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A few minutes ago.

Watching the Arachne and the Serpent duel it out with each other, Add understood that the Arachne was going to lose.

“The gap between their strengths is too wide. The Arachne is fast, but the serpent has the stamina and its strength greatly surpasses hers.”

He analysed calmly. For him however, it was a good opportunity to kill King class magical beasts. Still with his physical abilities and weapons Knight class beasts were the limit. For these King class beasts he needed to call in the heavy hitters.

“Hmm it’s a good time to test that…”

He left the fighting monsters and searched for a place to bring out his new weapon. His inventory which was originally 1000 cubic metres had been expanded to 1,000,000 cubic metres. This was the limit to which it could be expanded, and he had spent hundreds of millions of credit points in order to do that. With a mental thought, a large machine appeared before him. with a height of ten metres it dwarfed Add who looked up to it, his face having a rare trace of pride on it. Standing on two legs, this hulking machine was something men dreamed of having, and every man was smitten with when he was a kid. What Add had brought with him on this trip was a fully fledged Mech!

The model was called the “Crusader Mk VII”. It was a Mech made with higher mobility and ease of use at the forefront of its design. Its role was to be an offensive support unit for the infantry, rather than be a heavy assault equipment like a tank. As such it was relatively lightly armoured when compared to tanks. Mechs of its class worked in tandem with the infantry close by to defend and alert them from threats, while the Mechs supported them with heavier firepower, engaging the enemy from medium to long ranges. In combat, the Mech’s main job was to provide heavy fire support to the infantry units and to protect its pilot from harsh conditions and enemy attacks.

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[A/N : This section mostly contains info dump. Readers are free to skip it if they feel like it.]

The Crusader Mk VII’s structure was divided into the upper torso that housed the weapons, the pilot and the engine and the lower mobility platform which comprised of the hip assembly and legs. The torso was placed onto the hip assembly on a ring mount similar to how a tank hull and turret are connected by the turret ring. This allowed the Mech's torso to turn 70 degrees on either side making battle engagements easier.

It was not like the Mechs seen in popular science fictions. Mechs in such works, were usually heavily armed and armoured, practically overpowered pieces of equipment. Or they were sleek robots being operated by 12 year old kids with a pair of joysticks, performing crazy acrobatics with each move. In reality however, Mechs were far from all that, instead they had as many weaknesses as they had advantages in the battlefield. Walking on two human like legs, severely limited their ability to take damage and made them vulnerable to toppling over, if hit with enough force. Especially when a leg was damaged or hit by enemy fire. Once unable to move a Mech became pretty much useless, as they cannot use most of their abilities while immobile.

Mechs could not be armoured anywhere close enough to what a conventional weapons such as a tank could be. The weight increase due to adding so much armour would severely limit the manoeuvrability and mobility of the Mech as it would be too heavy to move with a reasonable speed without risking loss of balance. And even if it was armoured as lightly as possible, a Mech's speed could still not match up to a tank, without becoming  extremely unstable. Then again even if it was armoured "relatively" decently, there were many weak points, most prominent of these being the many joints in the limbs. The complex Mechanisms within the limbs were also highly susceptible to damage. Their slow speed made them easy targets and their large silhouette made it very hard for them to find cover within the terrain, such as behind a hill or a forest.

Despite all of those shortcomings, they had their share of plus points too. Mechs usually were taller than any other vehicle on the battlefield, which provided a wider range of view allowing them to have a better picture of the battlefield around them. They can carry a variety of weapons ranging from missiles, flamethrowers, large calibre cannons, and many more depending on the type of missions. This makes them more versatile and enables them to take up many roles, such as supporting infantry in attacks, defending a position, helping with logistical work such as moving supplies, loading and unloading heavy materials etc.

The Crusader Mk VII was designed with all these constraints in mind. Its legs were designed based on the legs of theropod dinosaurs which had an overall better design than the human leg. This design reduced stress on the structure and improved the balance of the Mech. The limbs were lightly armoured while most of the armour was located around the torso, where the operator and engine were located. The legs were also designed so that they had wide toes bearing the load, which gave it additional stability. The cockpit was located centrally, in the upper section. It was covered by an aerodynamically shaped canopy. Its design was rather simple.

It was designed to be operated by a single person wearing the mobile armour, and so it had special connectors that attached to the mobile armour helmet and allowed the operator to control the Mech based on his thoughts, thanks to the neural link system integrated into the helmet. The helmet had built in neural scanners which read the pilot's brainwaves and converted them into digital signals. This link served as the connection between the man and the machine. The Mech also was capable of connecting wirelessly to the mobile armour to share data, and perform minor operations. The cramped cockpit however did not leave the pilot with much space for movement.

The Mech was operated by the neural link system similar to the learning chamber but much more advanced. This system was assisted by an AI which interpreted the pilot's thought commands, filled in for any errors and misses and also controlled critical functions such as balancing, and operating the hundreds sensors placed throughout the Mech, both externally and internally. The pilot had to literally just 'think' to move the machine and the AI would execute the "intention" of the pilot, calculating terrain factors and momentum required to perform balanced movement. Through the use of gyroscopes and auto stability programming the AI maintains centre of balance. The AI did almost 90% of the work needed to keep the Mech up and running, the pilot just gave directions to put it simply. Even without the pilot, the AI was programmed to operate the basic functions of the Mech such as operate the weapons, make it move etc, although not as fluidly as with the pilot.

The weapons however were operated in a more classical pattern,  using joysticks, buttons and touch screens. The pilot could also issue voice commands if necessary. Although the AI made complicated operations simpler, operating a Mech was much easier said than done. It was like learning to walk all over again, but the difficult was raised by several fold. The pilot had to resist the natural movement of his arms and legs, and operate the giant machine solely through the neural link. Even with his enhanced body, Add had spent over a week in practice before he could operate the Mech to an acceptable degree.

The Crusader Mk VII was powered by a plasma reactor located in an armoured compartment at its back, right behind the cockpit. It was separated from the cockpit by an armoured plate, to protect the pilot in case it exploded. This reactor produced enough power to operate all of the many systems of the mech, and its weapons as well. Its limbs moved by combination of hydraulic pistons and motors present in the joints, giving it enough strength to carry weapons weighing a few tons on each arm and move on two legs at a respectable speed for its size.

Its design did not have a head, instead it had numerous cameras and sensors that were placed all over its structure, the cameras gave the pilot a 270° view around the Mech, displayed as a single large canopy screen on the interior of the cockpit walls, while the sensors kept track of any incoming threats within 200 metres of the Mech. The cameras could view in normal light, infrared and ultraviolet as well, making them an excellent tool for observation. Thanks to the myriad of sensors, the Mech was completely aware of its surroundings, and it was very hard to sneak up to it.

Talking about its armour, its limbs were armoured with plates of Plassteel which provided great protection against medium calibre shells but not so much against missiles and heavy weaponry. The overall protection of the Mech was against hits from all small fire arms, rockets and guns up to and including 50mm cannons, while also resistant to plasma weaponry of similar calibre. There was also an Active Protection System (APS) which deployed smoke grenades for cover and grenades filled with metal balls to destroy incoming missiles and heat projectiles.

Additionally Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA) could be mounted to further increase the protection, at the cost of increasing weight. The central portion including cockpit canopy which was the most pronounced target was the most heavily armoured. It was armoured by composite armour made of multiple layers of ceramics, laminates and plassteel. Which are able to resist direct hits by 130mm tank guns and ATGMs. The engine compartment was also armoured but not as heavily as the front, since it was located at the back of the mech. The joints however, were still the weak spots as one could not slap much if any armour plates onto them. If the Mech was damaged beyond salvation, or the pilot had to escape due to some reason, there was also am emergency exit hatch on the top of the cockpit operated manually, in case the main hatch was too heavily damaged or jammed.

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The Mech carried a variety of weapons. Its main weapons were located on its arms. Instead of having regular hands like a human, it had a hydraulically driven six-barrel rotary cannon fixed at the end of its right arm. The rotary cannon used 40x370mmR shell ammunition, fed into the cannon through a chain belt, while the magazine was placed at the back of the Mech. Two missile pods containing 6 fire and forget missiles each, were located above both of its shoulders. Its left arm had a large chain sword attached to it, which was three metres long and served as a defensive close range weapon. The chain sword was basically a chainsaw that was heavily modified to serve as a combat weapon. It had 30 centimetre long teeth made of hardened super alloy steel and covered by a layer of industrial diamonds, which gave it an excellent cutting power.

Another remarkable feature about this Mech was its modular design. For instance, instead of carrying a cannon and a chain sword on its arms, it could be equipped with other weapons like, heavy cannons, flamethrowers, plasma cannons etc. It could also be fitted with hands similar to that of a human, which would allow the Mech to carry out various complex tasks such as helping in construction, carrying supplies etc. as and when required.

[If you have skipped the above portion, then please continue from below.]

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Add had bought this machine a month before setting off for Waldestein. This piece of equipment that had cost him 100 million Credit Points was currently the single most expensive item he owned. He had practiced operating the Mech many times, but this was the first time he was going to use it in actual combat, so he was a little excited. After all what man would not be excited at the prospect of driving a huge robot into battle ?

The mobile armour had a wireless connection to the Mech, and with a few simple commands from Add, the hulking machine began to stir, its plasma reactor came to life providing power to its systems and a myriad of small lights and sensors lit up, putting the Mech on standby. The armoured canopy slowly opened upwards like the maw of a large beast, revealing a cockpit similar to ones found in jet fighter aircraft. There was a single reclined seat with two armrests with a joystick on each of them, which were used to fire the weapons onboard the Mech. There were two touch screen control panels attached to the cockpit walls at an angle, and located one each on both of his sides of the seat accompanied by many other switches. These performed many auxiliary functions of the Mech.

Add quickly climbed onboard the Crusader Mk VII using some hard points meant for climbing and entered the cockpit. As he sat in the pilot’s seat, the controls lit up and all sensors were automatically activated. The plasma reactor sped up, with a noticeable buzzing sound providing the power needed for active mode. He pressed a switch and the armoured hatch slowly closed down, sealing the cockpit from the outside environment. Once the cockpit hatch was closed, the pilot was completely separated from the environment with an air-tight seal, which ensured  NBC (Nuclear Biological Chemical) protection.

The Mech had its own source of air supply which sucked in air from the outside through air intakes located at its back, filtered it and supplied to the pilot. In case the outside air was contaminated, the Mech had oxygen tanks able to support the pilot for 24 hours. As soon as the canopy closed, internal lights activated, lighting up the cockpit. Add retracted the face cover of his helmet and linked it to the Mech by attaching a few wires into the helmet ports. Within the front protective covering, the canopy display activated, appearing as a single, curved black screen. An emotionless mechanical voice which appeared to be female began speaking, her voice lacked any intonation. This was the AI of the Crusader Mk VII.

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“Initiate.”

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The AI continued in a monotone. A scanner activated and did a scan of his eyes, using a laser. Once it was done scanning, Add closed his eyes and relaxed his mind.

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When the countdown reached zero, Add felt himself falling into a dream like state, his brain was completely empty of thoughts, it was as if he was resting in eternal peace. The AI continued…

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A wave of mild nausea went through Add, as he slowly woke up. It was as if his head was spinning, unable to make sense of anything. This only lasted for a few seconds however, as his mind slowly cleared and his thoughts stabilised. Opening his he felt a difficult to explain sensation, as if he had become more than he was before, while a sense of also completeness filled his mind. Although it felt like a long time had passed it took less than two minutes to complete all these procedures. He sighed at this familiar feeling which he had been accustomed to by now.

“No matter how many times I have gone through this, it still feels weird…”   

The screen before him activated, it was similar to the HUD of the mobile armour helmet, only tens of times larger. It showed the surroundings, displaying everything the various cameras were recording, compiled into a single image. There were also relevant information such as data like power levels, temperature, ammunition etc. being displayed on the screen corners. Everything was normal and the Crusader was ready to go. By now it was well past evening time, and the forest was covered in darkness. He pressed some buttons and the two rectangular LED searchlights which were located above the cockpit housing, lit up, illuminating the dark forest before the Mech in a bluish white glow.

“Okay…here we go…”

At his mental command, the machine weighing over a hundred tons began walking. Its massive feet sinking into the ground, leaving deep impressions as it moved along. As it walked, it shook the very earth, causing leaves and twigs to fall off and sent the smaller creatures running about in fear and panic. Add activated the chain sword and began mowing down trees to make way for the Crusader, while most of the smaller ones were crushed like twigs before the weight of the metal monstrosity. When he arrived at the location where the two monsters were fighting, he saw that the area was badly battered. Broken trees lied all around while there were holes and gouges in the earth. Hundreds of Emerald bellied huntsman spiders were crushed to death. Their queen, the Arachne had clearly lost the fight and was wounded severely. The serpent was just about to have its hard won meal, but the arrival of the Crusader had alarmed it.

Which brings us to the present. The huge serpent raised nearly half of its body into the air rivalling the crusader in height as it hissed trying to intimidate this new opponent. It did not want to make the first move, as it was unaware of its opponents strength. Add stopped a few dozen metres from the serpent.

"Activate Thermal Sighting"

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“All right, time to prove yourself girl…”

In the darkness, the serpent still glowed brighter than surroundings. The battle had really warmed it up. Add targeted the serpent with the rotary cannon, and the sensors immediately locket onto it. By default, he had loaded a magazine of 1500 rounds at the Mech's back, the shells themselves weighing one and a half tons, and a full two tons with the magazine. The cannon began firing, the target being locked by a 2-plane stabilizer, all Add had to do is keep his vision on the target and press the trigger.

*BRRRRRRRTTTTTTT*

At a rate of 1800 rounds per minute, 40mm armour piercing rounds began pounding onto the serpent, breaking off its scales. These were the standard ammunition fired by the rotary cannon, comprising a dense metallic core covered in a non-metallic composite sheath with a tip made of industrial diamonds. This provides excellent penetration capabilities against light and medium armour. A few rounds bounced off the scales giving off sparks, still most managed to penetrate, but although they caused a lot of pain to the serpent, they did not do any fatal damage, and it would take sustained firing to take down this beast with just the 40 millimetre rounds. But the serpent was not a fool and it did not stay still.

*HISSSSSS*

It  roared in pain and rage, its body again glowing as it used mana to increase its power. This glow was actually a type of energy barrier made using mana, which increased the defence of its body. The shells now faced more resistance on impact and were doing much less damage. Still, though the serpent was injured and tired, it was not going to be scared by just this much. Under normal circumstances it might have retreated, but it had a juicy meal behind it, which it had spent a lot of effort on, so it chose to fight. As the it began crawling towards towards the Crusader, Add stopped firing the rotary cannon.

“Its skin is really thick huh…”

It was not a King Class monster just for show. Even the 40 millimetre round which would tear anything short of a tank to shreds were unable to significantly damage it, but who said that he had to play fair? He pressed a button, and the missile pods on its shoulders activated. These missiles were 3M7 'Dragoon' missiles, each having a length of two metres and could target both ground and  low flying aerial targets. With the missiles on the ready, he pressed the firing button on the joysticks and two missiles simultaneously left the pods, speeding towards the serpent. These missiles once locked on target were auto targeting and very hard to defend against, and the serpent which had no jammers or any other form of missile defence on it, could not escape their assault.

*BOOM* *BOOM*

The missiles hit their target as expected and though the mana barrier negated some of the impact, it was unable to block it completely and was broken. The force of the explosion threw the entire bulk of the serpent backwards. Even this was not enough to  kill it though. After the smoke and dust cleared, the serpent could be seen writhing and convulsing in agony, on its body there were two gaping wounds. They did not appear that fatal by themselves, but the shockwaves created by the many explosions had damaged the serpent’s internal organs which were not as tough as its scales. Its life was hanging by a thread, it had already been tired due to the battle with the Arachne, and even ignoring that it never really stood a chance against the metal monster.

“Still not dead… That was half a million CP for each missile… King Class monsters are really hard to kill…”

The chainsword activated once again, and the Crusader walked over to the writhing serpent. The later still had life left in it, as it glared at the approaching Mech hatefully. High level magical beasts were very intelligent, and this serpent was likely more intelligent than a chimpanzee. As soon as the Crusader arrived in its striking range, the serpent mustered all its remaining energy and bit onto one of its legs. To its despair, its bite which had enough power to crush rocks as if they were made of jelly, was unable to damage the mech in anyway, well aside a few small dents anyway. In response the chainsword fell on its body, just behind its head, slicing through its scales which now lacked the mana barrier. Sparks flew accompanied by the sound of metal cutting metal, which gave way to the sound of meat being grinded.

*HISSSSSSSS*

With one last dying roar, the serpent died, its grip on the Crusader’s leg loosening, but the chainsword did not stop until it had cut its body in two. With the serpent dead, Add moved his sight to the Arachne. The Crusader shook off the dead serpent and made its way towards the Arachne who was unable to move due to her injuries. She had witnessed everything with her own eyes and was terrified of the creature before her. She could not understand, the strange creature used no mana at least not of the kind which she could sense. There was no a single trace of it, yet only magic could be the explanation for what she had seen. If not for her grievous injuries, she would have run away as far from this creature as she could. As she looked at it with fear and foreboding, something strange happened. The “chest” of the creature opened up and a figure jumped down from it. Illuminated by the Crusader’s lights was a figure that she was not expecting at all. In fact, she had almost forgotten that this creature was the reason she had been out here in the first place.

“How…. how can… it… it’s that human… but how!?”

Add who had jumped down, walked over towards the Arachne, behind him the Crusader raised its Rotary cannon, prepared to instantly shred her with shells at his command. In his hand appeared the TSAR-77E as another safety measure. As he approached her, the surviving spiders wanted to attack him, but the Arachne stopped them, lest they anger him and cause the deaths of them all. She did not understand what exactly was going on, but the huge monster behind the human was clearly his friend. The serpent was no match for it, and she was not even able to move. And considering that she had tried to kill him before, one wrong move and her story would end right here. The human stopped a few feet away from her and looked at her with his emotionless eyes; his detached expression caused her to shiver on the inside. A few dozen seconds went by with neither side speaking a word. Finally it was the Arachne who gathered her courage and asked…

“What do you want human?”

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