I’ll be the Red Ranger
Chapter 94 – Earthbraker

- Oliver -

The signal for the third round sounded, echoing throughout the arena. The massive doors began to rise, slowly revealing the imposing silhouette of the mecha waiting beyond.

"Four recruits remaining on the field! We have Cole Thorn, Max Cruz, Sophie Laurent, and Oliver Nameless. Who would have thought a Nameless would make it to the final round? Will we see an upset?" the commentator announced, his voice filled with excitement.

Oliver crouched near the central pillar, trying to control his heavy breathing. Sweat dripped down his temple, and his muscles protested after the previous battles. As he caught his breath, the organizing team quickly entered the arena, removing the pilots who were still trapped in the damaged mini-mechas.

The gate continued to rise, gradually revealing the gigantic six-meter-tall mecha. Although it wasn't the largest available on the market, its presence was monstrous and intimidating.

Oliver didn't have specific details about that model in the NEA materials, but his personal research had helped him recognize some of the most common mechas used in combat. And this one, in a way, was one of them.

Originally designed to work in the depths of the most inhospitable mines, the MN-23, nicknamed Earthbreaker, was a Class Atlas Mecha focused on manual labor and extraction that had been adapted for planetary defense in situations of extreme need.

‘They're using the weakest weapons against recruits,’ Oliver thought. Although they were Mini-Mechas and Mechas, at least the NEA chose the less combative versions, giving them a shallow chance to fight back.

The massive blue structure of the MN-23, reinforced to withstand the pressure of subterranean layers, also helped it face the chaos of the battlefield. The bright orange stripes, painted as safety markers, became an intimidating symbol of its presence in combat and helped refugees find a safe path away from the fight.

At the heart of the Earthbreaker is a Z-Crystal Reactor capable of operating for days without pause. It powers the incredibly potent hydraulic systems, which allow it to carry tons of ore or crush Ork barricades with almost the same ease.

Oliver also noticed that the Mecha wasn't equipped with its traditional weapon. ‘Another positive point; at worst, I'll be crushed by its hands,’ he thought sarcastically.

The enormous drill-shaped lances, designed initially to pierce rocky ground, were used to penetrate the armor of Ork vehicles. These piercing tools, mounted on its heavy arms, are powered by engines that can cut through reinforced steel in seconds, making it a lethal threat in close combat. Luckily for the boy, they weren't with them.

The Earthbreaker's robust and functional design included reinforced plates and a protected cockpit at the center of the torso. It was armored against rock slides and, in war, against explosions.

Oliver recalled some of its flaws. ‘It's slow, yet unstoppable.’

He remembered watching some short interviews with pilots, who described the sensation as being in control of an "ancient monster."

‘Now I'll have to face this 'Ancient Monster,'’ Oliver thought.

With his breath still heavy, Oliver fixed his eyes on the colossal machine. "Let's give it a try," he murmured to himself.

[Insight]

The boy didn't remember the last time he had used this boon and didn't miss it. Immediately, he felt intense pressure at the front of his head, followed by a flood of information inundating his mind. It was as if he had absorbed all the technical schematics of the machine at once. However, there was a problem: he possessed the information but didn't fully understand what was in his mind.

| New Skill Acquired

| New Skill Acquired

Oliver could see some new notifications in the corner of his vision.

| Skills

| Ranger Weapon Handling [Knight]

| Mecha Repairing [Pawn]

| Mecha Piloting [Pawn]

"Alright, I've acquired these skills, but how do I use them?" the boy questioned himself, feeling the moment's urgency.

"The mecha pilots have given the green light! Let's start the final round! We will finally know the champion of this exam!" the commentator said.

Oliver closed his eyes briefly, trying to organize the information in his mind. He visualized the MN-23, recalling every detail of the schematics and searching for weak points to attack.

"Behind the knees, there's a small space where I can damage the hydraulic parts of the legs," he thought. "With enough force, I can compromise the electrical connections on the right arm."

He knew that identifying the weak points was only the first step; the real challenge would be applying them in combat.

The boy looked at the part of his armor damaged in the previous rounds. He could deactivate and reactivate the Artificial Ranger Armor to repair the damage, but that would consume too much energy—a resource he needed to conserve.

‘It's better to fight like this. Either way, if I'm hit directly, I'll almost certainly be disqualified,’ Oliver thought.

"Let's start! 3... 2... 1..." the commentator said.

The alarm sounded inside the arena. The Earthbreaker took its first steps, the ground trembling with the mecha's weight. Fortunately for Oliver, despite its imposing size, the war machine was slow.

Oliver took a deep breath, feeling adrenaline pulse through his veins. With his eyes fixed on the metallic giant, he began to move laterally, seeking a good position to attack. The mecha turned slowly, trying to keep up with him, but the boy's speed was superior.

‘I need to reach the back of the legs,’ he thought, recalling the weak points.

With a quick sprint, he ran toward the Earthbreaker. The pilot, noticing the approach, tried to crush him with one of the heavy arms. Oliver slid along the ground, feeling the air displaced by the mecha's movement pass over him.

"My God!" the boy shouted upon feeling the force of the wind caused by the Earthbreaker's arm. Concern took over his mind for a moment: "Would I survive if I were hit?"

Determined to continue, Oliver tried to get closer to the machine's legs. However, the steel giant jumped back, retreating a few meters and causing a small earthquake upon landing, making the ground tremble under his feet. But this wouldn't be the last time he would feel the earth shake.

"What was that?! Sophie has been eliminated; she thought she could dodge the attack, but even a flick from the Mecha was enough to throw her against the zone wall and eliminate her from the battle," the commentator explained about one of the other zones. "Meanwhile, Max is completely giant, almost the same height as the Mecha. However, he has also lost his speed. Does he expect to win in a strength contest?"

"Only two left," Oliver thought, feeling a mix of anxiety and excitement at being among the three finalists.

Oliver's legs trembled. He had already pushed his body to the limit with four uses of [Prometheus], but he knew he would need a bit more.

"Just a little more," he wished.

Inside the Earthbreaker's cockpit, the pilot was surprised. The boy seemed to know the weaknesses of his mecha quite well. From the beginning of the fight, Oliver had tried to advance directly against the machine's knees. Even so, thought the pilot, he was still just a boy. He didn't need to take the fight so seriously. The pilot decided not to advance directly toward Oliver's pillar, preferring to engage in close combat—if it could be called that.

Oliver was pleased with the pilot's decision. Seeing the MN-23 advance toward him, he prepared himself, waiting for the right moment. He observed as one of the enormous arms approached him, the shadow cast by the metallic limb growing rapidly over him.

"Now!" Oliver shouted.

[Prometheus]

He activated the ability again, feeling the energy course through his exhausted legs. The world around him seemed to slow down for a moment. He dodged the blow, passing under the mecha's arm. The air current created by the movement almost tripped him, but he was expecting something like that.

Taking advantage of the opening, the boy ran beneath the Earthbreaker's enormous arm, seeking the protrusions of the arm’s structure. In a matter of seconds, he had approached his objective. Pulling out his Energy Pistol, he aimed at the connection between the arm and the shoulder, a vulnerable point that could compromise the machine's movements.

He could feel that his regular shots wouldn't have enough power to damage the structure. Instead of reducing and making it thinner, he decided to overload his pistol with energy.

‘Hope it doesn't explode,’ Oliver thought upon seeing his pistol, which generally had a bluish glow, now glowing red.

Inside the cockpit, the pilot struggled to keep up with Oliver's speed on the monitors. Alarms sounded as the sensors detected the boy's presence near a critical area of the mecha's structure.

Before the pilot could alter the course of the attack, Oliver's shot was fired, causing an explosion of sparks and debris. The Earthbreaker's arm trembled, losing its power.

However, the explosion was such that the force pushed Oliver far from the Mecha.

"What the fuck! How did this kid find that?!" exclaimed the pilot, trying to regain control of the MN-23's arm. However, the arm was damaged entirely; it hung by the Mecha's side, making applying force to the limb seem impossible.

Without wasting time, Oliver got up from the ground and accelerated toward the back of the mecha.

[Prometheus]

He tried to activate it but didn't feel any energy pass through his body.

[Prometheus]

Again, nothing.

He had spent all his Energy; even his Energy Pistol had disappeared. All that remained was his Artificial Ranger Armor.

When he was a few meters from the Mecha, an alarm sounded in the arena.