Chapter 35

　　Kal slid across the roof, his Lasrifle raised and aimed at the approaching missiles. The crosshairs wavered for a moment as he steadied himself. Beside him, the large Autocannon sent out a thunderous peal as it fired.

　　A tungsten projectile larger than Kal`s fist arced across the sky, impacting the building where their attackers were hidden. It punched a hole through the concrete structure before detonating. The building shattered, raising a cloud of dust as it collapsed.

　　Kal focused on the incoming projectiles, time seeming to slow as he concentrated. Aiming carefully, he fired.

　　Crack! Crack! Crack!

　　The Lasrifle snapped as he pulled the trigger, sending streaks of Bluish-White fire across the sky. Each laser found its target, and the building under him shook as the missiles detonated in midair. An explosive shockwave of force swept across them, stirring up the wind and dust, momentarily obscuring his vision.

　　"Nice shooting!" The Autocannon-wielding woman beside him congratulated him as she looked at her handiwork. Her weapon was slow, heavy and terribly inaccurate, but it could also wipe out an entire squad if you were lucky enough to hit them.

　　It seemed that either she had struck true and eliminated their opponents, or the dust and debris had left them blind and confused for the moment.

　　"Thanks. How are we looking?" Kal asked the others.

　　"Clear for now. The device has three minutes remaining. We should be seeing the drop pods soon." She responded, pointing the heavy weapon at the cloud of dust still rising from the structure she had demolished.

　　In the distance, one of the lights from a beacon flared brightly for a moment before turning dark.

　　"Shit. We can`t lose another." She said. The square their devices made could still function as a triangle but would be rendered useless if another team failed. The shield jammer behind them thrummed loudly, tilting slowly as a line of light shot out, connecting with the machines in the distance.

　　In the center, the Raven Riders Base shields fluctuated, the field generated by the assault affecting the integrity.

　　"Heads up, drop pods incoming." The white-suited man behind them called, pointing to the sky.

　　Three streaks of fire were plummeting towards the city, the roar of their approach growing louder as they neared. Unlike the last World Event Kal participated in, the defenders on the ground didn`t attempt to strike the pods while they fell.

　　When they were a few thousand feet above the ground, the sides split open, revealing the Mechs within.

　　There was a mix of Light Class mechs in several different variants. Kal could spot a few Scouts` with humanoid bodies. The Goblin,` a squat-looking Mech with stubby legs and a bank of missile launchers on its shoulders that could detach, boosting its mobility after firing a salvo.

　　Finally, a Blade` Mech was unveiled. A swift-moving melee-focused Mech that wielded long blades coated in energy that could cut through steel. Their combination of powerful thrusters and lightweight meant they could instantly cover large amounts of ground.

　　Combined with a strong, heavy Laspistol, it was a machine that required copious amounts of skill to use effectively but could be unstoppable against other Light Class Mechs if controlled flawlessly.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it`s taken without the author`s consent. Report it.

　　The ground shook as the Mechs landed in the streets of Atland. Immediately, they began splitting up and sprinting towards their objective, the still shielded base in the center of the metropolis. The remains of the drop pods crashed into the ocean beyond the city.

　　"How much time is left on the countdown?" Kal asked, curious to follow along with the Mechs and watch the action himself. They would be free from their responsibilities once the device destabilized the barrier.

　　"We`re good!" the reply came just as a notification filled Kal`s HUD from the mission.

　　Task Accomplished! Your reward has been added to your account.`

　　Free, Kal was about to step towards the base to watch with the others when another notification rang out.

　　Update! Assist with the capture of Atland Base for additional rewards!`

　　Turning to the others, he waited for their opinion before deciding.

　　"We`re going anyway&might as well get paid for it." The white-suited man replied with a shrug. They agreed with the sentiment, and soon they were running across the city, following the sounds of Mechs fighting in the distance.

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　　They arrived in time to see a Scout mech slam into the fluctuating barrier surrounding the base. The shimmering blue-tinted shield held for a moment longer before it popped like a bubble.

　　The Base belonging to the Raven`s Riders was a series of simple, concrete structures with large open areas paved in asphalt. Stacks of supplies, hovercars, and transports were stored here. Although it wasn`t an operational base, in reality, it was simply designated by the game as belonging to the ruling faction of Triton.

　　With the shield`s failure, the assaulting Mechs swarmed the base, only to be met with a barrage of Lasgun and ballistic weapons fire. Tracer rounds streaked across the open area, burning red as they slammed into a Scout`s torso, sending shattered sparks of light careening away.

　　Kal watched from the safety of a building far removed from the base. He waited until the Mechs were too engaged in combat to react to his presence. Some teammates stayed with him, although the white-suited man and the autocannon-wielding woman had rushed into the fray.

　　A squad of Mechs emerged from a hidden bunker on the edge of the base, announcing their presence with a volley of missile fire before charging, closing the distance with their attackers.

　　It was painfully evident to Kal that the Pilots in this world event were not on the same level as the previous one. He had seen skilled Pilots shoot drop pods out of the sky, destroying the Mechs within before they could deploy or grapple their opponents to the ground in hand-to-hand combat.

　　These Pilots were uncoordinated, lacking the cohesion of a squad and were plainly unfamiliar with their Mechs. He witnessed one stumble slightly as it ran, the shift from paved asphalt to the softer ground causing it to slip as it lost traction.

　　Even the assaulting Mechs were slower than he expected. Their movements were delayed as if the Lag` the Pilots were experiencing was holding them back.

　　They were all inexperienced except for one Pilot, who was undoubtedly the best on the battlefield.

　　The Blade in the forefront of the assault was a slim, humanoid machine with proportional legs and arms like a regular person. Its surface was painted a bright crimson, with swirls and decals in blue around its legs and arms.

　　Its head resembled an Exosuit`s helmet, but the Pilot had customized it with long fangs and a scowling, demonic face.

　　The Mech wielded a long, curved sword covered in a blue shimmer of energy that thrummed loudly as it swung and gripped a Laspistol in its left hand.

　　Kal knew it required great skill to jump to each subsequent class of Mech. The difficulty increases exponentially from an Exosuit to Light type, while Medium and Heavy are akin to entering a new realm of complexity.

　　But within the same class, the differences between a beginner and an expert were stark, and Kal was experiencing it firsthand.

　　The Demon Blade charged across the battlefield like a figure possessed, leaving a trail of death and destruction behind it. With thrusters on its legs and back, its speed allowed it to close in on the enemy Mechs in moments, dancing and dodging their laser fire before stabbing with its sword.

　　Kal witnessed it dash forward, spin around a streak of Bluish-White Lasgun fire, the thrumming blade in its hand slashing through the weapon before it fired its Laspistol into the Mech`s cockpit, killing the Pilot effortlessly.

　　The Mechs on both sides were evenly matched at the start of combat, but that single Blade turned the tide. Its kill count nearly reached double digits as the last Mech perished.

　　When the Mission Success notification rang out on his HUD, Kal was still staring in wonder from the rooftop, entirely alone as he studied the Pilot decimating the battlefield. His resolve increased, and his goal was clear.