I’ll be the Red Ranger
Chapter 134 – Prisoners

- Oliver -

"HELP!"

The desperate scream sliced through the clamor of battle, seizing Oliver's attention. It was unmistakably human, yet the pitch and cadence were... unusual. The plea came from one of the cages scattered around the hangar. For a fleeting moment, curiosity flickered in his mind.

‘An accent?’ Oliver wondered, narrowly dodging a swift kick from the Red Ork.

But there was no time to ponder. The Red Ork was relentless, launching a flurry of kicks and punches that forced Oliver into a defensive dance. Each strike threatened to be fatal; one misstep could end everything.

Despite the danger, Oliver found a silver lining. With every attack, he was slowly deciphering the Ork's combat patterns. The creature favored certain sequences—two punches followed by a low kick, a feint to the left before a powerful right hook.

| Left Eye of Learning

| Learning …

| [Combat] Imperial Ork Style

| Progress: 0.03%

However, this advantage came with a cost. He could feel his Boon siphoning off his Energy reserves at an alarming rate. The drain was becoming too much.

‘I need to shut it down. The Energy consumption is too high. If this continues, I won't have enough left to fight,’ Oliver realized, parrying a heavy punch that sent vibrations up his arm.

He blinked rapidly, attempting to somehow deactivate the Boon. But nothing happened. The Energy continued to bleed away, his reserves dwindling with each passing second.

"Damn it," he cursed under his breath.

The Red Ork seemed to sense his growing fatigue. "You're slowing down, human," it sneered, its tusked grin filled with malice. "Your fancy tricks won't save you."

Oliver's muscles burned, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. He needed a plan and fast.

"HELP!" The cry echoed again, more urgent this time.

His gaze darted toward the source—a cage on the far side of the hangar. Within the shadows, a figure clung to the bars.

Oliver paused for a moment to catch his breath, his lungs burning. Sweat trickled down his forehead beneath the helmet's visor.

The Red Ork, for some reason, gave him some time. But not without watching him intently, eyes gleaming with a predatory interest—like a hunter playing with a wounded prey.

Just then, a crackling sound filled his helmet. A voice broke through the static. "Ranger Oliver. Ranger Oliver. Do you read?"

"Reading you," Oliver replied, his voice strained and breathless.

"You're still alive. That's a relief," the officer's voice came through, laced with concern and urgency. "We've deployed the mechas; they should reach your position within thirty minutes. They're engaged with an enemy armada in orbit around Olympus for now."

"I—I don't think I have thirty minutes, sir," Oliver managed between gulps of air.

"You don't?" The officer sounded puzzled. "What's your status?"

"I'm engaged in combat with a Red Ork and..." Oliver's voice trailed off; he didn't need to elaborate further.

Silence hung on the line for a moment. Then the officer spoke again, his tone more serious. "Kid, I'll find a mecha unit that can get to you sooner. But I need you to stay alive for at least ten minutes."

"They're battling an entire armada—how are they going to get here in ten minutes?" Oliver asked, skepticism creeping into his voice.

"You have no idea, kid. The Emperor has deployed the Dogs of War. That armada will be lucky to survive a few minutes," the officer replied with a hint of satisfaction.

"Understood," Oliver confirmed, though doubt gnawed at him. He wasn't convinced they could arrive in time.

‘He seems to be playing with me, but maybe I can use that to buy some time. Just ten minutes,’ Oliver thought, his mind racing.

The Red Ork tilted his head, a sinister smile spreading across his scarred face. "Tired already, human?" he taunted. "I was hoping for more of a challenge."

The Red Ork lunged forward once more, his colossal fist charging toward Oliver with lethal intent. This time, however, Oliver's body reacted almost instinctively. Matching the Ork's own movements, he sidestepped and deflected the attack laterally with a swift motion, the force of the blow skimming past him.

| Left Eye of Learning

| Learning …

| [Combat] Imperial Ork Style

| Progress: 0.06%

"Impressive," the Ork remarked, genuine surprise flickering across his hardened features. "You learn faster than my disciples. No wonder you learned to speak Orkish."

As the last word left his lips, the Ork vanished. Oliver's eyes darted around, scanning the hangar. Before he could locate his opponent, a powerful kick connected with his ribs, the pain exploding through his side. The impact sent him hurtling through the air, slamming into the lower hull of the transport ship with a resounding crash.

He crumpled to the ground, his armor absorbing some of the shock at the expense of draining more of his dwindling Energy reserves. ‘Damn it. That bastard's been holding back. This speed isn't what he was using a moment ago.’

Grimacing, Oliver pushed himself up. ‘None of my boons are going to help me right now. I need to come up with something—fast.’ His mind raced as he surveyed the surroundings, searching for any advantage.

‘If I free the prisoners, maybe they can help. Are they even human? There has to be at least one—the one who called out earlier.’

He remembered the desperate plea he'd heard before. His gaze settled on the row of cages scattered across the hangar. ‘That's the one where the cry for help came from. I'm almost certain.’ Oliver thought.

Keeping one eye on the Ork, who was slowly approaching with a predatory grin, Oliver began to circle, subtly positioning himself to align the Ork between himself and the cages. He met the Ork's gaze, feigning defiance while masking his true intentions.

"My turn," Oliver declared, a hint of challenge in his voice.

He summoned what remained of his Energy, channeling it into his legs. Instead of fortifying his arms for attack, he focused on speed. In a burst of motion, he dashed toward the Ork.

Closing the distance in the blink of an eye, Oliver feinted a high kick aimed straight at the Ork's head. Instinctively, the Ork raised both arms to block, guarding his face. But the kick never came. Instead, Oliver planted his foot and propelled himself past the Ork, using him as a diversion.

"What—?" the Ork started, caught off guard.

Oliver sprinted toward the cages, his heart pounding.

Without breaking stride, he drew his Energy Pistol. He fired precise shots at the locks of four cages, the beams slicing through the metal with ease. The doors swung open.

"You little shit!" the Ork bellowed, fury erupting in his voice. "I knew I shouldn't have been toying with you!"

Oliver stared intently at the prisoners, but realized with a sinking feeling that his plan had tattered. The hope that they could assist him was quickly fading.

They resembled humans at first glance, but upon closer inspection, the differences were stark. Their skin had a luminous sheen. A faint yellowish hue tinged their complexions, and their ears tapered to sharp, knife-like points—a feature unlike any species he'd encountered before.

But what truly struck Oliver was their condition. In each cage, there was only a single occupant—a solitary specimen of whatever race they belonged to. Two appeared to be elderly men, their faces lined with age and hardship. The other two were children, eyes wide with a mix of fear and exhaustion. All four were thin and weak, their frail bodies bearing signs of severe malnutrition.

"Damn. It was obvious they would be like this. I’m so stupid; I just needed to remember when I was in the Orks' prison." Oliver realized his mistake.

Despite their weakened state, they struggled to move, driven by a desperate will to survive. One of the old men mustered the strength to raise a trembling hand toward Oliver. As his fingers unfurled, Oliver's gaze fell upon a crystal nestled in his palm—a Z Crystal, but unlike any he'd seen before.

"H… help," the old man uttered in broken human language, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Without hesitation, Oliver reached out and took the crystal. It pulsed softly in his hand, emitting a warmth that spread up his arm. He didn't fully grasp how it could aid him, but the urgency in the man's eyes compelled him to act.

The moment his skin made contact with the crystal, he felt the gigantic energy trapped inside the crystal. It was a sensation unlike any he'd experienced. The density of the energy within the crystal was extraordinary—far beyond that of a standard Z Crystal.

This one was a Unique Crystal.

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