I’ll be the Red Ranger
Chapter 93 – Mini Mechas

- Oliver -

| [Select a boon to evolve]

Oliver raised his eyebrows upon seeing the reward he had obtained. Until then, the achievements he had received were minor improvements, like increasing his resistance to certain types of damage. However, this time, he had gotten much better.

The boy climbed down from the wall and returned to the front of his pillar. There were still some zones where competitors were fighting against the robots of the second round, but he took a moment to check his experience.

| Status Page

| User: Oliver [Nameless]

| Level: 4 [Knight]

| Experience: [500/800]

| Credits: 11,210

"How lucky!" Oliver celebrated with a satisfied smile. He already knew he was close to being able to evolve one of his boons, but now he had double what he needed.

‘Alright,’ Oliver thought. ‘First, I need to decide which boon to evolve. It's not worth getting [Observation] and [Insight] at the same time. I won't be able to use both together at this moment. The energy consumption would be too high to use them simultaneously.’

While he reflected, the siren announcing the end of the second round echoed through the arena.

"Of the sixty competitors, only ten remain in their zones. So far, my bets stand, but it's interesting to see other competitors starting to appear on the empire stage," the commentator explained. "Even if they don't become Rangers, their names will become famous. Once they become officers, they can be hired by Houses and maybe even obtain a Z-Crystal through their House."

Oliver tried to focus on his options while the commentator continued discussing the match.

‘Alright. If I want to win this, I need to take a risk. [Observation] would be the safest option. Still, I need something better, something that will help me fight against a mecha while being just a regular human,’ he thought, scratching his head, wondering if he would even be capable.

| Boons

| Insight [Pawn][Growth]

| [Click to Free Upgrade]

Oliver took a deep breath, feeling a mix of anxiety and determination. ‘This won't be like an evolution, right?’

‘More or less,’ Athena replied in his mind, the soft voice of the artificial intelligence that accompanied him.

‘Damn,’ he thought before pressing the button.

As soon as his finger touched the floating icon, a sudden headache hit him. A sharp pang ran through his skull, and his eyes filled with involuntary tears. The sensation, although extremely intense, lasted only a few seconds.

"Damn it," the boy exclaimed, bringing his hand to his temple.

New notifications appeared on his HUD, the letters glowing with a golden hue:

| Boons

| Insight [Knight][Growth]

| Insight has been upgraded; you can absorb more information than before.

| This information can help you discover more about the world around you, aiding you in finding Achievements or new Skills.

| [Use 800 Experience Points to Upgrade]

‘How fricking expensive!’ Oliver thought, surprised to see the new amount of experience needed for the next upgrade.

| Glitches

| [Too Much Information]

| There's no longer a risk of death; however, a large load of information can make you faint.

‘At least the risk decreased. If my idea fails and I can't find something useful in the mecha when I use Insight, I'll most likely be eliminated from the arena and might still pass based on my score,’ Oliver thought.

His thoughts were interrupted by the commentator’s voice. "The gate is opening again; in this round, we will finally see the entry of mini-mechas. Perhaps you've already seen them on other channels, but in this arena, it will be the first time we've reached this level," the commentator explained.

Oliver felt adrenaline coursing through his body. ‘Alright,’ he thought quickly. ‘Now, I'll increase my energy with the rest of the experience. I need to be able to use [Prometheus] for longer and maybe increase its power.’ The boy looked at the HUD again, wanting to decide before his opponents entered the arena.

| Stats

| Strength: 7 [Pawn] [Buy for 400 Exp]

| Agility: 19 [Knight] [Buy for 200 Exp]

| Constitution: 6 [Pawn] [Buy for 400 Exp]

| Energy: 14 [Knight] [Buy for 400 Exp]

Without hesitation, he selected the option to acquire more energy. A large six-sided die appeared, spinning on his virtual screen and displaying new notifications.

| Analyzing your composition

| Evaluating contribution

| …

| Increase completed

The die finally stopped spinning, revealing the result.

| +2 Energy

‘Could I have gotten +6?’ Oliver thought with a mix of disappointment and resignation. ‘Well, at least it's the same as I received when leveling up,’ he tried to convince himself that he was satisfied with the result.

| Stats

| Strength: 7 [Pawn] [Buy for 400 Exp]

| Agility: 19 [Knight] [Buy for 200 Exp]

| Constitution: 6 [Pawn] [Buy for 400 Exp]

| Energy: 16 [Knight] [Buy for 1600 Exp]

‘Hey! This is a robbery!’ Upon seeing the new amount of experience needed to evolve his energy again, Oliver exclaimed mentally.

While analyzing his interface, the boy felt the ground tremble beneath his feet. He looked up and saw the imposing silhouettes of the mini-mechas emerging from the darkness beyond the gate, which now closed with a final clang.

Oliver knew he wouldn't need [Insight] for this opponent. At least, not yet.

The mini-mechas were reduced versions, at most three meters tall. Designed for quick combats or manual labor, they resembled exoskeletons more than traditional mechas. Still, they were crucial tools for the NEA and the Houses.

The gate made a noise as the enormous doors locked. In front of him, three mini-mechas positioned themselves. Oliver recognized them immediately from the documents he had studied.

They were three EX-07s, better known as Grenadiers—mini-mechas initially used for engineering and construction but converted during the Waves for urban combat. Although firepower wasn't their strong suit, they had exceptional raw power.

The three had a worn olive-green hull, with vibrant orange patches reflecting years of operation in war zones. Weld patches and impact marks bore witness to improvised field repairs.

With a robust and curved design, their thick legs and reinforced arms gave them an almost simian appearance. Initially designed for construction, the strength and resistance proved extremely useful on battlefields against the Orcs.

Each carried a compact projectile launcher known as a G-Launcher on their left shoulder, their signature weapon. It was capable of firing explosive or smoke grenades, making them quite versatile foes.

For many pilots, having a Grenadier was a symbol—a sign they had survived hell with a completely improvised weapon. Some called these pilots ‘Mono Champions’, specialists in a single war machine.

‘But they have an obvious weakness,’ Oliver recalled. ‘Being made for construction, they don't have an advanced optical system. High-speed movements can cause a slight delay.’

Oliver quickly advanced to attack one of the three mini-mechas without wasting time. He tried to position himself between them, sticking close to the nearest one and preventing the other two from using the G-Launcher without risking hitting their ally.

Each punch delivered by the mini-mechas made Oliver seem like a rag doll, his guard being destroyed and parts of his Ranger Armor damaged. But the boy was prepared. He avoided staying still for too long and counterattacked whenever an opening appeared with precise kicks and punches.

‘I need to find the right moment,’ he thought, feeling the adrenaline surge. ‘Now!’

[Prometheus]

He invoked the technique again, feeling the energy flow through every fiber of his body, drastically increasing his speed. His movements became a blur to the spectators' eyes and the limited systems of the Grenadiers. He began to circle the first mini-mecha at high speed, confusing its sensors and positioning himself at the back of the gigantic armor.

"Where is it?" Oliver asked himself, searching for the supply unit that should be at the rear. The boy remembered the technical schematics: the adapted models maintained the standard maintenance entry at the back—a vulnerability that could be exploited.

With agility, he climbed the mecha's back, dodging the pilot's attempts to shake him off. Oliver's hands frantically searched for the access panel. Finally, his fingers found an opening.

"Damn! Here it is!" Oliver exclaimed, pulling forcefully.

Exposing the internal circuits, he used his Energy Pistol to shoot directly into the central systems. Sparks flew, and the mini-mecha began to shake uncontrollably. With a leap, Oliver moved away, landing safely as the Grenadier fell heavily to its knees, deactivated.

The two remaining mechas almost seemed to display the pilots' concern. Oliver could see that the launchers were finally loaded and pointed at him. With no time to lose, the boy ran in a zigzag, dodging the explosive grenades now being fired at him. The explosions behind him raised clouds of smoke and debris, but he kept his pace.

Using the debris from the first mecha as cover, Oliver planned his next move. "They won't let me get close again," the boy reflected. He needed a new strategy.

"Maybe I can use their reaction time and delay?" the boy thought.

With [Prometheus] still deactivated, he charged toward one of the remaining mini-mechas, getting so close that he could see the machine loading the next shot. However, before he could touch the mini-mecha, he activated [Prometheus] again—but not to advance against this opponent.

He used his energy to reach the other remaining mecha. Confused, the pilots took time to react. Oliver took advantage of the hesitation and launched himself into the air, using a piece of debris as a springboard. With a powerful kick, he struck the grenade launcher of the third mecha, damaging it. The weapon exploded in flames, and the mecha staggered, reeling.

"Two!" he said to himself, panting.

The remaining mecha didn't waste time. It loaded its G-Launcher and fired a grenade directly at Oliver. With no options, he tried to jump to the side, but he had just deactivated [Prometheus]. Unable to get out of the explosion's area, the boy was partially hit, throwing him to the ground.

Oliver felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. His Ranger Armor was seriously cracked, so much it couldn't regenerate and close the hole.

"I can't stop now," the boy murmured, struggling to stand.

With his senses sharpened by adrenaline, he could see that the mini-mecha was trying to reach his pillar and thus disqualify him. It was his chance. Ignoring the pain, he ran in a straight line directly toward the back of the opponent. The pilot was caught by surprise, thinking that Oliver was still down. As a last resort, the pilot tried to adjust his aim, but it was too late.

Oliver slid under the mecha's legs, quickly getting up behind it. With the last bit of energy, he activated [Prometheus], focusing his energy on his hand. The boy delivered a direct punch to the rear panel. The impact was enough to destabilize the systems. The Grenadier shook, emitting sparks, before completely shutting down.

The signal for the third round sounded, with the gates promptly lifting to present the Mecha.