Initially, the exam was supposedly free for these aspiring mecha pilots, but over the years, there were times when minor repairs had to be made on these virtual mechas.
It was an expense that many expected, considering the five successive games.
However, they rarely encountered a case in which the mecha was so damaged that it had to be put back together to accommodate a pilot.
This surprising fact was the talk of the town, and it was understandable because they had never seen such a brutal way to fight.
How would the pilot recover from such a shadow?
And how was it possible to even do that?
Ollie could hear the people, but he couldn’t exactly say that his good brother was only doing his best for the family.
As for the methodology, he couldn’t exactly tell them that he was the original cause. His adorable and pure, maybe not anymore, brother wouldn’t have learned such ways had he been a better student.
Luca, the apparently brutal dismantler, however, was just waiting for his next opponent.
The exam’s format was a double-edged sword. The examinees who were enclosed in individual waiting booths weren’t privy to the other games and couldn’t scour the forums for the hottest news.
So, this senior brother who realized he was facing a fresh-faced freshman obviously thought it was a free win.
And it really was.
It was just that it was a free win for Luca.
This time, the avid researcher was surprised to see a rather custom-heavy mecha.
There were so many things going on with it that Luca was excited to see more of the design.
He figured such a thing should cost a lot of money, right?
This time around, it was a game of cat and mouse.
The heavy mecha who was intent on pummelling Luca’s medium mecha was in for a treat when he realized that it was impossible to catch the rat bastard!
However, the little chipmunk, who swore he wasn’t a rat, wasn’t particularly keen on getting pummelled. He was instead interested in his opponent’s defensive capabilities.
Luca wanted to know how to best deal with such a mecha and what vulnerabilities they should note down.
The little money grubber even thought about sharing the knowledge with his brother so that they could save on costs by making better mechas.
Eventually, after poking the heavy mecha until the opponent was ready to just surrender, Luca was able to discover a good strategy!
Then followed a series of smooth movements that targeted the mecha’s energy core.
Hmm. This is undoubtedly a problem. Luca thought as he realized that the energy core was such a vulnerable location known to everyone. And with the right machinations, it would be very easy to pull it out to immediately immobilize an enemy.
And Luca did precisely that. He pulled out the fragile energy core and marveled at how it was slightly different from what he was used to seeing.
While Luca and D-29 learned for ’free.’ The onlookers who had practically ignored the other battles were mortified to see the medium mecha clutching the power source of its opponent.
Luca probably didn’t realize the imagery as the heavy mecha landed on the ground, drooping like a fallen soldier on the battlefield, its power source gripped by its oppressor like a beating heart.
"Isn’t this bullying?" Asked an invested onlooker.
"Hell, did that pilot do something to number 4? This was even more brutal than the first one!"
"This is just a test, right? And these are just virtual mechas?" Another one voiced out.
And Ollie shivered at the thought of it.
Had this been a real battle, would his brother be collecting the mecha parts as spoils, too?
Yeah.
Yeah, he would.
Because even Ollie would do it if he had the ability.
Luca’s battle was longer than necessary, according to everyone’s opinion, and really, the others prayed that their friends or family members would just get anyone but number 4.
Were the freshmen really this angry with the Seniors? Thought the instructors, who remembered what happened by the cafeteria.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: The Royal Military Academy's Impostor Owns a Dungeon [BL]