A blaring alarm echoed through the room, jolting Ren awake. Groaning, he sat up slowly, rubbing his temples as the dull ache in his head gradually subsided. "What… happened?" he muttered, still groggy from the unexpected slumber.
Glancing at his watch, Ren’s eyes widened in surprise. "I’ve been out for over seven hours!?" It was already morning. His body felt weak, but otherwise, he seemed fine. Then, the memory of why he had passed out hit him like a bolt of lightning.
Ren shot to his feet, heart pounding as he turned toward where the mecha parts had been. His breath caught in his throat.
There it was.
Before him stood a towering humanoid mecha, about 25 meters tall. Its sleek, aerodynamic frame gleamed with a metallic silver hue, accented by clean gold lines tracing its elegant contours. Unlike the bulky, blocky designs of modern mechs, this one exuded grace and sophistication—a masterpiece of a lost civilization.
"Is this… real?" Ren whispered in awe, taking in the sight. The mecha’s head was distinct, featuring a visor-like eye that glowed softly with a greenish light. Its entire body was built for speed and agility, clearly designed for aerial maneuvers.
He could see the influences of all the species that had worked on it: human ingenuity, dwarven craftsmanship, and elven mastery of magic.
The arms housed concealed energy blades that, when activated, emitted a powerful green beam capable of slicing through the toughest materials. The feet were equipped with thrusters, designed for enhanced mobility both on the ground and in the sky.
Ren’s gaze shifted to the mecha’s back, where two wing-like appendages were folded. These wings concealed the primary thrusters, not only allowing the mecha to fly at incredible speeds but also capable of detaching and functioning as support drones. The drones could either defend the mecha with an energy shield or attack enemies with beam guns.
The addition of these weapons was a precautionary measure. They hadn’t known what dangers awaited in the vastness of space, so it made sense to prepare for any potential threats.
But what truly captivated Ren’s attention was the circular green light glowing in the center of the mecha’s chest. There it was—the Aeternus Engine.
“It’s mesmerizing,” Ren breathed in awe. The inner part of the engine spun in a circular motion, a technological marvel that, theoretically, could keep running forever.
"This… this is incredible," Ren murmured, circling the mecha with the excitement of a child. "A reactor that doesn’t rely on mana stones... It draws energy directly from the environment! Near a mana vein, this thing could run indefinitely!"
He could hardly contain his excitement. His mind raced with possibilities—his very own mecha, something he’d dreamed of as a child. Tears stung his eyes, not from sorrow but from the overwhelming joy of realizing a lifelong dream.
This mecha was not a weapon of war but the culmination of the knowledge, passion, and dreams of a past civilization, built to explore and conquer the stars. A dream that, tragically, had never come true.
But then, something strange caught his attention.
The Origin Metal had integrated itself into the mecha’s structure, merging with its components. "So, when I use the mecha, I can’t use the Origin Metal for anything else… and vice versa," Ren realized. The trade-off was clear, but it was one he was willing to make.
After excitedly inspecting the mecha for a while, Ren finally pressed the timer to reappear in the physical world.
As if sensing Ren’s presence, the mecha began to move. He stepped back, startled, but the towering machine slowly knelt down in front of him. The head opened, revealing the cockpit. Ren’s heart raced as he approached, barely able to believe what he was seeing. "This… this is really happening," he muttered, climbing inside.
The cockpit was sleek and futuristic, yet something seemed off—there were no visible controls, no steering wheel, no levers. In the game, the developers hadn’t shown much detail about the cockpit or how it operated, so he didn’t know what it would look like.
Just as Ren was about to investigate further, a gentle, feminine voice echoed around him, catching him off guard.
"Please state your name for registration."
Ren blinked in surprise, realizing the voice was coming from the mecha itself. "Uh, Ren… Ren Faire," he stammered, still trying to wrap his mind around the situation.
"Registration complete. Welcome, Ren Faire."
"Are you some kind of AI?" Ren asked, his voice laced with disbelief.
"Affirmative. I am designed to assist the mecha’s operator with all aspects of its operation and control," the voice responded calmly.
"Do you have a name?" Ren inquired, curiosity replacing some of his astonishment.
"No, but there is a designation assigned to this mecha," the voice replied.
"Alright, so what’s the designation?" Ren asked, leaning forward slightly.
"The designation assigned is Astralis," the AI answered.
Ren grinned. "Astralis, huh? That name suits this thing." He thought for a moment. "How about I call you Astra? Does that sound good?"
"Of course. I have registered Astra as my new designation," the AI responded.
"Great!" Ren smiled wider. "Now, can you tell me how to control this thing?" He glanced around the cockpit again, still bewildered by the lack of controls.
"The operator connects with the mecha, allowing for seamless control as if it were an extension of your body," Astra explained.
"You mean… connecting directly to my mind?" Ren asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Affirmative," Astra confirmed.
Ren was cautious, his heart racing with nervous anticipation. The idea of mentally connecting to the mecha was daunting, but with his timer running dangerously low, he knew he didn’t have time to hesitate.
"Connect me," he commanded, his voice steady despite the tension coiling in his chest.
Instantly, he felt a strange pressure in his mind, like his consciousness was being stretched beyond its normal limits. His senses expanded, and suddenly, his perception of his own body altered—his arms and legs felt longer, stronger, and something unfamiliar seemed to extend from his back.
The sensation was overwhelming, but it only lasted a few intense seconds before his mind snapped back into focus. He felt… different. Connected.
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Ren cautiously moved his left arm, and to his amazement, the mecha’s left arm mirrored his movement flawlessly. He tested the same with his legs, then his head. There was no lag, no delay—just pure, seamless synchronization.
"Connection successful at 70%," Astra’s voice chimed in, breaking his awe.
"What does that number mean?" Ren asked, flexing the mecha’s fingers, marveling at how natural it felt.
"It is the compatibility percentage. The higher the number, the better the synchronization between the operator and the mecha," Astra explained. "This number can be increased through experience and combat."
"So, I can get better at this…" Ren mused, already imagining the endless possibilities. He spent the next several minutes walking around the hangar, testing the mecha’s agility, speed, and responsiveness. It was surreal—like controlling a second body, one far stronger and faster than his own.
Suddenly, a notification screen popped up in front of him. It was his status screen.
image [https://i.imgur.com/jvmuM6r.jpeg]
“Boundary?” Ren was confused as he frantically opened his skill list.
image [https://i.imgur.com/wUcoFkz.jpeg]
Ren stared at the skill description in disbelief. "Does this mean I won’t disappear while inside the mecha?" His eyes darted to the timer. Sure enough, the cooldown had begun, but unlike before, his body hadn’t faded. He didn’t pass through the mecha’s body, and he could touch everything around him as if he were fully materialized.
"Oh my god, yes!!" Ren shouted, barely able to contain his excitement. "Finally, I can stay for more than just a few minutes!"
The sheer joy washed over him. He knew this ability to remain in the physical world was limited to being inside the mecha, but it didn’t matter. This was the second-best moment of his entire journey in this world.
"User, are you okay?" Astra asked, her voice carrying a note of concern.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m perfectly fine," Ren replied, still riding the high of his revelation.
"Your heart rate increased rapidly, so I felt it was necessary to inquire," Astra explained.
"Yeah, sorry about that. I was just... excited," Ren said, calming down.
As the excitement subsided, a sudden realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. "It’s Monday… Shiro and his friends are heading to the capital today!" Panic set in as Ren remembered his promise to meet them there. He was still far from the capital, and time was running out. "Astra, is the reactor at full capacity? Are the thrusters operational?"
"Affirmative. All systems are fully functional," Astra confirmed without hesitation.
Ren exhaled deeply, steeling himself for what was to come. He was about to take his first flight in a mecha, and it had to be at maximum speed. "This is insane… but I’ve got no choice."
The soft hum of machinery resonated through the cockpit as Ren tested Astralis’ arms and legs, making the mecha stretch and bend like an athlete preparing for a race. The sheer power at his fingertips was mind-boggling. Every movement was fluid, but the idea of controlling a machine equipped with wings and thrusters was still foreign to him.
"I need to feel the wings," Ren murmured, closing his eyes to focus on the alien sensation of the appendages attached to Astralis’ back. The wings and thrusters felt disconnected from him, like extra limbs that didn’t quite belong. But slowly, as he concentrated, the bond between him and the machine strengthened. Moving them began to feel more natural, like they were extensions of his own body. His confidence grew with each second.
The clock was ticking.
Ren’s eyes snapped open as the thrusters roared to life, sending a powerful surge of energy through Astralis. He could feel the immense power vibrating in the machine, but a stark realization struck him—he was still deep underground, trapped in the hangar where Astralis had been dormant.
There was no clear path out.
His gaze flicked up toward the ceiling, narrowing with determination. "If there's no way out... then I’ll make one."
With a single thought, he activated the beam weapons embedded in Astralis' wings, the energy building up to a near-blinding intensity. The air around the mecha crackled with raw power. Ren braced himself. “Fire!” he commanded.
A searing beam of energy erupted upward, tearing through the ceiling. The stone, dirt, and reinforced structures crumbled under the assault, vaporizing in an instant. Ren watched in awe as the beam punched through everything above, revealing the bright blue sky and the first rays of morning sun streaming through the massive hole. The light bathed Astralis in a glowing radiance, its sleek, metallic silver body gleaming.
"That’s my exit," Ren muttered, a grin spreading across his face.
Without wasting another moment, he prepared for takeoff. The thrusters hummed with power beneath him, ready to propel the massive mecha upward. With a thought, Ren activated the main and foot thrusters, sending Astralis rocketing into the sky. The force of the launch shook the remnants of the underground hangar, leaving a shockwave in its wake.
In a matter of seconds, Astralis shot through the dense forest canopy and emerged into the open sky. Ren’s breath caught as the landscape unfurled below him—stunning, vast, and illuminated by the golden hues of dawn. Everything felt heightened. The mecha’s visor displayed the world with clarity beyond even human eyes, and it was breathtaking.
But there was no time to admire the view.
Ren felt a wobble in Astralis’ balance—the thrusters were still unfamiliar and awkward to him. He focused on stabilizing the mecha, the controls still sensitive under his command. With each second, he got better, his movements more precise as he adjusted to the powerful machine.
“Astra, can you use your equipment to map the surrounding area?” Ren asked, his voice steady despite the thrill coursing through him.
"Of course. I will display the topography of the surrounding area on the screen," Astra responded.
In an instant, a detailed map materialized on Ren’s visor, showing the terrain, his current location, and the distance to the capital. He nodded, steeling himself. It was still quite far, but with Astralis, he could make it in no time.
"Alright, it’s quite far, so let’s go full power," Ren ordered, adrenaline kicking in.
"Affirmative. Powering up the Aeternus Engine. Main thruster will be boosted in 3, 2—"
“Wait, that’s not what I me—” Ren started, but before he could finish, the thrusters exploded with energy.
Astralis shot forward like a missile, breaking the sound barrier with a thunderous boom. The landscape beneath Ren blurred into a streak of green and brown as the mecha hurtled toward the capital at an astonishing speed. The pressure of the acceleration was overwhelming, pressing Ren back into his seat, his body straining to keep up.
“S-Shit… t-this pressure!” Ren gasped, struggling to speak as the intense speed took its toll. Even opening his eyes became a challenge.
But despite the discomfort, Ren couldn’t help but marvel at the sheer power of the mecha. Astralis soared through the open sky, its metallic silver body shimmering in the morning sun, like a long-lost sentinel finally unleashed after years of dormancy. The machine was born to fly—made to conquer the skies and even outer space.
And now it was finally fulfilling its purpose.
After just thirty minutes, the capital came into view, sprawling across the horizon. Ren exhaled in relief, knowing he wouldn’t be late. But as the skyline drew closer, panic crept in. He had no idea how to land.
The high-speed boost finally cut off, and Ren could speak normally again, but that relief was short-lived. "Uh, Astra? How do I land this thing?" His voice trembled with anxiety.
"The user must activate the main and legs thrusters to gradually land on the ground," Astra replied calmly.
"That’s it!? I can barely hover!" Ren's voice rose, the panic clear.
"Then I suggest performing an emergency landing," Astra advised.
"I think you mean crashing!" Ren shouted, seeing the capital’s buildings looming closer by the second. He wrestled with the body controls, trying to slow Astralis descent, but the mecha was still too unfamiliar to him. The thrusters sputtered, fighting the intense momentum, and the whole machine lurched.
The skyline rushed at him too fast. There was no way he could land smoothly. His heart raced as he scanned the area for a safe spot, his eyes landing on a large lake just outside the city.
“Emergency landing it is!” Ren shouted, veering the mecha toward the lake. He braced himself, eyes wide as Astralis hurtled through the capital skies, heading straight for the water.
The impact was massive. Astralis crashed into the lake with a titanic splash, sending waves cascading outward in a colossal ripple. Ren was jostled violently inside the cockpit, the force of the landing nearly knocking the wind out of him. His mind buzzed, but he kept his wits enough to guide the mecha onto the shore.
“Not the smoothest landing…” Ren groaned, rubbing his temples as the cockpit hissed open. His clothes were soaked from the water, but he quickly scanned his surroundings. The area seemed deserted—no witnesses in sight, thankfully.
With a sigh of relief, Ren stepped out of Astralis. He willed the Origin Metal to shift, watching in amazement as the massive mecha liquefied, reforming into his usual robe. At the same time, he reverted to his intangible state, becoming a ghostly figure once more.
“Looks like the boundary works just like it said,” Ren muttered, glancing down at his now-dry robe. The weight of what had just happened settled on him—he had flown a mecha and landed it, sort of.
He smirked, staring at the robe that had once been Astralis. "I can’t believe something that huge turned into something this small."
Unbeknownst to him, his arrival in the capital skies hadn’t gone unnoticed. Eyes had been watching—civilians, guards, and even government officials. Whispers were already spreading through the city like wildfire, the sight of a mysterious flying mecha captivating everyone who had witnessed it.
Within hours, news of the strange silver machine was bound to reach every corner of the continent. The storm was already brewing, and Ren, without realizing it, was standing right at its center.