“The specifications of the Wanderpanzer II Falke’s main gun are technically quite deficient in modern combat. The 90mm main gun, while capable of firing powerful MZ90-SM APFSDS rounds, the latest kinds produced for the Confederate Army designed to defeat most mech threats, it has still proven to be deficient at countering the Petin tank employed by the Flandrian forces at excess of two kilometers. The gun also fails upon contact with modernized Jaguar 2A6 main battle tanks of the Army at the same range due to the new armor plates and ERA protection mounted on it. Newer Cuirasse-type ERA blocks employed by Petin-MOD2044 also seem to prevent successful penetrations at one thousand four hundred meters. Unfortunately, the turret size and weight constrictions are now confirmed to render a redesign of the Wanderpanzer II Falke to house the 120mm smoothbore gun mounted on newer Wanderpanzer V Adler main battle mechs impossible.”
- Report from the Confederate Arms Committee.
+++
+++ Lieutenant Hans Hoffman +++
Torei
AUG 24, 1538 CE
Why is she here?
It was already night when one of the guards called Hans. Upon seeing the Virtus woman they met earlier, his eyes immediately narrowed as he looked around the dark-lit streets. For a second, he glanced at their parked vehicles in front of the inn. The new rotation of guards seemed to be standing and watching it with too much determination in their eyes.
I guess that’s what happens when they fear demons so much.
Hans looked back at the woman. She seemed to hold a neutral expression, that Hans wondered if he was exactly the one she was searching for.
“Miss Laura, was it?” Hans asked as he approached her. The woman gave him a businesslike smile.
“Indeed. But it’s not you that I was searching for. Would you please call your master?”
Master? Do you want me to dropkick you? I can do it right now, I swear! How dare you view me that lowly. Also, she’s asleep, so absolutely not.
Hans held the brief flash of rage in his face, before masking it with a smile.
“I’m afraid that isn’t possible,” Hans answered. “The Captain is asleep. And I believe she doesn’t need to have her rest intruded upon. Please ask for an appointment next time.”
“Would your Captain find it pleasing to offend a servant of the Goddess of Purity?”
She doesn’t even believe in your religion.
“Of course not, but again, she had a long day, and I prefer her having her required amount of sleep, Miss Priestess. Please, meet us next time when we have free time. I’m afraid I need sleep too. And I believe you’re the same. Have a good evening.”
“Then I’ll talk to you,” she replied. “You’re not weaseling out of this. If I cannot talk to her, then you would be sufficient. Who are you?”
Should I? Eh, whatever.
“Lieutenant Hans Hoffman, miss. I am an officer serving under her.”
“Under the Imperial Army?”
“A little bit like that.”
She raised her eyebrow.
Just get the heck out of here. Shoo! Shoo! I wanna sleep for once!
“Then what’s that flag on your shoulder,” the woman asked. “I’ve never seen one like that before.”
“We are an elite unit,” Hans warned. “That’s why you’ll have no business with us. Understand?”
“I came all the way here to vanquish that demon!” She raged. “We shouldn’t be bickering about secret identities and rules and what else but cooperating!”
“You lied earlier to the crowds,” Hans replied boredly. “I don’t think I can trust you.”
“Yeah, and it was the only way to gain your attention, I knew you two wouldn’t bat an eye on us without me doing a stunt,” she replied with determination. “Look, I need to come with you and your Captain to join in the fight. I believe that is for the good of the church and the Goddess that this vile wretched abomination is wiped at once. I have researched my way into this fight. I know that the Calamity of Lust controls all demons in Ygeia. I know what it can do and what it wants to do!”
“Or you’re a lunatic. Or a liar. A con-woman. And I don’t know why. Do you think you’ll get money, fame, glory, or what else if you kill it? Look, you’re risking your life for stupidity.”
“I’m risking my life to take it down!”
Hans sighed.
“Look, can you like, just, go to your church or something and keep praying and preaching? I mean, I believe that works too. Maybe if you pray hard enough the demons will disappear.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
“Huh?! My job as a Priestess isn’t just to spread the words of the gods, but to protect the masses.”
“That’s noble and all, but you’re probably like nineteen—”
“Eighteen!”
“Worse. You’re not supposed to be in on this fight. That’s why you should just go,” Hans replied.
“I am not going away until that thing is dead,” she clenched her fist. “Just let me join you. I can do things. I can help. Those two with me, may not be the best, but they are trying. We are trying. We will try.”
“Look, why are you so deeply into this?”
She looked down, as a tear appeared on her eye that she promptly wiped out.
“She…I know who it is,” she explained. “No one believes me. But it’s her. I know why she turned that way. I couldn’t stop it. And when she was gone, all hell had befallen this land. Demons turn from people. Normal people. One of those people was my mother.”
“...Okay?” Hans cautiously said. “I need you to calm down. Why would you even think this way? And why do you want her dead so bad if she’s your mother?”
She suddenly laughed painfully.
“Isn’t it obvious? That demon…it’s a mockery of her. You don’t believe it either, don’t you?” She laughed again. “It’s worthless. Ignore it. Have a good evening, Lieutenant.”
Soon, the Virtus woman turned around with a bitter expression, disappearing in the night. Hans just sighed.
Okay, did I mess up or something? He shook his head. You really are bad at dealing with people. Then again, she’s just as bad, I guess.
He turned away to return to their inn.
I’ll talk to her next time. She seems to know something. Still…quite the suspicious gal she is.
He scratched his head as he yawned.
I need some damned shut-eye.
+++
Torei
AUG 25, 1538 CE
Hans finished driving his vehicle early in the morning. Quite frankly, the cool thing about being able to regenerate his fuel tanks at the cost of forty AP was that well…he really had the ability to drive around and keep his driving skills sharp. That, and he could patrol the town as much as he wanted.
By the time he entered the town back again, Hans felt half-awkward at the townsfolk having to be disrupted by his vehicle essentially blocking the streets as he returned to the inn.
Really a godsend that no one uses that street to drive carriages or anything else. Hans thought as he gave a silent apology to everyone around them. I bet the only reason they tolerate us here is that we kept things safer.
He now, at the very least, reached level forty-eight after today’s grind (where he used up another hundred machine gun rounds). There were no more upgrades or skills that he could unlock until he reached level fifty. With his remaining skill and upgrade options granted from levels thirty, forty, and forty-five still unused, Hans continued debating himself about his options, since tomorrow was the big day, as he expected.
He soon stopped his Wanderfalke right behind Adelyn’s mech, before checking the available upgrades for his mech again.
[UPG: ARCANE MAINTENANCE SYSTEM]
Description:
Unlocks emergency self-repair mechanisms. The number of damaged major components and their type determines AP cost and repair time.
Cost to Repair/Time to Repair at Tier I:
Engine:
400 AP/60 minutes
Legs:
200 AP/20 minutes per piece
Cannon Breech:
80 AP/10 minutes
Barrel:
80 AP/10 minutes
Radiator:
200 AP/20 minutes
Fuel Tank:
200 AP/20 minutes
Autoloader and Ammo Rack:
500 AP/120 minutes
Coaxial Machine Guns:
40 AP/4 minute
Sensors:
450 AP/90 minutes
Hull Armor:
500 AP/100 minutes
[UPG: SMOOTH RESPONSE]
Description:
Summons a magical shield surrounding the mech that can block an attack capable of destroying the mech or catastrophically damaging it in one hit. Increased tiers grant more chances of blocking attacks. Shield cooldown time is also reduced per tier.
Tier I:
Activation Cost: 20 AP
Activation Duration: Three Minutes
Blocking Chance: 1 (+0)
Cooldown: Four Hours
Hans sighed. ‘UPG: Trace the Dots’ was now gone—replaced by what appeared to be a logistical solution again. An arcane maintenance system, huh? Hans was certainly quite interested in that. That was definitely a necessary upgrade, considering that they couldn’t even do anything to fix and maintain their vehicle.
But damn it! It’s so expensive in terms of AP cost. It’s prohibitive in that case. Not to mention, if you’ve been attacked by a demon that your engine is out—I doubt you’d survive the next one, or if you survived it at all!
Hans naturally gravitated to the second option, as at least, that would block any catastrophic damage to his vehicle during combat. With upgrades, the shield would block more. His main enemy from most demons, after all, was their powerful one-time attacks that he just wouldn't survive once hit (considering his vehicle was a glass cannon).
But the last demon isn’t that! It was firing what was the equivalent of magical small arms rounds. None of which would count as capable of destroying me in one shot or catastrophically damaging my mech. Unless it operates on a special logic that it’ll block something if it’s headed for my ammo racks, it’s only for countering really strong attacks, not a succession of rapid weak attacks.
He sometimes wondered why the ‘System’ was so cruel as to not grant him an upgrade that would have fewer limitations and just, well, a shield that blocked it all! But, Hans had an inkling that this was normal for ‘Tier I’ abilities, and he’d probably only see the full potential once he reached something close to III, IV, or V.
For now, he’d have to deal with just having this. Essentially, the trial versions of his upgrades and skills. How fun.
Just as he pulled his belongings to pop his hatch open, he remembered his two open skill slots.
I have to check that later too. Hans thought. But, to be honest, I don’t really need special abilities yet as an individual. I need more mech upgrades!
Soon, Hans exited his mech. He glanced at his watch for a moment. Just in time for breakfast. Then, he yawned. He really woke up early today for no reason other than to raise his levels. The work just to gain those skills and upgrades was getting to him, and the promise of new things as his General Tier increased.
It’s just the pursuit of necessities. Hans thought as he chuckled. Call it military exercises.
Dying again and again was starting to get old, after all.