I’ll be the Red Ranger
Chapter 88 – Old Friends

- Oliver -

"I wish you all good luck. Let the exams begin!" As soon as the General finished speaking, all the monitors and holograms turned off simultaneously, plunging the environment into an almost tangible silence.

The air seemed charged with electric tension, and one could almost feel the recruits' collective nervousness. No one wanted to stay idle in the dormitory; every moment now could make the difference between approval or rejection.

Isabela suddenly rose from the bed, her eyes shining with determination.

"I'm going to meet a friend," the girl explained. "Astrid is also taking the exam; she's in another sector."

Oliver nodded, offering an encouraging smile. "Wish her good luck for me."

"I will do that," replied Isabela before quickly leaving the room. Her boots emitted a slight echo on the metallic floor.

Although the dormitory was huge, it was almost entirely empty. Only a few people remained, exhausted from long journeys, trying to rest before the exams began. The soft lights projected elongated shadows on the walls, creating a quiet and unsettling environment.

Oliver looked around, feeling the restlessness growing inside him. He turned to Katherine, sitting on the edge of the bed, focused on writing on her personal hologram. The luminous lines reflected on her face, highlighting her serene features.

"Kath, let's take a walk?" he suggested, not wanting to stay trapped in the room, consumed by anxiety.

Katherine raised her gaze, surprised by the invitation. Unlike Isabela or Oliver, she didn't feel nervous about the exam. Even so, just staying there and taking notes was becoming monotonous.

"Sure," she replied, closing the hologram with a smooth gesture and standing up. "A bit of fresh air will do us good."

The two left the dormitory and began walking through the first floor of Base 45. The facility was colossal, an actual city erected in the middle of the desert. Wide corridors extended in all directions, illuminated by neon lights and floating advertising holograms. They walked for hours, exploring the various commercial and leisure areas, but few things caught their attention.

Oliver was still interested in the Mechas displayed in some shop windows. The gigantic machines gleamed under the lights, their shining armor reflecting the vibrant colors of the surrounding advertisements. But the prices were astronomical, far beyond what he could imagine.

"I'll pilot one of these someday," the boy commented with a dreamy smile.

Katherine laughed softly. "You'll have your chance during Ranger training. But we still have a good way to go."

"I didn't imagine there would be so many different weapons being offered," Oliver observed, stopping in front of an ArmsTech display window. A state-of-the-art rifle, its structure elegant and lethal, was on display.

"They're not as strong as a Ranger Weapon, but it's a good backup weapon. If your energy level is low, you can use it. It can also be a good option for those with a Ranger Weapon incompatible with their preferred fighting style," she commented.

Oliver understood. He remembered not being able to use his Energy Pistol in the Trial Tower, and having a backup weapon in such cases could be very useful.

They continued walking until they reached a large square in the center of the base. An elevated platform displayed several weapons inside showcases in the middle of it. Thousands of recruits crowded around, some filming, others doing live broadcasts about the presentation.

"What the heck is that weapon?" Oliver tried to see what kind of weapons they were to be attracting so much attention. One of them seemed to be an extremely sharp sword, with a scarlet color covering the entire blade.

"A Crystal Weapon. It's quite rare. Not even I have access to one of them," Katherine responded with wide eyes.

"Really? I thought your family had everything," joked Oliver.

"Maybe John has something like that in the family vault," she smiled. "But I've never seen one in person."

They approached to observe better, fascinated by the beauty and the powerful aura the weapon emanated.

"How much do you think it costs?" Oliver guessed. "One million credits?"

Katherine shook her head. "Not even close. I don't know the price, but to make a weapon like that, you need a huge Z Crystal and an extremely skilled Weapon Maker."

"Five million?" Oliver tried again.

"Perhaps closer to fifty million," Katherine estimated.

"Wow!" Oliver responded, impressed.

They continued exploring the square, but soon, the shop windows became repetitive. They then decided to go up to the third floor, where the training areas were located.

"Do you think there's anyone training at this hour?" Oliver asked as they climbed the escalators, which glowed under blue lights.

"There's always someone training, especially when they're nervous," Katherine replied.

On the third floor, the sounds of simulated combats and physical exercises echoed through the corridors. Training rooms with transparent walls showed recruits practicing various skills, from hand-to-hand combat to energy control.

The two walked while watching the battles taking place from room to room. Every now and then, some notification appeared due to Oliver's left eye.

| Left Eye of Learning

| Unknown Combat Style - Learning

| [0.00%]

'Too bad I don't know enough to learn. Otherwise, I could just sit and absorb their technique,' the boy thought.

They were walking down the corridor, which was almost completely empty except for a specific area crowded with a few dozen recruits, almost shouting at each other.

"What level did they reach? Eleven? Twelve?" asked one of the recruits, his eyes fixed on the room.

"There was a girl earlier who reached level fourteen," replied another, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Fourteen? Impossible. It's almost impossible to see."

Intrigued, Oliver and Katherine approached to see what was happening. Several people were gathered in front of one of the agility training rooms' windows. The mechanism was the same as he had used at the beginning of the academy when he took the first agility test.

"I bet 200 credits he can't get past level ten," challenged a recruit with a cunning smile.

Inside the room, a boy was agilely dodging shots from multiple machines. He was tall and muscular but moved swiftly, avoiding every projectile the four training weapons launched. His movements were fluid, almost superhuman.

From the outside, the spectators could only hear the constant rhythm of shots ricocheting off the walls while the competitor continued to dodge each new threat. The lights flashed, indicating the gradual increase in difficulty.

"You managed to reach level eight, didn't you?" Oliver asked Katherine without taking his eyes off the action.

"Yes," she confirmed, nodding. "But with the training we've had recently, I think we can reach his level, maybe even surpass it."

Katherine tried to speak in a low voice, but apparently, it was enough to attract the attention of some nearby recruits. A girl with short hair and a challenging expression turned to them.

"You think you can get past that level?" she asked loudly, doubting their abilities.

Oliver was surprised by the abrupt intervention. He didn't expect a stranger to intrude on their private conversation. Before he could respond, a sharp sound interrupted his thoughts—the characteristic beep indicating that the competitor had been eliminated.

Unfortunately, Oliver's surprises didn't end there.

The training room doors slid open, releasing a cloud of vapor. From it emerged an imposing boy with a completely shaved head and muscles sculpted like steel. His eyes met Oliver's, and an ironic smile appeared on his face.

"Who would have thought," the boy said upon seeing Oliver.

"Kyle," Oliver responded. "You survived the first exam."

The air around them seemed to grow denser. The nearby recruits fell silent, sensing the growing tension between the two. There was a history there, and unresolved matters were now surfacing.

"Surprised?" Kyle taunted, crossing his arms. "It wasn't me who ended up being taken and spending six months on vacation while in prison."

Katherine stepped forward, holding Oliver's shoulder. She had trained extensively with the boy to know his mannerisms, and she could feel he was a step away from exploding.

"I owe you since last time. It's a pity we won't have a chance to settle this during the exams," Oliver commented through gritted teeth.

"Don't worry; you wouldn't manage it anyway. Think of it as extra time to try to catch up to me," Kyle replied.

Kyle began walking through the crowd, moving away from Oliver. However, before leaving, he threw one more provocation. "Oh! And where's the boy who protected you? Do you now need a princess to protect you?"

Oliver was red with anger. He had to concentrate intensely to avoid activating his armor and going after Kyle.

To calm his anger, he walked impatiently to the agility training room.

‘Let's take the opportunity to test this,’ the boy managed to think amidst the fog of rage.

Seeing one of the weapons appear, he tried to activate his boon.

[Observation]

He had never used it against a machine, so he didn't know if it would work.

As soon as his vision turned black and white and he could see the machines' attack lines, he gained confidence.

His game only ended when he heard the AI speaking. "Level 15 completed."