Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
In an isolated green-black wilderness
In the large patches of black swamp and plains, there was a single little inn standing alone in the center. The grey-white building looked just like a wooden toy house used for childrenâs games, in that it did not look steady at all.
Clint was sprawled on a pitch-black, broken-down Mech, holding something like a tweezer tool. He even had a few oily screws in his mouth, and was repairing his own Mech cockpit with an expression of intense concentration.
âThird screw on the left, tighten it again, and be careful of the energy circuits there, if you knock them askew, youâll have to start all over again.â
Red Moonâs instructions kept coming, guiding Clint to quickly settle some of the minor problems the Mech had.
Amidst the clinking noises, Clint spat out the things in his mouth.
âLord Red Moon, can this thing even be fixed? Iâve been working for a few days now, but itâs still exactly the same.â
âIt was damaged too badly in the chase from before, so you got no choice. You should thank your lucky stars if it can even be fixed at all,â replied Red Moon exasperatedly. âLonnieâs one is still in one piece, at the very least, so if this one really canât, youâll just have to make do. Oh, and there arenât that many energy batteries for the energy furnace anymore, so youâll need to find new batteries. This isnât the city, where you can find many batteries anywhere. In the radiation belt, the hardest part is finding supplies, not just for people, but for Mechs as well.â
âCanât we just toss them into your space, like last time?â asked Clint, confused.
âOf course not, youâll be done for if your enemies reach you here. Unlike normal pilots, youâre the fast-growing type, your Willpower improved really quickly, but at the same time, when youâre not in your Mechs, you canât use your Willpower at all,â reminded Red Moon. âDonât tell me you forgot?â
âOf course not,â Clint pouted. The intense pain in his butt from before was still fresh in his mind, he did not know what happened, but he did not dare to recall such terrifying memories.
âAlright, hurry up,â Red Moon rushed him.
âClint, itâs time to eat.â Just then, Baylonâs voice came from the inn below, she was wearing an apron hastily tied on with black cloth, and yelled as she walked out of the door.
âLetâs go, time to eat!â
Clint jumped out of the Mech. The Nine Mega Cannon Training Method had drastically strengthened his body, such that it was nothing for him to jump down from several meters up.
Once he entered the inn, in the small hall behind the front door, he saw two bowls of pale yellow thick soup on the table. They looked very average, but smelled very good. He had no idea what they were made of.
There was the aroma of meat and a faint smell of green grass in the air.
âSmells so good...â Clint took a deep breath, and when he saw that Baylon was ready with the ladle, his face instantly broke into a smile.
âSorry, thereâs nothing much left to eat anymore... There were just a few cans left, I used up the rest of our water to make this...â Baylonâs expression was pained as she said that.
âItâs okay, how much longer can our supplies last?â Clint sat down and immediately began to shovel the food into his mouth.
âTwo more days...â Baylon lowered her head.
â!!??â
Clint instantly looked up, his expression incredulous.
âAlthough the rat meat that we made into jerky has been kept into Lord Red Moonâs space, we just donât have enough water... And in the incident last time, the Mech filter system that we took out was taken away...â Baylon replied, her head lowered.
âLooking for food and water in the radiation belt is a very troublesome matter, but compared to being hunted, itâs still a lot easier...â Red Moon said calmly, having expected this a long time ago.
It placed most of its attention on Baylon, who was slowly sitting down.
âLonnie.â
âAh... huh?â
âYou secretly asked about the second half of the training method for your brother, and I gave it all to you. But every training method in the world requires all of oneâs undivided attention, in other words, one person can only choose one training method to resonate with in their lifetime. The others can only be their support. If your brother chooses this training method as his main, then when he builds a Mech in the future, he will require extremely, extremely high-level materials. And on this planet, such materials...â
âThey donât exist?â A hint of disappointment flashed through Baylonâs eyes. âMy older brother... had always been stronger than me since we were young. No matter what happened, he would always be proud, fearless, advancing without hesitation...â
Red Moon and Clint did not say anything, and just looked at her quietly.
âHe will surely have a way... Heâll make the best choice! I trust him to,â Baylon said determinedly.
âSure, but even if he doesnât choose this training method as his main, a lot of the contents in it will still work with his Willpower and benefit him,â said Red Moon consolingly. If at first he had released this training method to stabilize Garen, now he was truly and sincerely offering a solution.
âIn this world, the best things are the ones that suit you. No matter how high-level the other stuff is, no matter strong, that will still be the strength of others. Your brother... he is a prodigy... so donât worry.â
Baylon nodded. She never doubted that. As an older brother, Nonoâs image had long ago left the deepest impressions in her heart.
The two of them picked up their bowls and drank their soup slowly. After they were done eating, Baylon cleared the plates and prepared to wash them.
Suddenly there was a faint rumble reaching them slowly from afar.
The floor began to tremble, and bolts of faint electricity spread from the distance like waves.
The two of them froze at almost the exact same time.
âThatâs...!??â Clintâs heart began to tremble intensely despite himself.
âItâs Red-White!â Red Moonâs yell woke the two of them up. âLonnie, get into the Mech!! Now!â
Clintâs Mech was not fixed yet, and could not move, so the only one that was intact now was Baylonâs Mech.
Baylonâs eyes first flashed with deep fear and hesitation.
âI... I...â
âYou, you, my foot! If you donât wanna die, get on the f*cking thing!!â Red Moon began to curse loudly.
In the midst of the yelling, Baylon was all dazed and confused. By the time she recovered, she was already sitting in the broken-up old patchwork Mech.
The Willpower produced by Bright Queen Jisaiyaâs training method was like so many tiny spiders, constantly spitting out blue silk threads that spread from inside her body, connecting to the entire Mech from top to bottom.
âGet ready to move!â reminded Red Moon. âLonnie, Clint and I are depending on you to protect us now. If you donât want to die, fight! The opponent is not really a peak-level Red-White Mech, itâs just a straggling soldier on patrol. If you still canât beat âem, then weâre probably truly done for.â
âI... I canât...â Baylonâs heart was pounding loudly. The heavy responsibility and pressure weighed down on her, to the point where she was struggling to breathe.
âJust do it with all your might. Even if you fail, no one will blame you.â Just then, Clintâs voice came from inside the Mech.
âMy ass!! Move aside, you idiot, even if you got a death wish, I ainât lived enough yet!â Red Moon interrupted Clint abruptly. âPunk-ass, if you canât beat that small fry, both of yâall will run naked!!â
âR-r-r-run naked...!!!â Baylonâs little face instantly turned into a tomato with a whoomph.
On the distant horizon, a red-and-white humanoid Mech with a wolfâs head was flying at them at top speeds.
âGoâ!!â With a sudden squeeze of Willpower, Baylon felt herself dashing forward. She was actually striding towards the opponent madly, the engine behind her exploding to life, and forcing the Mech to slowly shoot towards the enemy.
Aaaaaaahhhâ-
She started screaming abruptly, as she watched the wolf-headed humanoid Mech come closer and closer, closer and closer.
âWhereâd this junk bucket come from?â a hoarse womanâs voice said from within the other Mech.
Seeing that the Mechs were going to crash into each other, Baylonâs heart ran cold, and she tried to salvage the situation, flustered. But she had no idea how to react.
âIdiot! You donât even know the basic movements!?â Red Moonâs voice began to howl.
For some reason, for a second there, it was as though Red Moonâs voice overlapped with another voice in her memory.
Baylonâs eyes suddenly lost focus, as though she had suddenly returned to the past, when she asked her brother to teach her basic combat skills.
âA Mechâs basic combat is actually just like a humanâs own movements, the Will-powered Mechs can perfectly express any movement of the human body.â Nonosivaâs eyes were filled with contempt as he looked down on Baylon.
âRemember, Baylon, when it comes to fighting, it doesnât matter whoâs stronger, but itâs the person who can use the power correctly who wins. No matter how weak this person is, once the power is used right, the difference between them will also be like heaven and earth.â
âJust like right now.â
Whoosh!
Nono kicked out suddenly, his foot landing in Baylonâs stomach.
âWhat should you do?! Tell me!â
Bam! Mrgh...
Baylon hugged his stomach, and refused to let himself fall.
âRe-retreat.â
âMoron! Attack! Attack, damn youâ-!!â
âAttack...â
The familiar scenes flashed through Baylonâs eyes. The Red-White Mech in the distance was actually also raising its right leg, stomping at her. This scene was somehow coincidentally just like the move her brother Nonosiva demonstrated back then. Her brotherâs voice from not too long ago seemed to still be ringing in her ears.
âDefend? Retreat? Idiot!! Defending is so you can prolong your time to attack! Retreating is so that you can find a better angle to attack. All of this is for one aim only, and that is... to kill your opponent.â
Bam!!!
In that instant, the two Mechs crashed into each other. Baylonâs arms waved around, her fists smashing hard into her opponentâs head. At the same time, she twisted her waist, and somehow eerily dodged the Red-White Mechâs stomp.
These strange moves surprised both Clint and Red Moon, who were watching from a distance.
From afar, Baylonâs Mech looked like an expert acrobatic dancer, avoiding the opponentâs dangerous attacks while at the same time using a powerful, assassin-like fist technique.
âBaylon, that punk... Who is she mimicking...?â asked Red Moon softly, puzzled.
âMimicking?â Clint was confused. âWhatâs that mean?â