiao got the controls going, she navigated the Ant to the simulated mechbay exit. The training ground was a large empty field with a tall metal fence surrounding the outer perimeter. ¡°What makes up the chassis of the Ant?¡± ¡°Like most mechs, the Ant has a standard bipedal chassis. It has two legs, two arms, the left and right torsos, center torso and the head.¡± ¡°Please bring up the different components and take a look at the loadout.¡± I¡¯ll start with the left side then. < Component: Left Arm Armor: 40/40 Structure: 20 Subcomponent(s): Upper Arm [Basic gear that makes up an arm, 1 Slot] Heat Sink (Basic) [-1 Heat per minute, 2 Slots] Small Laser [2 Damage, +2 Heat per use, 2 Slots] > < Component: Left Torso Armor: 40/40 Structure: 20 Subcomponent(s): 2x Heat Sink (Basic) [-1 Heat per minute, 2 Slots] > I have a small laser and three basic heat sinks on the left side. Now, what about the right side? < Component: Right Arm Armor: 40/40 Structure: 20 Subcomponent(s): Upper Arm [Basic gear that makes up an arm, 1 Slot] 3x Light Machine Gun Ammo (Basic) [Contains 50 ammo, Can explode for up to 5 damage, 1 Slot] Light Machine Gun [1 Damage, +10% Critical Chance, 2 Ammo consumed per shot, 1 Slot] > < Component: Right Torso Armor: 40/40 Structure: 20 Subcomponent(s): Heat Sink (Basic) [-1 Heat per minute, 2 Slots] 2x Light Machine Gun Ammo (Basic) [Contains 50 ammo, Can explode for up to 5 damage, 1 Slot] > A light machine gun? It¡¯s more useful if I can get through the armor and can make use of the critical chance. Alright, what about the center torso of the mech? < Component: Center Torso The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Armor: 80/80 Structure: 40 Subcomponent(s): Armor (Basic) [Provides up to 2 Armor per Structure, 0 Slots] Gyro (Basic) [Provides 50 Stability, Recovers 1 Stability per Minute, 1 Slot] Engine Core 20 (Basic) [Provides mobility to the mech, 2 Slots] Cooling (Basic) [Provides 20 Heat capacity to mech, 1 Slot] 3x Heat Sink (Basic) [-1 Heat per minute, 2 Slots] > Cheapest armor, gyro and engine core out there. Guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. As for the legs¡­ < Component: Left Leg Armor: 60/60 Structure: 40 Subcomponent(s): Heat Sink (Basic) [-1 Heat per minute, 2 Slots] Jump Jet (Basic) [Allows mech to fly a short distance, +2 Heat per use, 2 Slots] > < Component: Right Leg Armor: 60/60 Structure: 40 Subcomponent(s): Heat Sink (Basic) [-1 Heat per minute, 2 Slots] Jump Jet (Basic) [Allows mech to fly a short distance, +2 Heat per use, 2 Slots] > I even get jump jets. They use up a lot of heat but can be useful in getting out of tricky situations. ¡°I finished checking the loadout. What is next?¡± ¡°A few target dummies will pop up. Destroy them all to proceed!¡± Given both the small laser and the light machine gun were close range weapons, Xiao had to navigate the Ant until the mech was more or less in front of the target dummy. She used the small laser which immediately vaporized the dummy. ¡°What happened after you used the small laser and what are the consequences of repeated use?¡± ¡°The small laser produced 2 heat per use. The mech has 20 heat capacity so the Ant currently has 2/20 heat. Once the heat exceeds the max, mech subcomponents can get destroyed or, in the worst case scenario, the mech shuts down and is vulnerable to attacks.¡± Xiao then proceeded to destroy the second target dummy with the light machine gun, anticipating that she would be expected to use all the weapons. ¡°When is a weapon like a light machine gun preferred over a small laser?¡± ¡°A light machine gun uses ammo and doesn¡¯t produce heat. If the mech is nearing its max heat capacity, the light machine gun is preferred. In addition, an advanced strategy involves using up ammunition to give the mech more speed but these require very specific loadouts.¡± With no further questions from her headset, Xiao was able to destroy the remaining dummies with ease. She then waited for her next set of instructions but her headset was silent. With no clear instructions, she observed the training ground for clues. Her eyes eventually focused on a small ditch. Once her mech was close, she noted that the ditch depth and width matched the Ant dimensions and there was no way to walk around it without going past the metal fences. With a smile, Xiao navigated close to the ditch. Better take it slow. Not sure if falling into the ditch will end my test run. Xiao wasn¡¯t confident in her jump jet control. Jump jets were not only expensive but they also had a high learning curve. Masters of jump jets could perform incredible feats that pushed the limits of a mech with some mechs built specifically to take advantage of the extra mobility. For Xiao, she was still worried if she could overcome the ditch before her. Following a deep breath, she activated the jump jets that lifted the Ant off the ground. She steadily guided the mech until it reached the other side. Once she was certain the mech cleared the ditch, she turned off the jump jets slowly until the mech touched the ground again. ¡°Good work! You have passed the interview! You may now take off your headset.¡± Xiao took off the headset. As she placed it aside, she noticed the sweat on her hands. Good thing I didn¡¯t mess up the jump jet part. As she walked out, the girl approached her with a big smile. ¡°Welcome to the team! My name is Vesna! I¡¯ll be your operator!¡± Operator? When it came to mech competitions, each mech required a team to successfully compete. In addition to the mechanics who made repairs and changed loadouts, the pilot also needed an operator to support during combat. A pilot had limited visibility on the battlefield so the operator provided additional information to help the pilot perform better. What puzzled Xiao was the job description title. It clearly said mech pilot apprentice. Such a position meant that she was likely given a few one on one battles which didn¡¯t require operators. When she expressed her concern, Vesna happily clarified the situation. ¡°Due to our funds and connections, we will be involved in other competitions through co-ops. In those competitions, I will assist you in making a name for you and the mech organization.¡± Co-ops¡­ The fact that co-ops was an option impressed Xiao. Co-ops were generally rare due to the distrust mech organizations have for each other regarding the rewards. The majority of mech organizations wouldn¡¯t even consider co-ops due to the bad blood resulting from arguing over the reward splits. Smaller organizations avoided such an option, even if they tended to get more from co-ops. For Xiao, this indicated two possibilities. Either the mech organization owner was na?ve and was blind to the downsides of the co-ops or was well funded and focused more on making a name. Likely the latter given the jump jets in the loadout. For the next hour, Xiao was bogged down with the paperwork. As she worked through it all, she was surprised by how Vesna could still maintain her smile through the entire process. The smile was genuine and she happily answered any of her questions. With the girl¡¯s help, Xiao found the time passed faster and they finished everything. While Vesna exited the room to finish the remaining paperwork, Xiao was left in the room to herself. To pass the time, she walked around the room until she stopped in front of a screen showcasing a group photo. Vesna and the male teenager she saw earlier were among the ten people in the photo. Behind them was the workshop she was in. Must be the group photo to celebrate the start of the mech organization. I cannot wait to meet the others. Xiao made her way to a display case and stopped in her tracks. Within the case, there was a trophy only given to the top one hundred pilots in single competition. Given that millions participate, a top one hundred title was a very impressive feat. The young woman tried recalling the group photo but no one in it was old enough to achieve the feat. Yet, this seems like an actual trophy and not a fake. What is going on? Volume 1 Chapter 4 As Xiao pondered on the question, Vesna entered the room and grabbed her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go! We just booked a match and you need to prepare for it! It¡¯s happening in two days.¡± ¡°A match?¡± The young woman was flabbergasted by the fact that Zavaso was willing to book a match with so little time to prepare. Generally, mech organizations needed at least a month to prepare for matches. Preparations often included, but not limited to, planning and implementing mech loadout, researching opponent mechs and past matches, and figuring out the logistics to get the mech to the match site. To make matters worse, she had yet to meet the other members in the organization and knew nothing about her actual roles in the mech organization. ¡°You¡¯ll be meeting everyone else! You¡¯ll enjoy working with them!¡± I hope she cannot actually read minds. That would be creepy! A minute later, the two of them returned to the mechbay. This time, Xiao was led deeper until she arrived outside a meeting room where six people were already sitting around the large desk. ¡°I¡¯m proud to introduce the newest member to our team!¡± Vesna grabbed Xiao¡¯s hand and presented her before the group. ¡°This is Xiao! She will be our pilot for the next match!¡± Pilot for the next match? But I applied for a mech pilot apprentice position. The young woman knew her limits. She could get through simulations but an actual match was a whole different beast. Mech loadouts alone added unpredictability that could decide a match before it started. Unlike AIs, actual pilots had strategy and could adapt to different cases. Faced with all that uncertainty, Xiao wasn¡¯t even sure she was ready. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Xiao.¡± Vesna helped the young woman to a chair. ¡°Treat the next match as a good learning experience! We¡¯re all here to learn.¡± At this point, Xiao wondered if Vesna knew how expensive mechs were. The cost of the maintenance already surpassed what most people earned in a month. Including the weapons, ammunition and equipment, one lesson would be beyond what most could make in a lifetime. While actual experience would benefit them, she wasn¡¯t sure if Zavaso could handle such a price tag. ¡°Hi Xiao,¡± said the male teenager who Xiao only had a quick glimpse earlier at the reception. ¡°My name is Orlan. I¡¯m the accountant of Zavaso and I can reassure you that we are doing very well with our finances.¡± Orlan wore a white dress shirt and dark dress pants. His clean cut black hair was complimented with a pair of blue glasses. Xiao studied the skinny arms and concluded that Orlan probably never worked out in his life. His reassurance did ease her worries a bit, though she still felt the pressure of performing well with an expensive mech. ¡°Look at the rest of you! Talking about business already! Where¡¯s the ¡®Welcome to Zavaso! I hope you enjoy working here?¡¯ that she deserves?¡± The man who spoke out had a short stature, was bald and possessed thick facial hair. The man resembled the dwarves mentioned in fantasy stories. The man¡¯s thick muscles and many calluses on his fingers reminded Xiao of a senior mechanic she knew from her old job. With a big smile, he walked over to the young woman. ¡°I¡¯m Wattan! I¡¯m the head mechanic here! Looking forward to working with you!¡± Xiao was expecting a handshake but she instead got a big hug from the man. As she returned the embrace, she smiled at the thought of Wattan doing his best not crushing her. Once they were done with the hug, Wattan introduced his two assistant mechanics to Xiao. The first assistant was called Ahote and he looked almost like the young brother of Wattan. The second assistant, named Tuari, was the opposite of Wattan. The man was tall and wiry. He had the most hair out of the three and had a very shy composure. Despite the first impression he gave off, Tuari had calluses on his fingers too, giving Xiao confidence in his ability to work in the mechbay. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°We should get started with the meeting! Time is money, everyone!¡± The person with long blonde hair was the one speaking out. What caught Xiao¡¯s eyes were the expensive suit and brand name watch. She couldn¡¯t tell if the man worked for Zavaso or if this was merely a sponsor for the mech organization who happened to be joining the meeting. If the latter, then it makes sense how they could get the funding to treat matches as learning experiences. The young woman was growing more and more curious about the formation of Zavaso. A new mech organization normally needed to make a bit of a name for itself before it could attract sponsors. After her match, she intended on figuring out who or what was backing the mech organization. She had heard enough horror stories of mech pilot apprentices joining mech organizations backed by crime syndicates that she didn¡¯t want to join the other poor souls. ¡°Ingar, we¡¯ll start soon.¡± The sixth person stood up and bowed to Xiao. ¡°I apologize for him! He¡¯s the marketer of Zavaso so he handles a lot of funds. As for me, I¡¯m Twan, the purchaser and designer within Zavaso.¡± Is Ingar the marketer only? And Twan is both the purchaser and designer? While she didn¡¯t know the exact value, Xiao was pretty certain that Ingar¡¯s suit and watch were luxury items for the rich only. However, Twan was a bigger mystery for her. Both the purchaser and designer positions were demanding jobs. Purchasers were responsible for filling inventory with all the needed subcomponents to ensure smooth operation within the mechbay. They had to regularly negotiate prices, vet new vendors and, at times, purchase rare subcomponents through any method possible. A purchaser is already a full-time role. How does he find time to be a designer too? Designers were known to be experts of how mechs were built. They were not only responsible for making templates of mech loadouts but, if needed, they had to change the design to suit the situation. Given the importance of both roles, Xiao couldn¡¯t figure out how a person would have time for both unless that said person was a genius. She didn¡¯t have a chance to inquire on the matter as, once she sat down, the meeting commenced with Vesna taking charge. ¡°We have a match taking place in two days! I know it¡¯s not much time to prepare but the boss wants us to gain experience as soon as we have a complete team. Here is what we know about the match. Ask questions once you read through all of it!¡± The screen behind the little girl turned on, revealing the summary of the match. < Match Type: Casual Mech Weight Class Allowed: Light Mechs only Format: 2 versus 2 Arena: Casual Standard Win Condition: All opposing mechs can no longer continue combat Attendance: 5000 Salvage Reward: 4 > This is a fairly standard match. The salvage reward is double the normal amount so I can see how it can be alluring. Salvage could make or break a mech organization. Instead of paying in credits, matches paid out in salvage rights. Each match provided a pool which the victor could select salvage from. Because the pool was random, the rewards could vary greatly from one match to the next. In most cases, the salvage could help the mech organization break even after a match or, if lady fortune smiled upon the organization, acquire a rare subcomponent that could turn the tide of future matches. The salvage reward grew as one went to larger mech weights so, for light mechs, two salvage rights were pretty significant. ¡°No questions?¡± asked Vesna after a lengthy silence. ¡°Good! We can conclude this meeting then. I still need to speak with Isaac about the logistics. Can''t participate if the mech is left behind.¡± As soon as the meeting concluded, Vesna left the room in a hurry. Xiao wanted to intercept the little girl but Wattan approached her instead. ¡°Missus, I was wondering if we can discuss the loadout of your mech! Two days isn¡¯t a lot of time to work with but we can at least pick the template you want for the upcoming battle.¡± With a nod of her head, Xiao followed the head mechanic with the other two mechanics in tow. She realized that preparing for the next match was the main priority. This would be her very first match with an actual mech. She wanted to at least achieve a passing grade by not completely making a fool of herself. As they made their way to the mech, she asked Wattan if they knew anything about their ally or their opponents. ¡°With so few days for preparation, I doubt we know anything beyond the match summary.¡± The head mechanic turned on the lights that illuminated the ant mech. ¡°Let¡¯s just focus on what we have control over.¡± Volume 1 Chapter 5 For the next hour, Xiao discussed the three loadout templates with Wattan. The three templates were laser focus, ballistic focus and mix focus. The ant mech she piloted for the interview was the mix focus template due to it possessing both a small laser and light machine gun. Out of the three templates, this was the most balanced approach, making it the most ideal in situations where they had too little intel to work on. ¡°Take a look at the laser focus template,¡± said Wattan as he handed over a tablet with the information. Xiao didn¡¯t waste her time looking at the entire loadout. She only checked the right arm and torso where the light machine gun and ammo were originally stored. < Component: Right Arm Armor: 40/40 Structure: 20 Subcomponent(s): Upper Arm [Basic gear that makes up an arm, 1 Slot] Heat Sink (Basic) [-1 Heat per minute, 2 Slots] Small Laser [2 Damage, +2 Heat per use, 2 Slots] > < Component: Right Torso Armor: 40/40 Structure: 20 Subcomponent(s): 2x Heat Sink (Basic) [-1 Heat per minute, 2 Slots] > This one has two small lasers and two extra heat sinks. Compared to mixed, this one doesn¡¯t produce extra heat and there¡¯s no concern about running out of ammo. After taking a quick look at the laser focus template, she swiped on the tablet to access the ballistic focus template. She skimmed through the template until she noticed the changes made. < Component: Left Arm Armor: 40/40 Structure: 20 Subcomponent(s): Upper Arm [Basic gear that makes up an arm, 1 Slot] 3x Light Machine Gun Ammo (Basic) [Contains 50 ammo, Can explode for up to 5 damage, 1 Slot] Light Machine Gun [1 Damage, +10% Critical Chance, 2 Ammo consumed per shot, 1 Slot] > < Component: Left Torso Armor: 40/40 Structure: 20 Subcomponent(s): 3x Light Machine Gun Ammo (Basic) [Contains 50 ammo, Can explode for up to 5 damage, 1 Slot] Light Machine Gun [1 Damage, +10% Critical Chance, 2 Ammo consumed per shot, 1 Slot] > ¡°Light machine gun quantity was tripled and there is 300 extra ammo,¡± muttered Xiao. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Once you get through the armor, three light machine guns can do some serious damage.¡± Wattan is right! Even against armor, the sheer number can still tear through light mech armor. ¡°It¡¯s still risky,¡± said Xiao. ¡°What happens if I¡¯m out of ammo? Light machine guns burn through ammo very quickly.¡± ¡°The ant mech can still punch!¡± exclaimed Ahote. ¡°It can but it¡¯s not built for it.¡± Xiao learned that some mechs were built specifically for punching. Their armor, engine and even arms were configured specifically for punching. The ant mech she would be piloting had extremely weak punches. It was better than nothing but, given that it forced her mech into a range where light mech weapons could excel, it should only be a last resort option. ¡°What do you prefer, missus?¡± asked Wattan. ¡°The mix focus is the safest bet but our opponents are expecting that. If we can catch them off guard with the ballistic template, then we might be able to secure victory easily.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the boss, missus!¡± With that Wattan gave orders to the two mechanics and they went to work. Unable to assist with the matter, Xiao walked out of the mechbay, realizing that she was never given a full tour of the facility. As she walked down the hallway in search of the break room, Vesna nearly ran her over. ¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Xiao as she offered a hand. As soon as she helped Vesna up, the young woman asked her for directions. Vesna embarrassingly apologized, promising to make up with a tour as soon as she delivered some papers to Isaac. ¡°Let me come along and meet Isaac then!¡± Xiao followed Vesna to the basement she never thought existed. Much of the basement was used as storage space but one room became Isaac¡¯s office. The young woman didn¡¯t get a chance to look inside since the girl merely slid pieces of paper under the door. ¡°He¡¯s just very busy and rarely meets people,¡± explained Vesna. The girl then led Xiao to the break room where they discussed the plans for the match. With two days left, Zavaso booked a space shuttle for her, Vesna and Isaac. They would leave for the space port in an hour so they could arrive by the following morning. Once there, Xiao would be taking the ant mech on simple test runs to ensure that everything worked. On the day of the match, they would meet at the match site where they would make the final preparations. By lunch, Xiao would be participating in her first ever match. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous! I got you covered!¡± ¡°How much experience do you have as an operator?¡± Vesna explained that her experience all came from Operator Sim and she passed all the tests in the sim with flying colors. It took Xiao a full minute before she realized that the girl was referring to a game popular with kids who want to grow up as operators. While the game was made to resemble reality closely, it was still a game that wasn¡¯t recognized by any mech organization. An individual would be promptly booted out of an interview if he or she presented Operator Sim as past experience. How did she even get the position? ¡°I applied and got the position,¡± said the girl angrily. ¡°I¡¯ll prove to you that I¡¯m as good as any other operator outside of tournaments!¡± The young woman knew that, in the world of mech competitions, results are all that matters. This was true for her as she needed to make a name for herself. Even in the smaller circles outside of tournaments, a good record could open far more doors than connections. She also knew that Vesna had quite the challenge before her. Like any simulation, the real thing was very different. An operator had to observe the match from the outside and provide important information to the pilot. There was very little room for mistakes. It was common knowledge that, once a mech was in combat, the quality of both the pilot and the operator had the biggest influence on the match outcome. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I questioned your abilities,¡± said Xiao. ¡°Like you, I have a lot to prove in the next match. Pilots generally don¡¯t get many chances before they are released from mech organizations.¡± ¡°Let me show you what this operator genius can do,¡± said Vesna as she proudly placed her hand on her chest. ¡°I¡¯ll get you into a small tournament in a few months!¡± The young woman shook her head as the thought of getting into a small tournament in a few months was unthinkable. Xiao had researched on the matter before so she was aware of what was needed. The pilot had to participate in twenty matches minimum. These matches could be single or double. The idea of packing twenty of these matches into a few months not only required a lot out of the pilot and operator but the cost of readying the mechs in time for all of these matches was far more than what most mech organizations could handle. Assuming all of the above is possible, the pilot still needs to achieve a 80% win rate which means the individual has to win 16 of those 20 matches. Easier said than done. She didn¡¯t even want to think about the relegation matches that a pilot needed to win to even get a spot in the tournament. She could worry about all of that or she could just focus on the upcoming match. With the latter in mind, she asked Vesna if she could use MTS to do some final preparation. As soon as she got permission, she made use of the last hour to get more comfortable. With the convenient reset button, she could repeatedly practice things like jump jets without worrying about the repair costs to the mech. She kept up her practice session until Vesna told her that their ride to the space port had arrived. How I wish I can practice for another week! With the help of Vesna, Xiao managed to purchase all the items needed for the trip before they got on the port. The young woman expected to board a civilian space shuttle that would be cramped but, to her pleasant surprise, she boarded one reserved for those with plenty of credits to spare. Isaac was already locked in a room so Xiao once again didn''t meat the man. As a consolation prize, she had a warm comfy bed which she fell asleep in instantly. When she woke up, Vesna informed her that they were almost at their destination. ¡°What were you doing while I was asleep?¡± asked Xiao after she suppressed a yawn. ¡°Just busy gathering the intel on our opponents,¡± said Vesna as she typed away. ¡°The summary should be ready in an hour. Use it to your advantage!¡± Volume 1 Chapter 6 An hour later, Xiao received the summary of her opponents and a general overview of the mechs to be used. The summary mentioned the mech organization involved and some brief bio of the pilots she was facing. A glance of the average performance record gave Xiao some confidence that she still had a chance. If she was facing pilots who were among the best in these matches, nothing within her arsenal could possibly close the gap. After skimming through the bio, she reached the general overview of the two mechs to be used by her opponents. < Mech Type: Beetle Mech Weight Class: Light Left Arm (Structure): 30 Left Torso (Structure): 30 Left Leg (Structure): 60 Center Torso (Structure): 60 Right Leg (Structure): 60 Right Torso (Structure): 30 Right Arm (Structure): 30 Armor Type(s): Armor (Basic), Armor (Improved) Gyro Type(s): Gyro (Basic), Gyro (Improved) Engine Core Type(s): Engine Core 10 (Basic) Cooling Type(s): Cooling (Basic) Weapon Type(s): Light Machine Gun, Machine Gun, Small Laser, AC2 > They have a beetle mech? These are extremely tough with them boasting higher structure than most other light mechs. Combine that with basic armor or improved armor and they become extremely tough to beat. Xiao¡¯s eyes eventually landed on the AC2 weapon type. AC stood for autocannon and these weapon types were extremely rare on light mechs. Not only did autocannon require valuable slots which were limited on a light mech but their ammo took up plenty of space. Despite having access to the AC2, beetle mechs were rarely equipped with it as it had very few chances to attack before ammo ran out. While autocannons did impressive damage compared to weapons more common to light mechs, the limited ammo still resulted in minimal damage output. And the other one is a fly mech. < Mech Type: Fly Mech Weight Class: Light Left Arm (Structure): 20 Left Torso (Structure): 20 Left Leg (Structure): 40 Center Torso (Structure): 40 Right Leg (Structure): 40 Right Torso (Structure): 20 Right Arm (Structure): 20 Armor Type(s): Armor (Basic) Gyro Type(s): Gyro (Basic) Engine Core Type(s): Engine Core 20 (Basic), Engine Core 20 (Improved) Cooling Type(s): Cooling (Basic), Cooling (Improved) Weapon Type(s): Light Machine Gun, Machine Gun, Small Laser > The fly mech boasted speed more than toughness. Xiao recognized that, if she faced a beetle mech and a fly mech, it could be challenging. The two mechs could cover each other¡¯s weaknesses, especially when the two pilots had excellent teamwork. Since both pilots came from the same organization, then there was a good chance such was the case. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Sadly, there¡¯s nothing on my co-op pilot. Seems like Vesna couldn¡¯t get any information from their name alone. When Zavaso agreed to the co-op, the document only listed the match info and the other mech organization name. Beyond that, there was little to work on. To add to the mech organization¡¯s mysteriousness, it seemed to be newly started with no history to speak of. When Xiao inquired on why Zavaso would agree to such a co-op, Vesna stated that their boss wanted a match as soon as possible and this was the opening. They were about to participate in a match her mech organization joined on a whim which frustrated Xiao greatly. To get a good record, pilots needed a mech organization to do its diligence in finding the right matches. First match mattered a lot as it tended to set the momentum and impacted the confidence of the entire team. I can always hope for beginner¡¯s luck. Once the shuttle landed, the group was transported to the match site where the ant mech and Wattan were already waiting for them. Xiao spent the rest of the day working with the head mechanic on the mech. They communicated over tweaks on the mech to make the controls more natural for the young woman. They wouldn¡¯t know for certain until Xiao fought in an actual match but any extra preparation could improve their odds. Wattan is really good at his job! Why would he work for such a new mech organization? It wasn¡¯t until late into the night did the two of them finish with all the mech configurations. Xiao also learned a lot from Wattan as the head mechanic was familiar with all the parameters, some of which the young woman didn¡¯t even know existed. Knowing that she did everything she could and the importance of rest, Xiao went to bed to get six hours of sleep. When she left, Wattan said that he planned on finalizing a few things before he called it a night. As she made her way to the sleeping quarters, she noticed the lights from the windows of rooms adjacent to hers. If everyone else is working this hard, I better give it my 110% effort tomorrow. Xiao fell asleep the moment her head touched the pillow. On the following day, she ate a big meal before joining the others at the arena mechbay assigned to their team. As promised by the head mechanic, no further tweaks were made on this day. Instead, both Ahote and Tuari were busy stickering the sponsor logos onto the mech. Xiao went straight to the mech cockpit where she checked the notes she made the previous night. Now that the match was almost here, she felt her heart beating quickly. Even though a few deep breaths helped, the young woman hoped that she could keep a cool head once the match began. ¡°Xiao,¡± shouted Vesna. ¡°Please poke your head out of the cockpit please!¡± Despite this being an odd request, Xiao did so only to notice the camera too late. She called for Vesna to come back but the little girl said she had too many things to take pictures of. Seeing the little girl run away with such a carefree attitude, the weight on Xiao¡¯s shoulder lightened a bit. Maybe I should be like her and treat it as a learning experience¡­ The young woman then finished the last inspection of all her controls. No matter what happened in the upcoming match, she had to do her best and have no regrets. As soon as the cockpit doors were closed, the AC within the mech kicked in. She adjusted to a comfortable value before she went over her strategies in her head. ¡°The match is starting in two minutes,¡± said Vesna through the headset. ¡°Proceed to the mechbay doors.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± The ant mech moved slowly and steadily towards the doors. Once the two minutes were up, the door slid open, revealing the arena to Xiao. Not interested in anything flashy, Xiao simply went at a comfortable pace. She had seen matches where pilots had their signature entries but those were reserved to pilots who had made a name for themselves. She couldn¡¯t risk her mech taking damage before the match even started. ¡°I got visual on the allied mech. It¡¯s also an ant mech. I will be requesting more information on it.¡± Xiao waited for a full minute before Vesna informed her of the experimental flamers on the mech. ¡°Experimental flamers?¡± She had heard of the weapons before. Flamers were said to be weapons that did limited damage and added heat to any mechs hit by them. They were basically meant to force mechs to shut down, rendering them helpless to any attacks. Ignoring the feasibility of such a strategy, Xiao was more curious how the allied mech had experimental weapons. Experimental weapons were not only rare but one needed the right connections to get their hands on it. At this stage, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder about the background of both her mech organization and the allied mech organization. ¡°Yes, that mech has experimental flamers and no other weapons. Their strategy is to shut down enemy mechs and you can simply go in for an easy kill.¡± ¡°Getting that close to the fly mech will be no easy feat.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why the pilot suggests that we focus on the beetle mech first. A two versus one situation would then guarantee our win.¡± ¡°Affirmative!¡± Xiao waited for the announcer to go through the motions before she readied herself for combat. At the other side of the arena, the beetle and fly mechs faced them. As soon as she heard the match had begun from Vesna, the fly mech moved at incredible speed towards the allied ant mech. Meanwhile, the beetle mech remained still, as if waiting for Xiao to make her move. ¡°How¡¯s my ally handling the fly mech?¡± ¡°Not very well! The flamers have a short range and the fly mech is too agile.¡± ¡°I need to assist my ally then. Otherwise, I cannot hope to win a one versus two.¡± ¡°Address the fly mech before the beetle arrives then.¡± For the first time in real life, Xiao put an ant mech into a full sprint. The mech interior was shaking but the seat shock absorbers were doing their job. ¡°Beetle mech is charging but I¡¯d say you have thirty seconds to a minute before it reaches you.¡± Volume 1 Chapter 7 The ant mech moved to cut off the retreat of the fly mech. Xiao didn¡¯t want her two opponents to meet up if the fly mech pilot chose to regroup. To her surprise, the fly mech focused solely on her ally with no indication of backing away. Having seen how the fly mech moved, the young woman got an idea of where the fly mech would be and went to intercept. To her surprise, her ant mech was able to get right behind the fly mech without any problems. With the light machine gun safety off, she unleashed rapid bursts as she stuck behind the fly mech. How¡­how is that possible? Because her mech faced the rear of the fly mech, the light machine gun bursts ripped through the armor and caused multiple small explosions that effectively blew off the left torso and right arm of the opposing mech. The result reminded Xiao that the rear armor was at most half as thick as the frontal armor. Unless it was absolutely necessary, a pilot should never expose the mech¡¯s rear armor to foes. The components of the fly mech couldn¡¯t have been blown off if she wasn¡¯t using the light machine gun. Critical chance only applied to structure and, with the number of ammo she used in the burst mode, she was guaranteed at least one critical hit. ¡°Watch out behind you!¡± Vesna¡¯s warning came too late as Xiao¡¯s mech toppled over. As soon as she got her bearings, the young woman checked her mech¡¯s status on the screen to her right. < Left Torso: Missing Left Arm: Missing > What just happened? Xiao got her mech back up and started moving. Regardless of what caused her mech to lose its left torso and arm, she had to keep moving to make her mech harder to hit. After delivering the impressive damage on the fly mech, she stopped her mech which gave the beetle mech an opening. ¡°I just zoomed in! The beetle mech is armed with an AC2. I repeat! The beetle mech is armed with an AC2.¡± ¡°Where is the fly mech now?¡± asked Xiao as she maneuvered her mech to face the beetle mech. ¡°Our ally mech has landed solid hits with the experimental flamers. The fly mech won¡¯t be in the battle for a while.¡± The young woman focused on the beetle mech when she noticed it firing a projectile. Going with the assumption that her opponent was aiming for her mech¡¯s legs, she used the jump jets to gain some altitude. Her ant mech didn¡¯t go very high but it was enough to narrowly dodge the AC2 projectile. ¡°I know AC ammo is strong but when were they strong enough to blow off a torso in one go?¡± ¡°I¡¯m checking with Wattan now. He¡¯s double checking the footage right now.¡± Xiao could hear a lot of shouting through her headset but she still had to focus on the match. The beetle mech was still targeting her mech and she had lost the surprise factor of her jump jets. She had to assume her opponent would take her equipment into account before another shot was fired. ¡°Wattan just confirmed that the beetle mech is using slug rounds.¡± Xiao couldn¡¯t believe her ears. Slug AC ammo was somewhat common for medium mechs due to their ability to knock mechs down. The cost of slug AC ammo made the ammo prohibitive for light mechs except for those with credits to burn. Due to the heavy impact of this ammo, a light mech would lose components like hers following a clean impact, unlike standard AC rounds that would do solid damage to the component armor. ¡°How much ammo can the beetle mech carry?¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Four if we¡¯re lucky. Triple that if the Beetle mech has not much else.¡± The young woman cursed her bad luck for facing such a foe. Her mech lacked the speeds to avoid the AC2 reliably while she couldn¡¯t do anything from far away due to her weapon¡¯s effective range. She had to keep moving when something caught her eyes. I¡¯ll hide behind that then! After abruptly changing directions, her mech sprinted in the opposite direction. Xiao could sense the AC2 was locking onto her but she still kept sprinting. A few seconds later, her ant mech managed to get into position where the fly mech was between her and the beetle mech. Will you shoot through your ally mech too? As if in response, the beetle mech fired its autocannon. The projectile shot right through the fly mech cockpit and came straight at her. Unlike last time, Xiao kept her mech moving and that, combined with the projectile trajectory being slightly altered by the hit with the fly mech, allowed her ant mech to avoid a hit. ¡°Is the fly mech pilot¡­¡± ¡°Yes, there is no way that pilot is still alive.¡± ¡°How¡­how can one do that to a fellow pilot, especially one from the same organization?¡± ¡°Keep your focus! Your ally mech has gotten behind the beetle now.¡± As soon as the other ant mech was next to the beetle mech, it unleashed its experimental flamers. Seconds later, the hostile mech lowered its AC2. With this opening, Xiao immediately maneuvered her mech straight at her opponent. With her arrival, the ally mech circled around to the front to continue with the flamers, ensuring that the beetle mech couldn¡¯t cool down. Facing the beetle¡¯s rear, the young woman first focused her remaining light machine gun on the beetle¡¯s left torso. After concentrated fire, the torso blew off and took with it the AC2. Then, she focused on the right leg until the beetle toppled over. ¡°The match is over! The beetle pilot resigned from the match.¡± Despite this being a victory, Xiao didn¡¯t feel joy. All she had replaying in her head was the AC projectile shooting through the cockpit, killing the pilot instantly. With that in mind, she wondered if the shot that hit her was aimed for the left torso or the center torso. That could have been me as well¡­ ¡°Xiao! Xiao, can you read me? Xiao, can you read me?¡± ¡°Sorry! I¡¯m still processing the death earlier. It feels unreal when you¡¯re in the thick of things.¡± ¡°You should get used to it,¡± said Wattan. ¡°Aren¡¯t there rules banning the killing of other pilots?¡± ¡°Those are for tournaments only, missus! Rules for other matches are far more lax as there isn¡¯t enough attention on them unless it involves a promising pilot.¡± Xiao already knew the challenges new pilots faced in order to make a name for themselves. They often took terrible jobs and made horrific sacrifices for a single chance. Now, she realized that death was another thing they must overcome. All the talk of death was making her sick so she changed the topic. ¡°Wattan, I¡¯m sorry for the left torso and arm. I¡¯m creating more work for you!¡± ¡°No worries, missus! The beetle pilot is a good shot so I doubt you could have dodged with your back to him. For your first win, this is honestly pretty good!¡± The congratulations through the headset that followed warmed her heart. Pushing aside all the negatives, Xiao piloted her mech back to the mechbay. As she exited, all the people she had met were there. They waited for her to reach the floor before they tossed her into the air three times in celebration. A small feast would happen later that day but Xiao remembered very little of what happened after her victory. She collapsed onto her bed and slept until noon of the following day. Then, Vesna helped her get ready for their ride to the space port as they needed to return back to their base. ¡°What salvage did we get?¡± Xiao asked Vesna. In terms of rewards, pilots generally didn¡¯t get much say. The designer usually called the shot and, if the pilot was lucky, the individual would be consulted on the matter. The young woman wondered what Twan picked for their first victory. Depending on the salvage pool, they could get something special. ¡°We got two experimental flamers. Those were the only things Twan wouldn¡¯t send straight to the scrapyard.¡± ¡°And about the repair cost?¡± Xiao could only imagine the bill that came with the damage but Vesna said that she mustn¡¯t worry. Apparently, their sponsors more than covered for the repairs so they basically made a tidy profit from the match. ¡°You should think about your next match in a week!¡± ¡°A week?¡± She couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. They barely finished one match and the next one was already scheduled. Despite being told that the next one was co-op with the same ally mech, she wouldn¡¯t have minded a short break. When she tried to use the repairs as an excuse, Vesna told her that they had a second mech if the ant mech couldn¡¯t be repaired in time. ¡°What¡¯s the second mech?¡± ¡°A hornet mech!¡± Volume 1 Chapter 8 Xiao thought she misheard Vesna but the girl repeated the name she thought she heard. Hornet mech? Isn¡¯t that an offense focused mech that only bigger mech organizations can afford? The young woman then checked on the overview of a hornet mech. < Mech Type: Hornet Mech Weight Class: Light Left Arm (Structure): 30 Left Torso (Structure): 30 Left Leg (Structure): 60 Center Torso (Structure): 60 Right Leg (Structure): 60 Right Torso (Structure): 30 Right Arm (Structure): 30 Armor Type(s): Armor (Basic), Armor (Improved) Gyro Type(s): Gyro (Basic), Gyro (Improved) Engine Core Type(s): Engine Core 20 (Basic), Engine Core 20 (Improved) Cooling Type(s): Cooling (Basic), Cooling (Improved) Weapon Type(s): Light Machine Gun, Machine Gun, Small Laser, SRM2, SRM4, MRM5 > The hornet was a versatile mech that not only had the strengths of both the beetle and fly but also possessed more weapon types. Missile type weapons generally only showed up in medium mechs due to large amounts of space allocated for the ammo. In addition, special modifications had to be made to ensure missile launchers could be installed onto a mech. All of these strengths increased the maintenance and repair costs of a hornet, making it out of reach for small and even some medium sized mech organizations. I can see why this mech is left as a backup. It¡¯s too expensive to run it regularly. With Vesna¡¯s reassurance that the ant mech would be ready, Xiao chose to not worry too much about it. Her impression of the mechanics was a very positive one. They seemed to know what they were doing and were already working on the mech before she boarded the shuttle. ¡°Show me what I need to know about the next match,¡± said Xiao who wished to her energy on the next match. < Match Type: Casual Mech Weight Class Allowed: Light Mechs only Format: 2 versus 2 Arena: Casual Standard Win Condition: All opposing mechs can no longer continue combat Attendance: 3000 Salvage Reward: 2 > Xiao could see the salvage reward was more in line with what she expected. The smaller attendance would also affect the sponsor credits they could receive from the match. ¡°Can I get a hold of Wattan from here? I wanted to check something about the loadout.¡± Vesna patched Xiao through the communication array aboard the shuttle. Seconds later, Wattan answered. ¡°Wattan, are we allowed to use one of the experimental flamers for the next match?¡± ¡°Impressed with these weapons already? I¡¯ll let Twan know so he can make a template or two with them.¡± Xiao thanked the head mechanic and, once the call was over, she asked Vesna for anything they had on her opponents. The girl said she needed an hour which she delivered when she presented the information in person. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Our two opponents come from different mech organizations. I didn¡¯t find any history of them working together. Both pilots have less than five matches under their belt each and their records are both below 0.500. They use the flea mech which I¡¯m sending you an overview now. Beyond that, I know little else.¡± ¡°Flea mechs? No autocannons next match at least.¡± The young woman would be lying if she claimed she wasn¡¯t afraid of the autocannon. Even if her life wasn¡¯t at risk, the power of the autocannon wasn¡¯t something to be underestimated. < Mech Type: Flea Mech Weight Class: Light Left Arm (Structure): 20 Left Torso (Structure): 20 Left Leg (Structure): 40 Center Torso (Structure): 40 Right Leg (Structure): 40 Right Torso (Structure): 20 Right Arm (Structure): 20 Armor Type(s): Armor (Primitive) Gyro Type(s): Gyro (Basic) Engine Core Type(s): Engine Core 20 (Basic) Cooling Type(s): Cooling (Basic), Cooling (Improved) Weapon Type(s): Light Machine Gun, Small Laser > The primitive armor verified what Xiao learned when she was studying to be a pilot. While the ant mech was well balanced and beginner friendly, the mech wasn¡¯t the cheapest to repair and maintain. Therefore, many small mech organizations went with the flea to make repairs and maintenance more affordable. The price of saving credits directly impacted combat as, unlike the basic armor with its 2 armor per structure, the primitive armor only provided 1 armor per structure. Compared to her ant mech, the flea mechs couldn¡¯t handle any hits. Any mistakes by the pilots would undoubtedly result in the flea losing one if not more components. Against the fleas, I have several options now that I have experimental flamers. Another weakness of the flea mech was its reliance on jump jets. The mech didn¡¯t have improved engine cores like the fly so it couldn¡¯t run fast enough to avoid attacks. To make up for it, the flea had multiple jump jets to give it maneuverability that it relied on to survive. The multiple jump jets meant the flea mech needed more heat sinks, thus further reducing how many slots were left for weapons. With even a single experimental flamer, Xiao could overheat the flea mechs if she pushed their pilots to overuse their jump jets. ¡°Is there another match after the upcoming one?¡± asked Xiao once she finished with her initial preparations for the next match. ¡°Yes, we have a three versus three match two weeks after the next one. We will have two days where we can meet the allied pilots to work out a strategy.¡± The thought of all the upcoming matches both excited and tired Xiao. She was finally living her dream but her schedule wasn¡¯t making it easy. She might be 1-0-0 for her current record but she was still far from the relegation matches needed for tournaments. Choosing to rest for the remainder of the flight, she excused herself and slept on her assigned bed, once again falling asleep instantly. ¡°Xiao! Get up! We¡¯ve landed!¡± As she rubbed her eyes, Xiao wondered where Vesna got her energy. To her surprise, the girl said she didn¡¯t sleep at all on the shuttle. Apparently, she only needed energy drinks to keep her body going. ¡°What¡¯s the plan for today?¡± asked Xiao after she washed up in the terminal restroom. ¡°We¡¯re going shopping!¡± An hour later, Xiao found herself with Vesna, Twan and Wattan at the Mech Department Store. The place not only offered anything that could go on a mech but it also possessed everything a pilot needed to perform their tasks well. The store had fifty floors total. Anyone could access the first floor but, starting from the second floor, one needed to meet specific requirements. For instance, only a registered pilot could enter the second floor but a pilot with ten matches fought could access the fourth floor. The higher the floor, the rarer and more expensive the goods were. ¡°What are we shopping for?¡± asked Xiao once they all gathered at the department store entrance. ¡°I¡¯m here for the auction,¡± said Twan. Upon hearing that, the young woman became more intrigued. To participate in an auction, one needed both connections and a lot of credits. Sometimes, extremely rare goods could show up in the auction that couldn¡¯t be found elsewhere. For many, the auction was the closest most law abiding citizens would get to the black market. Vesna asked Twan if the man had his eye on something. ¡°That¡¯s a secret!¡± said Twan. ¡°If I do acquire it, we won¡¯t use it except for the must win matches.¡± The man then entered the store doors alone, leaving the other three people behind. Vesna broke the awkward situation by suggesting they go to the second floor. On this floor, the common subcomponents and equipment for mechs were on sale. As soon as they entered the floor, Wattan went to work as he checked his inventory to see what needed to be restocked. Xiao briefly interrupted him to inquire on the repairs of the ant mech. ¡°No worries, missus! The other two are hard at work and should be done by the end of tomorrow!¡± Xiao was very impressed by the efficiency of the mechanics. She had expected the Ant mech to be ready closer to the match date but they were almost done. Vesna then came over and suggested that they leave the head mechanic to do his thing. Xiao agreed and the two of them went to the third floor to purchase pilot items. ¡°I know how you felt about the last match with your lack of items,¡± said the little girl. ¡°We¡¯ll be sure to have you fully ready for the next match.¡± ¡°What¡¯s our budget?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be the judge of that!¡± Xiao was certain that Orlan wouldn¡¯t be a fan of this. However, she knew that she should only pick the bare minimum and not worry about the bells and whistles. A lot of new pilots made the mistakes of getting fancy items they didn¡¯t need. Xiao wasn¡¯t going to make the same mistake. The bells and whistles could come once she made a name for herself. In addition, the better bells and whistles were on the fourth floor so it would be a waste of credits if she purchased them on the third floor. Volume 1 Chapter 9 First, Xiao shopped for what she would wear in matches. For her first match, they hastily put together what she needed which was not only uncomfortable but, if things went wrong, she also wasn¡¯t sure about her chances of survival. Her initial purchases included her suit, helmet, balaclavas, gloves and boots which all provided some level of protection to increase her survival chance with nasty accidents. Due to how persuasive Vesna was, she chose to have all of those custom made to ensure the best comfort while she fought against other mechs. Next, she bought training items like hand grippers and tennis balls. Due to the unpredictability of her matches, there was no guarantee that anyone else would bring everything she needed. Therefore, she had to ensure her training didn¡¯t get interrupted due to her overreliance on other people. ¡°Is that all you¡¯re getting?¡± asked Vesna. Xiao could tell the girl wasn¡¯t impressed with her purchases but she only wanted the basic items. She would worry about the rest once she had some achievements under her name. With their shopping done, the girl called Wattan who said he was still busy. ¡°Let¡¯s go get lunch then.¡± The girl led the way to the first floor where a food court was located. Normally, Xiao would be ecstatic with the choices at the food court as the food was different from her daily mundane meals. After eating the food on the shuttle, she couldn¡¯t get excited with what seemed like ordinary food anymore. ¡°I feel the same,¡± said Vesna with a big smile on her face. ¡°However, you¡¯ll miss the food here once we return to our office!¡± Taking the girl¡¯s wisdom to heart, Xiao got a big meal and still wolfed it down. By the time she finished her meal, Wattan arrived with a big grin on his face. He said that he wasn¡¯t hungry so they left the department store. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Twan! The auctions can take up to several days so we mustn¡¯t wait for him.¡± As soon as the three of them returned to the office, they all went to do their preparations. Wattan stated that he would check to ensure all the repairs were done correctly before he could study the new loadouts to see if they were feasible on the ant mech. Vesna had a bunch of meetings to attend to due to the many matches they booked. Given that Xiao was treated as the primary pilot of Zavaso, she only had to focus on her training. Having seen what she gained last time, the young woman returned to the MTS to get more familiar with the mech. I need to learn how to fight on the move better. Xiao knew that she did the bare minimum in the first match. She had to always keep her mech moving but that affected her weapon aiming. For the next couple of days, she trained firing on the move against both static and mobile targets. For her dummy targets in the simulation, she picked the flea mech specifically as her mobile targets. The simulator had a standard flea template controlled by simple AI. She couldn¡¯t expect the AI to resemble a human pilot but, by giving the AI the command of always running away her mech and no heat limitation, she could practice pursuing and landing hits. The limited weapon range isn¡¯t making this very easy. Her training was only interrupted when someone came to the MTS. Xiao took off her headset to see Orlan standing here. ¡°Sorry to interrupt but this is about your spending at the mech department store. I got the invoice for what you purchased.¡± I knew Vesna didn¡¯t get any say in the matter. I should have asked her what my budget was before I started purchasing things. ¡°You have a much bigger budget than what you spent. Are you sure you¡¯re content with what you got?¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. The conversation didn¡¯t go the way Xiao expected so she asked for clarifications. After a few minutes of conversing, she understood that Zavaso had allocated resources to the different departments. As the main pilot, she got a reasonable amount of credits which she could spend on anything, regardless if the purchase was for professional or personal use. Orlan arrived to explain the matter so they could come to an agreement. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t have anything else that needs to be paid for?¡± asked the teenager. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything for now. With Vesna¡¯s help, I no longer rented a unit and sleep here in the office. I¡¯m also using the office storage for my belongings while the food and drinks are paid for. I would rather focus on my upcoming matches than splurging for the sake of splurging.¡± ¡°I see! Then how about this arrangement?¡± For the next couple of hours, Xiao found herself learning about investments. Normally, an individual became an investor once they accumulated a certain amount of credits. The amount was far too much for most ordinary people so investing was only available to the rich. Coincidentally, the amount she was given each month met that threshold, making investment an option to her. As Orlan quickly highlighted, this was a good way for her to build on her wealth so that, once she retired, she could live a comfortable life. In the meantime, any unused credits each month would be added to the pool and could only be retrieved once she left Zavaso. ¡°This sounds like a really good proposition! I¡¯ll have to agree!¡± Once that was completed and Xiao signed dozens of documents, the young woman asked Orlan about Zavaso or, more specifically, how it was started. ¡°Despite how small Zavaso is, it seems to have a lot of financial backing. I was hoping you can shed more light on my curiosity.¡± ¡°I see Vesna didn¡¯t share much about how the mech organization started. It all starts with Anthony Kurri. Does Kurri ring any bells?¡± ¡°Kurri?¡± Xiao knew the surname sounded familiar so she thought back to when she heard it. ¡°The same Kurri as Daniel Kurri, one of the best pilots in the world? Wasn¡¯t he the first pilot to win the championship for light, medium and heavy mech categories in the same year?¡± Orlan stated that Anthony was the grandson of Daniel. Anthony, influenced by his grandfather''s success, also had the dream of becoming a famous pilot with multiple championships under his belt. Sadly, that was no longer possible following a practice accident when his mech exploded, maiming him in the process. ¡°His injuries were very severe! Even though the Kurri family has the resources to get him robotic prosthetics which guarantee him a normal life. However, the prosthetics forever banned him from competing in mech tournaments.¡± ¡°And he¡¯s trying to live his dream by creating a mech organization from scratch?¡± ¡°Correct! Anthony has been planning this for many years now and all the starting funds came from his own bank account. I have been investing part of it so we will always have income should our expenses increase. Currently, he''s very pleased with our performance.¡± Xiao thanked Orlan for the explanation. After the teenager left, the young woman stood beside the MTS, wondering about her dream of becoming a pilot. How does it feel to never live one¡¯s dream due to an accident? Anthony, I¡¯ll do my best making a name for Zavaso! Just watch! You¡¯ll be part of a winning mech organization! With renewed motivation, Xiao went back to her training. She only stopped for restroom breaks, sleep and meals. Otherwise, she never stopped training until she had to leave for the match. Like the first match, she and Vesna went to the port to catch their shuttle. Before her departure, she met with Wattan to discuss the ant mech loadout for the match. ¡°Are you sure you don''t want to try out the experimental flamers, missus?¡± ¡°I am tempted but I¡¯m also here to win. By sticking with the same loadout as the last match, I believe I can finish off the flea mechs faster.¡± Xiao¡¯s logic was that, due to the limited armor of the flea mechs, her three light machine guns should rip through the mechs even faster than she could overheat them. She could either anticipate where the flea would land to get close or she could force her opponents to overuse their jump jet to the point they overheated. Both scenarios required her to keep up the pressure so her opponents made mistakes. The young woman only hoped that her training was sufficient for actual combat. After her next match, she intended on including experimental flamers in her MTS mech loadout so she could figure out the duration and range of the weapon. The more practice she got, the better she would perform in a high pressure scenario. ¡°You¡¯re the boss, missus! I¡¯ll still eagerly wait for the day when you pick a template with the flamers.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Twan did an amazing job with his designs.¡± Volume 1 Chapter 10 As she piloted her mech into the arena, Xiao found it odd that she didn¡¯t feel nervous one bit. She no longer had to calm herself or take deep breaths. Because she practiced so much on the MTS, everything from starting a mech up and entering the arena felt second nature. Once her mech stopped and awaited for the match to start, she calmly turned her head to see the allied ant mech. ¡°Vesna, did our ally pilot change his weapons or is he still sticking with the experimental flamers?¡± ¡°I just got confirmation that he¡¯s still using flamers. I was also told his mech now has an engine booster.¡± ¡°An engine booster?¡± Xiao wasn¡¯t expecting such equipment to get used by her ally. An engine booster could temporarily boost the output of the engine, giving a light mech a massive boost of speed for a short period. This might make sense for a fly mech that boasted more speed than an ant mech. Flea mechs were different in that they were more reliant on their jump jets. They were far more unpredictable so extra speed might not be as helpful. ¡°I was told their pilot wanted to try something. It¡¯s their mech so it¡¯s none of our business. I suggest you focus on a flea mech while your ally deals with the other one.¡± ¡°Affirmative!¡± The young woman had no issues with a chance to put what she trained into practice. As soon as the match started, her mech charged towards the closest flea mech. ¡°They aren¡¯t joining together! Focus on your own opponent!¡± The ant mech closed in on the flea mech but, before Xiao could aim her weapons, the other mech leaped easily over the ant. Instead of turning immediately, she made sure there was a safe gap between the two mechs before she started turning. The whole time, Vesna kept her updated of the rough proximity of the flea, making it easy for her to reposition at a safe distance. Since the weapons were similar between the two mechs, her opponent had yet to land a single hit. However, the flea pilot was quite reliant on the jump jets so Xiao suspected that the flea must be close to overheating. A standard flea mech had four jump jets and, given how high the mech was jumping, it was likely her opponent was using all four. Now¡¯s my chance to counterattack! After the flea jumped a second time, Xiao did a sharp turn to face the flea face to face. While the flea did unleash two small lasers at her mech, she returned with all three light machine guns in burst mode. As the flea¡¯s left torso blew clean off, its right arm hardly did any better. The flea mech tried to flee but, a few seconds later, it stopped abruptly. Xiao used the opportunity to catch up and aimed at the legs. ¡°How¡¯s my ally doing?¡± asked Xiao as she watched her opposing mech collapse onto the ground. ¡°Not good! He¡¯s about to be defeated!¡± What? Xiao turned her mech in time to see the allied mech collapse onto the ground like her opponent. She couldn¡¯t believe her eyes as a flea mech couldn¡¯t possibly have the firepower to take down another mech. It needed a lot of time with its pitiful number of weapons before it could even get through the ant mech¡¯s armor, including the rear ones. ¡°What¡¯s different about this one?¡± she asked her operator. ¡°The other flea mech has no jump jets at all. Our ally pilot suspects that it has four light machine guns and an engine boost. It''s an unconventional mech.¡± ¡°That¡¯s one way to catch your opponent off guard.¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Xiao let out the breath she was holding in as she charged the remaining flea mech. Her opponent was thinking the same thing so the two mechs ran towards each other. She kept her light machine guns in burst mode so, as soon as the two were almost in melee range, she let loose. The two mechs exchanged light machine gun fire while standing still but Xiao couldn¡¯t tell who was winning. She watched nervously as her eyes switched between her target and her mech¡¯s armor value decreased on her screen. Then, some explosions made her jump as he thought it was her mech. ¡°Good work, Xiao! Finish that flea mech!¡± A few more bursts later, her light machine guns went silent. As the last mech standing in the arena, Xiao felt the pride that came with another victory. Now that she had a chance to think, she realized that, in such a fight, she had the advantage. It was true her opponent had more light machine guns. However, the flea mech also had less armor to protect against her weapons. She could get through the armor faster, allowing possible critical hits. And if my opponent needed enough ammo for all of those weapons, then critical hits will easily seal its fate by causing more internal explosions from detonating the ammo. It wasn¡¯t until her mech was safe in the arena mechbay did she realize that she was still sweating heavily from the actual combat. The start of the match was easy enough to rehearse. The actual combat changed too much and had too many variables. If I faced the other flea mech first, would its element of surprise change the outcome of this entire match? The young woman couldn''t deny the thought that her mech didn''t lose any components as neither of the fleas got through her armor. As she exited the mech, Xiao took in a deep breath to clear her head. The others were excited to see her and complimented her on the two match win streak. ¡°I¡¯ll do better next time!¡± she announced in front of the others. The young woman meant it too. She recognized that she still lacked experience and she had been fortunate with the opponents she faced. As her record improved, the matches only got harder. While the match summary showed important information, there was still a lot of information that wasn''t shown and still had importance. Among those was the pilot records requirement. There were upper and lower limits of what records pilots have to participate in a match. With her consecutive win, Xiao was certain that one more win might put her in a different bracket altogether. Then, she would face not only better pilots but also better mechs. ¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Vesna. ¡°I¡¯m fine! Just thinking about future matches that aren¡¯t getting any easier!¡± ¡°You should welcome the challenge! You won¡¯t make the tournaments if you only fight the nobodies!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! Thanks!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for!¡± This time, everyone celebrated the occasion by eating at a local restaurant. The atmosphere was amazing and Xiao realized how much she missed the old crew at Cythetics. It felt like she grew up with them which made their parting that much harder. Luckily, I have a new family now! As the pilot, I cannot let them down! Urged on by the others, Xiao drank lots during the party. The next thing she knew, she was in her room with a terrible migraine. She couldn¡¯t believe she drank so much that she couldn¡¯t recall what happened the night before. The young woman then unsteadily made her way to the first aid room to get some pain relievers. Once the pain subsided, she washed up and returned to her room. As she was about to leave her room, her phone vibrated. A message from dad? < Hey princess, We have seen each other for a while. I heard about what happened to Cythetics. Do you have time to talk to your old man? Looking forward to seeing you soon! Regards, Dad > It¡¯ll be nice to see him again! There¡¯s so much we can talk about! With her mind made up, she first searched for Vesna who was in the mess hall. She asked if she could take a day off to see her father. The girl said that they were flexible with what she did as long as she prepared for matches and showed up on time. ¡°With your 2-0-0 record, no one here can really prevent you from seeing your father.¡± Xiao thanked the girl and messaged her father for a good time to meet. The two of them agreed to meet two hours later at a small cafe near her old residence. The young woman proceeded to wolf down coffee and breakfast before she prepared for her day off. As she picked out her clothes, she realized how little she did outside of her job. Since she joined, she was either working on her pilot skills or studying up on mechs and its components. There was little time for other things. Despite not having free time, I cannot say I hate this. I will make it to the tournaments. Then, I¡¯ll rise to the top and make a name for myself. Volume 1 Chapter 11 Since she arrived thirty minutes before the agreed time, Xiao found a corner table and sat down. She ordered a latte before she listened in to a conversation from a nearby table. Four teenagers had their tablets open and were openly discussing the answers to their assignment. After a few minutes, Xiao was certain the four of them were preparing for the entrance exam to become pilots. She and her friends did the same thing when they formed a study group. I wonder how they are doing! After we all passed, we went our separate ways and no longer hung out anymore. We don¡¯t even call each other anymore. One of the teenagers reminded Xiao of her previous self. There was such optimism when teenagers applied for the test, believing that they could easily make a name for themselves once they got a foot in the door. As she learned at Cythetic, the road was not only difficult but, for many young aspiring pilots, they might not even get a chance. Many young pilots at Cythetic eventually transitioned to other departments due to how few openings open up for pilots, especially the new unproven ones. And I¡¯m one of the lucky ones. Seeing that she still had time to kill, Xiao sent a message to her three friends. She wasn¡¯t sure if she would hear from them but, on the off chance one of them replied, she could find out what they were up to. A couple of minutes later, her father arrived and the two of them embraced. ¡°You look well, Xiao. I take it that you found another job after leaving Cythetics?¡± Xiao excitedly shared her weeks after she left her former company, mentioning her good luck with the job posting. She then took out her phone and showed her current record to her father who was amazed by the accomplishment. Then, her father¡¯s doting side came as he asked if she was taking good care of herself. The young woman replied that she treated herself better than when she worked at Cythetics. She was given a lot more flexibility as to when she did certain tasks and it helped her improve as a pilot. ¡°When is your next match? Maybe I can watch it online.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if you can watch it. I only participate in small matches until I can get a couple of wins. No broadcaster has time livestreaming those matches.¡± When she was still at Cythetics, Xiao heard that any matches with less than twenty thousand spectators never made it online. Streaming services felt that didn¡¯t make much so they would rather dedicate their time and energy on tournaments big and small. ¡°Things are changing, dear!¡± Seconds later, her father sent her a link. Xiao opened the link and was shocked to see so many matches. She expanded the information on some of the streams and, as stated by her father, some matches had less than five thousand spectators. Knowing how much her father wanted to cheer for her, Xiao shared his match summary with him. A minute later, he found the match as one of the upcoming matches. ¡°I didn¡¯t know streaming came this far for these small matches.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who on your team handles it but, if you can start a fan club, you can get more regular views of your matches. Once the views exceed a certain number, your matches can move up in the algorithm and attract more viewers. That''s how unknown pilots gain fame nowadays until they make it big.¡± Xiao felt ashamed at the fact that she was so behind on the times. She quickly noted everything on her phone so she could inquire on the matters with Vesna. She was certain the little girl was better at the matter than she ever would be. After they finished discussing her career matters, the young woman asked her father how he was doing. Her mother died when she was still a newborn so she was the only one who stayed by her father¡¯s side. After she moved out, her father lived all by himself. She knew for a fact that, even if things didn''t go well, her father wouldn''t reveal any of it to her. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I¡¯ve been seeing someone after you moved out,¡± said her father. ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear that! I hope to meet that person one day.¡± ¡°If our relationship goes anywhere, I¡¯ll be sure to have you two meet.¡± The two of them chatted for another hour before they agreed to part ways. Xiao wanted it to last longer but she knew how much she must train in order to keep moving up in the rankings. She promised her father that, once she had time after the match, they could meet again at the cafe. Thus, the two of them went back to their respective lives. I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ll see me get another win! Xiao hurried back to the office because she had so much she wanted to discuss with Vesna. A part of her wondered if the girl¡¯s cheerful demeanor was rubbing off on her. She would find the girl in the mess hall having ice cream. ¡°Vesna, have you thought about making use of streaming platforms to advertise our brand? Or even a fan club once I make a bigger name for myself?¡± Xiao watched as Vesna¡¯s eyes lit up. For the remainder of that day, she was stuck in Vesna¡¯s room where they went through everything about her brand. They started with all the streaming platforms out there, listing the ones that broadcasted their matches. Then, Vesna went to work creating a website that used Xiao¡¯s feedback. The young woman couldn¡¯t put what she had in mind into words so she gave something vague. Surprisingly, the girl was able to put the vague concepts into something concrete and, with a bit of tweaking, Xiao¡¯s website was online. ¡°I know it¡¯s not much but your name, record and mech are now public. As you have more matches and gain more accolades, we can update the website to highlight those. Once you get into tournaments, that¡¯s where the fun begins!¡± Vesna had an evil laugh at the mention of tournaments so Xiao excused herself briefly until the girl calmed herself. They then discussed the fan club idea which, after proposing it, Xiao felt embarrassed for doing so. It seemed almost like she had an ego that needed the praise of complete strangers. She shared her concern but the girl said she was overreacting. ¡°Let me pose this, Xiao. If you don¡¯t have the financial backing now and you need funding from those like your fans, will you hesitate to start a fan club?¡± The young woman began seeing where the girl was going with the matter. It was true that, due to her luxury of focusing on being solely a pilot, there were many things she didn¡¯t need to worry about like putting food on the table and paying rent. In their cruel society where credits meant everything, she shouldn¡¯t feel ashamed for wanting more of it. Any credits she wasn¡¯t earning would go to another pilot. This was why the saying of this being a dog eat dog world existed. With this concern removed, she and Vesna spent a few hours on fan club matters like setting up the proper website and providing rewards to those who pledged credits to her. ¡°Don¡¯t get discouraged, Xiao! You won¡¯t have one fan for a long time but, once you do, you know that you have made a name for yourself. In a way, the size of your fan base is a good way of measuring your actual success.¡± After all the discussions, Xiao had new respect for the little girl. She admitted that she underestimated Vesna and, the more they talked, the more she felt inferior to the girl. It always felt like the girl was just more knowledgeable in so many different fields. ¡°How did you become so smart, Vesna? It feels like you know so much more than me, almost as if our age gap doesn¡¯t make a difference here.¡± ¡°Up until two years ago, I was stuck in bed due to a rare illness. My visitors were the doctors and nurses who cared for me. Beyond that, I only had books and online contents to keep me company. You¡¯d be surprised how much you can learn when you can do nothing but consume books and videos during all of your free time.¡± ¡°Is that why you always have a positive outlook? Being cured of your illness must be like being freed from a prison.¡± ¡°Yes! Now I can do so much and I want to live my life to the fullest! One day, I¡¯ll be known as the operator of a champion!¡± Sensing Vesna was teasing her, Xiao retaliated by throwing a pillow at the girl. The two girls then got into a pillow fight late into the night until they both headed to bed. Volume 1 Chapter 12 While waiting in the break room for the other two pilots to show up, Xiao checked the upcoming match summary again. < Match Type: Casual Mech Weight Class Allowed: Light Mechs only Format: 3 versus 3 Arena: Casual Standard Win Condition: All opposing mechs can no longer continue combat Attendance: 6000 Salvage Reward: 6 > The upcoming match had the most spectators out of all her matches and it still paled to the attendance of a small tournament match. Luckily, the salvage reward was decent with two per mech organization. Because this was three mech organizations working together, there was agreement that the pilots should have two days of practice sessions to get to know each other better. Xiao chose to arrive early so she wouldn¡¯t be the one to hold the others up. Ten minutes after her arrival, the second pilot arrived. ¡°How are you doing?¡± said the man who offered his hand. ¡°I¡¯m Huxley! I¡¯m a new pilot with a 3-0-0 record and I pilot the mantis mech.¡± ¡°Hi! I¡¯m doing fine! And you? I¡¯m Xiao and I have a 2-0-0 record with my ant mech.¡± In the back of Xia¡¯s mind, she was quite shocked to see someone pilot the mantis mech with an undefeated record. Mantis mechs were known for their close combat capabilities. Given that most weapons used by light mechs were close range, a melee mech was a challenge for anyone who wished to master it. ¡°How do you do it? I heard that a mantis, with its limited armor, struggles to get solid hits in without being ripped to shreds.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll demonstrate later but the short answer is that I use jump jets.¡± Xiao and Huxley then discussed each other¡¯s fighting style when the third pilot arrived late. The man tossed his bag onto the ground before walking over. ¡°Two nobodies? I guess it¡¯s better having two fodders as allies than fighting one versus three.¡± Xiao immediately had a dislike of the man. His attitude and body language screamed how superior he felt compared to others. Huxley went up to shake hands but the man refused to return the gesture. ¡°Don¡¯t waste my time here! Here¡¯s the rule! Call me boss as I call the shots! Don¡¯t get in my way and you get another win! Got it?¡± Without another word, the man walked out of the room, claiming that he had more important matters to attend to. Xiao wasn¡¯t sure how she should approach this matter so she turned to Huxley. ¡°We¡¯ll see his skills later in the practice. If he is as good as he is, then we¡¯ll support him.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t he make you frustrated? He acts like we¡¯re nobodies.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not wrong though. We might both be undefeated but we faced mostly new pilots who are also unproven. Once we face good pilots, we might realize the gap between ourselves and them.¡± For the next hour, Huxley spoke about the cruel reality all mech pilots faced as they looked to gain a spot in the tournaments. Pilot careers were on a timer as those with fifty matches and no tournament spot were forced into retirement. Once retired, the individual could no longer be a pilot anymore. To gain a spot, a pilot had to win enough matches for a chance at the relegation matches. For small fries like them, a chance alone seemed nearly out of reach given how many pilots were fighting for those same spots. Therefore, one relied on any advantage given to them as long as one didn¡¯t cheat. ¡°When you think about it, luck is also a tool available to pilots. If you get an easy win due to a powerful ally, you don¡¯t complain about it either. The free win might net you some good salvage that can get you further in the competition.¡± If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°I agree with your outlook but I still don¡¯t like that guy very much.¡± ¡°Like or dislike, we¡¯re fighting to win together. Never forget that we leave our emotions out of the matches so we can perform at our best!¡± The duo then got changed before making their way to their respective mechbay. For the practice session, they were using one of the practice facilities at the Mech Pilot Academy. The Mech Pilot Academy was one of the top academies for up and coming pilots and only those with wealth and status could send their kids to attend. The academy stated that over half of its students make it into the tournaments which was higher than the other academies. Xiao wasn¡¯t sure how they got access but she had a feeling that at least one of the mech organizations had the right connections. ¡°What academy did you attend?¡± asked Huxley. ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t attend any academies. I got through the entrance academy and worked my way up.¡± The young woman steeled herself as she waited for Huxley¡¯s response. In the mech pilot circles, she was known as an Outcast. Outcasts were those who never attended academies because their background didn¡¯t afford them so. According to the latest stats, Outcasts made up one percent of those who obtained a tournament spot. Statistically, her odds were incredibly small and she would be made fun of for it. ¡°That¡¯s pretty impressive,¡± replied Huxley. ¡°I hope we can both make it as mech pilots in the tournaments!¡± The man offered his hand and his smile was actually genuine. Xiao took the hand. ¡°Don¡¯t get mad when I beat you!¡± The two exchanged a laugh before they proceeded further into the academy. As they approached their mechbays, they could already see the crowds of students gathering in the hallways. It wasn¡¯t unnatural for students to watch practice sessions of existing pilots. This was an excellent chance for them to gauge their abilities and scout out possible competition. As soon as the two of them showed up in their pilot suits, they got all the attention of the students. ¡°Huxley! You¡¯re back! We get to see you practice, right?¡± In an instant, the two of them were surrounded by female students who all vied to get Huxley¡¯s attention. Xiao had to struggle to get herself out of the crowd. Seeing that the man wasn¡¯t going anytime soon, she chose to meet up with her group first. I shouldn¡¯t be surprised that he came from an academy. No outcast is foolish enough to pick the mantis. As soon as she entered the mechbay, Xiao got to work by checking her ant mech with Wattan. The two of them went through all the checks, noting that the mech was ready for combat. This might be a practice session but they were treating it seriously. ¡°Are you alright, missus?¡± ¡°I¡¯m nervous! Huxley came from the academy and I suspect the same goes for the other pilot. How big is the gap between them and me?¡± ¡°If you are defeated already, then that gap cannot be overcome.¡± Wattan stood up to stretch. ¡°My advice is to not worry about winning and losing. Yes, your record matters. However, your record means nothing if you cannot compete with the best. Learn and improve. You¡¯ll get knocked down over and over like all pilots. The best pilots are those who get back up every time! This is also a practice session so treat it as much.¡± ¡°Thanks, Wattan! I won¡¯t let the gap stop me from becoming the very best!¡± ¡°Good! Time to put that experimental flamer to good use! I expect to see a good practice session!¡± Wattan turned around but he stopped. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the repairs! I¡¯ve seen much worse!¡± Xiao did one last check on her loadout, eager to try the new template Twan made. She specifically looked at her weapons. < Component: Left Arm Armor: 40/40 Structure: 20 Subcomponent(s): Upper Arm [Basic gear that makes up an arm, 1 Slot] Heat Sink (Basic) [-1 Heat per minute, 2 Slots] Small Laser [2 Damage, +2 Heat per use, 2 Slots] > < Component: Left Torso Armor: 40/40 Structure: 20 Subcomponent(s): 2x Flamer Ammo (Basic) [Contains 20 ammo, Can explode for up to 5 Heat, 2 Slot] Experimental Flamer [0 Damage, +2 Heat to target per 2 seconds, 1 Ammo consumed per 10 seconds, 2 Slot] > < Component: Right Arm Armor: 40/40 Structure: 20 Subcomponent(s): Upper Arm [Basic gear that makes up an arm, 1 Slot] 3x Light Machine Gun Ammo (Basic) [Contains 50 ammo, Can explode for up to 5 damage, 1 Slot] Light Machine Gun [1 Damage, +10% Critical Chance, 2 Ammo consumed per shot, 1 Slot] > I need to keep my flamer a secret until I get a clear shot. Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t even know what format we are doing for this practice session. A free for all can get messy since I¡¯m obviously the weakest among the three. I better prepare for an early exit. With her preparations done, Xiao headed out to the practice field with her mech. Volume 1 Chapter 13 ¡°Vesna, how serious will you get for this practice match?¡± ¡°I¡¯m pumped! I¡¯m gonna show them what an operator like me can do.¡± Xiao had forgotten that both she and Vesna lacked academy training. They were outcasts in their respective fields so it was easy for them to be looked down upon. This only made her more ashamed since she was so certain that she would be the first to be defeated. ¡°What are the rules?¡± ¡°Same rules as a normal match but try not to kill your allies, even if you hate them.¡± ¡°And we¡¯re using an experimental flamer for this? What if I lose my left torso?¡± ¡°Twan got more from the auction. Don¡¯t worry about it!¡± ¡°What did we get for our salvage reward last match?¡± ¡°Our practice match is starting. I¡¯ll tell you afterwards.¡± Xiao returned her attention to the practice field. To her left in the distance was Huxley¡¯s mantis. To her right was what she believed to be a hornet, which Vesna confirmed afterwards. After seeing the mech overview of the hornet, the young woman felt a bit scared facing that thing. In terms of stats and loadout, the hornet was superior to both the ant and mantis. ¡°Quick update! The rules have changed. Instead of a free for all, it¡¯s you and Huxley facing off against Zander. Zander requested it specifically to, in his words, make it more interesting.¡± He¡¯s that confident? That Zander will soon regret his arrogance! With the changed rules, Xiao and Huxley had an extra five minutes to discuss their strategy through their operators. It wasn¡¯t much time but they decided on Huxley going on full offense at melee range while Xiao looked for an opening. The two of them would have to adapt during combat should anything change. ¡°I just read through the summary for Zander, Xiao. He¡¯s a problem. They say, in terms of his mech and his skills, he¡¯s one of the best in his age group. Be careful out there!¡± As soon as the practice match began, Huxley headed straight for Zander. Xiao did the same but she quickly noticed the difference in their speeds. Zander had originally been running towards her but he changed course a few seconds later to engage Huxley. ¡°What do you know about Huxley¡¯s loadout, Vesna?¡± ¡°The mantis has no ranged weapons. It¡¯s reliant entirely on its engine, engine boost and two saws, one on each hand.¡± Speed to get close and saws to cut through foes? Fitting for a mantis. Due to the distance, Xiao felt like she was initially a spectator to the match between Huxley and Zander. The two mechs got close but Zander stopped enough to stay out of melee range. Zander fired off his light machine guns while Huxley zigzagged with ease. How is he doing that? Zigzagging should be impossible to do¡­ Xiao couldn¡¯t process how this was done but it was there before her. She knew someone like Huxley couldn¡¯t be cheating so there must be a trick to it. Eventually, she stopped closing the gap as she realized how big a gap there was between her and the other two pilots. She watched two experts face off in a duel. One of them was skilled at melee while the other was a gunner. Neither managed to get a clean hit in and, despite her plan with Huxley, she couldn¡¯t see how she could get involved. ¡°Watch out!¡± shouted Vesna over the headset. Xiao watched as two missiles nearly hit Huxley¡¯s mech. However, Zander¡¯s intention became clear when he disengaged the mantis and charged straight at Xiao. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. I won¡¯t let you get an easy kill! You¡¯ll have to work for it! Xiao urged her mech forward, much like what Huxley was doing earlier. When her foe was within light machine gun range, she unleashed bursts at her opponent. Her opponent did the same and she could see it with the drop of her armor. The mantis has jump jets, right? So this is probably what he did. Moving her hands to her jump jet control, Xiao gently tapped it. Not quite! It¡¯s something like that. A few adjustments later, the young woman found she got the feeling. While her attacks were all landing, her zigzagging allowed her ant to avoid some of the enemy fire. Then, she took a chance by closing the distance before unleashing her flamer. Zander tried disengaging but she stuck like glue, knowing that her combination of flamer and standard weapons put her at an advantage. Normally, a hornet could easily outrace an ant. Yet, they were in a situation where she was moving forward and the hornet had to move backward. Even if I pull out a draw with Zander, we win because Huxley¡¯s mech will still be standing. With victory within grasp for her side, Xiao pressed the attack. She still did the zigzagging motion which helped neglect the hornet¡¯s armor advantage by distributing the hornet¡¯s attacks more evenly throughout all of her armor. Then, her screen unexpectedly went dark and her mech was no longer responding. Seconds later, she felt her mech fall to the ground. ¡°Vesna, what happened? Did something go faulty within my mech? I no longer have any control!¡± ¡°Zander landed a clean headshot with his SRM2 missiles.¡± ¡°Curses!¡± Xiao was almost certain that her zigzagging would make a clean headshot impossible. The fact that Zander landed the hit in the heat of the moment just showed how impressive the pilot was. Her opponent didn¡¯t fire aimlessly and hoped for one to hit. He waited patiently until he shot when he was certain he couldn¡¯t miss. Just shows that I have a lot to learn! ¡°The practice match is over! Huxley delivered the finishing blow to Zander. Good work!¡± ¡°I need a little help! Can¡¯t do much when my mech¡¯s head is blown off.¡± For the next hour, Wattan and his crew worked tirelessly until they installed a new head to the ant. With that, Xiao regained control over the mech and could walk it back to the mechbay where she was relieved to finally exit it. When she was locked in it, the interior felt like a prison and Xiao learned why some people were claustrophobic. ¡°That was impressive, Xiao!¡± exclaimed Vesna. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you can zigzag like that! Were you practicing that in secret?¡± Xiao merely scratched the back of her head, unsure how she could answer the question. In truth, she didn¡¯t know zigzagging was possible until she saw Huxley¡¯s mantis in action. Then, she somehow figured out mid-combat which even she found it too ridiculous to believe. Thus, she said she had been working on it in secret. The others present didn¡¯t question further and informed her that they had a lunch coming up. At the mention of food, her stomach growled to her embarrassment. ¡°By the way,¡± said Vesna as they exited the mechbay and walked into the hallways. ¡°I think you got yourself some secret admirers after your performance earlier.¡± Secret admirers? She thought Vesna was simply joking but, while walking down the hallway, she felt some eyes focused on her. The young woman told herself to focus in front of her and not look around. Once they exited the academy, a small bus came to pick them up. As soon as she sat down, she dozed off. When they arrived, Vesna claimed she spent five minutes waking Xiao up because she was sleeping so soundly. After her apology, they entered the restaurant where the others were already waiting. Inside the room, Xiao was looking for her seat when Zander approached her. ¡°I''ll take it back,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re pretty good. Not as good as Huxley but still pretty good.¡± Knowing this was the closest she would get as an apology from Zander, Xiao felt warm and fuzzy inside. She just got acknowledged by someone who had a great career ahead of him. One day, I¡¯ll be better than Huxley. As soon as Zander walked away, Huxley walked over. ¡°I¡¯m impressed as well! I didn¡¯t know you have such mastery of zigzagging your mech. None of your previous matches showcased it so you must have mastered it recently.¡± Xiao merely nodded to avoid getting asked on the matter further. Then, she joined everyone at the table and wolfed down plenty of food. While she and the other two pilots didn¡¯t talk much, the other members from their mech organizations did. There were a lot of business talks and Xiao overheard the mention of a squad. If someone told her before their practice match that she could form a squad with the others, she would have laughed at the thought believing it was impossible. Maybe my performance did impress them enough to consider it. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a given. ¡°Do you have matches coming up?¡± asked Huxley ¡°If not, we can definitely fight together in duo matches.¡± ¡°Stop right there!¡± said Vesna. ¡°That¡¯s top secret information! Don¡¯t think you can get it for free!¡± With that small outburst, everyone else in the room laughed out loud. Volume 1 Chapter 14 On the second day of practice, Xiao joined the other two pilots in the Mech Pilot Academy simulation wing. They were provided with MTS uploaded with their mech information. The first day was meant for a practical session that allowed the three of them to get familiar with each other in actual match conditions. They would spend all of their second day virtually to cut down on the costs, especially when it came to rarer subcomponents that were harder to replace. From what she heard, Zander¡¯s mech lost an arm with some expensive subcomponents after her mech was incapacitated. ¡°I¡¯ve already set up multiple scenarios to serve as our practice stage,¡± said Huxley. ¡°I¡¯ve used possible templates of the opponents we¡¯re facing so it will hopefully get us more prepared.¡± Xiao definitely felt disappointed with the MTS combat simulation. It simply couldn¡¯t compare to the real thing, especially after her combat with Zanders where both sides had a fierce battle to see who was eliminated first. The AI was too predictable and couldn¡¯t make full use of their loadouts. Still, she couldn¡¯t deny that Huxley put a lot of work into it. While the loadouts were determined through observation, the young woman could already envision what the mechs were designed for. If only the simulated mechs lasted long enough for me to try out things¡­ Both Huxley and Zanders agreed that AIs didn¡¯t pose any threat so the three pilots took turns fighting as the enemy mech. Through combat and discussion, the group came up with a few strategies for the upcoming battle. ¡°Do you think our opponents will do the same?¡± ¡°Unlikely,¡± said Zander before he took a sip of his energy drink. Huxley explained that teamwork was unlikely because, for whatever reason, their opponents came from rival pilot academies that hated each other¡¯s guts. He didn¡¯t know how they organized the match but such was the reality. If those pilots lacked teamwork during the match, then their odds of winning should be that much higher. ¡°I can deal with all three of them easily,¡± boasted Zander. ¡°Until you meet another Xiao,¡± replied Huxley. Xiao thought the two of them would get into a fight but Zander actually backed down. Maybe he¡¯s reasonable after all. Just a little arrogant at times. The three of them spent the entire night discussing how to better fight the upcoming battle. Xiao was shocked at how little she knew as the other two pilots were extremely knowledgeable. Huxley was kind enough to explain everything she didn¡¯t know and Zander was somehow not expressing his impatience over every little pause. When they left the simulation wing, Xiao was saddened by how quickly everything ended. This was exactly what she envisioned as a mech pilot where she was surrounded by competent pilots who could teach her much. They then went to their respective residence on the campus and wouldn¡¯t meet again until the day of the match. Can¡¯t wait to see them again! Should be a fun match! Xiao checked her phone and, to her surprise, there was a message for her. Except for her father who wouldn¡¯t message her until after the match, she had no one else who would bother. She opened the message, noting that the sender was one of the friends she messaged in the cafe. Knowing that she couldn¡¯t sleep without reading the message, she opened it. < Hey Xiao, I¡¯m surprised to see you reaching out to me! It¡¯s been so long that I was certain you forgot all about me. As for me, life can be better as I recently got laid off. Want to meet at the cafe for old times sake? We haven''t gone there for a long time, haven''t we? This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Regards, Lei > Xiao immediately replied back to the message, hoping her friend could make it in two days. Any time later would be too close to the match and she didn¡¯t need more distractions by then. Seconds after she sent the message, Lei replied that the time worked for her. Excited to see her friend again, the young woman laid down on her bed with a big smile on her face. Then, sleep embraced her. __________ Xiao picked the same corner table as the one she sat with her father. With some time to kill, she rehearsed how she should talk to Lei. She knew too well the feelings one went through after a layoff. The job market wasn¡¯t getting any easier as there were too many people competing for the few open positions. She tried a few different conversations in her head but they all felt cold, as though she was merely speaking to a stranger. A few attempts later, she gave up and chose to just follow the flow of the conversation. She hoped that she wouldn''t make it awkward, especially when mechs took up all of her attention in the last couple of weeks. Then, she saw Lei and waved her hand, getting her friend¡¯s attention. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your layoff,¡± said Xiao. ¡°I was recently laid off too.¡± ¡°So we¡¯re in the same boat?¡± ¡°Not quite.¡± Xiao shared her time at Zavaso and her time as a pilot. By the time she finished, she noticed that Lei became a fangirl whose eyes simply glowed after hearing her story. Realizing that she spent too much time on herself, she asked Lei what she was doing before getting laid off. ¡°I never got a chance to be a pilot so I pivoted into graphical design for our marketing team. We were doing well but the company went bankrupt from a single match. Now, I¡¯m just trying to find a place that¡¯s willing to take me. As you can see, it''s not going that well.¡± Lei took a deep breath before asking Xiao if Zavaso was hiring someone with graphical design skills. The young woman understood why her friend was worried. The two of them worked to become pilots which was a very niche field. If their dreams didn¡¯t work out, they either had to go to school for different certification or they could work at a minimum wage job for the rest of their lives. Lei might have experience with graphical design but her lack of certification and lack of a good portfolio would eliminate any chance of an interview. ¡°Let me check,¡± said Xiao. As soon as Vesna said there could be an opening, Xiao took Lei to her office. The three of them were in Vesna¡¯s room where Lei¡¯s evaluation took place. The little girl brought up Xiao¡¯s website, stating that Lei needed to improve its overall aesthetics without moving away from the theme. An hour later, Xiao was impressed by what Lei did in such a short time. She didn''t know her friend had such artistic skills. ¡°Can you start tomorrow?¡± asked Vesna. ¡°We can provide you with a room in the office and food while you work for us. You¡¯ll also get to watch Xiao¡¯s matches live for free, sometimes at the actual arena.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Lei embraced Xiao and kept thanking her. Embarrassed, Xiao told her friend that she would reciprocate the gesture as well. Once Lei filled out all the paperwork, Xiao told her friend to go back and pack up all her things. After Lei left, Xiao thanked Vesna for giving her friend a chance. ¡°You got it wrong, Xiao. I didn¡¯t give her the position because she was your friend. I picked her because she¡¯s actually good at her job. I was very impressed!¡± When she returned to her room, Xiao hoped that her other two friends also replied. However, she had no more messages. She prayed that they would be alright before going to the mechbay. She had learned a lot from Huxley about MTS setup so she spent the rest of the day changing parameters to suit her needs. Her goal was to further master zigzagging her mech using jump jets. As shown on the second day, Huxley was able to make his zigzag nearly impossible to predict, allowing him to dodge nearly all attacks from almost point range. Xiao knew that, if she could achieve that, then she could get close reliably to use the flamers to their maximum potential. I know for a fact that most people will panic if a mech with flamers charge at it. Xiao also invested time in addressing her response to pressure. As she learned from her practice matches, she had a bad habit of closing her eyes when things get dicey. As a pilot, she had to keep her eyes open at all times so she could respond accordingly to the situation. To do so, she purposely had herself outnumbered so she could not only force herself to stay calm but she could also properly evaluate unfavorable situations to come up with a plan. The young woman admitted that she was ambitious but, bit by bit, she felt she was making progress, however small that progress might be. Volume 1 Chapter 15 Being in her first three versus three match, Xiao was slightly nervous. She had confidence Huxley and Zander would play their roles perfectly but she was still worried she would mess up. Across the field, she could see two ant mechs and a flea mech. Comparing the mechs of the two sides on paper, her side had an advantage with Zander¡¯s hornet mech. According to Vesna, the opposing pilots were from decent academies too so their skills weren¡¯t to be underestimated. Still, she wasn¡¯t worried about her opponents either. This will be the first match my father will be watching live. I wonder if he¡¯s already watching the stream. As soon as the match began, Xiao charged at the ant mech directly across from hers. Their strategy for the initial engagement was simply three one versus one. Huxley and Zander just had to defeat their foes while Xiao only had to tie up her opponent. Once the opposing side lost two of their three mechs, then it would be a simple cleanup exercise. She could try to win her engagement but she wanted to play it safe. I need to remember how I zigzagged against Zander. Xiao¡¯s ant mech eventually got in range and she started zigzagging while she fired off all of her weapons except for her flamer. Like the practice match, she wanted to keep it as a secret weapon. Her opponent had three small lasers but they were having a hard time hitting Xiao¡¯s zigzagging mech. Lasers weren''t as spammable as light machine guns so each miss was costly, especially with the added heat cost. Before long, her opponent¡¯s mech lost a torso and tried to withdraw. ¡°Huxley and Zander are done with their fight. Don¡¯t take your time, Xiao!¡± Take my time? I was already pushing my limits there. A minute later, Xiao also dealt with her opponent. The match made her really appreciate what she learned from Huxley as she wasn¡¯t sure how the combat would have ended without the technique she acquired recently. She was also surprised by how one-sided the match was. Her other two matches were both closer with her side narrowly coming on top. This match wasn¡¯t even fair for the other side. Guess this is one of those lucky matches I shouldn¡¯t complain about. In the mechbay, she didn¡¯t celebrate much because she didn¡¯t actually feel victorious. She almost felt bad for her opponents but, after receiving a message from her father about doing a good job, she pushed the thought out of her mind. ¡°I have bad news,¡± said Vesna. Xiao had to suppress her laugh upon seeing Vesna still upholding her smile even when delivering bad news. Apparently, her plan of forming squads with Huxley and Zander wasn¡¯t going to work. Both of them had to participate in a special competition that she couldn¡¯t attend. Based on what she gathered, Vesna was certain that pilots who did well in the competition could fight for a relegation spot without the usual requirements. For many pilots, this was an incredible opportunity, especially for someone like Huxley who only had four matches fought. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it bad news,¡± said Xiao. ¡°I¡¯ll just have to get better without having strong pilots carrying me to the finish line!¡± The young woman then asked if there were other matches available. Vesna stated that, as soon as the match was in the bag, she already signed Xiao up for a match in two days and another in a week. ¡°Your next match is here in this arena too and it¡¯s a one versus one.¡± Vesna clarified that, if a mech organization had two matches within four days of each other in the same arena, they could leave their mech and personnel on site. This would save them from the long travels while also giving Xiao some time to prepare for her next match. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°How dangerous is my next opponent?¡± asked Xiao. ¡°Your next opponent is Puhi. She has a 5-0-0 record so she¡¯s also undefeated. Like Zander, your opponent will be piloting a hornet.¡± ¡°A hornet? That will be tricky.¡± ¡°And Puhi only fought one versus one format so far. That might give her a slight edge.¡± Following the match, Xiao and Vesna watched match footage of her next opponent. For all five matches, the hornet mech had different loadouts, making it impossible to figure out what Puhi would use for their match. She¡¯s doing a great job using the versatility of the hornet¡¯s vaster arsenal. My answer will be using a loadout she wasn¡¯t expecting. For this match, Xiao was relieved that she didn¡¯t reveal she had flamers. Unless Puhi knew someone present at the Mech Pilot Academy, her secret weapon should remain a secret until she used it. Her element of surprise was likely the deciding factor because, from the footage, she could tell Puhi was around Huxley¡¯s level. Against such a foe, she had to catch her off guard to deliver a blow her opponent couldn¡¯t recover from. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break,¡± said Vesna. ¡°We can focus on your fanclub for fifteen minutes.¡± To Xiao¡¯s pleasant surprise, she had three fans following her. She felt it was a safe assumption that her father was one of the three. The other two were either strangers who happened to catch her match live streams or were from the Mech Pilot Academy as the spectators. Even though it was just three people, it gave her great satisfaction that three people were willing to watch her matches and support her with what little credits they could spare. Her next match was certainly a challenging one and, if she lost, she wondered if her fans would still stay with her. For fifteen minutes, Xiao took the time to thank all of her fans personally and advertised her next match. Afterwards, she questioned the girl on fan interaction if her fan club grew. ¡°Once you grow large enough, you can use announcements to get your message apart. While you¡¯re small, it¡¯s better if you invest time on each of your fans to keep them loyal.¡± On the next day, the young woman discussed with Wattan about using the same loadout template as her third match. The head mechanic did express his disappointment of not seeing the flamer in an actual match but he stated that he understood the need to hide one¡¯s aces. ¡°Missus, know that your next opponent will be the hardest opponent you¡¯ve faced so far in all of your official matches.¡± ¡°You know Puhi?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more accurate to say that I know her father. Puhi came from a family of great pilots. They might not make the hall of fame but they have consistently raised pilots who are decent in the second highest league.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised Vesna never found out any of that.¡± ¡°They have a history of being lowkey. I only know due to Puhi¡¯s uncanny resemblance to her father.¡± While Xiao appreciated the heads up, she was also losing her confidence as she couldn¡¯t see herself overcoming the gap in their skills. For a family that produced many competent mech pilots, Puhi likely got training when she was a kid. Compared to that, Xiao started way too late in her life. Or maybe I¡¯m just too hung up on winning. Maybe I need such a fight to get me down to earth. Despite it being late, Xiao messaged Lei to see if her friend was free to chat. Few minutes later, she and Lei sat in chairs facing each other. She shared her concerns and, when she was done, Lei asked a question. ¡°Do you remember why we wanted to become mech pilots?¡± The question brought Xiao back to her days of studying with Lei and the others. They, like so many teenagers before them and so many after them, wanted to become mech pilots because they loved the sport. They enjoyed cheering in the crowd for their favorite pilots and celebrated when their pilots won. As fans of the sport, they had all envisioned themselves piloting the mechs in nail biting competition until one side came out victorious. Now that she somewhat made it, she only cared about her record or, more specifically, on how she could maintain her current win streak. ¡°Thanks, Lei! I forgot that I always wanted to have fun as a pilot! Win or lose, I need to give it my all and have no regrets!¡± Having overcome her negativity for the next match, Xiao excused herself to go to bed. ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate to chat with me just like the old days!¡± Since their rooms in the office were adjacent to one another, it was a fairly easy thing to hang out with each other. Xiao also realized how much she missed having a friend there to talk about anything and everything. She thought back and realized how terrible her time at Cythetic was. She was working long hours being a general laborer with almost no chance of being a pilot. Due to her long hours, she had no life outside of work. It was a miserable lifestyle that, in hindsight, she was glad she left behind her. Volume 1 Chapter 16 For the first time since she joined Zavaso, Xiao felt actual nervousness as a pilot. In two versus two or three versus three formats, she could at least rely on her allies to some extent. In the one versus one format, she had no one to blame except for herself if the match went poorly. As her mech made its way to the start position in the arena, the young woman rehearsed her strategy twice in her head. Here goes nothing! The ant mech charged at the hornet but her opponent chose to move laterally while facing her. Just as Xiao got into a sprint, she noticed missiles coming her direction. After her repeated practice, the young woman had better control over her jump jets when it came to lateral movement. She waited until the missiles were several meters away before she adjusted her mech¡¯s movement, dodging all five missiles. She readied herself for more missiles but none came. Instead, her opponent decided to close the gap between the two mechs by charging at her. Should have done that from the start. Xiao urged her mech closer towards her foe with some zigzagging, knowing that her opponent could be packing the SRM missiles as Zander. She didn¡¯t want to lose to headshot again. As the two mechs got within a couple of meters, Xiao tried to outmaneuver her opponent. However, her opponent stuck with her mech as the two mechs faced one another regardless of what maneuvers she took. As soon as she was within range, the young woman fired off a burst of light machine gun and a single laser shot to gauge the dodging of her opponent. The hornet not only didn¡¯t dodge but it got even closer before unleashing two missiles that rocked the ant mech. Of course she has short range missiles. I better avoid letting her hit the same location. After suffering from the headshot, Xiao read up more on the SRM missiles and learned that these missiles were more dangerous than she thought. MRMs and LRMs both boasted more range due to them being medium ranged missiles and long ranged missiles. Therefore, the missiles were built to travel longer distances and possess more accuracy, requiring more fuel and other components. SRM, or short range missiles, didn¡¯t need to travel long distances or be accurate. As a result, the missile composition could focus more on damage so, in close range, they could deliver quite the payload on the enemy mech. For Xiao, this was bad news if the same location got hit repeatedly. She was just hit by two missiles which removed 7 armor and 6 armor from her left torso and right arm respectively. If you like fighting close range, take this! Xiao unleashed her single light machine burst as she blasted the hornet while she tossed in a few laser shots here and there with an eye on her heat bar. The whole time, she maintained a zigzag which, while not enough to aid her in avoiding the SRMs, did help spread the damage out. Eventually, her light machine gun ammo ran out so she backed away to create some distance. Her frontal armor for all the components had taken multiple hits from SRMs and light lasers. If she continued fighting in close range, it was a matter of time before the structure of her components were destroyed, resulting in her losing a component or two. Yet, her opponent wasn¡¯t going to give her some breathing room. As the hornet mech got in very close, Xiao smiled. That¡¯s exactly what I wanted. Take this! The young woman considered herself lucky given that her opponent was reliant on SRMs and light lasers. If her opponent had used light machine guns instead of light lasers, her odds of winning would be very low due to the critical hits already ending the match. While the hornet mech charged at her, Xiao stopped her ant¡¯s backwards movement and charged in return, seeing the two mechs collide. Upon collision, Xiao unleashed her flamer which not only couldn¡¯t miss due to the close proximity but she was also using the weapon at its optimal range which was point blank. Xiao could see the hornet mech trying to get its weapons aimed at her but, a couple of seconds later, the hornet stopped moving. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Good thing the hornet was already close to overheating. Now, time to end this! While the hornet was immobile, Xiao studied the opposing mech for where most of her light machine gun landed. She then focused the laser on the right torso until it blew off. As she was about to use the flamer to keep the foe immobile, Vesna informed her over the headset that her opponent had forfeited the match. ¡°Yes! I did it!¡± Xiao had to then apologize to Vesna for shouting into her mic. She knew how close she was to losing it all. If her opponent had a few more seconds to unleash the light lasers at her ant''s battered structure, then she might be the one to lose. Her advantage was the hornet¡¯s relatively high usage of the lasers, making the hornet unable to fire off too many light lasers in a short period of time. Her flamer was ideal in this situation and secured her a victory that many probably thought was out of reach for her. As her ant mech returned to the mechbay and she exited it, the others there quickly cheered for her and tossed her in the air three times. As everyone left for the party afterwards, Xiao walked up to Lei. ¡°Thanks for the chat! It really helped me better prepare for this.¡± ¡°The credit is all yours! I didn¡¯t expect you to win either. If I had money to be, I would bet against you!¡± Acting as if she was throwing a fit, Xiao chased her friend out of the mechbay. The two of them were laughing too hard so they nearly collided with a young woman in the hallways. The two of them quickly apologized. The woman looked at Xiao and asked if the two of them could talk privately. ¡°What do you wish to talk about?¡± asked Xiao once the two of them were outside a small empty cafe within the arena. ¡°I¡¯ll get straight to the point! My name is Puhi and I am impressed by your skills. I wish to form a squad with you so we can both move up in the standings until we can participate in relegation matches.¡± The offer was very enticing but Xiao stopped herself from agreeing due to an advice from her father. He had told her that, regarding important decisions, she should never accept on the spot. One should always return to it when one was calm and could think the matter through. ¡°I would like time to think about it! Maybe you can leave your contact info with me and we can discuss this on a different date.¡± ¡°No need,¡± said Puhi as she prepared to turn around. ¡°I¡¯ve already left the info with your operator so she knows how to reach me.¡± As Puhi walked away, Xiao felt excitement at the thought of forming a squad with someone this strong. While she was the victor of their match, the young woman held no illusion that, if they fought it out in ten matches, she would lose the majority of them. She had her flamer hidden well but it wouldn¡¯t work a second time. She needed more surprises up her sleeve if she wanted to beat someone with more skill and experience than her. Xiao noticed this during the match when she never once felt she was in control until the end when she caught her opponent off guard. I can also take advantage of the other benefits of squads. Normally, pilots in the squads came from the same or different academies so they could pool together the resources to all get better. Xiao was in a unique situation where only she could benefit from the resources as she couldn¡¯t provide any personally. The young woman made a mental note to check with Vesna as to whether or not Puhi knew about her outcast status. She wasn¡¯t ashamed of it but she didn¡¯t want to be accused of hiding the fact to gain more resources. I should join the others at the party! Will be awkward if they throw one for me and I¡¯m not present. After hitting a few dead ends, Xiao made it out of the arena and reunited with the others. They then walked for ten minutes until they arrived at a restaurant by the sea. The reservation put them by the window so they had an incredible view of the sea while they ate. Since she sat beside Vesna, Xiao asked about Puhi and shared her concern. ¡°She knows you¡¯re an outcast,¡± said Vesna before she dug into her lobster pasta. Seeing that the girl was more interested in her meal than conversation, Xiao turned her attention to her fish and chips. A single bite of the fish was enough to convince her that she wouldn¡¯t get better seafood anywhere else in her lifetime. As she savored the meal, the young woman put aside her worries of her pilot career. Volume 1 Chapter 17 After asking around, Xiao eventually made it to the mess hall of the North Star Military Pilot Academy. The academy was massive due to its purpose of training pilots for combat. Xiao wasn¡¯t sure about the politics between the various nations but she knew that, whether during peace or war, all the nations would be pouring plenty of resources into pilot training. According to Vesna, Puhi was one of the few exceptions. Unlike the other pilots who were training for actual combat, she was given resources to follow the footsteps of her predecessors in the tournament scene. There were rumors about generous donations given to the academy which opened doors for Puhi but Vesna couldn¡¯t confirm those rumors. I wish Puhi is here already. It¡¯s rather awkward to be stared at by everyone here. Xiao wasn¡¯t too keen on standing out in front of everyone. She was wearing civilian clothing while everyone else wore military uniforms. Standing out like a sore thumb, she wished she could just shrink and hide somewhere. While visitors weren¡¯t exactly barred from the facility, they were extremely rare. A few of the bold students approached her, asking if she was lost. Xiao replied that she was waiting for someone but those students didn¡¯t believe her. The stares then changed focus as soon as Puhi entered the mess hall. That¡¯s interesting! Puhi has to deal with this much attention everyday? I cannot imagine myself in the same situation. The young woman used the opportunity to study the people in the mess hall. There were a few staring at Puhi with admiration but most exhibited hostility towards her squadmate. Puhi seemed unaffected by this and simply walked over to Xiao. ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting! I will get you a card to access the training facilities here. After that, we can get to work on improving ourselves.¡± The duo then did exactly as Puhi said. They went to the front office where Xiao filled out twenty pages of documents and went through a complete criminal check. Due to the close relationship between the academy and the actual military, she needed certain clearances which saw her going through countless interviews and screenings. By the end of the day, the young woman was exhausted. To think I didn¡¯t complete anything either. I still have to wait for my application to be processed. I honestly prefer job interviews over this. Puhi then led her back to the mess hall where they ate a free meal. The food, while not at the same level as the seaside restaurant, was still pretty good for Xiao. The thought of eating this food while she trained made the application process slightly more tolerable. ¡°I know the process is filled with lots of red tape but it will be worth it,¡± said Puhi. The young woman then spoke about the gym which was filled with plenty of equipment needed to build muscle throughout one¡¯s body. At the mention of that, Xiao took a quick look and was surprised that she missed the muscles on Puhi¡¯s arm. Puhi, having caught Xiao look, explained that a strong body was mandatory for any pilot hoping to go far. As one began piloting mechs of any weight class at a high level, the physical demand of the pilot would also increase. There had been plenty of stories about pilots knocked unconscious in tournament qualifiers due to the combat taking an incredible toll on their body. Unlike their mechs, the human body had more limitations and could only take so much beating. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry,¡± said Puhi. ¡°I will have the instructor come up with the proper exercise and diet for you. After that, you¡¯ll catch up to me in no time.¡± ¡°This will hurt a lot, right?¡± ¡°I recall I was in so much pain in the first few months of my training. All my muscles ached, making even sleep difficult.¡± Puhi then showcased her upper limb. ¡°Once you develop them, you won¡¯t regret it!¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. What Xiao didn¡¯t want to reveal was that she hated the gym. While attending school, anything that needed moderate physical activities would be low on her priorities. If she could avoid it, she would. She never found the appeal of pushing one¡¯s body so far when she would rather work on her studies which was paying off as she learned how to be a better pilot. Yet, she couldn¡¯t disagree with Puhi¡¯s explanation of pilots needing a physical body capable of handling any situation. The best example was the existence of punching mechs. Those mechs were built for speed and power and, if they landed a clean hit, a mech could topple. A mech¡¯s armor might be able to withstand the hits but the pilot inside wouldn¡¯t be so fortunate, similar to how blunt weapons didn¡¯t need to get through the armor to harm the wearer. ¡°I won¡¯t let you down,¡± said Xiao once she made up her mind. Having decided that she would make full use of all the resources provided to her, she couldn¡¯t exactly be complacent and wasteful. Her goal was the top mech league where only the best mech pilots could compete in. To achieve that dream, she needed to work as hard, if not harder, than other pilots. When a rare opportunity like academy resources became available, she had to take full advantage. ¡°How will this work out?¡± asked Xiao. ¡°I¡¯m an outcast so all the resources come from your end. I don¡¯t know if that actually benefits you.¡± ¡°In truth, you aren¡¯t taking away my resources. This academy distributes its resources in a unique method.¡± Puhi brought out her tablet and went to the academy site. She then presented a table that showed the information of all of the academy''s students. In one of the columns, there was a pilot rank rating that while another column showed how much resources a pilot acquired. Puhi explained that the pilot rank rating was determined by one¡¯s performance in one versus one matches. Wins increased the rating while losses decreased the rating. The amount increased or decreased scaled with the difference in the rating of the two pilots. Therefore, a pilot gained more rating by defeating a stronger foe while fighting a foe of similar rating would only change one¡¯s rating slightly. ¡°So I should fight the strongest foe for my first match to gauge my overall strength?¡± asked Xiao. Xiao¡¯s suggestion didn¡¯t arise from her ego as it made the most sense strategically. If she lost, she lost little due to her rating being much lower. Conversely, she could gain a lot if she won. In addition, it was valuable information to know what rating she fit in so she didn''t waste time fighting weak foes and could avoid the stronger ones that would only lower her rating. She explained this to Puhi who nodded her head. ¡°That¡¯s a sound strategy! I¡¯ll make sure to get you a good opponent for your first match. It¡¯s a good learning experience!¡± Puhi then scrolled through her tablet. When Xiao peeked over her squadmate¡¯s shoulder, she saw a long list of photos, names and numbers. I didn¡¯t expect her to actually be searching for an opponent right now. My application is still processing so I cannot even challenge anyone. I don¡¯t even know how to make a challenge either. Once it got late, Xiao found herself sharing a room with Puhi who promised that this was only temporary. As soon as Xiao¡¯s application was completed, she would be assigned a room, preferably one close to Puhi¡¯s. Then, they could figure out the rest to get Xiao settled in as soon as possible. ¡°Is there a match decided for us yet?¡± asked Xiao after her shower. ¡°We still both have a long way to go before we meet the prerequisite of relegation matches.¡± ¡°Still too soon! Our squad application was sent in yesterday so they need to assess what matches we can participate in. The squad rating is different from a pilot rating.¡± ¡°This is what I don¡¯t get, Puhi. Why did you select me? In terms of background, backing and resources, you have an overwhelming advantage compared to most pilots. Why did you select an outcast like me? What do you gain from it?¡± ¡°Because you defeated me.¡± Puhi paused for a moment to stare at Xiao. ¡°I want someone I can respect and someone who possesses skills. You meet both of those. You defeated me in a one versus one which not many pilots can boast about. To defeat me, you must have skills. I don¡¯t buy the idea that you simply relied on luck alone.¡± ¡°But I did get lucky,¡± said Xiao. ¡°Do you know how many outcasts achieve a 4-0-0 record?¡± Xiao shook her head because she never thought the record was impressive. There were so many pilots who could achieve it so she assumed that a few outcasts had probably done it too. ¡°In the history of mech fighting, there have been no outcasts with a 4-0-0 record. You¡¯re the first!¡± Volume 1 Chapter 18 As she ran on the treadmill, Xiao thought about the comment Puhi made three days earlier. She didn¡¯t think her 4-0-0 record was that impressive but she also didn¡¯t look at it through an outcast¡¯s perspective. When she and her friends got into mech fights, they were watching tournament matches where the best pilots were competing. It wasn¡¯t difficult to see strong starts from those who eventually made it through the relegation matches to reach the tournaments. Thus, the young woman found herself lacking knowledge on the matches that led to the relegation matches. To be fair, it was very hard to acquire much information back then when streaming small matches was unheard of. Outcasts were naturally forgotten since most of them never made a big enough name to be showcased in major tournaments. I still think Puhi exaggerated what I¡¯m capable of. I¡¯m really ordinary at the end of the day. Xiao checked the time and stopped the treadmill. Puhi scheduled a match for her an hour after her application was approved by the academy. Through connections and some taunts, she managed to organize a match between Xiao and the number 754 ranking pilot. Given that the academy had over ten thousand pilots training at the moment, it was incredible for her to face someone in the top ten percent. Even Puhi admitted that getting someone in the top five percent was nearly impossible as those pilots wouldn¡¯t find a match with Xiao worthwhile. For the young woman, she was already looking at the best possible match. ¡°What¡¯s your rank?¡± asked Xiao while Puhi was confirming the match on her tablet. ¡°Only 181,¡± replied Puhi simply. After learning about Puhi¡¯s rank, Xiao knew she had to defeat her opponent. The sooner she caught up to Puhi, the less she would be the burden in their squad. If there was anything Xiao hated, it was her being the deadweight in the group. That was the case at school and it hadn¡¯t changed since. Her determination to do well was there as she walked from the gym to her room. After her shower, she headed to the simulation wing where her opponent waited for her. The two of them would be assigned an MTS where they would do battle. The MTS allowed any mech template and Xiao picked the same template as the one she defeated Puhi with. As she approached the room, Puhi showed up out of nowhere. ¡°Be careful in the match,¡± warned her squadmate. ¡°I heard John¡¯s father purchased a very expensive template for his son last week. You¡¯re probably fighting a mech that can even compete in the lower rank tournament matches.¡± ¡°Lower rank tournament matches¡­¡± Xiao tightened her fists at the thought of fighting such a strong mech. For most mechs that made it into the lower rank tournaments, they possessed high level equipment to ensure their competitiveness. Compared to her template, she expected her opponent¡¯s mech would simply be several levels higher. She initially expected a challenging fight but she had never fought a foe with that much of an equipment level disparity. She inquired about the matter with Puhi. ¡°Like skills, equipment disparity isn¡¯t something you can overcome easily, especially not in the heat of the battle with no prior knowledge. If John got the template only a week ago, he might not have adjusted to the new template yet. I¡¯d say that you may find lots of openings as a result.¡± Hearing the encouragement from Puhi, Xiao felt that she calmed down a lot. She entered the room and entered her template. As she was sitting down in her MTS, John entered the room with a big smile on his face. Think you¡¯ve already won, have you? Xiao was doing her last bit of preparation when the judge stepped forward with an announcement. ¡°Due to the template level of John¡¯s mech, the rating increase for Xiao¡¯s win will be higher than previously determined when the match was organized. That is all!¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. With everything ready, Xiao put on her headset and got to work. The setting was a simple arena so she easily navigated her ant mech onto the field. On the other side, a hornet mech made its appearance. Unlike the one used by Zander and Puhi, this one had an armor unlike the standard armor she was used to. Xiao hadn¡¯t expected John to be using a superior type of armor and, since she didn¡¯t have an operator, she had to figure things out as she went. ¡°Match begins!¡± Before Xiao could make her mech move, the opposing hornet mech already charged at her at incredible speeds. Only instinct allowed the young woman to navigate her mech out of the way. As her ant mech turned around, it was hit straight on by the hornet, sending it back a couple of meters. Good thing the charge doesn¡¯t do a lot of damage. The hornet mech then revealed one of its weapons as it fired a particle beam which Xiao narrowly avoided. The beam was smaller than the ones she had seen in tournaments but, for light mechs, it was more than strong enough to take out components easily through direct hits. Knowing that she couldn¡¯t get too close at the moment, she kept a safe distance so she could react to any further attacks. Then, the next particle beam came her way and, like the first time, she avoided this one. Taking a risk, she urged her ant mech forward while using her zigzag technique. Once I get close enough and use my flamer, this match might be over. There should be a limit to how many participle beams that hornet can fire before it overheats. When a third particle beam came at her, Xiao knew she couldn¡¯t completely avoid it so she purposely had her mech¡¯s right torso take the brunt. In an instant, her right torso and right arm were vaporized. However, Xiao was focused on winning the match so she got close and unleashed her flamer at point blank. Seconds later, the hornet was no longer operational, allowing her to pick it apart with her small laser. Before she could destroy any components, the judge had declared her the winner. ¡°That was a good performance,¡± said Puhi as soon as Xiao removed her headset. ¡°As expected from my squadmate!¡± Puhi then brought out her tablet and showed Xiao her new ranking of 767. As Xiao was about to say something, her squadmate stopped her. ¡°I know the number is higher than John¡¯s but John spent years in the academy to get to his ranking. You¡¯ve done it on your second day. Don¡¯t get too greedy!¡± With that, Puhi led Xiao to the mess hall to celebrate. While they ate, she gave Xiao some pointers on how the young woman could have done better in her match against John. John only knew how to spam a powerful weapon without taking into account the high heat costs that came with using it. She stated that, if a more experienced pilot took John¡¯s place, Xiao would be guaranteed a loss. That was how much the disparity in equipment was between the two mechs. Puhi hoped that her pointers could aid Xiao in the future when she faced similar disparities. ¡°As our records improve, our chances of facing such mechs and pilots increase. Most mech organizations hesitate in using such expensive loadouts in casual matches but the ones with lots of funding will boast about their resources.¡± Puhi switched to a different window and passed her tablet over to Xiao. ¡°Speaking of casual matches, we have one booked a week from now.¡± < Match Type: Casual Mech Weight Class Allowed: Light Mechs only Format: 2 versus 2 Arena: Casual Standard Win Condition: All opposing mechs can no longer continue combat Attendance: 7500 Salvage Reward: 4 > ¡°Our opponents are in a squad too and they both have a 3-0-0 record. Their mechs are both mantis mechs so be ready for fast mech that likes to get close and personal. From the videos I¡¯ve seen of them, they have great teamwork when they team up against one foe. When facing others one on one, their flaws become more apparent.¡± Later that day, Xiao looked at the videos herself and agreed with Puhi¡¯s assessment. Her opponents liked to separate the opposition before using their speed to gang up on the weakest foe. After that, it would be a straightforward two versus one where their mantis mechs would tear apart the competition. Compared to Huxley, they aren¡¯t that good. Xiao had rewatched the three versus three match and was very impressed by how Huxley performed. The pilot dodged nearly all the attacks and his mantis mech only lost a bit of armor in the end. Compared to Huxley, her two new opponents were average at best. Studying that video also helped Xiao come up with a few countermeasures against melee mechs, though she was certain her strategy would have to change once she reached higher levels. Volume 1 Chapter 19 On the day of her match, Xiao was excited to be reunited with everyone at Zavaso. She missed being in the office where she felt she belonged. The academy has incredible training facilities but she could feel the hostilities from the other students who didn¡¯t see her as one of them. Since a lot of her training saw her alone somewhere in the academy, she didn¡¯t even get to see Puhi all that much. When they were together, their conversations always revolved around pilots or mechs and rarely did they discuss matters outside of their career. ¡°You have no idea how much I missed you,¡± said Xiao as she embraced Vesna. ¡°Do you know how hard it is to gather information that you give me so willingly?¡± ¡°I have a feeling that you would be lost without me. Here you go!¡± First, Vesna presented a mech overview of the mantis mech. Despite the fact that Huxley was on her team, they decided that Xiao didn¡¯t need to know about the mech until she faced them in combat. < Mech Type: Mantis Mech Weight Class: Light Left Arm (Structure): 20 Left Torso (Structure): 20 Left Leg (Structure): 40 Center Torso (Structure): 40 Right Leg (Structure): 40 Right Torso (Structure): 20 Right Arm (Structure): 20 Armor Type(s): Armor (Basic) Gyro Type(s): Gyro (Basic), Gyro (Improved) Engine Core Type(s): Engine Core 20 (Basic), Engine Core 20 (Improved) Cooling Type(s): Cooling (Basic) Weapon Type(s): Chainsaw, Sword > Xiao already made plans about her mech¡¯s loadout and sent her thoughts to Wattan who she trusted would make the right adjustments. Looking at the overview, she looked to Vesna and asked about the sword weapon. Even Huxley didn¡¯t use any swords so she was curious what such a weapon was capable of. ¡°It¡¯s unlikely we¡¯ll see swords in casual matches. They are special weapons that are manufactured by specialized manufacturers who don¡¯t take any clients. I don¡¯t even recall seeing any in the recent tournament matches I¡¯ve watched. Just shows you how rare the weapon is. Their rarity always emphasizes how powerful they are as they aren''t weapons you can acquire so easily.¡± Having the matter clarified, Xiao went to talk to Wattan. ¡°Missus, the loadout is just as you wanted. Its ballistic focus should let you turn those mantis mechs into swiss cheese!¡± After thanking the head mechanic, Xiao went to get changed into her suit. The MTS did incredible things but it simply couldn¡¯t replace the actual feeling of being within a mech. An hour later, she was in an arena again in her first squad match. Once the match began, she and Puhi ran towards each other until they met halfway. Then, they positioned themselves so they covered each other¡¯s back. The duo agreed that an issue with melee only mechs was their reliance on going on the offensive. While other mechs could potentially keep some distance to either wait for cooling or use mid to long range weapons, the two mantis mechs didn¡¯t have such an option. As long as the two of them stuck together, a two versus one situation couldn¡¯t happen either. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. What are they going to do? Xia watched as the two mantis mechs circled around them, looking for an opening. After a minute of circling, the two mantes charged in as their pilots knew they couldn¡¯t win unless they got close. A few seconds later, an explosion could be felt from where Puhi was facing. ¡°Puhi¡¯s MRMs have landed on the mantis,¡± reported Vesna. I can''t believe how much I miss Vesna updating things in my headset. The small victory had Xiao pump her fist briefly before she engaged the incoming mantis. She waited until the two mechs were nearly upon each other before doing a quick lateral movement so the mantis went past her mech. Next, she stuck to the mantis¡¯ rear like glue and unleashed her light machine guns. Glad my training is finally paying off! At the academy, Xiao was working on sticking to her opponents. The MTS allowed her to pick fast mechs which she could shadow while using her weapons. Initially, her attempts failed quickly as she was shaken off easily. Eventually, she got a better idea of how to better adjust her movement until she could use the smallest movements to change directions. This minimal effort translated to her reacting fast enough to always apply pressure without actually needing to predict her opponent¡¯s movements. The young woman was also aware that this only worked against low level pilots. Against the experienced ones, she had no hopes of sticking so well as they would have countermeasures or the skills to throw her off. ¡°The other mantis is charging at your backside,¡± warned Vesna. ¡°No worries! My squadmate has me covered!¡± Xiao just focused on her own opponent who wasn¡¯t faring too well under the light machine gun fire. By the time Xiao finished off her opponent, Puhi was already waiting close to her mechbay door. The match was quite one-sided but Xiao was relieved to have pulled off what she was practicing so hard for. To see it in action gave her a sense of progress. Now I have five straight wins! It feels almost unreal! Later that night, Xiao called her father. She knew that, once she returned to the academy, it would be much harder to talk with him. Taking advantage of staying at a hotel, she called him to check up on him. The two of them discussed her match only, though her father provided a different perspective. Xiao didn¡¯t expect them to view things so differently, reminding her that it was easy for her to miss a lot during the heat of the battle. Vesna would try her best to cover this blindspot of hers but she was ultimately responsible for responding to any unexpected surprises during matches. ¡°Remember to have fun, dear! You¡¯re already doing an incredible job! Your fan club is growing and your feats are already attracting attention.¡± After the meeting, Xiao checked for the videos that showcased her record. Like Puhi said, her record was apparently impressive enough to catch people¡¯s attention. There were a few videos made when she had a 4-0-0 record. Following her latest win, more videos had coverage on her with thumbnails that made her embarrassed. She was being called the best outcast pilot in the history of mech combat. I don¡¯t deserve that title. I¡­I still have so much to do before I can earn that title. Then, her eyes caught the title: What does Xiao need to do to be the best outcast pilot? Curious with the answer, she opened the video and watched it from start to finish. As usual, she cross checked everything in the video with her own research, confirming that the video was very well done. Outcasts made up one percent of those in tournaments but only one of them made it to the fifth highest league. The tournament had a total of ten league ranks with each one a rank higher being much harder to get into. Those who reached the top three ranks were already pretty impressive. Even an outcast reaching the fifth rank was solid as that was middle of the pack. At the very least, Xiao had to reach that league to live up to the title of best outcast pilot. To think that I haven¡¯t even gotten close to a relegation match for the last ranked league either. Talk about a lengthy road! Despite how long the road was, Xiao firmly believed she needed a big goal to aim for. Without a goal, she wouldn¡¯t be getting anywhere. To aim a bit higher, she planned on making the fourth rank league, a first for outcasts. If she was aiming for the top, she might as well go where no other outcast had gone before. She also had an advantage no other outcast possessed. The fact that she had academy resources gave her a major edge. But is that cheating? I¡¯m no longer an outcast if I get academy resources, right? With the question gnawing at her, Xiao messaged Vesna to get an answer. As expected, Vesna replied promptly that Xiao was still very much an outcast. Unlike those who attended academies and were given the resources since they were a young age, Xiao didn¡¯t have that luxury. Her current benefits were no different from a pilot getting resources from a sponsor. In other words, Xiao¡¯s outcast status remained intact. For the first time, Xiao felt proud of her outcast status. She then asked the girl if her next match was organized. Vesna stated that they were working on it. A recent terrorist attack had rocked the the sector of the galaxy where their original match was taking place. No details were released but, as of the moment, no shuttle could reach that planet. A terrorist attack? What is happening? I hope everyone will remain safe. Volume 1 Chapter 20 After spending two hours in the gym, Xiao finally stopped to take a break. As Puhi promised, she got the young woman a trainer who made a strict schedule meant to build muscles in as short of a time as possible. In addition to the repetition of exercises, her diet had changed greatly too. The young woman had never consumed so much meat in her life but, given enough time, her body adjusted to her diet, similar to her training. While she didn¡¯t have any muscles to show for her hard work, Xiao was still proud of the compliments given by the trainer. ¡°Xiao, please go to the simulation wing! I got you another match.¡± Xiao listened in on the message and, with a sigh, left the gym. She knew that Puhi was doing her best booking matches because Xiao needed to move up the rankings as soon as possible. The sooner the two of them broke the top one hundred rank in the academy, the sooner they could really take advantage of the resources provided by the academy. The young woman didn¡¯t believe it when she first heard Puhi mention it but, after a thorough look through the academy website, she was certain that her squadmate wasn¡¯t pulling her leg. To think that the academy is willing to reward subcomponents to the top one hundred students. No wonder outcasts are at such a disadvantage. For most students in the academy, they were given plenty of study materials, access to the MTS and the best instructors the academy offered. The student ranking determined how much access the students were given so there was a lot of incentive on doing well. Meanwhile, the top one hundred students were given actual mech subcomponents that would be stored until the student graduated. By then, the student would have a head start to his or her mech building which mattered in combat situations. In their case, the extra subcomponents could give them an advantage over their competition who had to acquire parts the old fashioned way. From what Puhi heard, some of the subcomponents were rare enough that finding them in stores could be difficult, if not impossible. If I want to be the best outcast out there, I should help myself to these subcomponents to lessen the financial burden of Zavaso. I know they have money but no one will turn down extra resources. The young woman pushed open a door to enter the familiar MTS room. Her opponent was already there with a cup of beverage in his hand. As usual, her opponents paid no attention to her, especially when she was an outcast. After her first match, Xiao made a name for herself, allowing her to challenge those higher up in the ranking. Three matches later, her ranking went from 767 to 424. It was still too slow for her liking but she knew Puhi was trying her best. Finding opponents willing to fight her was the most challenging as her opponent didn¡¯t find her worthwhile. Therefore, she had to do it step by step. ¡°If you two are ready,¡± said the judge, ¡°please upload your template and take a seat in your MTS.¡± Xiao found herself stopping in front of the big screen in the room. Normally, she paid no heed to it as it offered no useful information. The screen provided some basic info on the two combatants along with the number of speculators. She never paid the screen any attention because there were never enough speculators to get her attention. This time, she stared at it for some reason and noticed at least two thousand people were observing. Are those two thousand spectators all students or are some of them staff members? For academy students, the attention of an academy staff member could open doors to incredible opportunities. Xiao doubted that an outcast like her could get that sort of privileges. The resources she had been receiving already far surpassed her expectations. As she sat down, Xiao put aside all her thoughts and focused on her upcoming match. She couldn¡¯t afford any losses to slow down her progression up the ranking system. The young woman then put on her headset and moved her mech to the starting position. ¡°Match begins!¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Xiao¡¯s ant mech ran towards the opponent which had remained stationary. Considering that she was facing a beetle, she wasn¡¯t surprised to see her opponent staying in one location. With the AC2 slug ammo stuck in her memory, the young woman vowed to never make the same mistake. From time to time, she brushed her jump jet control, allowing her ant to move laterally with ease. Yet, her opponent never once moved which only worried her greatly. She couldn¡¯t imagine what her foe was planning except to lure her closer. What is he thinking? A beetle mech can only be equipped with light machine guns, machine guns, small lasers and AC2s. It shouldn¡¯t possess anything else that requires me to be so close that isn¡¯t standard on most light mechs. Choosing caution, she navigated her ant until it was behind the beetle mech. If there were surprises, she would have time to react given the slow turning speed of the beetle. As she closed the gap, there still wasn¡¯t any movement. Wondering if her opponent¡¯s MTS had bugged out, she went in for the kill. Her focus was initially on the beetle¡¯s right torso because she spotted the AC2 in the right arm. As soon as the torso was blown off, Xiao had to quickly back away from the explosion that engulfed the entire beetle. What¡­what just happened? She could tell it resembled an ammo explosion which happened when light machine gun ammo had critical hits on unused ammo, thus blowing them up. However, her simulations had never shown such a large explosion, making her wonder if her opponent was using a special ammo. And maybe that special ammo is the cause for the beetle¡¯s inaction? Due to how valuable templates were, she had no way of finding out what ammo was used in the beetle mech. She could, like everyone else, speculate what it could be. After the match, she sought out Puhi to get her squadmate¡¯s opinion on the matter. Puhi watched the explosion a few times before she came to her conclusion. ¡°If I have to guess, I¡¯d say this is most likely kinetic ammo. They are built for faster velocity shells, making them extremely difficult to dodge. They also achieve their maximum damage output at longer ranges when they reach max velocity. Even a damage reduction for the shells would still be too much for a light mech to handle.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t kinetic ammo seen in medium or heavier mechs?¡± ¡°Their flaw is their weight which you noticed in your match. That beetle couldn¡¯t even lift its arms or legs so it was an easy win for you. I suspected someone gave your opponent the ammo without informing him of the downsides of such powerful ammo. This is the consequence of going into matches blindly with a template given by someone else. ¡± ¡°The win only moved me to rank 407. I still haven¡¯t broken through the top four hundred yet.¡± Puhi comforted Xiao by saying that the young woman was already moving up the rankings far faster than most thought possible. Apparently, there were even rumors of her attracting the attention of certain staff members. At the mention of that, Xiao mentioned what she saw on the screen regarding the many spectators. ¡°That¡¯s not surprising! If you caught my attention, then it¡¯s a matter of time before others also take notice.¡± Puhi gestured to the academy uniform on her bed. ¡°If they invite you to join the academy, will you do so?¡± Xiao shook her head and said that this was an easy decision. She wanted to be the best outcast so joining an academy was out of the question. She would miss the opportunity but she was certain other doors would open up. Even for sponsors, the idea of supporting a rising outcast pilot would certainly be very alluring for their brand. ¡°I thought that would be the case,¡± said Puhi as she passed over her tablet. ¡°That¡¯s the summary for our next match. I think it will be a first for both of us.¡± Xiao took the tablet and her eyes widened. < Match Type: Casual Mech Weight Class Allowed: Light Mechs only Format: 4 versus 4 Arena: Casual Standard Win Condition: All opposing mechs can no longer continue combat Attendance: 10000 Salvage Reward: 8 > ¡°A four versus four battle? How chaotic can that match get?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen a few in person and they get very chaotic. This will be two squads against two squads so the match might be decided by which two squads can work together the best.¡± If that¡¯s the case, I better work with Puhi so we have better teamwork. Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t think we trained together yet. Volume 1 Chapter 21 After training for hours with Puhi, Xiao excused herself to go for a jog. She needed some fresh air to clear her head after working with the dozen or so templates Puhi possessed. The problem with the Hornet was that it was so versatile that it could have diverse templates. Puhi was skilled enough to be proficient in multiple templates, forcing Xiao to keep up. In the hours of training, she was still barely remembering the different templates, let alone fighting in tune with Puhi against AI opponents. We need codes for the different templates so I can better remember them. Maybe the code has a letter that tells me how I should fight. During the jog, Xiao came up with a few code ideas which she shared with Puhi later. Her squadmate, realizing the challenge faced by Xiao, agreed to spend an hour hammering out the code idea. In the end, they came up with a simple system which used the format ##XX##. ## referred to the template number while XX was a short form of their formation. For instance, 10SS02 would indicate that Puhi was using template 10 while Xiao used template 2. Their formation would be side by side where they would both be engaging the foes at the same time. ¡°Let¡¯s put the code to the test then!¡± After the first few trials, Xiao found that she could better fight alongside Puhi. She might not have fully memorized Puhi¡¯s loadout with every template but the code provided her with enough info to fight effectively. Since Xiao worked with so few templates, it was far easier for Puhi to come up with the code as she could better decide upon the ideal formation. For the rest of the week, the two of them trained most of the day together until their teamwork became acceptable. More time was needed but their match wasn¡¯t about to wait for them to be fully ready. For them to succeed in a four versus four match, they must also train with the other squad which posed its own challenges. ¡°What do you know about the squad we¡¯re fighting with?¡± ¡°Nothing good,¡± said Puhi. ¡°We might have a tough match that will force us to fight our very best.¡± Puhi went on to explain their allied squad¡¯s reliance on No Brand equipment. Unlike the standard equipment in both her and Xiao¡¯s mechs, No Brand equipment was a cheaper alternative for those with limited funding. The low cost came at the price of being unreliable in combat with a known history of failure and/or explosion mid combat. Essentially, it was a gamble as to how long their allied mechs would last before something went horribly wrong. ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time before our allied mechs are incapacitated. If the match develops into a two versus four, then we have no chance of winning at all. Not even the best pilots could overcome such odds against pilots of similar skills and I know our opponents are at least as good if not slightly better.¡± ¡°So we just have to even the odds quickly,¡± replied Xiao. During the shuttle flight to the practice arena, the duo worked on strategies that essentially pitted the two of them against four mechs. If their allied mechs could serve as a distraction for even a minute, then their job became much easier. Xiao then turned to Vesna. ¡°What did you learn about our opponents?¡± The duo agreed that they should have their operators present for the practice matches. While Puhi¡¯s operator would meet them there, Vesna chose to arrive at their academy so they could leave together. On the shuttle, the little girl organized all the intel she gathered on their opponents. ¡°The odds are stacked against you two,¡± said Vesna. ¡°Both of the opposing squads come from academies. One of them comes from the Desert Winds Academy while the other comes from Waterfall Academy. In a sense, it¡¯s fortunate that you two aren¡¯t fighting terrain matches.¡± After hearing the academy names, Xiao had a rough idea of what Vesna was hinting regarding terrain matches. In higher ranked leagues, there was a format called terrain matches where the arena field was made to resemble terrains found in the wilderness. In these situations, many mechs couldn¡¯t fight at their full capacity unless they had specific modifications. The Desert Winds Academy sounded like an academy that focused on desert terrain while the other academy was more water related. Despite having such a specialization, it still didn¡¯t make their opponents any weaker. In truth, those academies were often pickier with who they accepted. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°The squad from the Desert Winds Academy uses two Bombardier Beetle Mech or Bomber for short. The mech is known for mid range combat and shouldn¡¯t be confused with a standard beetle mech. Their specialty is packing a lot of missiles to be thrown at their foes. Here¡¯s the mech overview for it.¡± Xiao looked down at her tablet while Puhi looked over her shoulder. < Mech Type: Bombardier Beetle (Bomber) Mech Weight Class: Light Left Arm (Structure): 30 Left Torso (Structure): 30 Left Leg (Structure): 60 Center Torso (Structure): 60 Right Leg (Structure): 60 Right Torso (Structure): 30 Right Arm (Structure): 30 Armor Type(s): Armor (Basic) Gyro Type(s): Gyro (Basic), Gyro (Improved) Engine Core Type(s): Engine Core 10 (Basic) Cooling Type(s): Cooling (Basic), Cooling (Improved) Weapon Type(s): Small Laser, SRM2, MRM5, MRM10 > ¡°That mech can pack quite a punch with its MRM10,¡± commented Xiao. ¡°With two bombers, I don¡¯t like the idea of dealing with a blanket fire from them.¡± Puhi switched to her tablet. ¡°I believe that¡¯s how they won so effortlessly so far. Very few mechs survive the initial blanket fire and those that do will lost a torso or two, eliminating them from the fight anyways.¡± ¡°Correct,¡± said Vesna. ¡°Light mechs aren¡¯t built to survive such an attack so, for many, bombers are a cheat code in the light mech category. Even if it¡¯s just you two facing those two bombers, it will be a difficult, if not impossible, match to win. Then, there¡¯s the other squad with its spider mechs.¡± < Mech Type: Spider Mech Weight Class: Light Left Arm (Structure): 30 Left Torso (Structure): 30 Left Leg (Structure): 60 Center Torso (Structure): 60 Right Leg (Structure): 60 Right Torso (Structure): 30 Right Arm (Structure): 30 Armor Type(s): Armor (Basic) Gyro Type(s): Gyro (Basic), Gyro (Improved) Engine Core Type(s): Engine Core 10 (Basic), Engine Core 10 (Improved) Cooling Type(s): Cooling (Basic) Weapon Type(s): Chainsaw, Sword, Small Laser, SRM2, SRM4 > ¡°Spider mech?¡± asked Xiao. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard of these mechs.¡± ¡°These are new prototypes meant to be close combat specialists. Vesna can correct me but I believe this is the first time they are making their debut.¡± ¡°Correct,¡± said Vesna as she sent the duo a news article. ¡°The two squad members had the right connections so they got to participate in the trial. If they do well and make it to the tournament scene, then that¡¯s the best advertisement the spider mech can get.¡± ¡°Regardless of what they hope to achieve,¡± said Puhi. ¡°I fear this is the worst scenario for us. We are facing two close combat mechs and two mid range mechs. In terms of composition, that¡¯s a pretty good four mech squad. Meanwhile, we have two mechs that can explode at any moment.¡± The room grew quiet as the three individuals were deep in thought about the upcoming match. In terms of close combat, their mechs couldn¡¯t possibly get a quick victory against the two spider mechs. In fact, victory wasn¡¯t even guaranteed if those opposing mechs were built specifically for close combat. Then, there was also the threat of blanket fire by the bomber mechs that no doubt could end the match within the first couple of seconds. Assuming they survived the first few seconds, they had to face a possibility of the two opposing squads working well together. In such a scenario, they couldn¡¯t possibly fend off the spiders and dodge incoming missiles. On paper, their odds of winning were so low that only fools would bet on them. Then, Puhi spoke of another concern that was on her mind. ¡°An ant mech may not cut it in such a battle. I trust your skills, Xiao. but the mech disparity is simply too much. This will be similar to you facing that beetle mech in the academy but, instead of an inexperienced pilot, you¡¯re facing someone with similar mastery of the mech.¡± ¡°You can be blunt with me, Puhi. I already foresaw this issue, especially after my conversation with my head mechanic. That¡¯s why I secretly went with plan B for this match specifically.¡± ¡°Plan B?¡± Xiao quickly opened a mech template on her tablet and presented it to her squadmate. ¡°We had a secret weapon that I kept a secret even from you. I think this upcoming match will be the perfect time for it to make its debut!¡± Volume 1 Chapter 22 Xiao smiled as soon as she saw Puhi¡¯s eyes widen. After being around her squadmate for so long, the young woman knew that very few things caught Puhi by surprise. She tallied this moment as one of those rare victories for her side. As for the secret weapon, it was the hornet mech that she never ridden in. Xiao had secretly been training with a hornet template that she received from Twan once she knew how bad the allied squad would be. When both Vesna and Wattan agreed that an ant mech simply wouldn¡¯t cut it, she called for the decision to use the hornet mech. The template was close to the default one but, even then, it was far superior to her ant mech as shown on the tablet. < Component: Left Arm Armor: 60/60 Structure: 30 Subcomponent(s): Upper Arm [Basic gear that makes up an arm, 1 Slot] Heat Sink (Basic) [-1 Heat per minute, 2 Slots] Small Laser [2 Damage, +2 Heat per use, 2 Slots] Small Laser [2 Damage, +2 Heat per use, 2 Slots] > < Component: Left Torso Armor: 60/60 Structure: 30 Subcomponent(s): 2x Heat Sink (Basic) [-1 Heat per minute, 2 Slots] SRM Ammo (Basic) [Contains 20 ammo, Can explode for up to 10 damage, 2 Slot] > < Component: Right Arm Armor: 60/60 Structure: 30 Subcomponent(s): Upper Arm [Basic gear that makes up an arm, 1 Slot] 3x Light Machine Gun Ammo (Basic) [Contains 50 ammo, Can explode for up to 5 damage, 1 Slot] Light Machine Gun [1 Damage, +10% Critical Chance, 2 Ammo consumed per shot, 1 Slot] SRM2 Launcher [5-7 Damage per missile, 2 Ammo consumed per shot, 2 Slot] > < Component: Right Torso Armor: 60/60 Structure: 30 Subcomponent(s): Heat Sink (Basic) [-1 Heat per minute, 2 Slots] 2x Light Machine Gun Ammo (Basic) [Contains 50 ammo, Can explode for up to 5 damage, 1 Slot] SRM Ammo (Basic) [Contains 20 ammo, Can explode for up to 10 damage, 2 Slot] > < Component: Center Torso Armor: 120/120 Structure: 60 Subcomponent(s): Armor (Basic) [Provides up to 2 Armor per Structure, 0 Slots] Gyro (Basic) [Provides 50 Stability, Recovers 1 Stability per Minute, 1 Slot] Engine Core 20 (Improved) [Provides mobility to the mech, 2 Slots] You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Cooling (Improved) [Provides 40 Heat capacity to mech, 1 Slot] 6x Heat Sink (Basic) [-1 Heat per minute, 2 Slots] > < Component: Left Leg Armor: 120/120 Structure: 60 Subcomponent(s): 2x Heat Sink (Basic) [-1 Heat per minute, 2 Slots] 2x Jump Jet (Basic) [Allows mech to fly a short distance, +2 Heat per use, 2 Slots] > < Component: Right Leg Armor: 120/120 Structure: 60 Subcomponent(s): 2x Heat Sink (Basic) [-1 Heat per minute, 2 Slots] 2x Jump Jet (Basic) [Allows mech to fly a short distance, +2 Heat per use, 2 Slots] > When she first saw the template, Xiao was very much impressed by the big differences. The structure and armor stood out the most because the hornet simply could take that much more damage that she originally believed. Each of the components had extra slots which provided lots of versatility as seen with Puhi¡¯s numerous templates. The young woman learned from her training that the SRM wasn¡¯t very easy to use but the return for a direct hit was pretty big considering that a single missile was several magnitudes stronger than a single laser hit. However, she liked having such a weapon at her disposal should she need it. Only downside with her current template was the lack of flamers. Twan simply didn¡¯t have enough time to make a template in time for the competition and chose for a safer well balanced template. Maybe that can be my secret weapon in my next match. ¡°This changes everything,¡± said Puhi. ¡°Our odds of winning are still low but I like our odds more now. I didn¡¯t know Zavaso had such an ace ready for special occasions.¡± In addition to more armor and SRMs, Xiao¡¯s mech had three additional advantages over her ant mech. First, it had an improved engine core 20 which guaranteed faster running speed. The extra running speed would be useful in closing gaps and evading enemy missiles. Secondly, the hornet had improved cooling which doubled its heat capacity compared to an ant mech. Such an increase allowed the hornet to use more of its heat producing weapons and equipment, giving it a bigger burst in combat. Finally, the hornet had two jump jets in each of its legs, allowing it to maneuver through the air with more ease. For the last advantage, Xiao had yet to master it but the young woman could already see the possibilities while she trained. ¡°Xiao¡¯s hornet lacks MRMs so medium ranged combat isn¡¯t possible. Therefore, she will focus solely on close combat with me. Odds are the two of us will face off against their spider mechs. In order to do well, we must put the spider mechs between us and the enemy bombers. MRMs, unlike LRMs, lack indirect fire. We can use that to our advantage.¡± After that, Puhi sent a message to her team to inform them of a template change. If Xiao was going for close combat, Puhi decided that she must as well. She needed to go all in with their approach or they would be destroyed easily. While Puhi updated her team, Xiao walked over to Vesna. ¡°Do you have more footage of our allied mechs'' battles? I¡¯m curious about something.¡± ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± ¡°I recall Puhi saying that both the opposing squads have perfect records and I know these matches are made with squad rankings taken into account. If the allied mechs are so bad, how did they make it into this match? Sure, we would be matched up with a different squad if they were as terrible as we first believed.¡± Given the unreliability of no brand equipment, it should be impossible for two mechs to achieve a ranking that would make them eligible for the match. As Vesna checked quickly, the allied squad was perfect and hadn¡¯t been defeated. For most, the mere mention of no brand equipment would make many overlook the squad, thinking it would be an easy win. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s what they are counting on,¡± continued Xiao. ¡°If any team thinks that victory is guaranteed, they would lower their guard and allow the opposition to take advantage. This can be the same situation.¡± At the mention of that, Vesna quickly dug out the footage which hadn¡¯t been easy to acquire. For some reason, the footage was well hidden and couldn¡¯t be accessed by most. If it weren¡¯t for Vesna¡¯s decent hacking skills, they probably couldn¡¯t find a trace of the battles. When they watched the first battle, Xiao couldn¡¯t help but be amazed by what she was seeing. ¡°What are those? Are those allowed?¡± Vesna typed away until she brought up the mech overview of the mechs present in the battle. < Mech Type: Cicadas Mech Weight Class: Light Left Arm (Structure): 20 Left Torso (Structure): 20 Left Leg (Structure): 40 Center Torso (Structure): 40 Right Leg (Structure): 40 Right Torso (Structure): 20 Right Arm (Structure): 20 Armor Type(s): Armor (Cicadas) Gyro Type(s): Gyro (Basic) Engine Core Type(s): Engine Core 20 (Basic), Engine Core 20 (Improved) Cooling Type(s): Cooling (Basic) Weapon Type(s): Chainsaw, Sword, Light Machine Gun, Small Laser > ¡°Are they achieving their wings with the Armor (Cicadas)?¡± asked Xiao as she pointed to the armor type. The young woman had heard of certain armor made specifically for a mech but there wasn''t a lot of information on the matter. Mech specific armor was rare and generally had very niche functions that made the mech stand out. Considering that she never heard of a cicadas mech before, she assumed this mech could be, like the spider, a new model being tested in a tournament setting. With this knowledge, she realized that the match squads were organized to ensure that the spider mechs would face off against the cicadas mechs. The one winning the match would no doubt get more attention moving forward. ¡°I¡¯m starting to think our squad was merely a fill-in to make the match more exciting.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Puhi after she finished her call. Xiao shared her discovery with Puhi who nodded her head a few times. Once the young woman finished, she waited for Puhi to finish pacing back and forth. Then, Puhi said that they would still go ahead with their plan. The cicadas could still make their name by getting through the blanket fire from the bombers while the two of them could prove that the spider mechs weren¡¯t as hyped as many claimed them to be. In such a scenario, it was a win-win situation for their side which Puhi was confident their allied squad would agree to easily. ¡°Sounds good,¡± said Xiao who was really excited for the upcoming match. Volume 1 Chapter 23 Xiao was finishing up with her preparations before she headed to the mechbay. Her four versus four match was about to begin and so was her debut in the hornet mech. For an outcast, the idea of piloting a hornet seemed like a dream. Without sponsorship, most outcasts only had a chance to pilot flea mechs, ant mechs or any of the cheaper mechs with no brand equipment. A hornet was so out of reach due to the expensive repairs and maintenance. Xiao checked with Wattan who told her to not worry about the costs. The head mechanic had told her to focus on her match with the goal of doing her best in winning. I cannot believe that this is my sixth match. I know Vesna was joking about getting me into tournaments within a few months but she is really trying to get my matches scheduled that help me grow as a pilot. My relegation match may happen sooner than expected if this keeps up. The young woman was walking down the hallway when she heard some commotion nearby. Given that she still had plenty of time, curiosity got the better of her. Xiao made a turn and soon found herself staring into a room full of reporters. To showcase the spider and cicada to the public, the respective manufacturing companies of the mechs organized a press conference. Xiao stayed for a couple of minutes before she left, bored with what was presented. She knew that there were those in the industry that might be intrigued by the contents of the meeting but she had no such interests. She had a match to fight and, afterwards, she still had to grind until she made the top one hundred students of the academy. ¡°How was the press conference?¡± Xiao turned to see Puhi in her pilot suit, ready for combat. ¡°It¡¯s rather boring. I¡¯d rather be preparing for my match knowing victory isn¡¯t guaranteed.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t disagree but a good PR campaign can be critical at times. I¡¯ve spoken to Vesna and she has a good head on her shoulders. I¡¯m certain, when the time comes, she¡¯ll make your name known across the mech competition world.¡± Xiao didn¡¯t have time to blush at the thought because Puhi was already walking down the hallway. She caught up but she didn¡¯t say anything as the diplomatic scene played out in her mind between Puhi and the cicadas pilots. Her squadmate explained the situation and convinced the cicada pilots to go with their plan. Those pilots weren¡¯t fussy with what they did as long as they could make their mechs stand out as indicated in their contracts. Since Puhi¡¯s suggestion was flashier, it made sense they would go that route. With their allied squad on board, she and Puhi then had to study the spider mech combat footage to figure out ways to counterattack. They agreed that the spider mechs were pretty good but the pilots inside were average. ¡°Is there a chance they trained since their last match?¡± asked Xiao. ¡°As long as they are undefeated, they have no reason to train harder than usual. Last I checked, their backers are still happy with their performances.¡± The two of them eventually parted as they went to their respective mechbays. As soon as Xiao entered hers, Vesna came and pulled her towards the hornet mech. No matter how often she looked at it, the young woman found herself still in awe while staring at the mech. It was in an entirely different class from the ant mech and she was about to pilot it into battle. ¡°All the tuning is done,¡± said Wattan as he walked over. ¡°Do your final finetuning and we should be good for combat.¡± Xiao thanked the head mechanic and did her few minor adjustments. As the door closed, Wattan told her to do her best and not worry about the repairs. Sitting inside the hornet, she could almost swear that it was more spacious than the ant. As soon as she decided on using a hornet, the young woman trained tirelessly on the MTS to get as adjusted as possible. Her biggest worry was the jump jet since, with them doubled, she had to be even more careful when performing small maneuvers. As an added precaution, she messaged Huxley for some pointers and the young man gladly offered. She then promised to call him to catch up following her match. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Are we starting on time?¡± asked Xiao. ¡°The press conference isn¡¯t done yet,¡± replied Vesna with a hint of annoyance. ¡°Since it¡¯s two pilots from both teams, neither side can be disqualified either.¡± Hating her bad luck in this matter, Xiao turned her attention to her hornet mech, checking all the controls again. As soon as that was done, she accessed her tablet to look up on a few things. Lately, she had been regularly watching a content creator¡¯s content due to how informative it was. This was the same content creator who laid out the points on what she needed to do to become the best outcast pilot. Through this individual¡¯s videos, she not only got to catch up on some of the big tournament matches but she also had a chance to see the highlight reel moments during those matches. There are definitely a number of things I¡¯d like to try. They will surely help me reach a higher level. Xiao spent the next hour devouring videos until Vesna informed her that the match had finally begun. Following a quick stretch to loosen all of her joints, she navigated her mech onto the arena where she was fighting in front of ten thousand audiences for the first time. The young woman was certain there were even more watching the stream, especially with the media attention the match was getting. If I don¡¯t want Vesna to overwork herself in making my name heard throughout the galaxy, then I better use this chance to make a big splash. Once the match began, Xiao and Puhi went to their respective flanks to be matched up with one of the spider mechs. The bomber mechs were in the center while the cicadas charged directly at them. To be on the safe side, Xiao purposely kept to the outside as much as possible. If the bombers wanted to hit her hornet, then their blanket fire wouldn¡¯t be as effective. The young woman watched as her opponent charged straight at her. Judging by the speed of her opponent, she believed there was a good chance both mechs had improved engine core, making it so neither had a speed advantage over the other. Here it comes! Better not make myself too easy of a target. Xiao¡¯s hornet began zigzagging and, seconds before the two mechs were in range to fire their weapons, it moved laterally. The spider pilot misread the situation and dashed right past the hornet. Xiao immediately pounced on the mistake by getting behind the spider while unleashing her weapons including her SRMs. The young woman had a taste of the SRMs from the front and it wasn¡¯t pleasant. She could only imagine how her opponent felt about SRMs landing on the rear armor. After a bit of zigzagging, the spider managed to create some gap with the hornet and the two mechs faced one another. If I can get behind that mech again, then it will be over. I think my opponent knows it too. Despite wanting to keep the momentum up, Xiao chose to not engage while her opponent was probably shaken up. After using all of her weapons, the hornet¡¯s heat levels were already past its halfway mark. The standoff only benefited her as it gave her hornet time to cool down in the meantime. Twenty or so seconds passed before the spider made its move. Seeing the opposing mech closing the distance, Xiao urged her mech forward at max speed. She watched as the spider tried to stop but the two mechs collided. At point blank range, she fired off two more SRMs, narrowly hitting the spider mech¡¯s head. Following two more clean hits from the SRMs, the spider backed away a lot. ¡°The bombers are both out of commission,¡± reported Vesna. ¡°Puhi is having some problems due to her opponent packing some flamers for this battle.¡± Does my opponent have flamers too? I have yet to see any attacks so I cannot be sure. I need to monitor my heat carefully to avoid any problems. This time, the hornet took the initiative as it charged forward. Once she deemed the range was close enough, Xiao fired two more SRMs at the spider¡¯s right legs. The spider, as expected, maneuvered to its left to avoid the missiles. This was the opening Xiao wanted as she now had the side of the spider. After unleashing her weapons to the side of the spider, the opposing mech had lost its right torso and arm. Time to finish this! Volume 1 Chapter 24 After firing two small lasers, the hornet destroyed the spider¡¯s right leg, incapacitating it for the match. When Xiao turned her attention to Puhi, she was shocked to see her squadmate¡¯s hornet also lying down for the count. ¡°What happened?¡± she asked Vesna hastily. ¡°The other spider pilot is really good. Puhi stood no chance against her opponent.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the current situation?¡± ¡°You and the two cicadas pilots are left.¡± If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Puhi was defeated in a one versus one situation, Xiao would have liked their odds. The two cicadas had shedded their outer armor earlier so they appeared a lot smaller now. Both of them wielded chainsaws in each hand. Before the young woman could ask what was the plan of her allied squad, the two cicadas charged in against the remaining spider with each of them taking a flank. The spider simply charged at one of the cicadas before unleashing light machine gun fire. Since the cicadas only had structure left after abandoning their armor, the targeted cicada was easily destroyed. The other cicada tried to get behind the spider but it too was easily taken out. In a matter of seconds, the match went from a three versus one to one versus one. ¡°Vesna, who is that? That couldn¡¯t possibly be a no name pilot!¡± ¡°I did my research! The spider pilot couldn¡¯t be that good! None of the footage indicated that either.¡± Xiao knew that, regardless of the true identity of the pilot, she was in a match and she couldn¡¯t possibly go down without a fight. She still had plenty of ammo and the heat levels for the hornet had gone to almost minimum levels. Puhi was caught by surprise but she wasn¡¯t about to make the same mistake. ¡°Vesna, please give me a quick summary of the battle between that spider and Puhi. I need to know as much as I can before we engage each other.¡± Xiao purposely had her hornet walk towards the foe while she listened to Vesna. After hearing about everything, she was certain the opposing pilot was better than Puhi in every way possible. Xiao suspected that she likely couldn¡¯t fare better but she had to at least try. Wattan told me to do my best and not worry about the repair costs. If I¡¯m going down, I¡¯ll at least gain something from the loss. By the time Vesna finished sharing all she could, the hornet and the spider met somewhere near the center of the arena. The young woman watched as the spider suddenly ducked downwards before it moved at incredible speeds to her right. How is she doing it? How did the spider pilot achieve that? The hornet started zigzagging as it backed up from the spider. Then, it fired two SRMs that were easily avoided by the spider. The spider quickly closed the gap and struck with its sword which took out the hornet¡¯s left torso in a single strike. Damn it! I lost both of my small lasers and much of my remaining SRM ammo. How is a sword that strong? Knowing that backing up wouldn¡¯t suffice against such a fast foe, Xiao chose to do something new. She ducked down like this before she dashed with jump jets. It¡¯s something like this, right? The hornet was unsteady at first during the ducking due to the changed center of mass following the lost torso but Xiao quickly adjusted for it. She then activated her jump jets that allowed her to evade the incoming sword. During the evasion, the young woman focused on the sword arm and fired off her SRMs at it. Due to the close proximity, her opponent couldn¡¯t dodge in time, resulting in a direct hit for the missiles. As a result, the sword arm was blown clean off, removing the dangerous weapon from play. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Thanks a lot, Puhi! Your efforts to weaken the arm have paid off. Before Xiao could celebrate, the spider charged at her at incredible speeds with a sword in its other arm. Knowing that she couldn¡¯t run forever, she had her hornet fire off the SRMs and light machine guns at her foe. To her horror, the spider before her vanished as though she was shooting at a mirage. ¡°Behind you,¡± Vesna shouted through the headset. By then, it was already too late as the spider had already stabbed in the hornet¡¯s left leg. Xiao hopelessly watched as her mech fell on its back, unable to get back up. Once the dust settled around the hornet, the young woman felt tears streaming down her face as reality of the loss had dawned on her. Why am I crying? I just went 5-0-0 before I suffered my first loss. I should be happy. No one stays undefeated forever. ¡°It¡¯s okay to cry,¡± said Vesna. Hearing the sobbing from her headset, Xiao couldn¡¯t hold back her tears. She couldn¡¯t deny that the taste of defeat was very bitter. Once she got the emotions out of her system, she spoke into her headset. ¡°Tell Wattan that I¡¯m sorry for the repairs. I¡¯ll try harder next time.¡± Xiao could hear raspy noises before someone spoke. ¡°Missus, you¡¯re a silly girl! That was one hell of a match! You made everyone at Zavaso proud!¡± As she waited for Wattan to organize the trucks for transporting her hornet to the mechbay, Xiao played the whole match through her head. Up until the moment she destroyed the spider¡¯s first sword arm, she felt she stood a chance. Yet, the next attack caught her completely by surprise. She was certain that the spider was in front of her but her attacks clearly hit nothing but air. How was that possible? Is that something special for the spider mech? Or is that something I can learn as well? ¡°Vesna, you recorded the whole match, right? I want to watch what the spider did at the end there. It felt like it just vanished before my eyes.¡± ¡°That spider performed a move commonly known as shadow step. It requires perfect control over jump jets as even a small mistake will result in failure.¡± Shadow step? It¡¯s so cool! I must learn it! Later that day when Xiao settled down back in her hotel room, she brought out her tablet and watched the footage of the shadow step. Despite watching it a dozen times, she was still amazed how it came together. The skills needed to pull it off were incredible and only a selected few were capable of it. As she wondered how a no name pilot could master it so young, she received a call from Vesna. ¡°Hey Vesna! I¡¯m not depressed about the loss anymore so don¡¯t worry about me!¡± ¡°About that loss¡­¡± Apparently, the spider pilot was a pro from the third highest league in the tournaments. By impersonating someone weak, he was disqualified from their match and might even face punishment for his actions. The disqualification meant that Xiao¡¯s side won the match which meant that her winning streak was still intact. Apparently, both she and Puhi pushed the pilot to reveal his actual skills, thus his identity became known. ¡°You are now 6-0-0 so sleep soundly knowing that you are still the best!¡± After Vesna hung up the call, Xiao looked out the window. That¡¯s the skill of someone from the third highest league? It was crazy how big out skill gap was. And the power of the swords¡­.no wonder they are so rare. I cannot imagine anyone wielding those weapons well. Despite Vesna suggesting that Xiao should go to bed, the young woman couldn¡¯t fall asleep. The match had her adrenaline pumping and she had yet to get her heart back under control. She then checked her fanclub site to see how that was going. Wait! When did the number of fans reach triple digits? Was it due to today¡¯s match? Xiao checked the comments to see most of it referring to her last match. There were a lot of short videos embedded in the comments that showed various highlights of her match. She had to admit that, while it didn¡¯t feel particularly amazing during the heat of the battle, the replays looked far cooler. She knew there were certain pilots who fought a specific way to get highlight reels but she had no interest in those. She wasn¡¯t an entertainer looking to gain more popularity but rather a pilot looking to move up in the tournament rankings. Not only do I need to improve my skills but we can also use better subcomponents. When I get back to the academy, I need to work even harder to become one of the top one hundred students. Finding that she had new motivation to work even harder, Xiao forced herself to go to bed. Even if she didn¡¯t fall asleep immediately, she could at least get some shuteye before morning. She needed plenty of rest for the single match she planned on doing at the academy. Volume 1 Chapter 25 Xiao breathed a sigh of relief as she finished her tenth match in a week. With her growing popularity with her 6-0-0 record, she had apparently caught the attention of some academy students. As opposed to needing Pihu to book matches, she was getting challenges from top 300 students in the academy. As the young woman learned quickly, her bit of fame apparently was worth something in the academy. Even if the top 300 students didn¡¯t get much change in their ranking by defeating her, their victory would look good on their record. I¡¯m glad I¡¯m done with the matches this week. It certainly wasn¡¯t easy! The challenge with so many matches in a week was the shorter preparation time. Normally, she had time to study footage of her opponent¡¯s past matches and come up with strategies. For this week, she had much less time to prepare and had to learn how to use her time more wisely. Puhi offered to help but Xiao was determined to do everything on her own and let her squadmate do her own thing. She couldn¡¯t rely on Puhi for the rest of her career. The young woman was well aware of the fact that their paths might diverge at some point once they joined the tournament scene. It wasn¡¯t unnatural for pilots to go their separate ways in their pursuit of the best path for one¡¯s career. They worked together at the moment because the cooperation benefited them both. Knowing the type of connections her family has, Puhi can get much better squadmates as soon as she gets through the relegation matches. As Xiao walked out of the simulation wing, she wondered about how she should tackle future matches. She had two mechs available to her but the hornet was just better in every possible way compared to the ant mech when it came to combat. The ant mech was cheaper to maintain and repair which, given Zavaso¡¯s resources, wasn¡¯t even much of an advantage. Deep in thought, Xiao eventually found herself outside the library. With so much available online, she had never once considered the library as a place to find answers. She poked her head through the doorway to take a look. It¡¯s pretty empty around here. I¡¯m surprised they still keep the library open when it¡¯s hardly used. As Xiao was about to leave, someone called out. ¡°How can I help you?¡± asked the person Xiao assumed was the librarian. ¡°Maybe I can find something you cannot obtain online.¡± Despite having doubts, Xiao still entered the library and asked about resources on ant mech. She specifically asked if there was anything that could make an ant mech competitive with better mechs like hornet mechs. She watched as the librarian paused to think. ¡°I think I have exactly what you¡¯re looking for,¡± said the librarian as she led the way deeper into the library. Xiao looked at the labels on the shelves as she walked past them, noting the mech names on each of them. There were several mechs she only saw in tournament settings so she was amazed by how many books were dedicated to those mechs. The two of them eventually reached the end of the aisle where a small shelf was dedicated to the ant mech. ¡°It¡¯s true that ant mechs are seen as extremely weak by the North Star Military Pilot Academy when the academy can easily afford stronger and better mechs.¡± The librarian then brushed a hand across all the books on the shelf. ¡°A few individuals took that as a challenge so they dedicated their lives to making the ant mech a competitive option. Despite their efforts and the completion of all these books, their work has remained unknown. Are you ready to take on the challenge of making the ant mech known as something greater than a bargain mech?¡± At the mention of the nickname for the ant mech, Xiao realized the irony in this situation. She, as an outcast, was no different from an ant mech. They were both ordinary in the eyes of everyone else. If not given a chance, they would both be nobodies. With the help of Zavaso, Xiao managed to do what no other outcasts had achieved in the past. If the ant mech was given a chance, then maybe it too could chart a different future from the one it was originally set upon. However, it was easier said than done to make an ant mech as strong as a hornet mech. She didn''t even know where to start. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Won¡¯t drastic changes turn the ant mech into something else entirely?¡± ¡°Have you heard of mech specific subcomponents?¡± Xiao had indeed heard of such a thing but she didn¡¯t know how they would apply to an ant mech. The Armor (Cicadas) was an example of a mech specific subcomponent that could only be used for that mech. These subcomponents allowed the mech to achieve certain specialization that would make it competitive even at a higher level. The problem was usually the funding needed for the R&D. Generally, investors were only willing to make such subcomponents for strong base mechs like hornets or promising ones like the spider. The idea of making the ant mech strong enough to rival an existing mech would be an absurd goal so backing remained the biggest obstacle. ¡°I know what you are thinking. The individuals who took on the challenge spent their own money and time to make mech specific subcomponents. If you are ready to be their successor, then you too will have access to them!¡± ¡°Why me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen a stream on your latest match! With your rising popularity, there isn¡¯t a better option than you to showcase what ant mechs are capable of. And didn¡¯t you switch to the hornet because you feared an ant mech wouldn¡¯t suffice?¡± If she¡¯s just a normal librarian, she wouldn¡¯t be so invested in this. Could she¡­ ¡°Are you one of the individuals who has dedicated her life to making ant mechs better?¡± ¡°Close! My father was and I¡¯ve been fascinated by ant mechs ever since. I also like to root for the underdog too! You happened to fill all the boxes.¡± With everything cleared up and her mind made up, Xiao nodded her head and said that she was willing to take up the challenge. ¡°Wonderful! My name is Vivian! Here are the two books I suggest you finish as soon as possible. I will handle the rest in the meantime.¡± Vivian then shoved two books into Xiao¡¯s hands before rushing back to her desk. Seeing the librarian glued to her screen, Xiao did the self-checkout for the books which was pretty easy to do with her academy ID card. With no matches for either the academy or for her pilot career coming up anytime soon, the young woman dedicated all of her free time to reading the two books. The first halves of the two books were fairly simple because they mentioned all of the well known facts of the ant mechs. These were the types of knowledge pilots were tested on during their entrance exam. The rest of the books were far more interesting as they contained the thoughts, observations and theories of the two authors. In the appendixes, there were designs of ant mech specific subcomponents. That¡¯s¡­incredible! Not only are these on par with mech specific subcomponents for stronger mechs but they are also cheaper? I get why Vivian wanted me to read this but what exactly is she handling right now? As soon as she finished reading the two books, Xiao returned to the library where Vivian was on a call. Upon seeing her Vivian excitedly hugged her and told her to talk to the person on the other side before handing over the phone. ¡°Hello?¡± asked Xiao who was still trying to make sense of the situation. ¡°Missus! It is you! I thought I was talking to a scammer who claimed to know you! You have no idea how common those types of phone call are." ¡°Well, I have met her once so we don¡¯t know each other very well. What business did she want with you?¡± ¡°She claimed to have subcomponents she wanted to send us. I didn¡¯t trust her but, hearing you on the line, I¡¯d say it¡¯s safe to receive the shipment.¡± ¡°Shipment? Subcomponents?¡± Xiao quickly flipped to the appendix of the books and pointed at them. Seeing the goofy smile on Vivian¡¯s face, the pieces came together. ¡°I just got clarification from Vivian about the shipment. Can you please inspect them when they arrive? They are ... .unconventional.¡± ¡°Sounds like a good time!¡± said Wattan with a big laugh. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done at that academy but it seems like you¡¯re creating more pleasant surprises for the rest of us! You will get a complete inspection report within three days of their arrival.¡± ¡°Thanks, Wattan! You will need to work with Twan too. Our ant mech is about to go through quite an overhaul!¡± Volume 1 Chapter 26 Xiao learned an hour after her call with Wattan that they only received the first shipment. This shipment possessed three parts with ten quantities of each. According to Vivian, the other shipments required more time to arrive. She explained that too much choice was as bad as too few choices. Therefore, the shipments were spaced out to allow the tester to have time to try them out and give each part a fair chance. Xiao had no issues with the matter but she still didn¡¯t like the three day wait she had to do. ¡°What now?¡± she asked Vivian. ¡°We wait in the meantime?¡± ¡°I already have you covered,¡± said Vivian as she passed over a thick book. ¡°Read through this and see what you can retain from it.¡± The young woman accepted the book which was as heavy as it appeared. She asked the librarian what it was all about but the other woman told her that discovering the secrets firsthand was part of the journey. Xiao took the book but she had to first participate in her upcoming academy match. The match was rated as average difficulty since she used the hornet template. She had asked Vivian if there were templates of the ant mech with the new subcomponents but the librarian said that wasn¡¯t possible. Templates were expensive and the making of the actual subcomponents already used up much of their funding. ¡°There were plans to make templates for students at the academy to use,¡± elaborated Vivian. ¡°However, the academy staff members weren¡¯t pleased with their students wasting their time on a foolish dream. Therefore, that never came to fruition and, except for the basic ant mech templates for low level training, none exist.¡± ¡°So the mech specific subcomponents will be making their debut when I first use them in my mech?¡± Seeing Vivian¡¯s nod, Xiao felt a bit of excitement within her. She knew that, if she could win, her ant mech would attract attention from many media sites and even other mech companies. An underperforming mech would make plenty of headlines which could be good for Zavaso, depending on how Vesna took advantage of the free advertisement. There would come a time the secret subcomponents could make their appearance, thus giving the ant mech a new life in tournament settings, assuming they got that far. ¡°I¡¯m curious to see Wattan¡¯s opinion on the subcomponents,¡± said Xiao as she went into thought. ¡°He¡¯s the head mechanic and has a lot of experience. His opinion matters a lot.¡± ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll give the subcomponents a chance? I know there are many who wouldn¡¯t.¡± Xiao could see the tears in Vivian¡¯s eyes. After hearing about how the librarian and her father dedicated their free time on the project, she knew she could relate to the young woman. Xiao also spent all her time with her father since her mother died so early in her life. The two of them were inseparable and, as soon as she developed interest in mechs, her father dedicated all of his time, energy and money into her mech pilot career. I cannot let my father¡¯s efforts go to waste. Similar to how I can help Vivian and her father achieve their dreams of seeing ant mechs winning as an underdog. ¡°I know Wattan will give them a chance. He promised a complete inspection report so I know he¡¯ll at least take the time. As for his thoughts, only time will tell.¡± Xiao excused herself so she could prepare for her match. The match was an easy win because, once again, her opponent underestimated her. I wonder if they even research my past matches or if they think they¡¯re too good to prepare. Regardless, they''re paving my way to the top one hundred rank. After the match, she took a quick shower before putting her focus on the book Vivian gave her. She didn¡¯t have a chance to open the book in the library so, upon opening it in her room, she knew that the book was going to suit her well. Each chapter of the book was named after a light or medium mech. Within those chapters, there was an introduction to the mech and a more detailed analysis of the ant mech facing off against the said mech. Xiao could tell that intensive research was done to acquire all the observations and data, especially when the book came out from a time before matches were streamed. As she read through the first few chapters, the young woman began making connections between the information and the subcomponents Wattan recently received. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it It seems like the subcomponents were made after this book. That makes sense since no one can design anything if they don¡¯t have any data to back the design up. Xiao would need five days to finish reading and she felt her knowledge on ant mechs had ballooned greatly. By finishing the book, she already had great appreciation for the three types of subcomponents in the first shipment. They appeared simple at first glance but their contributions to the rise of ant mechs couldn¡¯t be overlooked. If Wattan can see the significance of these subcomponents without the notes and books I¡¯ve read, then he is indeed the best in his craft. As Xiao debated if she should head to bed, her phone vibrated on her desk. ¡°Hey, Xiao! There¡¯s a match I think you might be interested in watching.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the stream ID?¡± asked Xiao as she turned to her tablet. ¡°We¡¯ll be watching it live and there will be no livestream of it.¡± The idea of a live match caught Xiao¡¯s attention. It was very late so there couldn¡¯t be any on academy grounds. As she pondered on the matter, the rumors of a secret underground mech fighting ring came to mind. I thought Puhi was joking but maybe that does exist and she discovered its location. Xiao told Puhi that she was in and quickly got dressed. The two of them would meet in the mess hall before Puhi led the way down stairs Xiao didn¡¯t know existed. The duo soon found themselves walking down a long dimly lit hallway. They first heard the chants from the arena and, once they reached it, they were both shocked to see how many people gathered there. There are students, staff and people of all ages and backgrounds. Maybe this underground fighting ring isn¡¯t banned as many might first believe. At the moment, they faced the issue of finding a place to stand. Seats were already a rare commodity according to the rumors so they weren¡¯t even hoping for those. A quick glance at the arena made them question if there was standing room left. The two of them walked up the stairs, hoping for a few standing rooms in the less desirable spots. Yet, the volume of the shouting made it clear that they arrived way too late. After several minutes of walking, the two of them managed to find enough room for both of them. ¡°How many matches are taking place,¡± said Xiao as loudly as she could. Puhi pointed at the jumbotron and gestured to the top right corner. Xiao then made out that they were just about to see the second of the ten matches scheduled for the night. The fighting ring crew was busy preparing the ring for the next competition. As they swept away all the debris and leveled the dirt, the young woman asked Puhi how the fighting ring made money. She noticed no one was at the front checking tickets so anyone with knowledge of the place could just walk in. She checked with Puhi who simply brought out her phone and opened a website. One glance was all Xiao needed. A big gambling website? I got to check this out! For major tournaments, public gambling was forbidden. It was far too easy for matches to be fixed once enough money was involved in the match¡¯s outcome. Therefore, the tournament organization banned all public gambling to give the impression of the matches being fair. The organization also had a history of finding and closing lowkey gambling sites. The young woman could see how gambling would be enticing for those who also loved mech fighting. With curiosity getting the better of her and the next match still some time away, Xiao opened the gambling site on her phone to see what was considered fair game. The answer was everything. How are they keeping track of all of this? What subcomponents get critted and when? Total distance traveled? Total ammo used? Is everything monitored by the fighting ring organization? Xiao could see why this fighting ring was so popular. So many options meant more chances to win big and people, especially gamblers, would happily go for what they saw as decent odds. She couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of money was raked in by the fighting ring, especially when it was supposedly packed out every night. ¡°I wonder how much pilots make for fighting in these competitions?¡± she muttered out loud. Volume 1 Chapter 27 With no warning, someone handed Xiao a business card. When the young woman turned to see who it was, the person had long disappeared as though it was a mere specter. She then looked down at the card. < North Star Mech Fighting Ring Inaba Tadahisa, Pilot Recruitment Officer, Human Resource Department [QR Code] > Do they just pick random people to pilot mechs? How does this even work? Xiao scanned the QR code with her phone, bringing her to an application form. As usual, the first thing required by the form was the individual¡¯s name. Yet, there were notes below the boxes suggesting that the person shouldn¡¯t use his or her actual name. If anything, it was recommended for the individual to come up with a flashy stage name. No doubt useful for when they advertise the pilot to the gambling crowd. Few minutes later, Xiao filled out the form and submitted it. She didn¡¯t take it seriously because she was certain her form would get rejected. She truthfully put her mech combat experience as two months which should automatically get her disqualified. As the young woman was about to return her focus on the match, a message was sent to her phone. < Hello Rising Ant, Thank you for your application! I¡¯m proud to inform you that your application has been accepted! Normally, we have an introduction meeting to get you up to date on your responsibilities and the expectations we have for you along with the general rules for pilots participating in the fighting ring. Today is however a lucky day as we have an opening for you. Please come down to the ring¡¯s lowest level and present them the QR code at the bottom of this message. You will then be given assistance to prepare you for your first match in the North Star Mech Fighting Ring. I sincerely hope you enjoy your time working with us! Regards, North Star Mech Fighting Ring [QR Code] > Xiao initially thought this was a joke sent by the fighting ring. When she checked the sender and verified that the message actually came from a reliable source, the young woman debated if she should go ahead with it. In the application, it clearly mentioned that the approved pilots couldn¡¯t reject fights except for a few very specific reasons. Not wanting to fight wasn¡¯t a good enough reason and the penalties for not showing up was steep. Alright! Let¡¯s see what they have planned. Seeing Puhi very much preoccupied with the info and stat pages on the gambling website, Xiao easily slipped away and headed to the lower level where she did as instructed. Several minutes later, she, in a pilot suit with a non-descriptive mask, was led to her mech. This cannot possibly be my mech¡­ Xiao knew she would be lying if she believed otherwise. There was no reason for a new pilot like her to get a capable mech. She would only get trash mechs until she had proven herself. Until then, she would merely be there for the entertainment of the crowd. That and to fill empty slots for the matches to go ahead smoothly. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. What was the name of this mech again¡­.farmer, no¡­.cattle¡­Cattlemech! While a cattlemech belonged on farmland, the young woman knew that its appearance would certainly entertain the crowd. Her mech was showing rust all over the armor while it wielded a pitchfork and a shield. Well, a shield would be a generous term for the flat scrap metal in the mech¡¯s right hand. At a glance, she wondered if the pitchfork could even damage other mechs. The whole mech and its equipment screamed worthless when it came to mech fighting competitions. There¡¯s always a first for everything. Xiao made her way into the mech and was pleasantly surprised to see how much the interior differed from the exterior. The fighting ring organization hadn¡¯t been cheap when it came to mech cockpit. The one inside the cattlemech was one of the best she had seen, easily rivaling the one in her hornet. As soon as she powered on the mech, she checked the equipment and, with the exception of the pitchfork and ¡®shield,¡¯ there was little else. The mech was designed for melee combat with nothing that needed ammo or produced heat. The extra space was instead used to add additional armor onto the mech. Despite fitting the light mech category, her cattlemech had more armor than some of the medium mechs she knew of. Yes, this is my cattlemech! We''re about to create an upset! Lacking the usual support from Wattan, the young woman had to do her minor adjustments herself. She was thankful for all the practice because, with the simple mech, she completed the adjustment in a few minutes. After that, she was merely waiting for her match which she was told earlier to take place within ten minutes. ¡°What mech am I facing?¡± Xiao asked into her headset. She knew that none of the pilots in the fighting ring were given operators. There was nothing more simple than combat matches where pilots fought one another until one came out victorious. She was expected to be ignored but the other end said ¡®ant mech¡¯ before cutting out. Time to put all that I learned about ant mechs to practice. I just hope the pitchfork isn¡¯t brittle and can be used more than once. ¡°You can head into the arena now,¡± said the person on the other side of the headset. ¡°Proceed to your starting location and I¡¯ll let you know when you can start.¡± Receiving the green light, Xiao navigated her cattlemech into the arena. The experience felt incredible because this underground fighting ring could hold a hundred thousand people. None of her matches came close to matching the place in size. Even with the sound insulation built into the mech, she could sense the shouts of the crowd who wanted a good match, preferably one that would win them plenty of money. As soon as her mech stood at the starting location, she looked across at the ant mech. ¡°The match has begun, rookie! Let¡¯s see what you can do!¡± After her matches so far with Zavaso, Xiao had forgotten that she was a newcomer in this fighting ring. She was a nobody that no one in their right minds would bet their odds on. In addition, her opponent wouldn¡¯t take her seriously. Underestimating me will be your last mistake, my opponent. Unlike her ant and hornet, Xiao didn¡¯t see any point in dodging attacks. Her cattlemech had so much armor that it could easily withstand whatever the ant mech threw at her. Light machine guns and small lasers could only tickle her mech, allowing her to get close. Even machine guns, with triple the damage output, still needed time to wear down the armor. The fearlessness she experienced allowed her to simply focus on her positioning to land a solid hit with the pitchfork. Her first target was the joint between the ant¡¯s right arm and right torso. During her run towards the ant mech, she noticed most of the weapons were concentrated on the right side. Here goes nothing! Her strike went exactly where she wanted it to, though it helped that her opponent just stood still like a practice dummy. The pitchfork easily tore through the joint, effectively separating the ant¡¯s arm from its torso. Xiao then had her mech pull back the weapon before thrusting it at the opening created when the ant arm broke off. The attack resulted in some ammo explosions, sending the ant¡¯s right torso flying. Xiao glanced down at her screen real quick. I still have so much armor? How does any light mech possess the firepower to defeat it? With her opponent mostly out of commission, Xiao mercifully aimed her pitchfork at one of the knees to take out the leg. As the ant mech fell backwards, Xiao looked up at the crowd as a hushed silence overtook the arena. She could almost hear the internal cries of those who gambled too much on the ant¡¯s victory. Yet, she felt no pity for those people. Now that she had a closer look at the cattlemech, she wondered why it hadn¡¯t found an owner yet. It was built so tanky that no light mech would be its match without the right equipment. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder why no one had claimed the mech. ¡°Rookie,¡± said the person on the headset. ¡°What do you think of the cattlemech? Is it impressive in its own right?¡± ¡°I believe it will struggle to find a worthy opponent among the light mechs,¡± said Xiao honestly. ¡°I just don¡¯t know why it hasn¡¯t made a name for itself yet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s simple! All pilots that were given a chance before you quitted the fighting ring before they even set foot inside it. You are the first pilot to take it out for actual combat.¡± Volume 1 Chapter 28 As she laid on her bed, Xiao didn¡¯t feel tired at all. The adrenaline she got from her victory was still pumping through her system. The moment felt so unreal that she remembered very little of what happened after her match and before she returned to her room. Everything went by as a blur and only on her bed did her mind have a chance to process all that has happened. You are the first pilot to take it out for actual combat¡­ The words reverberated in her mind as she tried to grasp the significance of them. A pilot with any mech knowledge would know that cattlemech was special in its right. It didn¡¯t follow any standard template and, should it make the tournament scene, might join the short list of banned mechs. Xiao used might because banned mechs took time to make the list. Only after countless battles would a mech be gauged as too powerful to be allowed in a tournament setting. If the cattlemech relied solely on its armor, there had to be a limit before an opposing light mech packing sufficient firepower could come out on top. For the fighting ring, are there any light mechs packing so much firepower? As soon as she returned to her room, Xiao checked the academy database until she came across the pitchfork weapon. Initially, she thought the weapon was just modeled after the farming tool and was meant to make the cattlemech look slightly more intimidating, if that was possible. However, she was surprised to see pitchfork as a proper weapon. This weapon didn¡¯t pack as much of a punch as the sword but it allowed the user to have more reach, similar to how a spear had its advantages over a sword. In addition to more reach, the pitchfork could be wielded with more accuracy, allowing it to better target certain areas like joints than a sword. Tomorrow, I need to sort out a schedule with the fighting ring organizers. I wonder if my actual matches might get in the way. Due to some of Xiao¡¯s matches taking her to other cities and planets, it wasn¡¯t always possible to return by nighttime for her fighting ring matches. She had to emphasize that point because she didn¡¯t want to give up her mech already, especially after getting a taste of what it could do. There was something about shaking off all attacks like they were nothing that made the match and victory satisfying. Even the slug ammo would do little. After some thinking, Xiao realized that she was wrong. For bigger mechs, the slug ammo could halt a charge or even knock a mech backwards. Against a foe with slug ammo, she had to be careful. Sadly, she wouldn¡¯t find out until her mech was hit by the ammo. Better get some sleep then. After lots of tossing and turning, the young woman sat up on her bed. To help distract her until she could fall asleep again, Xiao turned her attention to the latest book Vivian handed her. She turned to the Ironclad Beetle section to see how an ant mech would deal with a seemingly invincible opponent. The diabolical ironclad beetle or ironclad beetle for short was the toughest light mech out there. It boasted incredible amounts of armor in addition to a gyro (advanced) which made it nearly impossible to knock the mech down. Comparing the numbers, the cattlemech had a bit more armor but the amount wasn¡¯t significant enough between the two. Let''s see how an ant mech would take on the ironclad beetle then. For the next hour, Xiao read through the section three times. By the end of her reading session, the young woman understood that, with the pathetic arsenal possessed by the ant mech, it was a slow grind. First, she would have to remain behind the ironclad beetle to avoid its weapons. This mech possessed small lasers and light machine guns, giving it more range than her cattlemech. Yet, both mechs had terribly slow turning speed, making speedy mechs a nightmare for them to face. If her mech could stay in the rear, then there was no chance of the ironclad beetle retaliating. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. If they make a fast mech, won¡¯t that neutralize my cattlemech¡¯s advantage? Maybe not¡­ If her opponent used light machine guns or any weapons with ammo, they would no doubt run out of ammo before they could get through the thick armor. With weapons like small lasers, the heat limitation would slow down their ability to burn through the armor. One fact that Xiao wasn¡¯t aware of before and read in the book was that mechs could run out of power. This wasn¡¯t common in tournament settings when a victor was usually decided much earlier. If a mech repeatedly used energy weapons like lasers, the battery of the mech would eventually run out, rendering the mech out of commission. This would take a very long time which would bore the crowd. Maybe that¡¯s why no one built a mech like that and the ironclad beetle is among the rarest mechs in tournament settings. Boring matches meant less sponsorships and that could be the deal breaker on whether or not a mech organization was willing to field such a mech. From a financial aspect, no mech organization would field such a mech unless there were incentives or specific rules. For instance, Xiao really enjoyed festival matches where mechs above a certain weight raced around a track to see which one was the fastest. The fighting ring was anything but that so Xiao wondered why the cattlemech was selected. The risks were too high in term of lost revenue due to boring matches. What could the organization be planning? Is there something about the mech that I missed? For the next thirty minutes, Xiao watched videos of the cattlemechs on popular streaming sites. The young woman was pleasantly surprised to see the amount of content online regarding this seemingly ordinary mech. After this session, she was convinced that hers was different somehow. While the fighting ring matches weren¡¯t streamed anywhere, the young woman could recall more accurately how her mech moved. The cattlemechs in the videos were slow and clumsy, despite boasting far less armor than hers. Yet, hers moved with a lot more ease and that was how she landed her pitchforks where she aimed. Slower responses from the mech would have given her opponent a chance to angle in a way to use the ant armor against the weapon. There must be upgrades. Upgrades were not easily seen but made a big difference in the mech¡¯s performance. If I was in an ant mech, how do I face such a monster? Now Xiao envisioned a mech with the armor of an ironclad beetle and the agility of an ant mech. The concept was terrifying because the combination eliminated the weaknesses of the two mechs. An ant mech was considered weak because it couldn¡¯t take many hits before it lost a torso or two. Extra armor gave it the ability to disregard its foes, much like how she didn¡¯t even care about the incoming fire during her match. Meanwhile, a tanky mech with more agility made it harder or impossible for a faster mech to get good positioning consistently. Faced with a pilot of similar experience, Xiao literally couldn¡¯t see a way she could win against the cattlemech. Is that why the individual was confident in seeing it fight medium mechs? The fight against medium mechs would put her at a disadvantage. Not only did medium mechs have more slots but they also had access to harder hitting weapons. They would render the armor advantage of the cattlemech useless since they would be capable of blasting through the defense until they could hit the mech¡¯s structure. Still, it¡¯s not a bad move since people are more likely to bet on the underdog. Nothing screams that more than a light mech daring to take on the big scary medium mechs. Except for certain matches where pilots of lower mech weight classes wanted to challenge themselves, there were no tournament matches that would allow different weight classes to face one another. The differences were often too great for the match to be entertaining. If a cattlemech was given certain upgrades to make the matches close, then the fighting ring organizers had a real jackpot in their hands. They didn¡¯t need guaranteed victory but the chance of an underdog winning would have gamblers drooling over the prospect. The idea of her piloting such a mech was exhilarating, nearly on the same level as her trying out the ant specific subcomponents for the first time. I have a match with the cattlemech tomorrow. We¡¯ll see how that goes. The individual said that he wanted a few more decisive wins against light mechs before changing the format regarding the cattlemech and medium mechs. This time, Xiao fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Volume 1 Chapter 29 Xiao navigated her cattlemech onto the arena floor. Even now, she still hadn¡¯t adjusted to the big stage where the cheering would be deafening if her mech didn¡¯t have any sound proofing. For her second match in the cattlemech, she was facing a hornet which possessed a larger arsenal than the ant. Her opposing mech also possessed more speed, making it quite dangerous if she couldn¡¯t shake it off. I should be fine! The mech is better than a standard cattlemech. During her tuning before the match, Xiao checked the torso rotational speed and timed it. Compared to a standard cattlemech, hers could rotate twice as quickly which would catch her opponents off guard and provide her with an opening. After the check, she took a quick look at some of the hardware on her mech but she noticed nothing else out of the ordinary. With her mech ready now in the arena, she was about to get another taste of her mech in combat. If I were my opponent, what would I do? The young woman had gone through what-if scenarios with an ant mech but a hornet was on an entirely different level. She had to exhibit more caution until she was certain what was in store for her. SRMs might be on the table but, even going with the worst math, Xiao liked the odds of her mech surviving and still had plenty of armor left. The only scenario she could lose was a few direct hits to the cattlemech head but, surprisingly, it packed more armor there as well. It would appear that the entire cattlemech was buffed with armor. Who knows what was needed to make that possible. Still, it lives up to being the tankiest light mech. Despite lacking any knowledge on the person responsible for her cattlemech¡¯s existence, Xiao pieced together some clues. The individual had to be extremely wealthy and influential as those were the minimal prerequisites to get involved with the fighting ring organization. Wealth and influence wasn¡¯t enough when it came to design and construction of complicated mechs. Those with talents normally already had a job under some organization or were quickly recruited by the military. Therefore, the individual had to belong to an organization that developed its own talents or had connections with some high ranking military officer. The latter does make sense given that this fighting ring is below a military academy. Then, the person on the other end of the headset mentioned that the match had begun. Xiao urged her mech into combat and immediately ran at her opponent. Her ideal cattlemech would have two jump jets to provide slightly more maneuverability, though she questioned if two jump jets could do anything. The extra armor added a lot more weight which could be too much for two jump jets to handle. Additional ones would mean less armor and more heat generation, defeating the purpose of this cattlemech. A few SRMs came her way but, due to the distance between the two mechs, Xiao had plenty of time to dodge them. She didn¡¯t expect the SRMs to make a dent in her armor but the young woman didn¡¯t want to get complacent. If she developed bad habits, she might carry it over to her matches with the ant and hornet. Unlike her cattlemech, those two mechs might not get a second chance after taking direct hits. After dodging a few volleys of SRMs, Xiao went in for the offensive. Her pitchfork was directed at the hornet¡¯s joints which her opponent smartly avoided. Good! This is a worthy opponent to beat! Having faced a foe who wouldn¡¯t just stand still, she could use the chance to practice using the pitchfork. After watching many videos, Xiao realized that there were certain techniques in using the weapon as it was a standard weapon. Lacking the template, she couldn¡¯t train with the weapon on a MTS. Therefore, she had to work with the next best thing which was actual combat. With her armor easily holding up, the young woman could focus on mech¡¯s thrusts to land a clean hit. The fact that the hornet wasn¡¯t retaliating meant her opponent was focused entirely on dodging. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. It is truly terrifying to face a strong melee mech that has gotten into a good rhythm. I have to make sure I can handle being on the receiving end in the future. Xiao did a practice run with her hornet template and faced up against an AI controlled cattlemech. When she kept the cattlemech at a distance, her mech could win easily. The moment her opponent got into melee range, it was quite a challenge to still fight effectively. Using weapons and dodging proved a lot tougher, especially when a single strike from the pitchfork exceeded the damage output of all of her weapons. The AI was given a better aim which saw it taking out her hornet''s joints with ease. The young woman didn¡¯t envy her opponent who had to face a better cattlemech that had few weaknesses. Over time, the hornet lost its left torso and arm. Xiao was slowly getting used to attacking a foe that tried to actively dodge. The thing about the pitchfork was that, even if it missed the weak joints, it still did a number on the armor. As she attacked, the young woman could see the marks left behind by her pitchfork. She then tested a theory and attacked a spot she landed earlier on the right torso. The attack penetrated through the armor and an explosion ensued. The referee quickly called the match before casualty could occur, giving Xiao her second victory. I see! The joints are weak, making them primary targets. If I can land repeated blows elsewhere, then even the thickest armor has to give. That¡¯s incredible! As Xiao navigated her mech back to the mechbay, she thought back to the books Vivian gave her. She hoped there was a melee build that she could try out. It would be a lot riskier on the ant mech as many direct hits would spell trouble. However, she was already getting addicted to fighting foes in melee and light mechs, the mechs her ant would be facing, lacked the armor to sustain a lot of melee hits, as seen with the hornet she just faced. ¡°Xiao, can you hear me?¡± came in from the headset. ¡°Yes, is it something of a matter?¡± ¡°No, that was a wonderful match! I would like to meet you personally as we have a slight change of plans.¡± ¡°Change of plans?¡± asked Xiao cautiously. Among the many things she learned from her father, one of them was to be cautious when plans changed. Other people rarely had good intentions so they would change rules or agreements whenever it suited them. Xiao wasn¡¯t sure what plans were changing but she had to a hunch that this might be unfavorable for her. She agreed to meet the individual but, before she exited her mech, she sent a coded message to Puhi. If something were to happen, she hoped her squadmate could at least find her, dead or alive. ¡°No need to be so cautious,¡± said the individual who hid behind a tinted screen. ¡°I have some good news for you. Please sit down first.¡± Xiao did as she was told but she was still not relaxed yet. She had to take many winding hallways to get to the room so she had no clue where she was. ¡°Due to your performance,¡± continued the man, ¡°we will move ahead with the plan of pitting you against medium mechs. The sponsors have been very impressed and look forward to what you have to offer.¡± She could see the man push down on something on the other side. Next, a panel to her left opened and out came a box. The box was about the size of a jewelry box used for rings but it contained a small key. The key had a small number engraved onto it. ¡°Take that key and go to the bay with the same number as the key. You will find your reward there.¡± Reward? Seeing that she was dismissed, Xiao went back the way she went until she found the bay doors. She originally thought all the bays served as mechbays for the various mechs to be participating that day. The key was proof that some of these bays possessed cargo bays meant to contain certain subcomponents. As she stood before the bay door, a technician approached her, asking about her purpose there. ¡°I was told to pick up my reward,¡± said Xiao as she showed the key in her hand. ¡°What¡¯s the procedure for this?¡± ¡°Before you pick anything up, do you have any moving company? There are subcomponents inside and you won¡¯t be able to move them without help.¡± ¡°Let me make a few calls then! I¡¯ll open the bay door once I have the proper transportation for the subcomponents.¡± Volume 1 Chapter 30 Xiao stood awkwardly as she faced Vesna, Wattan and Puti. Vesna and Wattan were present since she needed their help with transporting whatever subcomponents were in the bay. Despite all her experience fighting as a pilot, she had no clue with logistics, especially with the cargo in the mechbay. As for Puti, she wanted an explanation after seeing Xiao¡¯s message. What the three of them had in common was that they were all kept in the dark about the young woman¡¯s participation in the fighting ring. ¡°Maybe you can explain how you joined the fighting ring?¡± asked Puhi. ¡°Remember that day you brought me here? I muttered something out loud, got a card from a recruiter and the rest is history.¡± After a couple more questions, Puhi was finally satisfied with Xiao¡¯s explanation. From these questions, the young woman realized that her squadmate wasn¡¯t angry with her. If anything, Puhi appeared to be envious that Xiao managed to get a spot. After delving deeper into the matter, she learned that earning a spot wasn¡¯t easy. Most applied for a spot and didn¡¯t even get a reply, let alone a chance to fight in the arena. Xiao just happened to have applied in the right place at the right time. Her odds of joining were about the same as winning one of the bigger lotteries. ¡°Missus, I think you and Puhi can discuss the matter at a later date. Let¡¯s see what¡¯s inside the bay.¡± Unlike Vesna and Puhi, Wattan actually wanted to see what Xiao got for her reward. She already stated that she had no clue what was inside as it could be some ordinary subcomponents. The head mechanic emphasized that the reveal was part of the excitement. He also claimed that the fighting ring, with all of its earnings, couldn¡¯t possibly reward cheap subcomponents as that couldn¡¯t convince the good pilots to stay. If anything, he expected some rare subcomponents that could help Xiao¡¯s matches in the future. ¡°Is everyone present?¡± asked the same technician who informed Xiao of the procedures for retrieving the bay¡¯s contents. Seeing everyone nod, the technician asked for the key and inserted it into a keyhole. After entering a twelve digit code, the screen turned green and the bay doors started opening. ¡°We thank you for fighting in our arena! I hope the subcomponents are to your liking. Continue your performance and more rewards await you!¡± The technician did a small bow before excusing himself. The others merely waited for the doors to fully open. These doors opened upwards and, as soon as they were fully open, the bay lights came on, revealing the contents within. ¡°What a treasure trove!¡± shouted Wattan as he eagerly ran in to see all the contents inside. Xiao couldn¡¯t suppress her smile as she watched Wattan enter the bay like a child entering a candy store. The man had to see and touch everything. Her smile disappeared once she stared at the first item, not recognizing what it was. She looked at all the nearby subcomponents and couldn¡¯t name any of them. She looked to Puhi who simply shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t bother,¡± said Vesna before she pointed to Wattan. ¡°I¡¯ve known Wattan long enough to know that only rare and special subcomponents can get him this excited. None of us probably even know what these do even if we hear their names.¡± ¡°How are we going to get them out of here?¡± asked Xiao. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you have something planned already.¡± Before Vesna could reply, Wattan stood between her and Xiao. ¡°Cancel those plans! These subcomponents are too valuable for standard transports! We¡¯ll pay for the best transports!¡± ¡°Those cost a lot of¡­,¡± started Vesna but Wattan didn¡¯t let her finish. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°Tell Anthony to call me if he needs a reason,¡± said the head mechanic sternly. "I''m certain that he will agree with me." With a sigh, Vesna called the Zavaso founder and reported the matter. She then handed her phone to Wattan. ¡°Yes, Anthony! I requested the best transports. Xiao herself won subcomponents made by the Alpha Van Manufacturing. We cannot save funds for such an incredible haul.¡± Wattan returned the phone and, a minute later, Vesna ordered special transports for the goods. The head mechanic returned to looking through all the items, seemingly unwilling to leave. Xiao looked at Puhi. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just ignorant but what is Alpha Van Manufacturing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the details but they are one of the top manufacturers when it comes to mech subcomponents. Their parts are innovative and reliable. Even for the top mech pilots, acquiring a single part from them is considered a blessing. To think you got a full bay of it.¡± Xiao screamed loudly internally, knowing that she hit the jackpot. She also realized why Puhi was already envious of her. Such rewards were hard to get. When an idea came to mind, she walked over to Wattan and whispered into his ear. ¡°Can we give some of this to Puhi? Maybe it will benefit us later on?¡± She wasn¡¯t sure how Wattan would respond. She had met plenty of collectors who refused to part ways with anything they viewed as valuable. Subcomponents from Alpha Van Manufacturing were probably among the rarest collectibles so she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the head mechanic refused. ¡°Sacrifice a few subcomponents to get on the good side of the Almasi family? That¡¯s quite a move there! It¡¯s a great trade as we have plenty to work with.¡± Wattan then offered to pick the subcomponents they could gift Puhi. Since Puhi piloted a hornet, the head mechanic made sure to pick ones that work well with hornet mechs. After he finished selecting them and placed them on a separate pallet, Xiao pulled Puhi over to reveal her gifts. ¡°Why are you doing this for me?¡± asked Puhi. ¡°You¡¯re my squadmate so it benefits me if you are stronger. Don¡¯t forget that you created the opportunity for me by inviting me to the fighting ring. I think those two are good enough reasons to share a bit of my spoils.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll accept your gift! We Almasi don¡¯t forget about the generosity of others.¡± Puhi then took out her phone and made a call. She was requesting a transport from her family to take her new possessions. Despite how hard Puhi tried, the young woman couldn¡¯t completely contain the excitement within her. It was clear that she too understood the value of the goods as Wattan. ¡°Transport will be coming in an hour,¡± said Vesna. ¡°Looks like we got lucky that they have enough transports available when we called. Otherwise, I¡¯m not sure how we can get these out of here.¡± ¡°Why not use the usual transports?¡± asked Xiao. ¡°Picking transports depend on the goods you need to deliver,¡± said Wattan. ¡°Your goods here are some of the best in the whole universe. As you can imagine, there will be certain powers that will eye them greedily. Most of our money is paid for the security that comes with the transports. The ones coming in an hour are among the best.¡± What Wattan described made sense to Xiao. The young woman just never had to worry about these subcomponents in the past. She had always envisioned using the common stock parts for her mechs. This scenario had never played in her head so her research had been lacking. ¡°What if they lose the shipment?¡± asked Xiao. ¡°They must pay a penalty, right?¡± ¡°Depends on what they lost,¡± said Vesna. ¡°For our goods, they need to provide double the amount.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then won¡¯t certain organizations hire them and hire someone to mount an ambush?¡± ¡°Hiring anyone strong or dumb enough to mount an ambush isn¡¯t cheap. It may not be worth it. They also have ways of finding leads on who hired the attacker so it¡¯s not easy to get the penalty.¡± The young woman could see how such security would deter most groups that rely on raiding as a way of living. The few that try might learn the hard way the consequences to their actions. For her, it was already a pleasant surprise to acquire the goods so she asked her earlier questions as a way to satiate her curiosity. ¡°Missus,¡± said Wattan after he had a chance to look at everything in the bay. ¡°Once these subcomponents are in the safe hands of the security groups, I¡¯d like to discuss the rest of the day about the shipment that arrived the other day.¡± With the fighting ring occupying her attention, Xiao completely forgot about the ant specific subcomponents. Wattan, upon finishing his report, said that they needed to talk face to face. The head mechanic had high praise for the parts and felt that he couldn¡¯t convey their incredible design over the phone. This need to arrive at the academy was perfect because Wattan also wanted to meet Vivian, stating that he would want to learn more about the individuals behind the project. Volume 1 Chapter 31 After letting out a sigh, Xiao led the way into the library with Wattan in tow. She had given Vivian a heads up on this meeting and the librarian happily accepted. She even suggested the library given the very low traffic to the facility. The young woman wasn¡¯t sure how this meeting would turn out. Except for the mechbay, she rarely spoke to Wattan. She had no clue what the man¡¯s interests or hobbies were. A part of her was worried about the head mechanic overwhelming the librarian with way too many questions. ¡°Vivian, this is Wattan!¡± Xiao introduced the two adults to one another. ¡°He¡¯s the one who compiled all the notes in the report.¡± Wattan stepped forward to shake Vivian¡¯s hand, giving praises on the excellent products that reached his mechbay. The librarian responded by bringing out the report on her tablet. Before Xiao could blink, the two of them discussed the matters of the ant and the subcomponents. The two of them quickly got into the fine details and the history of the research. This is beyond my understanding. I better leave before I die of boredom. Xiao easily slipped out, doubting either of them would notice her absence until their discussion came to a conclusion. They were already engrossed in the report as if they were the first to make a discovery. As she walked back to her room, the young woman felt bad for not reading the report herself. She had been too busy preparing for her upcoming matches in the fighting ring. The prospect of facing medium mechs both excited and terrified her. This was uncharted territory so she had plenty to catch up on. First, she needed to read up on medium mechs. Her knowledge on them didn¡¯t come close to what she knew about light mechs. That lack of knowledge would be the cause of her defeat before the matches even began. ¡°Where are you headed?¡± Xiao jumped when Puhi popped out of nowhere. She knew her squadmate wasn¡¯t busy that day but, given how big the academy was, the hallway she walked was the last place she expected to find her. After calming her beating heart, Xiao shared her plans of doing homework for medium mechs she could encounter in the fighting ring. Normally, she couldn¡¯t share fighting ring matters with other people due to the impact on the gambling scene and the lawsuits that came with disclosing certain information. Puhi had already signed a waiver that, in return for not being able to gamble in any matter related to Xiao''s matches, allowed her could discuss fighting ring matters freely without any penalty as long as she didn¡¯t disclose the matters with a third person. ¡°That¡¯s a big topic if you want to look into medium mechs. Let¡¯s start with your next match.¡± Puhi led the way to her room and the two of them quickly got settled in. After learning of Xiao¡¯s next opponent, Puhi brought up the information on the medium mech on her tablet. < Mech Type: Hare Mech Weight Class: Medium Left Arm (Structure): 60 Left Torso (Structure): 60 Left Leg (Structure): 120 Center Torso (Structure): 120 Right Leg (Structure): 120 Right Torso (Structure): 60 Right Arm (Structure): 60 Armor Type(s): Armor (Basic), Armor (Improved) Gyro Type(s): Gyro (Basic), Gyro (Improved) Engine Core Type(s): Engine Core 10 (Improved), Engine Core 20 (Basic), Engine Core 20 (Improved) Cooling Type(s): Cooling (Basic), Cooling (Improved) This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Weapon Type(s): Light Machine Gun, Machine Gun, Small Laser, Medium Laser > The immediate thing that jumped out for Xiao was the doubling in structure. Medium mechs were just a lot tankier than their light mech counterparts. This was why it was often rare for different weight classes to face one another, especially when one considered that the hare was among the lightly armored mechs in the medium weight class. One thing the overview didn¡¯t show was the hare¡¯s reliance on jump jets. Unlike her preferred style of zigzagging, the hare mech preferred to leap to a high altitude where it shot down at its foes. In addition, its engine cores ensured that the hare could keep up with most light mechs which was a terrifying prospect. ¡°This will be a tough match for you, rookie.¡± Puhi handed over her tablet with a video on pause. ¡°Your opponent is pretty good and easily defeated a turtle mech without breaking a sweat.¡± ¡°A turtle?¡± A turtle mech was the tankiest medium mech, at least in terms of standard mechs. There were likely tankier ones that were developed by the military or some powerful corporation but the turtle generally took the crown given how common it was in the competitive scene. Despite its limited mobility, a turtle mech could tank so many hits that most foes had no hopes of getting through it, reminding Xiao of her cattlemech in the light mech division. ¡°Yes, your opponent isn¡¯t afraid of kicking foes.¡± ¡°Kicking?¡± Xiao knew that Puhi wasn¡¯t referring to standard kicks in martial arts. Her squadmate was referring to the kick delivered following a use of jump jets. The concept was to get to a high altitude before directing the mech into the opposing mech with one of its legs first. The combination of the jump jet propulsion and gravity made this a devastating strike, though the mech doing the kicking could also suffer damage to its leg. This strike required plenty of training to do it consistently. ¡°Talk about your worst matchup!¡± Puhi quickly scrolled through the highlights of the hare mech matches. ¡°Maybe they want people to gamble against you so someone can win big if and when you do win.¡± ¡°Gambling manipulation? They couldn¡¯t possibly do that!¡± Regardless of the circumstances, the young woman knew she had plenty to prepare. Her cattlemech couldn¡¯t even come close to comparing to a turtle mech so the odds were against her. However, she did want to use this as a chance to try out a crazy strategy, though her options were limited due to having only the pitchfork. Okay, pitchfork and a shield¡­if I can even call that a shield. Xiao never understood the purpose of the shield. It more often than not got in her way so she had discarded it at the earliest convenience. She couldn¡¯t justify its uses, especially when the mech¡¯s armor had been sufficient against the light mechs. ¡°Puhi, do you know why my cattlemech was given the shie¡­.the flat scrap metal?¡± Her squadmate tilted her head and, after a pause, started laughing. ¡°You¡­you really don¡¯t know about melee equipment, do you?¡± As soon as Puhi got her laughter under control, she pulled up some information on the shield. ¡°Take a look at this! The scrap metal is more useful than you think!¡± Reddening somewhat at her ignorance, Xiao took the tablet and read it with her back to Puhi. < Item: Titan Shield Description: While the titan mech technology has long been lost, partially complete titan mechs have been discovered and salvaged. The armor from these mechs were used in creating various items. Among these items is the titan shield which boasts both incredible durability and lightweight, making it usable by even light mechs. Because there were so few titan mech salvages found throughout history, the titan shield became a valuable item only owned by a select few, generally those with big backing or connections. > ¡°In other words, I tossed aside one of the most valuable items in favor of fighting solely with a pitchfork?¡± ¡°Yup! Now we¡¯ll see you use the cattlemech to its full potential!¡± After thanking Puhi, Xiao headed for one of the practice rooms so she could train with a shield. She didn¡¯t need the exact titan shield, not that she believed any template would contain it except for the highly secretive ones. Any shield of similar sizes would work as she could practice against a hare mech. To make it easier on the AI, she broke the training into two sections. One allowed the hare to stay on the ground attacking her while she defended. The second scenario saw the mech only perform the kicking and she would get a feel of how to best counter it. After several hours of practice, Xiao began to see the errors of her ways. The shield might appear as a hindrance initially but it actually provided her with a lot more options. Her favorite was bashing the foe with the shield. The damage wasn¡¯t much but it could create instability, thus making it easier to knock her foe over. An enemy mech lying on its mech was one guaranteed to be defeated. Sadly, the shield bash approach wouldn¡¯t work against a hare mech that was simply too quick to get pinned down like that. Still, I can try luring out the kick to eventually take out one of the hare¡¯s legs. By then, I should be facing a less agile foe. Volume 1 Chapter 32 As the cattlemech entered the arena, Xiao felt like there were more butterflies in her stomach than usual. This was the first time she had no confidence in a win. In terms of experience and mech, her opponent had an overwhelming advantage. In truth, a light mech simply had no place in fighting a medium mech. However, this was the fighting ring where gambling was the priority and the organizers were willing to try anything that could attract more bets. Nothing drew a bigger crowd and attracted more bets than a lopsided battle like hers. Let¡¯s stick with the plan and see what happens. The opposing hare mech stood silently across from her. Unlike many other pilots, her opponent didn¡¯t believe in showboating in his mech. Instead, the hare mech simply stood there, waiting for the signal to start. Somehow, this made Xiao feel more intimidated. She wasn¡¯t sure if she wanted to know what ritual her opponent was doing inside his mech. ¡°Incoming message! Length: five seconds. Do you wish to listen?¡± Xiao pressed the yes option. ¡°You can do this! I believe you can pull out a miracle in your match!¡± Hearing Puhi¡¯s voice, the young woman let out the breath she had been holding. She gripped her controls tightly as she made a final check of everything. As soon as the match starting was announced in her headset, she screamed briefly before urging her mech forward. As expected, her foe leaped up into the air using the jump jets in an almost seemingly natural way. While in the air, the hare bombarded the cattlemech with medium lasers. After a full minute of jumping and attacking, the hare backed away with a big gap between the two mechs. A full minute worth of cooling for all those medium lasers and jump jets? No wonder the hare mech is such a pain to deal with. Xiao tried to land a few hits but, even without the jump jets, the hare could run so much faster. It easily stayed ahead of her cattlemech while the hare mech dissipated its heat. Before long, her opponent resumed the same strategy of attacking while in the air, leaving her with no option except to take the hits. She was grateful for all the armor her cattlemech had because the medium lasers hit a lot harder than their smaller counterparts. This was a good reminder that she was in the bigger leagues where everything hits harder. How patient can he be? Surely, he wants to end the match now with a kick. To Xiao¡¯s frustrations, her opponent still repeated the attacks with no intention of going melee. Her cattlemech was simply a sitting duck while she looked for opportunities. After several minutes of taking hit after hit, her cattlemech lost a large portion of its armor. Then, the hare leaped up and didn¡¯t fire down at her. Moments later, it came down with a leg aimed straight at her. Xiao had watched the footage but nothing prepared her for the actual thing. The whole attack seemed a lot faster and she barely had time to raise her shield to intercept. Even within the cockpit, she could feel the impact as the kick hit the shield. After what seemed like eternity, the hare backed away. Xiao was worried she didn¡¯t brace enough but her mech thankfully stood its ground. Despite the impact, her mech didn''t topple over. The young woman then used this opportunity to charge her opponent. From observing the videos, she knew that there was a brief opening as the hare backed away from a kick. Normally, the mech receiving the kick would be too shaken up to retaliate. Since her mech held its ground, she was able to push the engine to its max with her pitchfork stabbed towards her foe. Got you! The hit wasn¡¯t clean but she managed to scrape the same leg that did the kick earlier. Her opponent quickly used jump jets to create distance between the two mechs and resumed firing the lasers to Xiao¡¯s annoyance. She was aware that her opponent could continue this indefinitely until he eventually got through her mech¡¯s armor. At least, that would be the case if the hare had enough power to maintain the pressure. As the hare stopped its jump and began running, Xiao noticed something that brought a big smile on her face. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! I guess the damage is already showing! She began running down the hare mech that struggled to stay ahead with its weakened leg. Her first stab went towards the weakened leg but her opponent deftly dodged it. Her second strike went for the other leg and landed a clean hit. She might not have gotten through the leg armor but the attack left a big crack in it. Before she could land a third strike, the hare used its jump jets to disengage. Like a shark smelling blood, Xiao went in for the kill. She might not be able to get close while the jump jets were in play but it was a matter of time before the hare accumulated too much heat. By then, it would be forced to rely on its legs which couldn¡¯t sustain the evasion for long. She kept up the pressure until she forced her opponent to run. When the next opening showed up, she didn¡¯t miss her chance to hit the weakened leg, nearly severing it from the rest of the mech torso. The hare, having lost balance, was forced to tumble over. Now the finishing blow! As she readied the cattlemech for the last strike, Xiao noticed where the medium lasers were being aimed. She quickly estimated the trajectory of the lasers. Not again! Xiao immediately sidestepped her mech. The incoming lasers narrowly missed the mech¡¯s head which would have been terrible news for her. During her study sessions of professional matches, the young woman came across a few videos where the winning side got complacent, thinking victory was achieved, and ended up losing to a well aimed headshot. In this case, she almost fell for it. The hare might be down but she wielded a melee weapon which provided her foe an opening not possible if the hare was jumping. After the lasers fired, she delivered the finishing blow before the lasers could be re-aimed. ¡°That was an impressive win,¡± said the voice on the headset. ¡°I believe many people have lost money on this match. Who knows? Maybe you¡¯ll be the favorite next time!¡± Despite the victory, Xiao was just relieved it was over. Her opponent was no pushover and, if it weren¡¯t for her ridiculously powerful shield, it was just a matter of time before she lost. The cattlemech made its way slowly to the mechbay where the crew awaited her return. They help her out before going to work, repairing the armor lost during combat. Well, that¡¯s another match! Time to worry about my pilot career. I cannot afford to let my bad habits carry over from the cattlemech to my ant mech. She didn¡¯t stay long to celebrate as she spent way too much time preparing for her fighting ring match. Her cattlemech required too much of her attention so she didn¡¯t have the free time to spare for her ant mech. As she exited the mechbay, Puhi waited for her outside. ¡°Well, that was pretty impressive! Facing the kick isn¡¯t the same in real life, is it?¡± ¡°Talking from experience?¡± ¡°My brother did it to me once. Still boasts about it to this day.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll soon show him who¡¯s boss!¡± The two women headed to the cafeteria, knowing that Xiao was famished after her match. There were plenty of other matches scheduled for the rest of the day but they had other priorities. As they entered the cafeteria, they encountered a few men wearing masks and black uniforms. The uniforms weren¡¯t those normally worn by officers of the academy. Either they are from a special branch or they are from a different military. The duo made way for the unknown men. They wanted nothing to do with the military, especially since neither of them were part of the military. They might get the resources but they lacked the same type of protection as the other students in the academy. Xiao understood that Puhi had the connections while she didn¡¯t. She simply had no business to get involved. Luckily, the men walked past them without a glance. Following the encounter, the two of them grabbed some food and sat down at their normal table. ¡°Are you actually taking out your ant mech?¡± asked Puhi halfway through their meal. ¡°Yes, I wanted to try a few things.¡± Xiao noticed Puhi was studying her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I have no intention of throwing the match. I just need actual combat to test a few new subcomponents.¡± ¡°Must be fancy subcomponents if they catch your eyes, especially after your recent haul.¡± ¡°You got some of it too!¡± Volume 1 Chapter 33 While her ant mech waited by the mechbay doors, Xiao did a final check. Despite the ant being a familiar mech, the new subcomponent made it feel foreign. As discussed between her and the head mechanic, they would ease the subcomponents in. She needed time to get a feel of how they worked while Wattan needed more time to finetune everything. Despite having specs, actual combat provided the data he needed to make the necessary adjustments. Despite this being only a single change, the young woman felt like she was piloting something very different. We¡¯ll see how the engine booster will fare. < Component: Center Torso Armor: 80/80 Structure: 40 Subcomponent(s): Armor (Basic) [Provides up to 2 Armor per Structure, 0 Slots] Gyro (Basic) [Provides 50 Stability, Recovers 1 Stability per Minute, 1 Slot] Engine Core 20 (Basic) [Provides mobility to the mech, 2 Slots] Cooling (Basic) [Provides 20 Heat capacity to mech, 1 Slot] 2x Heat Sink (Basic) [-1 Heat per minute, 2 Slots] Ant Specific Engine Booster [100% Success rate when increasing engine core output by 50% for 1 min, has a 5 min cooldown timer, 2 Slots] > The young woman still needed time to get adjusted to subcomponents with cooldowns. These subcomponents provided a temporary boost to the mech. A pilot could continue using the subcomponent past the duration but that could result in failure. Failures could be as minor as the subcomponent turning off, no longer an option for the pilot, or as major as an explosion, taking most of the component where the subcomponent was installed with it. Once the subcomponent was turned off for the cooldown period, then it could be reused with none of the negatives. ¡°I hope you¡¯re ready to zoom around the arena!¡± Xiao shook her head as soon as she heard Vesna on the other side. The little girl had a weird assumption that the ant mech would zoom around while it shot at her foes. First, she wasn¡¯t proficient enough to do such maneuvers reliably, especially if her foes decided not to stay in one place. Secondly, her two opponents were known to be packing engine boosters too. Therefore, she had only leveled the playing field as opposed to getting an advantage on her foes. I wonder how the cattlemech would fare against these two foes. She and Puhi were up against two hornet mechs. The pilots of the two hornets were brothers and, based on what they saw on videos, the brothers were very in tune when it came to fighting together. This was something she and Puhi couldn¡¯t overcome in such a short amount of time. They trusted one another but their teamwork still had room to improve, a lot more room. ¡°I might let them come to me,¡± Xiao spoke into her headset. ¡°It¡¯s common sense for pilots to target and eliminate the weakest foe to gain a numerical advantage.¡± ¡°Wattan told you to keep an eye on the timer once you turn on the engine booster. He doesn¡¯t know about the difficulty of repairing your ant specific subcomponent.¡± The young woman turned her attention to the grayed out timer beneath her engine booster icon. The timer was already set to 1:00:00 and would count down the moment she activated her new toy. For pilots like her who hadn¡¯t developed an internal clock for cooldowns, she had to actively check the number to make sure. This sounded simply but, once she was in the heat of combat, her attention could be focused elsewhere. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°That¡¯s why I asked you to keep an eye on the cooldown too.¡± The chit chat ended the moment the mechbay doors opened. Xiao gently maneuvered her ant to the starting location, unable to shake the feeling of her mech¡¯s fragility compared to the cattlemech. She was almost certain that, if she rammed the arena walls with her cattlemech, the walls would come out worse. In the final minutes leading up to the match, she took a quick moment to check the streaming site and read the comments there. Unsurprisingly, there were comments that questioned her decision to go with an ant over the hornet. < Why is she using an ant mech? Did her hornet mech break during practice and they cannot repair it in time for the match? > < She must be really underestimating her opponent if she believes an ant mech is sufficient! These are hornet mechs with engine boosters! WTF! > Xiao couldn¡¯t help but smile. The comments were fun to read and helped her relax before the match. The thought that some of these commenters were her fans also made her feel warm inside. This match is more than just me. I got to do well to make a mech a respected mech again! ¡°The match has begun!¡± As expected, the two opposing hornet mechs headed straight for her. Following the plan, Xiao and Puhi ran their mechs to each other to avoid either mech getting double teamed. A few seconds later, Vesna alerted her that the enemy mechs were using engine boosters based on their speed. ¡°I¡¯m going to use mine as well then!¡± With the engine booster active, Xiao felt her body pushed into her seat more. The simulations didn¡¯t prepare her for it so, for the briefest moment, she panicked a little. Once she grew accustomed to the new speed, the young woman returned her attention to the match. Her new engine booster allowed her ant mech to meet up with Puhi¡¯s mech before her opponents could get close enough to fire any weapons. As a precaution, Xiao turned her engine booster off before the one minute was up. She didn¡¯t need the remaining thirty seconds and wanted the cooldown to be over as soon as possible. ¡°I bet they are puzzled by your speed,¡± said Vesna. ¡°Keep them guessing!¡± While engine boosters could be installed onto an ant mech, it was uncommon. Standard engine boosters took up 4 slots and produced heat when activated. With an ant that had so few slots available, an engine booster was a risky choice that few competent pilots were willing to make. Therefore, Xiao was quite amazed when Wattan showed her the specs for the ant specific engine boosters. The performance was on par with the standard ones without the negatives. She might have lost one heat sink but it was a small price to pay if she could move her ant to where it was needed. ¡°I¡¯ll surprise them with my attacks. I wonder how they¡¯ll process that.¡± Xiao hoped her opponents would make bolder moves after getting the impression that her ant mech wasn¡¯t as dangerous in offense. She just needed to get good positioning before she could make them realize their mistake. As soon as she and Puhi met up, they advanced toward their foes together. With the mobility on both sides, it was nearly impossible to mount a proper pincer attack, especially this early in the battle. Since Xiao had an ant mech, she would prefer to avoid two one-on-one confrontations which would be a disadvantage for her side. Once the hornet mech opposite her was nearly within her firing range, the young woman eased into the control of her jump jets. The cattlemech had spoiled her by having very few things she needed to focus on. After her break, Xiao had to readjust to the jump jets, getting the feel of changes from a slight nudge of her fingers. By the time she was facing incoming fire, her ant was already zigzagging and making itself a difficult target to get a direct hit on. During the initial engagement, she purposely activated only some of her weapons. Prior to the match, she and Wattan went through calculations and layouts to determine what number of weapons would fool her opponent. ¡°Xiao, Puhi said that you two need to split up. In our current skirmish, they have the edge.¡± For the sake of keeping her facade up, Xiao reluctantly broke formation with Puhi. She purposely moved behind her opponent to get his attention. While her opponents could doubleteam Puhi, she might be able to finish one of them off if she only had the rear armor to shoot at. Her foe responded by giving her his entire attention, resulting in two separate skirmishes once Xiao pulled back enough. ¡°Tell Puhi she better not lose!¡± Xiao shouted into the mic before focusing on her own duel. The hornet mech kept close, not letting Xiao open up any distance. Despite her maneuvers, it was clear that the hornet was still landing more hits due to firing more. Luckily, the hornet was only using small lasers. The brothers built their mechs knowing that heat control would be the most important so they neglected weapons where the ammo would take up valuable slot space. As a result, the hornet could fire at least three small lasers at regular intervals without worrying about overheating. I better dig myself out of this hole before it''s too late! Volume 1 Chapter 34 Xiao hadn¡¯t expected to be pressured so hard by her opponent. Not only was the hornet mech just better in every possible way but the other pilot was also very proficient. Never once did her opponent make a mistake, thus there were no openings for her to take advantage of. Even when her engine booster came off cooldown, she wouldn¡¯t have an advantage as her opponent had one too. Everything pointed towards her losing this engagement if she allowed things to continue developing as it is. Time to take a gamble then! No risk, no gain! Xiao activated her jump jets so they could take her mech to the air. The hornet mech stood still for several seconds before it started moving. Instead of running towards where the ant would land, the hornet used its jump jet to close the distance by taking to the air itself. Instead of finding a spot to land, Xiao reactivated her jump jets so they propelled her mech towards the enemy. She then angled her mech so the ant¡¯s right leg was aimed directly at the hornet. Since the two mechs were charging at one another in the air, Xiao barely had time to brace herself before the impact. The young woman barely suppressed her scream following the hit. The hare pilot managed to adjust to this every match? Is he a machine or something? Upon recovering from the impact, Xiao quickly checked her mech¡¯s status. The right leg had taken serious damage with very little armor left. A few light machine gun hits could easily expose the structure. When she observed her foe, a smile formed on her face. Now I see why it¡¯s so satisfying! That hornet took it worse than me! Her attack took out the hornet¡¯s right torso along with its right arm. Not only did it lose the small lasers armed there but the heat sinks once stored there were no longer available for cooling her opponent efficiently. This is my opening! Xiao used her jump jets sparingly to get her mech as close to the hornet as possible. Once the ant mech got close enough, she opened fire with all of her weapons. Her mech was getting close to overheating due to the earlier jump jet uses but she wasn¡¯t about to let her opponent recover from the attack. She purposely positioned her mech to the right side of the hornet so her attacks could hit the hornet¡¯s center torso which was now exposed from the flank. After Xiao landed a few hits, she regrettably watched as the hornet backed away. She tried to give chase but the damaged leg hindered her movement, forcing her to stay where she was. Damn it! If only I had more time to fire at that exposed torso¡­ The development taught Xiao the importance of using the kick as a finishing move. Her ant was now a lot more vulnerable with the damaged leg and she could do nothing to repair it mid-match. The break did allow her mech to cool down which was vital to her using her jump jets later for maneuverability. With this breather, she decided to check up on her squadmate''s progress. ¡°Vesna, how is Puhi doing in her matchup?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a tie. Both of them lost a side torso. It¡¯s hard to tell which will win but the victor won¡¯t be in much of a fighting shape afterwards.¡± The sound of keyboards could be heard from the headset. ¡°How is your leg holding out? And when did you learn to kick with your mech? I heard Wattan die a little after you did that stunt.¡± Xiao admitted over the headset that she learned it after experiencing it firsthand on the receiving end. She tried it in the simulations but the actual kick felt a lot more violent. She wasn¡¯t sure if all kicks felt this impactful or if she just happened to have her foe flying towards her. Regardless, she was glad she tried it as it gave her a better chance than earlier. Meanwhile, she could hear the head mechanic saying something undiscernible in the background. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Wattan wants you to know that the leg cannot handle a second kick like that....and shared some of his opinion on the matter.¡± ¡°Tell him that I love him too, Vesna! I don¡¯t intend on losing this match.¡± Once her mech¡¯s heat bar dropped to zero, Xiao decided that she had enough of a break. She propelled her mech forward with the jump jets, readying her weapons to fire once the hornet was within range. Her opponent began running away from her, frustrating Xiao to no end. ¡°Vesna, please ask Wattan how a damaged leg can handle running. I cannot use my jump jets indefinitely.¡± After Xiao stopped her mech to cool it down, Wattan came on the line. ¡°Listen carefully, missus. A damaged leg isn¡¯t simply a matter of losing most of its armor. The connections between the leg and the center torso are also impacted. If you need to use the leg, you either minimize movement or use jump jets to lessen its load. The latter requires a skill that even trained pilots have a hard time mastering in a short period of time. That¡¯s all I can share.¡± ¡°That¡¯s plenty, Wattan. Thanks!¡± The other duel was becoming a stalemate where both mechs were likely to be eliminated shortly. That left only she and her opponent. Unwilling to just give up on the mech, Xiao wanted to at least attempt the second option of lessening the load. Her opponent had been hesitant to engage which gave her time to experiment without the pressure. She didn¡¯t know the reason why her opponent was so hesitant to attack but she wasn¡¯t about to give up on the rare opportunity. I usually maneuver my jump jets this much to zigzag. If I increase it a bit more while moving, then it should¡­ The first step felt wobbly but, by her tenth step with the right leg, the mech felt more stable. Good thing I was studying the hare pilot. He wasn¡¯t proficient but he did it well enough for me to learn from. The ant mech steadily picked up speed with Xiao making adjustments with every step. Willing to take all the risks, she then activated her engine booster. The ant mech charged at the hornet at incredible speeds. Where will you run off to now? Xiao watched as her opponent could only back away a few steps. Once the two mechs were within firing range of one another, they both opened fire. She once again positioned her mech to finish what she started earlier. After a few explosions came from the hornet mech center torso, her opponent fell head first into the ground. The young woman turned her mech in time to see Puhi¡¯s duel ending with a draw as the other two mechs collapsed where they stood. Wow, it¡¯s quite a bit of a workout to make the ant win against a hornet. I need Wattan to get me more upgrades soon. ¡°Do you need assistance returning to the mechbay?¡± asked Vesna. ¡°I¡¯ll use this chance to practice more.¡± Without the match pressure or a foe, Xiao could take her time getting used to the different jump jet intensities. She might have taken longer than usual to get to the mechbay but she was more confident she could navigate her mech somewhat well with a damaged leg in the future. ¡°Vesna, do you know if the simulation has settings for damaged legs?¡± ¡°Wattan knew you would ask. The answer is no. Damaged legs are too difficult to simulate and aren¡¯t consistent. Your next kick might require different jump jet adjustments to make work.¡± ¡°Alright! That¡¯s a shame.¡± In other words, I just need to be a lot more proficient at jump jets to make all of this work. As she waited to exit her mech, Xiao took out her phone to make some notes on what to work on next time. As she put in the entries, a message arrived from the fighting ring. She opened it. < Hello Rising Ant, We have received a special match request regarding you. Your opponent will be piloting an armadillo mech. If you accept the request, you will be given two crates of special equipment. A victory will yield an additional eight crates. Please respond if you¡¯re willing to accept the request or not. Regards, North Star Mech Fighting Ring > Xiao immediately replied with an acceptance. There was literally no downside to this. Special match requests didn¡¯t change the duel rules at all and she got rewards for accepting. Even a loss would yield a profit on her end. The young woman was also curious about the special equipment as the term was very vague. Special meant different things to different organizations so, until she saw the contents within the crates, she had no way of knowing what was given to her. Volume 1 Chapter 35 After receiving a call from Wattan, Xiao made her way down to the mechbay. Following her first win with a modified ant mech, the young woman took a break from the academy. She returned to the Zavaso main office where she awaited the two crates promised to her for accepting the match request. Prior to the crate¡¯s arrival, she went shopping with Lei to help pass the time. This was also the closest semblance to her old life before her pilot career took off. In some ways, she admitted that she missed the simpler times when she shouldered little responsibilities. ¡°These are big crates,¡± said Tuari as Xiao entered the mechbay. ¡°Either they are big subcomponents or they are using large quantities of items to make the crate special.¡± While Xiao was quite happy with the haul, it seemed like Wattan and Tuari didn¡¯t share her excitement. When she first shared the news, the two of them complained that this was more work for them. This made sense as Zavaso wasn¡¯t a mech organization that was strapped for credits. Many small mech organizations would happily accept any subcomponents to keep themselves afloat financially. Mechs weren¡¯t cheap to maintain and equip so every little bit counted. Even subcomponents that weren''t useful could be sold for extra credits. Zavaso was unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, not one of those needing a boost financially and Wattan was very clear on the matter. ¡°Better open it and get it over with,¡± said Wattan with a hint of impatience. The young woman kept a wide berth between herself and the head mechanic. She was in no mood of angering the man further if she could avoid it. Meanwhile, Tuari operated the crane that slowly pulled open the crate lid. As soon as the lid was placed on a nearby shelf, Wattan and Tuari got on ladders to reach the top of the crate. Xiao waited for them to complain about worthless parts but the two men said nothing for a while after looking at the contents. After a full minute of silence, she called out. ¡°Are you two alright?¡± Xiao grabbed another ladder, deciding to see for herself. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me the crate is empty.¡± The crate wasn¡¯t empty. It was in fact packed to the brim as Tuari anticipated. However, the subcomponents were different from anything she had seen before. The subcomponents had silver bodies with an M engraved into them. She looked at the two men who appeared stunned. After shouting at them a couple of times, Wattan finally responded. ¡°I was in the wrong. These subcomponents are made by Marshwell Manufacturing. These subcomponents are on par with what you received from the Alpha Van Manufacturing.¡± Wattan made it down the ladder and gestured to both Xiao and Tuari to follow him. The three of them stood before the main mechbay monitor where he navigated to a website. ¡°This is the vault where we kept the prized Alpha subcomponents Xiao won last time. Once we add the Marshwell subcomponents there, this vault might become one of the most valuable vaults owned by a mech organization. We will need the vault security increased. I have to call Anthony now.¡± Xiao watched Wattan disappear before she turned to Tuari, inquiring more on Marshwell subcomponents. The man said that these parts were also rare. Most mech organizations might see one or two of them. The more powerful ones needed to pay exorbitant amounts and have the right connections to get their hands on a crate. The fact that Xiao got two for agreeing to a request was already ridiculous, not to mention the other eight crates promised if she won. ¡°I get that these subcomponents are valuable,¡± said Xiao. ¡°Can you give me a better idea of how valuable they are? Let¡¯s say if I replace all the subcomponents on my hornet with these.¡± ¡°If we did that and you are somewhat proficient, you should cruise to the top three leagues. There, you will encounter mechs with similar equipment.¡± Cruise? If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The young woman knew that cruising through matches wasn¡¯t possible until one had an overwhelming advantage over the other competition. From what Tuari said, it seemed like these subcomponents provided that much of an edge, assuming she had the skills needed to make good use of them. This was also what made the top three leagues that difficult to enter. Skills alone weren¡¯t sufficient as everyone there was very skilled at their craft. When skills were at similar parity among the pros, then equipment was the difference maker. To think that, even with big sponsors backing, one might not have access to Alpha or Marshwell subcomponents. I must be crazy lucky if I have these being stocked up for future use. ¡°Wait! Does Zavaso have any of these brands around?¡± ¡°We have one or two before your haul arrived. Now, Wattan is very picky with what we acquire, especially once we go through those two crates of yours.¡± ¡°Well, I can get eight more crates if I win the match¡­¡± ¡°If you win.¡± Wattan had returned and his tone was serious. ¡°If these are the crates you¡¯re receiving, then your opponent won¡¯t have a simple background. I won¡¯t delve into the details but I suggest you do your research and practice plenty. Otherwise, you might see yourself destroyed before you realize what happened.¡± Xiao didn¡¯t need Wattan to remind her. Her opponent was fielding an armadillo mech which was one of the best defensive medium mechs around. It should come as no surprise what equipment it would pack. Since her opponent wasn¡¯t a regular, then the armadillo didn¡¯t have the same limitations as the other mechs participating in the fighting ring. In essence, the versatility her opponent had would make the match unfair from the very start. Then, there was also the pilot who they had no information on. She was heading into the match within nothing except for her trusty cattlemech that had defied all expectations so far. ¡°I still will give it my best,¡± replied Xiao. ¡°I don¡¯t intend on going down without a fight.¡± ¡°Good! Now, let¡¯s put the lid back onto the crate.¡± Xiao watched as Tuari operated the crane before she asked Wattan what they were doing. The head mechanic explained that they had a rough idea of the contents within the crate. For their safety, they should send both crates to the secured vault. Apparently, the vaults had their own cranes and equipment which would allow Wattan to inspect all the subcomponents in private. The man was taking no chance with such precious cargo. Guess I still don¡¯t know the value of these parts. I¡¯m still acting like these are ordinary heat sinks. After the crates were taken away by secure transports, Xiao returned to her room within Zavaso. She originally wanted to take the rest of the day off but the upcoming fighting ring match was on her mind, refusing to be forgotten. After a few failed attempts, the young woman packed up her belongings and, after informing Vesna and Lei of her plans, left the main office to catch a flight back to the academy. On her way to the spaceport, Xiao stopped outside a toy shop or, more specifically, a mech model store. For the kids aspiring to be mech pilots one day, their first step into the interest was through building mech models. Because her family was poor, the young woman could only stare through the window at the numerous models when she was a kid, much as what she was doing at the moment. She could feel a tear forming so Xiao quickly blinked her eyes. Maybe I have earned myself a model. Xiao entered the store, taking her time to look through all the displays. As she was looking at the deluxe models, Xiao stopped in front of an ant mech. She had to lean forward to read the small text on the card. < Champion Ant (Prototype): The champion ant was only designed on paper and a prototype was never built. Armed with some of the best equipment, this ant mech was believed to be capable of fighting in the top league. Given the low interest in developing such a mech, the designs had been lost and only this model is proof that the design once existed. The designer has hope that an individual one day will make this prototype a reality and prove to everyone the feasibility of the ant mech in the top tier professional scene. > I wonder if this champion ant mech was also part of the project Vivian¡¯s father participated in or if it¡¯s something that developed independently. Xiao then asked the storekeeper for a champion ant model, wanting to see for herself what this mech would have been capable of. If the designs made sense, then she might ask Wattan to build one for her. She hoped that her Alpha and Marshwell subcomponents would suffice in making such a mech a reality. Volume 1 Chapter 36 Xiao had to set aside her champion ant model because her fighting ring match was a higher priority. Since the new challenger had no match history, she had nothing to go on. Therefore, she resorted to working on using a pitchfork weapon and a shield in the simulator. Due to proprietary reasons, she had no template of her cattlemech. Thus, she had to use a more standard cattlemech whose template was abundant online. It was obvious that the cattlemech wasn¡¯t valued very highly if one used their default builds with such ease. Good thing the simulators have some customizable features. While she couldn¡¯t change anything about the templates, the young woman could add things like shields to make her mech tankier and thus closer in specs to her own cattlemech. However, there was nothing she could do to match the simulation shield to the titan shield. She simply didn¡¯t have enough data to know what change was necessary. Will the shield matter in this case? Xiao wasn¡¯t sure about the best way to prepare against an armadillo mech. Armadillo mechs were defensive by nature but their versatility made them unpredictable. She had a mech overview of the mech which hadn¡¯t given her any confidence. < Mech Type: Armadillo Mech Weight Class: Medium Left Arm (Structure): 120 Left Torso (Structure): 120 Left Leg (Structure): 240 Center Torso (Structure): 240 Right Leg (Structure): 240 Right Torso (Structure): 120 Right Arm (Structure): 120 Armor Type(s): Armor (Improved), Armor (Advanced) Gyro Type(s): Gyro (Basic), Gyro (Improved) Engine Core Type(s): Engine Core 10 (Improved), Engine Core 20 (Basic) Cooling Type(s): Cooling (Basic), Cooling (Improved) Weapon Type(s): Light Machine Gun, Machine Gun, Small Laser, Medium Laser, AC2, SRM2, MRM5 > If her opponent got advanced armor, then she would have a much harder time getting to the structure. Basic armor saw a ratio of 2 armor per 1 structure while improved and advanced provided 3 armor and 4 armor respectively. That combined with a wide array of weapons meant she couldn¡¯t possibly be ready for all scenarios. In the end, the young woman could only work on her own mastery of the pitchfork. She had some successes so far but, against an armadillo, she had to give it her all and luck alone wouldn''t cut it. With Puhi¡¯s help, she got some medium mech templates to fight against. Among them was the turtle mech which made even the armadillo mech look like a light mech. How engineers managed to fit all that armor without the turtle becoming a heavy mech baffled Xiao. Luckily, it was also great practice as, if she could break through the turtle¡¯s defenses, she could break through the armadillo¡¯s, assuming she had sufficient time. Even after staring at the overview a few times, the young woman still shook her head at the armor. < Mech Type: Turtle Mech Weight Class: Medium Left Arm (Structure): 120 Left Torso (Structure): 120 Left Leg (Structure): 240 If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Center Torso (Structure): 240 Right Leg (Structure): 240 Right Torso (Structure): 120 Right Arm (Structure): 120 Armor Type(s): Armor (Advanced), Industrial Armor (Basic) Gyro Type(s): Gyro (Basic), Gyro (Improved) Engine Core Type(s): Engine Core 10 (Improved) Cooling Type(s): Cooling (Basic), Cooling (Improved) Weapon Type(s): Light Machine Gun, Small Laser, Medium Laser, AC2, MRM5 > Basic industrial armor provided 6 armor which meant some components of the turtle had over a thousand armor, more than the total armor of many light mechs. Her saving grace was the damage of the pitchfork which was several magnitudes stronger than many weapons used by light mechs. Otherwise, she couldn''t imagine how long the battle would last, assuming her mech didn''t use up all of its power. The only challenge of the pitchfork was focusing on a single location until the structure was exposed, which was no small feat. For her training exercises. Xiao fought a turtle mech until she was defeated or she won. For the first dozens of tries, she had lost in all of those cases. By giving the turtle the same turning speed as the armadillo, she had erased one of the biggest limitations on the mech. At that point, she couldn¡¯t outdamage the turtle as she had no way of outmaneuvering it. After a dozen matches, Xiao realized how much she missed having jump jets. They might not be useful in all cases but the extra maneuverability gave her mech more survivability. For the simulation and her actual cattlemech, there wasn¡¯t much choice as the mech had to take attacks from the front. I only have a week before the match. Will I be ready? With no other way to prepare for the match, Xiao came up with a schedule where she spent most of her week training in the simulations. She had grown to appreciate the pitchfork, a weapon that had proven to be quite reliable. The fact that it took up no slots, produced no heat and used no ammo made it an incredible weapon. I wonder if the ant can be equipped with a melee weapon. It has to get pretty close to its foes anyways. During her breaks, Xiao looked through melee weapons, amazed by the wide variety of them. Many of them were never used by mechs due their impracticality but a few caught her eyes. Smaller melee weapons like daggers could be an option as they were light and could be stored on the mech until they were needed. Among the many ant specific subcomponents was one that increased the slots in the torso and arms. If she could use the extra slot for melee weapons, then she would have options if she was out of ammo or needed her mech to cool down. On the day before her match, Puhi visited her to check up on her. ¡°Ready for the match against an armadillo?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! There¡¯s too much mystery surrounding that mech and its pilot.¡± ¡°I might have heard a rumor about the pilot being a retired pro.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really fair, isn¡¯t it?¡± The thing about mech pilots was that experience played a key factor in how good he or she was. Even retired pros had a vast wealth of experience and knowledge to draw from, making them still dangerous opponents. The gap between her and her opponent seemed to be widening more with each passing minute. ¡°At least it will be a short match then!¡± Puhi started laughing but stopped after she saw Xiao¡¯s expression. ¡°What did you get for your two crates anyways?¡± ¡°Mech organization secret!¡± Xiao walked out to resume her training. However, her mind was no longer into it. Thus, she walked past the simulation wing and went to the roof to get some fresh air. As she walked along the perimeter of the roof, a loud commotion got her attention. She went to investigate and discovered an outdoor match that she could watch from the roof. Xiao took out her phone to see what the match was about as the academy was pretty good at listing these events for its students and staff. Retired pro? Is this a coincidence? Surely, there cannot be that many retired pros still fighting matches nowadays. And one who came to this academy... According to the event notice, the retired pro was using a flea, one of the weakest mechs out there. Even at the hands of the professionals, it was a glass cannon at best. A few direct hits from most weapons could strip the armor, revealing the structure underneath. From her vantage point, it took Xiao a full minute before she could make out the flea mech. She then glanced at her phone again, confirming that the rules made it so the flea had to fight multiple foes. Either that pilot has greatly underestimated the students here or the individual is very confident in his or her skills. Two minutes later, the young woman understood the latter to be the reason. The three mechs were all defeated with ease. Since the academy website provided livestream and updates on the matches, she was informed that all three mechs were taken out due to headshots. Xiao couldn¡¯t help but wonder about the gap between her and a retired pro. She needed a lot of luck to hit headshots but this individual was doing it as if this was merely target practice. ¡°And that concludes the practice matches! We thank everyone for watching! The retired pro must now rest as she has a match tomorrow at an undisclosed location. I hope you enjoyed the livestream and be sure to watch us in the future!¡± A match tomorrow? Xiao didn¡¯t believe that so many things were coincidences. If the retired pro in the flea was her opponent, then she needed to be aware of the headshots. In addition to that, she wondered what other surprises were awaiting her the following night. Despite all the stress, Xiao was ready to see where she stood compared to a retired pro. Volume 1 Chapter 37 While she waited for the match to begin, Xiao checked everything on her cattlemech one last time. She checked the gambling odds for her match and, unsurprisingly, the armadillo was the undisputed favorite. A few people gambled on her but she suspected those to be gamblers with some money to spare. Regardless of what match, there were always those betting on the underdog to pull off a miracle. Such miracles could turn a person''s fortune around, though she doubted it would happen this day. Xiao knew that she needed more than a single miracle if she wanted to win her next match. ¡°The match has begun! Try your best!¡± The tone from the headset was that of pity which Xiao expected. She didn¡¯t have time to feel sorry for herself though as the armadillo mech was already bearing down on her. Unlike a turtle mech, the armadillo could get up to decent speeds that were considered average among medium mechs. The cattlemech raised its shield and charged back at the armadillo. Somewhere along the way, a few missiles came at her but Xiao was ready to intercept them with her shield. Xiao expected the missile blasts to push her cattlemech back somewhat but she barely felt the impact within the cockpit. A quick scan at her screens also indicated that her mech¡¯s speed remained constant. Seeing this, the young woman kept the momentum going by pushing her mech forward as she had to get into melee range. She thought her opponent would do the same but the armadillo stopped just before the two mechs collided and let loose its arsenal. Talk about a difference in firepower. The difference between the arsenal packed between the light and medium mechs was massive. Xiao was certain that a direct hit from all those weapons on her hornet would have spelled the end of her mech. Only the ridiculous amounts of armor on her cattlemech kept her still in it. However, she felt she was getting nowhere. In response to the armadillo weapons, she tried to land a hit with her pitchfork but all of her attacks hit nothing but air. Her opponent didn¡¯t have jump jets and apparently only needed to sidestep to avoid her weapon. This was becoming a very one-sided battle where nothing she did could yield results. How is that armadillo not overheating? Does improved cooling make that big of a difference? The amount of attacks coming her way was terrifying, making Xiao wonder if she was facing something closer to the heavy mech that had more mobility. While her screen indicated that her armor was steadily stripped away, she took several deep breaths to stop herself from hyperventilating. Slow and steady! One jab at a time! Xiao had positioned her shield to protect the cattlemech¡¯s head. The head might have more armor than usual but, if it had taken similar hits as the rest of her mech, it would have been taken clean off already. At least with this approach, she could last long enough to maybe land a hit or two. When her next couple of jabs all missed, Xiao recalled a video she watched. The main damage from the pitchfork came from prongs but it could still serve as a blunt weapon if it was swung at an enemy. Let¡¯s see how you dodge and maintain your attacks when I swing this pitchfork! After her next miss, Xiao didn¡¯t withdraw her pitchfork. Instead, she swung it briefly away from the armadillo before smashing the weapon into the armadillo¡¯s leg. A few swings later, she finally forced the armadillo to back away, giving her a bit of breathing room. Five seconds later, she went charging in once again. If her opponent did build up heat, she couldn¡¯t afford the armadillo to cool down and resume its attack. Eventually, the battle developed into the cattletech charging at the armadillo with its pitchfork swinging back and forth in front of it. The two mechs had similar speeds when the armadillo was forced to back away so Xiao was able to keep up the pressure with her attacks. During her countless swings, she managed a few lucky hits that allowed her to take out some of the medium lasers on the armadillo. After the destruction of those weapons, the young woman grew more and more confident in her chances. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Maybe I found the way to win this! As Xiao strategized on how she could pull out an unlikely upset, her screen suddenly went black. It took her a full minute to realize that her head was taken out. How? Xiao was certain that the cattlemech head, with its extra armor, could take many hits before it got taken out. She wasn¡¯t sure what her opponent could have done, especially when she had her opponent on the ropes. At least, she thought she had her opponent on the ropes. In the end, it was she who was eliminated and she had no clue what finished her off. ¡°That was a good try! Be honored that you were taken out by a quick draw.¡± Quick draw? This wasn¡¯t a term she was familiar with. Xiao made a mental note to look into what a quick draw was so she could use it in the future. True to the term, it was far too quick for her to realize. The match was just shifting in her advantage when it was over by what she assumed was a single blow. A few minutes later, she exited her cattlemech to see plenty of technicians waiting nearby. Their job was getting the mech repaired as soon as possible for her next match, whenever that might be. As soon as she got off her mech, one of the technicians walked over. ¡°Missus, the armadillo pilot wishes to see you. She¡¯s waiting in the guest room C.¡± The technician then joined the others in working on the cattlemech. Xiao pondered on the matter briefly before she made her way to the guest room. She had a lot of questions for the retired pro but she wasn¡¯t expecting to be summoned this way. As soon as she entered the room, she found herself facing four bodyguards who towered over her. They all wore full combat gear including the helmets and weapons in plain sight. As she wondered if she entered the wrong room, the bodyguards stepped aside to let her pass. ¡°I do apologize for them! They are meant to keep me safe from any strangers.¡± The voice came from a woman sitting at the table, sipping some beverage. She gestured to Xiao to sit down in the seat opposite her. Normally, the young woman would be fine with such a request. However, she could feel the eyes of the bodyguards which made her swallow her spit. After a few second of silence, Xiao slowly walked over and sat down as directed. ¡°Anything to drink?¡± asked the woman. After Xiao shook her head, the woman went down to business. She introduced herself as Kristina Mahler, a retired pilot. After retirement, she still traveled between the planets to participate in small competitions or some shadow competitions like the fighting ring. She claimed that she did this to fight boredom. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say beating boredom was my main priority. You see, I¡¯ve had a rival when I was a pro and he had recently taken up a student. He loves boasting about how good his student would be. He goes as far as claiming that his student will surpass anyone I teach. Thus, I¡¯ve been keeping an eye out for a successor.¡± Kristina then pressed a button on the table which turned on the screen. Xiao watched as a highlight compilation of her matches played on the screen. Given the quality of the video, she had to assume this was made by one of her fans. The good intentions and efforts were there but the quality had much to be desired. ¡°I came across this by accident. Intrigued, I came to watch your match against the hare mech but I had to fight you personally. That was why I requested a match with subcomponents that are too alluring to refuse.¡± Kristina pressed another button on the table, changing the content from the video to a page filled with plenty of text. ¡°I won¡¯t bore you with the details as you can figure them out during your own time. These are the rules for the relegation matches. If you become my student, I will not only provide you with the training and resources to get through the relegation matches but you will also make it to the top three leagues.¡± Top three leagues? As someone who would have been content in making it to the top six leagues, Xiao had never dreamed about herself participating in the top three leagues where one needed so many things lining up to achieve. Studying the woman before her, she didn¡¯t think Kristina was just making an absurd claim. Here was a woman who was confident she could make it possible. Volume 1 Chapter 38 Xiao tried all sorts of methods including counting sheep but sleep refused to come to her. It wasn¡¯t everyday that she was given the offer of being a student of a former professional pilot so the young woman had asked Kristina to give her a few days to think about the offer. It was a big decision that could impact the rest of her career and she wanted to think carefully on the matter. When sleep continued to evade her, Xiao sat up to look at her tablet. Might as well use this chance to research more into Kristina. Thus far, the young woman did some simple research on the retired pro. Even a quick check online yielded many results, most of them positive about the woman¡¯s successes in the professional scene. Now that she had the rest of the night available to her, Xiao chose to look deeper and hope to find the rival Kristina was referring to. She was flipping through the retired pro''s bio when she came came across an article. That¡¯s interesting! Maybe the rival is him. The article mentioned a tournament within the top league where Kristina was one of the favorites. Her biggest obstacle was a man by the name of Ieti Fawzi. Both Kristina and Ieti had risen through the ranks at similar pace with them achieving the top league only a single season apart. Kristina entered the top league first and had a slightly better overall record. However, Ieti had won more of the matches between the two. In this particular tournament, the match came down to the wire but Kristina managed to just edge out her opponent to win it all. During the post-match interview, she stated that Ieti was her biggest rival as the man brought out the best of her piloting abilities. After the woman said that, Xiao paused the video. I wonder if I¡¯ll have any rivals. I know it¡¯s still early given I haven¡¯t made a name but it would be nice to have a rival who can make me even better. Xiao then thought about Kristina¡¯s conversation regarding her rival¡¯s student, wondering if they would automatically become rivals due to who their teachers were. At that thought, she browsed the web to see whether Ieti did indeed accept a student. It didn¡¯t take her long to find a video where Ieti openly announced his transition from retired pro to a pilot instructor who would coach the most promising student he had found. The conference was enormous with tons of reporters asking questions. If I agree with Kristina, I don¡¯t need to appear before such a big crowd, right? It was one thing to fight in front of a big crowd inside a mech. Xiao couldn¡¯t imagine appearing before all the reporters where she had to actively answer questions. Then, there were also those watching the conference live and the people who would eventually watch the video. The thought made her shudder, making her note down the concern with Kristina. She doubted Kristina would avoid a conference when it could be a perfect stage for her to declare her intentions on her old rival. Should I start taking public speaking courses? Maybe Puhi knows people. After all, her family must deal with the media often. The young woman quickly wrote a message and scheduled it to be sent the following morning. She didn¡¯t want to wake Puhi up for something unless it was urgent. She was almost certain that her squadmate would laugh once she learned of the reason for the request. Well, not all of us are born to be in the spotlight! She better understand! Once the message was complete, Xiao returned her attention to Ieti¡¯s student, Evita Kurak. Evita came from a prestigious academy and was undefeated until she participated in her first relegation match to enter the lowest league. Her performance attracted the attention of many scouts once she made it into the league. She was so popular that it rare for her to not show up in shows for interviews. Eventually, it was Ieti who managed to convince her to be his student and join his mech organization. Since then, Evita''s career only shot up even more as there were too many successes to list. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Join his¡­.mech organization¡­. It didn¡¯t cross Xiao¡¯s mind that, by becoming Kristina¡¯s student, she had to abandon Zavaso. The thought broke her because she felt she belonged to Zavaso. Never did she believe she had to make such a decision. But what is her mech organization? Xiao returned to Kristina¡¯s bio but she found no mention of a mech organization she was associated with. To be certain, she check Ieti¡¯s bio which showed his mech organization. After digging a bit deeper, she learned the Ieti, like Puhi, came from a family with many generations of pilots. He was basically born into the mech organization and, after his retirement, he took over ownership. Conversely, Kristina was born into a middle class family. Her potential was scouted during her childhood so she had the chance to attend an academy with all her expenses paid for. Kristina made full use of the opportunity as she used the resources to propel herself to the top league where she became one of the most dominant pilots in mech history. I hope that means I can stay in Zavaso¡­maybe I should speak with Vesna about this matter. Kristina never said I should keep it a secret from my mech organization. After checking her phone, Xiao wasn¡¯t surprised to see Vesna was still online. She didn¡¯t know how many hours the little girl needed to sleep but that was a mystery to be solved another day. She made a call and the girl answered immediately. Xiao gave a quick summary on the matter and her concerns. Once she was done, there was a long silence before Vesna responded. ¡°Anthony said that this might happen if we find ourselves a star pilot.¡± Xiao received a message with contact information. ¡°When you discuss with your future teacher, pass along the contact information. If she isn¡¯t part of any mech organization, then I think this will interest her as it benefits both sides.¡± Curious how Anthony could have anticipated all of this, Xiao asked Vesna for clarification. The girl said that Anthony intended on making a big name for his mech organization. Therefore, he would recruit talents to fight and improve the brand of his organization. Eventually, they would get a talent that would catch the eyes of other scouts, some of which would get noticed by retired pros. With that in mind, the owner made plans to ensure that the pilot would remain in the mech organization while still possessing the chance to rise to the top league. ¡°And how did anyone know I was a talent? I just applied for the position.¡± ¡°Well, we all have to start somewhere. A new mech organization isn¡¯t going to attract the top talents. We were willing to help develop you to prove what we can offer. As for your performance¡­., no one expected you to do so well. You have defied expectations.¡± ¡°Be honest with me, Vesna. If I did average, what would have happened to me?¡± ¡°If we find a better replacement, then you¡¯ll be let go. Maybe we¡¯ll find a good position within the organization where you can thrive. Honestly, I don¡¯t like to talk about the what ifs at this point.¡± If there was one thing Xiao appreciated about Vesna, it was the girl¡¯s bluntness. In the piloting organization, those who couldn¡¯t cut it were simply let go. Some could eventually become instructors or find other opportunities. Most would have to pivot to something else with the majority stuck with the minimum wage jobs living paycheck to paycheck. Xiao knew that, had she not joined Zavaso, the minimum wage job might have been her only option. The idea made her shudder as she could no longer see her life without piloting mechs personally. Yet, that was a real possibility before she saw that fateful job posting. ¡°If that¡¯s everything, I need to get back to my research.¡± ¡°Research?¡± ¡°Yes, Wattan wants you to participate in some small tournaments. They are great events to get experience with unique prizes. Some of these unique prizes might be even better than the special subcomponents you gained so far.¡± With this new bit of info, Xiao realized that she underestimated the small tournaments. She previously had no interest, believing the small tournaments to be events where pilots of small or no mech organizations gathered due to the lower bar of entry. She couldn¡¯t believe that these events could hold such prizes that would catch the head mechanic¡¯s eyes. The young woman quickly made a note to look into these tournaments in more detail. She might actually gain more than just experience and rewards by participating in them. Her fighting ring experience had taught her that these simply opened doors. ¡°Yes, that is everything! Hope your research goes well!¡± Shortly after hanging up, Xiao laid down on her bed and fell asleep. Volume 1 Chapter 39 As she sat down in the seat, Xiao nervously looked at the door across from her. The door led to Anthony¡¯s office and two people were inside, Anthony and Kristina. After providing the retired pilot the Zavaso founder¡¯s contact info, she agreed to meet with him. Now, the two of them were discussing behind closed doors while she and the others waited outside. The young woman couldn¡¯t even imagine what was being discussed and what deals and offers were made for cooperation to be possible. ¡°Here is something to keep you busy,¡± said Vesna as she handed over a tablet. ¡°Your next match has been decided.¡± < Match Type: Casual Mech Weight Class Allowed: Light Mechs only Format: 4 versus 4 Arena: Casual Standard Win Condition: All opposing mechs can no longer continue combat Attendance: 20000 Salvage Reward: 12 > Xiao couldn¡¯t believe that this was her eighth match already. It felt like she only just fought her first match a week ago. Not only was the attendance growing larger but the salvage reward was also becoming more alluring. She smiled at the thought that she already had better equipment stocked up for the future. As she thought about rare equipment, she turned to Vesna. ¡°How did your research go? Any small tournaments coming up that caught your eye?¡± ¡°Well, I was making a lot of progress. If Kristina wasn¡¯t here, Anthony probably would have accepted my plan already. Your matter takes higher precedence.¡± ¡°Not sure how my schedule will change if she becomes my teacher. I expect a fierce training regime.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that for now. Check the videos I included in the folder. They should give you an idea of what opponents you are facing.¡± A minute into the first video, Xiao realized that the upcoming match was going to be a tricky one. Her opponents all belonged to one mech organization so it was becoming clear that they picked their mechs specifically to maximize their teamwork and coverage of the mech weaknesses. The frontline of her foes was made up of a mantis and a hornet. Meanwhile, a beetle and a bomber handled the rear with their medium ranged weapons. That¡¯s quite the diverse mech pool. They¡¯re versatile enough to change their approach when their opponents least expect it. Except for a mantis, she had faced all the other mechs. However, their diverse combination of equipment could make them perform quite differently in actual combat. While she and Puhi could achieve some level of teamwork, the same couldn¡¯t be said with the allied squad. After finishing the first video, she noted that the goal of her opponents was to exploit the lack of cohesiveness between the two squads. Four pilot squads weren¡¯t that common so the opposition had a distinct advantage with its setup. ¡°Talk about being sly with their strategy,¡± said Xiao. Since the group was made up of four pilots, they would only be put into four versus four formats. Therefore, her opponent had already taken the initiative in matches before a single weapon had exchanged fire. ¡°It¡¯s not against the rules,¡± replied Vesna with a cookie in her hand. ¡°They might have an easier time now but, once they enter the leagues, they will be in for a rude awakening.¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The young woman knew what the girl was referring to. Four pilot squads were far more common in the leagues as this was oftentimes the only way for some pilots to move up in the leagues. Fighting solo sounded great but the fierce competition meant some might never get a chance to go very far. Banding together would be the only way for these pilots to get ahead. At the thought of getting ahead, Xiao looked towards the door, wondering what was being discussed. ¡°I personally think it¡¯s a great chance to use the two new subcomponents,¡± offered Wattan. Xiao knew the head mechanic was referring to the melee weapon and a bolt on weapon. The two would give her ant mech a surprise factor her hornet couldn¡¯t achieve. The bolt on weapon would be easy to use but she still needed more practice with the melee weapon which was much shorter than the pitchfork she wielded on her cattlemech. The shorter reach meant she had to position much closer. For an ant mech, such positioning usually spelled bad news. The head mechanic emphasized that such a weapon should be a last resort only. ¡°If things get that bad, I¡¯ll be sure to give them a surprise!¡± ¡°What do you think are your odds of winning?¡± asked Vesna who had just licked her fingers clean. ¡°Zero unless the other squad is competent and very adaptable,¡± answered Xiao truthfully. The level of teamwork they were facing was unlike anything she had faced before. The young woman didn¡¯t need to watch the other videos to know how effective her opponents were. The ideal scenario for the opposition would be holding off one squad with one mech while the other three focus down the other squad. Such a case would always yield success, as seen by the perfect record boasted by the four pilot squad. ¡°What if I tell you that you know the pilots in the allied squad?¡± Xiao saw the mischievous smile on Vesna¡¯s face and decided to tickle her until she spoke. After a minute of tickling, the girl begged for mercy, agreeing to share the identity of the other two pilots. ¡°They are Huxley and Zander. They piloted the mantis and the hornet respectively. Remember?¡± Of course Xiao remembered who they were. She just couldn¡¯t understand why they were present. Last she heard, they were attending something that would allow them to bypass the standard route of making the relegation matches. The fact that they returned couldn¡¯t be good news, making this a bittersweet reunion. ¡°I know what you are thinking and, no, they are fighting this match as a way of meeting all their prerequisites for their competition.¡± After hearing Vesna¡¯s summary, the young woman now understood that they needed one more win in a casual standard match to fulfil all the prerequisites. Their connections got their foot in the door but they still had to complete the prerequisites within a certain deadline. As luck would have it, they were fighting together. Or is it luck? Knowing the craftiness of Vesna, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she scheduled all of this. The surprise still made her excited for her next match. She contacted the two pilots now and then but, with all her time invested in her career and the fighting ring, she had yet to see how much those two had improved since they last separated. This would be a great chance to learn more from one another. ¡°They¡¯ve requested to meet you and Puhi for a casual chat tomorrow as a way to prepare for the upcoming match. I already accepted the request in your place.¡± Xiao hadn¡¯t expected to be so easy to read but she couldn¡¯t deny that she spent a lot more time with Vesna than all the other people in Zavaso combined. Just as the girl knew her pretty well, she knew Vesna pretty well. Therefore, she took the last cookie on the table to the dismay of the little girl. Chocolate chip cookies? I¡¯ve been missing out! When she finished, Xiao noticed Vesna staring at her with puppy eyes. She tried looking away but she could feel Vesna¡¯s eyes bearing into her. After a full minute, she gave in and told the girl that she would buy her a whole box of cookies when she had a chance. Only then did Vesna walk back to her room, claiming that she had more research work. One after another, the other people walked out of the room, leaving just Xiao waiting for the result of the discussion between Anthony and Kristina. I hope they don¡¯t take all night! What could they discuss that would require so much time? To avoid dozing off, Xiao went and made some coffee. As she sipped the beverage, she watched the other videos of her next opponents. The matches were all one-sided in favor of her opponents which terrified her. Somehow, the four pilots achieved a level of teamwork that could be matched by few outside the leagues. Even if Huxley and Zander could work well with her squad, there was only so much teamwork they could achieve in the limited time they had. In other words, the odds of them winning were still way too low, if not nonexistent. Huh? A message? Xiao checked her phone, surprised to see another match request for her specifically. The requested match would take place several days before her main match so the two didn¡¯t conflict. However, she still debated if she had the luxury of having sufficient preparations for both the fighting ring and her standard match. Since she formed a squad with Puhi, Xiao was no longer just fighting for herself. I wonder what is offered upfront for acceptance. If it''s good compensation.... Volume 1 Chapter 40 Xiao once again found herself inside her cattlemech as she prepared for the requested match. When she checked the rewards, she was promised two crates of special equipment upfront with three more crates if she won. She consulted Wattan on the matter and the head mechanic told her to take up the offer. ¡°You never know! Given your luck, there might be some special subcomponents again!¡± The young woman doubted that she could be so lucky but, when the head mechanic looked into the first crate, he did the same thing as last time where he called for transports to send the two crates to a secure location. The man stated that she was a rare subcomponent magnet but Xiao was worried about the development. As someone being somewhat superstitious, she feared that she was using up too much of her good luck. What if something terrible happens during this match? The worry had kept her up all night so Xiao didn¡¯t get any sleep. If it weren¡¯t for the several cups of coffee she forced down her stomach, she was certain she would be asleep already. I better play it cautiously. ¡°Please proceed to the arena! Your match awaits!¡± Before Xiao moved her mech, she looked up at the monitor above the arena gate and stared in disbelief as soon as she caught sight of the opposing mech. Due to the short notice for the requested match, she was never briefed on what her opponent was piloting. As she stared at the mech, her bladder was suddenly complaining about all the coffee she consumed. ¡°I need to use the restroom real quick!¡± The young woman exited her mech by descending a rope released from the cockpit and headed to the nearest restroom, ignoring all the stares from the nearby technician and fighting ring staffs. After relieving her bladder and washing her face, Xiao walked to her mech as calmly as she could. The technicians had prepared stairs to make it easier for her to get back into the cockpit. After thanking them, she returned to her mech, unsure how she would face the behemoth before her. A fight between a light mech and a medium mech is already ridiculous. Now, they think I can stand any chance against a heavy mech? If memory served her correctly, the mech was a bear mech. At a glance, it was clear that the mech possessed plasma weapons that would no doubt blast through her cattlemech¡¯s armor with ease. Xiao could only curse herself for getting so greedy. If I survive this upcoming battle, I won¡¯t accept another request in the fighting ring. Despite the urge to throw the match, she still urged her mech forward. The issue with the contract she signed with the fighting ring was that, by refusing to participate in requested matches she accepted, there was an extremely steep cost which could cost her life. If that were the case, she might as well give the match a try as there was a chance, albeit a low one, to survive a plasma weapon or, in this case, two plasma weapons. Once her mech reached the starting location, the young woman realized that the monitor didn¡¯t do the bear justice for its size. My cattlemech might barely be reaching the bear mech¡¯s knees. What am I supposed to do? Tickle it? The young woman looked at the pitchfork which might be a tickler at this point. Regardless of how she felt, Xiao didn¡¯t want to give up. She did have the titan shield which might be the only thing that stood any chance against plasma weapons. Once the match began, she would see firsthand how reliable it was. ¡°May you survive this encounter!¡± The voice from her headset sounded genuine but it didn¡¯t comfort her one bit. Not willing to be a still target, Xiao urged her mech forward to move as quickly as it could. Her cattlemech wouldn¡¯t win races but it was still faster than the bear. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Stupid Xiao! The heavy mechs aren¡¯t built to run around. They are built to stand still and devastate anyone or anything foolish enough to appear before them. The young woman watched as the bear raised its two plasma weapons. She wasn¡¯t familiar enough to know what weapons they were but she was certain her mech wouldn¡¯t last long from a direct hit. Her cattlemech began zigzagging which, while clumsy compared to her hornet mech, gave her slight confidence that she could avoid a direct hit. When the bear fired its weapons, Xiao barely had time to move her mech between the two blasts. Despite avoiding direct hits, her right arm, right torso and pitchfork were vaporized by coming in contact with the plasma blast heat. The heat was so strong that she felt it on her right side, relieved that it didn''t burn through part of the center torso as well. Damn it! I just lost both torsos. At least, that was what she assumed until she checked her main screen which indicated that her mech¡¯s entire left side was fine. Moments before the impact, she raised the titan shield up to protect her entire left torso. Apparently, it worked and, when she checked the shield, it looked fine. That¡¯s crazy! The titan shield lives up to its name! Knowing that most plasma weapons had a short cooldown before they could be fired again, she pushed her cattlemech to its limits as she made it run towards the bear. Once she reached a certain distance, the heavy mech shouldn¡¯t be capable of using its powerful plasma weapons anymore due to the firing arcs. She was well aware that her only weapon was destroyed but she would worry about that once she was at a safer distance. Here comes the next two attacks! The incoming blasts were far more focused on a single point this time so it took Xiao everything she had to dodge to the right with the titan shield raised again. This time, the shield protected her a second time, leaving her left torso still intact. As the cattlemech entered the zone where the bear¡¯s plasma weapons no longer could fire, several missiles came flying in her direction. The young woman had no choice but keep running and shielding against the attacks the best she could. A few missiles managed to damage her mech due to their explosion radius but her mech was still holding on. Maybe I need to get behind that bear. Hoping her hunch was correct, her cattlemech ran at its top speed while under heavy fire from the lasers and missiles. By the time her mech got behind the bear, the cattlemech had lost more than sixty percent of its remaining armor. This was a miracle but Xiao hadn¡¯t forgotten about the vaporized pitchfork. She was certain her mech wasn¡¯t designed to fight against something that could vaporize a pitchfork so easily. As Xiao had suspected, the bear had a lot fewer weapons in its rear. The occasional laser and missiles were easily addressed with the titan shield. The young woman considered her options before she ran up to the bear mech. She specifically picked the medium lasers and, by bashing her shield against them, rendered the weapons useless. She then targeted the missile pods where she pressed her shield against the openings. When the missiles detonated while still in their tubes, they ended up blowing up the ammo stored inside the legs, causing a series of large explosions. I better back off! Not wanting to get caught in the blasts, she backed away to a safe distance as she admired the chain reaction. Since the bear packed so much ammo, a single detonation proved to be quite effective at spreading the damage throughout the mech legs. Xiao was pretty certain that much of the bear leg armor and structure had been badly damaged, giving her the opening. Before she could think of a way to deliver a finishing blow, the voice from her headset stated that her opponent had forfeited the match. ¡°I won¡­I won!¡± The match made Xiao look at the titan shield in a new light. She was quite certain that, without the shield, the best case scenario would have been her mech losing both of its side torsos. If her opponent was willing, the bear would deliver the finishing blow, resulting in everything including her vaporized. The shield, given its strength, could withstand attacks she never thought was possible. She was also proud of her quick thinking to block the missiles so they could detonate while still inside the opposing mech. And these heavy mechs are no joke. That¡¯s an impressive arsenal. The bear mech, while possessing a lot less weapons in its rear, still possessed more weapons than most light mechs. In terms of firepower, the plasma weapons were truly terrifying. The young woman was certain that, with the exception of heavily armored mechs like the turtle, very few medium mechs could handle even a glancing blow, let alone a direct hit.