After the fall of the Titan, a failed scheme, Jay received a notification on his phone. He opened his phone on the land as the legs of the unit sunk even deeper than before into the ground. The mech unit was replicating his actions of seeing the phone.
System message : You have leveled up. +3 skill points. +3 to all stats.
Jay : It's been a while since I leveled up. Finally, I needed some points for the Path of Gain. Maybe something to reset the skill tree.
AI : Sir, I have analyzed the carcass and debris being dispersed by the Titan. And I have found that there were people inside.
Jay : You mean there were multiple men inside?
AI : Precisely. It seems it was sort of a siege machine from the inside. But their scheme failed due to your intervention. I estimate around a hundred individuals were inside the Titan.
Jay : WHAT?! You mean that wasn't a giant robot, but just a TROJAN HORSE?!?!
AI : I do not know what a Trojan horse means, but based on context—yes.
Jay : An alternative history where the Trojan horse doesn't work. And I didn't think I'd be the one to do it. I don't know how to feel about it. I know it's not a happy thing that many soldiers inside died, but not sad either, as they were our enemies. I thought I was just fighting mechas, but it really did catch me off by surprise.
Just as Jay was pondering over the history and staring at the remains of the Titan, the FX-01 called Jay.
FX-01 : RT-07, is everything all right? You stopped midway. Is there something wrong with the unit?
Jay : This is RT-07. There is nothing wrong with the mech. Just calibrating a few things to my liking.
AI : A much more effective lie is that you were realizing and checking your weapons. This lie will make you suspicious.
Jay : I am also checking my weapons. Please proceed to the next target.
FX-01 : We have orders not to proceed without you. Also, you are seeping deeper into the ground. Please take note.
As he heard this, Jay looked downward toward the board, and the board had transformed according to the soil and was lightly grasping Jay's foot.
Jay : The tech is really elaborate, huh.
Saying this, he flew away, whilst he imagined an alternative version of the Titan which reached its location only to burst open with troops—just like the horse—and infiltrate the territory. Or they would hide low again until nighttime and then get evaporated by the defense tech installed by the Foundation to prevent their mistakes from the last night.
AI : If you are finished monologuing, please return to your mission.
Ignoring the sarcasm, Jay took off and proceeded further to see that the other mechs had already started fighting. From above, all he could see was the bloody battlefield, fire, ashes, and debris. But it was as if his target had vanished into thin air.
Jay : AI, can you see the serpent anywhere?
AI : I have scanned the battlefield and can see a crater tens of kilometers ahead. Maybe it has burrowed underground.
Jay : Any seismic activity?
AI : Yes, I can definitely tell if there is seismic activity from the air. But no—I've procured data from other mechs on the ground, and it seems there is no major seismic activity.
Jay : Alright, we shall continue scouting.
AI : Sure.
Suddenly, there was a sound of the ground moving. Jay quickly looked down to see the pebbles moving side to side, and then it suddenly went calm.
Jay : AI, arm the systems.
Just as the AI was about to start the arming process, the ground split open, and from the ground came a beast known as the Serpent, with its mouth open and its sharp metallic fangs just ready to tear apart the new mech. Jay was able to react to the incoming threat and tried to move even higher in the sky. But due to the latency issue and the fact that the engine was not able to explosively increase its speed in a matter of milliseconds, it caused the Serpent to grab the RT unit in its mouth, just slightly missing the huge fangs, and once again dive into the ground.
Jay : A land snake.
AI : Majority of snakes—
Jay : Just shoot it down with whatever we have.
AI : Shooting it will cause us to be buried under the ground if it is destroyed. And at this depth, we are not far away from becoming ancient remains. So I suggest we endure for a few minutes rather than jamming our weapons.
As the Serpent dove deeper into the ground, Jay was also feeling the vibrations and violently shaking due to the transmission by the frames themselves. The cockpit had become pitch black, as the maximum energy was going to continuously power the machine to not be crushed under its fangs, as well as maintaining the parts so that they don't break.
As a result, after a certain depth, the Serpent started moving upwards. The land behind it had fallen and caused the path behind it to collapse in on itself and close down. And it moved upwards using the RT unit to shield itself.
Jay : Contact the FX unit with our location and tell them to be ready with their weapons.
AI : Understood. Conveying... Network not strong enough underground.
It was only a hundred meters until it reached the surface. The mouth of the Serpent began to glow as if it was charging something.
Jay : This is bad. Okay, stopwatch.
Jay activated a skill where time stops for exactly one second. But it gave Jay a process to start in his head.
Jay : AI, can you extract my mana and put it into your weapons?
AI : Understood. I charge the rail gun. Please pour mana into the sphere.
Suddenly, from the floor, a sphere came up, and Jay poured in whatever mana he had. Even in his surroundings, there wasn't enough mana, but enough for fighting later.
AI : Charging rail gun... Converting mana into electricity... Injecting a steel rod and applying maximum force and speed. Maximum cooling applied... Railgun is ready to deploy.
From the ceiling, a replica of a gun dropped, and Jay grabbed it as he knew what was going to happen.
AI : Surface approaching in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1. Zero.
When the countdown reached zero, the RT unit emerged from the ground and was tossed into the air uncontrollably. From the ground, the Serpent charged its laser cannon.
Jay wanted to make a dialogue, but before his brain could think of one, his hands moved and fired the Railgun. Causing a massive recoil which pushed the RT unit even more upwards and more vulnerable. The steel rod in that state accelerated up to twenty kilometers per second speed and pierced and broke its internal machinery.
AI : Stabilizing mech. Enabling thrusters.
AI took control of the mech as it was falling without any support and finally landed it on the ground so hard that it was knee-deep into the bloody soil. Some of the blood even stained the pristine orange coating on the leg and its knee.
Jay, after taking a small breath, looked at the Serpent. Its eyes, which were glowing red, had been shattered. And it was not moving. Defying Jay's expectations.
Jay : I thought it would explode. Fine, I'll do it myself. AI, hand me some explosives.
AI : Sure. Let me check if the threat is neutralized.
Jay : That looks very dead to me.
Suddenly, the lights were replaced by another set of lights which acted as its eyes. Its mouth and fangs which had been shattered had been reconstructed. Its damaged and broken parts were looking like brand new as it emerged from the ground.
AI : Is it looking dead now?
Jay : Well, it's the second phase of the boss fight, after all. Of course it's not dead. They never are.