Chapter 27

　　Kal was waiting at the quest board in Atland when a notification appeared on his HUD. Judging by the players` reactions around him, they received similar alerts.

　　Notice: Triton World Event!

　　Rogue Mechs have assaulted the city of Holas. Raven`s Riders request assistance. Report to the transport vessels for transfer to Holas.

　　Goal: Defeat Rogue Mechs before the catastrophic destruction of Holas.

　　Reward: 3000 Credits/30000 credits on Victory/Bonus credits based on contribution.

　　Death Penalty: Severe - Loss of equipment and credits. No Respawn in Holas Combat Zone.

　　Player Limit: N/A

　　Reading the notice, Kal was intrigued. He had heard of player-driven world events the system created in response to the actions of an individual or group.

　　The credits for this mission were guaranteed, although he would be barred from re-entry if he died during the event. He would respawn in Atland, missing a random piece of equipment and some of his banked credits.

　　But the reward for participating would more than cover the costs of his death.

　　All around him, players were rushing to the landing pad to board the waiting transport ships. Thinking quickly, Kal joined them. His equipment was poor, its loss wouldn`t be a setback, and he wanted to experience the game`s version of a large-scale conflict.

　　After finding an open seat on the first transport, the ship took off toward the south.

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　　The virtual wind whistled as it rushed past Kal`s face.

　　Helmeted and armoured, he barely felt its presence as he fell toward the ground. The city of Holas stretched out beneath him as he plummeted. Fires had spread to large sections of the metropolis, and Kal could catch glimpses of bluish-white Lasgun discharges streaking across the city`s skyline.

　　The fighting was too intense for the transports to make landfall, requiring the players to leap from far above the city. Flanking him, hundreds of other players were falling, some with their bodies firm and arms at their sides to gain speed, while several pinwheeled in the sky, unaccustomed to diving from transports.

　　Kal imitated those who appeared more competent, adjusting his body to reduce drag and pulling ahead of the pack to reduce the risk of being struck by ground fire.

　　He could see half a dozen Mechs hurrying about on the ground, unleashing a torrent of destruction onto the city. Buildings crumbled around them, and the thick smoke and debris obscured the machines periodically from his sight.

　　The Rogue Mechs were running rampant and unopposed. Nearly a quarter of the city was in ruins, and Kal could find no signs of resistance.

　　A Mech Drop Pod careened from above with a deafening roar, swiftly overtaking the players. It trailed fire as it fell, slowing slightly when its sides split open, releasing a trio of Light Class Mechs in Raven`s Riders purple and black, the symbol of the Raven prominent on their torsos.

　　Three Scout Mechs, long-limbed with broad bodies, wielding Heavy Lasguns and Missile launchers, leapt from the pod.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it`s taken without the author`s consent. Report it.

　　They had barely separated from the pod when a beam of red energy shot out from the city, striking one of the Mechs directly in the torso. The energy ray halted momentarily, burning through the Machine`s armour before passing through it, leaving an orangish-red hole glowing in its chest.

　　Even from where he was falling, Kal could feel the heat of the attack. The now Pilotless Mech tumbled for a moment before exploding.

　　PPC.` Kal thought, following the purplish afterimage it left in his vision to its source.

　　A Light Class Mech knelt amongst the ruins with a long-barreled weapon braced against a toppled pillar. Slim and humanoid, it was metallic grey, lacking the trappings and symbols of a clan.

　　Lacking the power to fire the PPC without an external source, cables ran from the gun to a large battery pack on the Mech`s back. Steam rose from the gun`s barrel, the heat from its discharge slowly dissipating as it faded from bright red to a dull rust colour.

　　The Mechs of Raven`s Riders retaliated before the energy of the PPC wholly dispersed. A Scout class returned fire with a Heavy Lasgun, the thunderous crack of its beam echoing a steady beat as it fired.

　　The other Scout stabilized itself in the air with its thrusters before it fired a salvo of missiles from a launcher on its back.

　　The Bluish-White beam fractured as it struck the concealed Mech in the shoulder, splintering into fragments that cut into the surrounding rubble. The Rogue Pilot dropped the PPC, taking off at a run behind a building, only for the Missiles to rain down amongst it.

　　Great gouts of flame and debris shot skyward, the structure collapsing around it.

　　Kal doubted the Mech survived, but the Raven`s Riders Pilots weren`t taking any chances. While they drifted toward the ground, the tall and lanky Mech kept its Lasgun ready while its partner fired another round of rockets, adding to the destruction.

　　He lost sight of the battling forces as the ground swiftly approached. Not slowing, Kal relied on the mission`s free piece of technology given to him while on the transport as he plunged toward the roof of a tall apartment building.

　　A field of energy formed around him like a protective cocoon.

　　He slammed into the concrete structure, the field absorbing the force, slowing him instantly and protecting him from the inertia. The barrier was destroyed on impact, shattering like glass, along with the device Kal had attached to his belt.

　　Standing on the tall structure, Kal surveyed his surroundings for a moment. He could hear the sounds of Lasgun fire and the demolition of buildings to his left. The air reeked of smoke and burning plastics. It would have stung his eyes and lungs if this had occurred in reality.

　　A flashing notification appeared on his compass, showing multiple waypoints.

　　Turning his head, he focused on the closest one. It was a supply cache with heavy weapons and a large, player-operated turret with a PPC cannon attached.

　　Looking down at his Lasrifle, Kal knew it would be useless against the rampaging Rogue Mechs he had been hired to stop. The mission had hundreds of Freelancers, none with the equipment necessary to destroy the machines razing Holas.

　　"They thought of everything." Kal muttered, looking for the quickest way off the roof and to the supply cache.

　　Heading for the stairwell, he kicked the locked door blocking his access before running down the stairs to the street below. As he ran down a broad road, the sounds of fighting seemed to ebb and flow as the battle shifted throughout the city.

　　Above, more Mech Drop Pods arrived. One was about to land only a few blocks from his position when another beam of red energy struck it directly, burning a hole through the pod and continuing into the sky before dissipating.

　　The Pod exploded instantly, sending the remains of three more Light Class Mechs crashing toward the ground.

　　Whoever these Rogue Mech Pilots were, they were skilled. It was clear they had an advantage in weaponry and ability. With their Mechs already entrenched in the city, Raven`s Riders would have difficulty routing them without significant causalities.

　　Kal ducked behind a building as the burning wreckage of the Drop Pod struck the ground, sending a shockwave through the street. Parked hovercars tossed into the air, and shattered glass pelted the ground like hail stones.

　　He waited until the tremors ceased before leaving the alleyway, running towards the quest marker on his HUD.

　　Along the way, Kal spotted two other players who had been on the transports, heading in the same direction as him. Abruptly, a Mech sprinted into the street from behind a building at the far end of the road.

　　Leaping out of the street and hiding in a shop doorway, Kal had a moment of sheer terror at seeing the mechanical behemoth before he spied the Purple Raven on its torso.

　　He was about to leave his hiding place again when another Mech slammed into it from above. Dropping its heavy Lasgun, the two Mech grappled at the end of the street as the Raven`s Rider Pilot was pushed into a building.

　　Kal watched in shock as the collapsing building covered the two Mechs and the players sheltering near it.