Chapter 43

　　Over the next week, Kal progressed from Rank Z` to U,` winning twenty-five consecutive matches. During that time, he learned two things from his experience in the Ranked Ladder.

　　The first was that Lag` was the most significant impediment in combat. More than mismatched equipment, outdated Mechs and unbalanced terrain. If you faced an opponent that was perfectly meshed` with their Mech and you had a Neural Burden delaying your actions, the match was practically over before it started.

　　For Kal, the outdated Golem, combined with his own talents, meant the Neural Burden was so low that he could react instantly to the actions of his delayed opponents before they could adjust. This gave him such a substantial advantage over other rookie Pilots that he flew through the rankings, eliminating opponents who weren`t accustomed to their Mechs.

　　That advantage was mainly removed when he made it to Rank U.` He began to face opponents who had either no Lag` or had adequately adjusted themselves to compensate for their deficiencies.

　　Faced with opponents on a similar level, Kal came to his second conclusion.

　　The Golem was a Bully, plain and simple. It could easily crush any Mech weaker and smaller than itself, but when faced with a modern Mech and a semi-skilled Pilot, it struggled.

　　If it hadn`t been for the automatic repairs between each match, Kal`s Mech would have been scrap metal ages ago. Even against opponents that could barely react to his movements because of their Lag,` their shots would devastate the weak armour of the Golem, quickly penetrating it.

　　Missiles would shred its exterior, lasguns melted its armour, and even errant physical blows would shatter pieces of the ancient Golem. But it would win, and after each match, the system would repair it back to its pre-match state, allowing Kal to fight again.

　　Like any good Pilot, Kal adjusted his tactics and loadout to compensate for the Mech`s deficiencies. The Autocannon on its shoulder was powerful but inaccurate and slow loading. He had not managed to strike an opponent once with the weapon in twenty-five bouts.

　　So, he replaced the high explosive rounds with a combination of smoke-emitting grenade-type explosives and another that emitted a flash of blinding, intense light.

　　He would start his matches by launching a blinding attack, disrupting his opponent long enough for Kal to close in. Sometimes his opponent would recover quickly, but even the slightest delay was sufficient.

　　To better protect the Golem, he spent some of his winnings from the matches on new paint, shining black with the white circle symbol of Luna on the chest and a coating of anti-laser protection. It wouldn`t stop a direct attack, but it was better than what it had previously.

　　To help him survive long enough to close the distance, he added a thick shield of a dense tungsten alloy to his left arm. He wielded a club of the same material in his right hand, an inelegant weapon he would use to bash his opponents aggressively.

　　The Golem`s weaknesses forced Kal to fight like an enraged barbarian, closing in quickly and using the Mech`s size and weight to crush his opponents. It wasn`t pretty, but it gave Kal valuable experience in Piloting.

　　In the U` Rank, Kal was handed his first loss.

　　His opponent wielded a Heavy Lasgun with enough accuracy that the slow-moving Golem couldn`t close in on him before it had bypassed his shield and struck his leg. Falling to his knees, it pierced his head with another strike, blinding Kal before accurately hitting the cockpit.The author`s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

　　From that point on, Kal won about a third of his matches, the difficulty spike and the limitations of the Golem forcing him to leave Ladder Ranked for another time. He could have pressed on, climbing the ranks by accumulating points for each win, but Kal felt he would be better served to take a break from Ladder Rankings.

　　In the storage room again, recovering from a brutal loss at the hands of a small Scout` class wielding a railgun, Kal pulled up the world event he had seen earlier.

　　Kal expected to be able to survive long enough on Beluth to earn credits before inevitably losing the Golem. But by then, he hoped to have enough to purchase a more modern machine. It would be a gamble, but he was confident of coming ahead.

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　　Kal looked down at the war-torn planet below from the window of the Starship while his in-game HUD brought up the Event`s details.

　　Beluth had been ruled by Clan Toth, which also had a presence in dozens of the surrounding worlds. Recently, their influence had degraded by the combined actions of several other clans seeking to weaken them, triggering the current World Event.

　　From the maps, graphs and statistics his HUD displayed, it seemed that Clan Toth had a firm hold on the planet`s southern hemisphere while a large continent in the north was currently under siege. This Event differed from others Kal had participated in, as he could take additional quests and mission on the surface to increase or decrease Clan Toth`s remaining influence.

　　There were three factions to choose from, each with advantages and drawbacks. Kal reviewed them carefully before making his decision. It would affect his choices in approaching the World Event from now on.

　　 Join Clan Toth - Increased Mission Payouts/10% Total Salvage Claims

　　 Join Insurgents - Low Mission Payouts/35% Total Salvage Claims

　　 Freelance Pilot - Unable to take Missions/100% Total Salvage Claims

　　If Kal joined Clan Toth, the missions he would take had the best rewards as the controlling faction amplified the payouts, but they would take most of the value of any Mechs or Players he eliminated. The funds would automatically appear in his account after a confirmed kill, the Players Mech disappearing into motes of light.

　　The Insurgents couldn`t offer the same fees but provided additional salvage. There was also the increased risk of joining them as they were outnumbered and currently surrounded in the North. But a skilled Pilot could make a fortune on their side if they were talented enough.

　　Finally, he could join no side, taking everyone as an enemy and claiming full credit for his kills. It was suicidal and a terrible choice for a single player with no backing.

　　Thinking through the options, Kal decided to join the Insurgents simply because he would get more combat experience without the tedium of joining a larger group. The Starship`s hold was filled with dozens of other players, all making similar choices before boarding transports to the surface.

　　They would be forbidden from engaging each other until they officially landed and entered the Red Zone.`

　　Tens of thousands of players had travelled to Beluth to participate, and the conflict raging below was utterly player-driven, giving it a nuance that could only come from their actions. The battle lines would shift and change, sometimes drastically, as people made decisions that could affect the outcome.

　　Onboard a Transport, with his Golem stored behind him, Kal waited as the dropship carried him to his destination.

　　The players joining Clan Toth were headed to the southern hemisphere, awaiting deployment to other parts of the planet. At the same time, the insurgents held a space corridor directly to the contested lands in the North.

　　Looking out the viewport while the automated transport piloted, Kal could see other Starships in the blackness of space, hovering above the planet. Flights of fighter craft patrolled the skies, Players practicing their Piloting skills using Space capable Mechs and assault ships.

　　Occasionally, crews would engage each other, lighting the black void with laser fire and explosions.

　　The transport rocked around him as he entered the atmosphere, leaving a blazing trail behind it while it slowed down. Below, Kal could see heavily forested areas, open plains and the occasional city.

　　Following a safe path, the transport brought him to a wide clearing where hundreds of Mechs and Players loitered.

　　In his HUD, Kal saw a notification hover directly in front of his eyes. Entering Red Zone. Planetary PVP Enabled.`

　　Unbuckling his seatbelt, Kal disembarked the transport, taking in the new environment and the people around him. The Transport automatically offloaded his Golem, depositing it onto the ground before returning to the air.

　　Taking a deep breath, Kal walked towards the nearest mission board, intent on joining the conflict for the liberation of Beluth.