The Genius Mecha Pilot Wants to Survive - Chapter 03

Titan

What are the advantages of a Titan? Powerful firepower mounted not just on both hands, but all over the body! Defense from that heavy steel armor! The destructive power of melee combat using that weight! Surprisingly fast mobility, carefully designed in various ways!

There are many. In that sense, the Titan is definitely the flower of war.

However, the biggest advantage I’d pick right now is this.

‘Yeah, f*ck! You need a crosshair!’

The outside screen filled the cockpit. There, a crosshair appeared, matching my movements.

Dudududu!

As I pressed the button hard, bullets spewed from both hands. I could even feel a strange vibration inside the machine. Bullets fired from both arms focused on the Big Eye’s eye.

Shell casings scattered, and the trajectory of the bullets embroidered the air. At the end of it, monster blood and dust scattered.

There are better things than playing on a computer, but it’s also more chaotic. No matter how big a curved monitor I used for gaming, it can’t compare to a cockpit screen.

The bigger screen allows for more information, which is good, but the inconvenience of the UI and the fact that it’s a real battlefield made it chaotic. As the Big Eye’s eye looking at me filled with purple light, I quickly turned the lever and pressed the button.

Kukukung.

The wheels under the Titan’s feet lowered slightly and spun rapidly. Naturally, it’s hard to get mobility out of a huge body with just this.

Then, the thrusters on the back spewed fire.

It doesn’t move at an absurd speed like a martial arts master, or like super soldiers by COS standards. It’s a speed you can follow with your eyes if you don’t let your guard down.

But that was enough to dodge the Big Eye’s attack.

Kwagwang!

Purple smoke rose from behind.

The weapons in both hands were already aiming at the Big Eye that shot at me, and I pressed the button again.

A plasma cannon was embedded in the defenseless eye.

If it were a game, even if I didn’t take my hands off the keyboard and mouse, I would have lightly let out an exclamation of joy at the clean play.

But this was a battlefield. I didn’t stay still, but moved sideways and turned my view. While doing so, I quickly scanned the large screen from the side.

I dodged blind attacks and aimed attacks alike. If it was worth shooting and killing, I shot and killed it; if not, I killed the one that was worth killing.

While doing so, I slowly advanced. As I advanced, I moved the levers more violently than in any game I’d ever played. I tried to force information that didn’t fit into my eyes into my head and react.

When that failed, I allowed a few attacks on the massive body, but the Titan’s armor, even if it was a mass-produced model, didn’t pierce easily.

In between, I used terrain that allowed for cover, such as Tunnel Serpents, downed Titans, and craters.

In those places, I caught my breath for a brief moment and focused on the screen again.

I dodged attacks and shot enemies. I killed the Keppers clinging to allies, and shot the Big Eye that was about to shoot allies. Every time I pressed the button, one Kilug died. Even so, there’s no end in sight.

‘…There are too many.’

The hands, no. The crosshair is one. Even if there are 4 weapons in total, both hands and both shoulders, the enemy I can catch is one by one.

I had to catch them a little faster. Then one button came to mind. A button that was in the setting book but couldn’t be pressed in the game. But now that it’s reality, it was a function I could use.

When I pressed the Aim Lock release button, the overlapping aims separated.

Now there are 3. Two energy weapons fixed on both shoulders that only fire in the direction the body is facing are the center aim. The machine gun and missile on both hands are one aim each.

‘3 simultaneous shots….’

Is it possible? I think, but I just had to do it.

I opened my eyes wide and started shooting again.

I discard the thought of hitting everything from the start. First, I forget about the center for a moment.

Both hands first. One hand covers allies. I fire roughly towards the enemy to threaten them, and the other hand accurately hunts the enemy.

Then, the cover aim also shoots enemies without movement, like Big Eyes just before and after firing.

The accuracy of shooting with both hands rises in an instant. Left and right, front and right. Dodging back and left. Left and front. It looked like indiscriminate firing, shooting guns in all directions, but at the end of the guns, monsters burst one by one.

It’s like a scene from a movie. Like Equilibrium, or Reaper’s ultimate. I spin and shoot in all directions, and at the end of it, Kilug blood flows without fail.

‘Now one more.’

I use the energy weapons on both shoulders fixed to the center. It’s easy because it’s fixed, and it’s also difficult because it’s fixed. Because the center also shakes according to the movement of both arms.

But that’s only for a moment. Anyway, since it’s center-fixed, the aim is at the center of the screen. The aims of both arms move here and there, and my pupils also follow, scanning the screen dizzyingly. And because it’s in the center, it was actually easier to hit the enemy.

I quickly get used to how it shakes according to the movement of my arms. Just like I can tell where my body is facing even if I turn my head.

By the time my eyes felt a bit stiff… I had arrived at the top of the ridge.

Chijik.

Then, with the characteristic noise of a radio, a voice flowed out from the speaker.

-BT7274?

Lieutenant Colonel Ledain despaired.

‘What on earth was the problem?’

If the operation was the problem, it was the problem. Because it was a bit of a simple operation.

But in the first place, it wasn’t the troops or terrain to plan an operation. There were more troops coming out of the nest than I thought. However, even though it was troops brought in assuming that, it started to be pushed strangely, and the monster bastards showed crazy production.

‘I should have brought more troops….’

In fact, he didn’t know that this was a snowball caused by one soldier not being able to shoot while standing.

Increased enemy reinforcements. The number of remaining Titans. The result was obvious, and all that was left was retreat.

“Transport ship, is the transport ship not here yet?”

The main fleet that went to hit the core nest on the largest continent of the planet. I’ve already requested a retreat transport ship there.

It’s because I lost too many transport ships during the initial landing. The troops decreased after that, but it was impossible to carry them all.

“They say the main unit has also started fighting, so it will take 3 hours…”

At the communications soldier’s answer, Ledain despaired.

The front battlefield had no answer. Big Eyes pushing in several lines. Keppers in dozens of lines.

On the other hand, Titans reduced to the point where they couldn’t even make one line.

I try to maintain the front line by forcing them to stand, but it was too sparse to call it a line. Even that, as they each retreated to avoid enemy firepower, it was truly a mess.

There’s even a guy advancing alone.

‘Huh? Advancing?’

Only then did one machine come into view.

It was clearly a machine made of steel, but for a moment it looked like a person. Like a veteran mercenary who is very skilled in combat.

Weapons on both hands and shoulders flash, catching three Big Eyes at the same time. While dodging enemy attacks with boosters, the aim doesn’t miss.

To the point where I wonder if the bearings are okay, no, to the point where I think, wouldn’t the pilot get motion sickness instead of bearings or gears? It turns its upper body swiftly. Even so, the aim doesn’t miss.

There was only one thing for the Lieutenant Colonel who witnessed that miracle to do.

“Everyone, help that machine!!!”

Not only did I get up to the ridge, but I killed all the Kilug around. Of course, I didn’t do it alone. I saw troops coming up from below, and they were expanding the area while setting foot on the ridge.

Of course, at the sight of those who arrived giving me a thumbs up, I realized that I had played the most active role at the forefront.

-BT7274? BT7274 pilot, please respond.

That must be the serial number of the Titan I’m riding. It was definitely engraved as BT7274 in the corner of the cockpit.

“Ah, ah. Communication security?”

-Oh, finally connected. Yes, Corporal Lastimosa?

Who is that…. Still, I could roughly guess. It must have been the original pilot of the machine I’m riding.

I couldn’t say, “Now this machine is mine. I can do whatever I want with it.”

-Corporal Lastimosa?

“Ah, that corporal is absent. I am Private Lee Min-cheol.”

I felt a bit guilty talking like this, so I sortied again.

-Lee Min-cheol?

“It’s Lee Min-cheol.”

-Lee Mee-cheol?

Is it a strategy to make me fight harder by pissing me off?

-Hmm, anyway, Private Mitchell Lee?

Finally, I was renamed in the Western style.

-Thanks to you, we succeeded in occupying the western ridge. Will you lead the Titans and finish clearing the ridge like this?

“Yes, I understand.”

The moment the Titans climbed the wall, no, the ridge, it was over. As I led the Titans to the east and pushed, the remaining Kilug also melted helplessly.

The strange thing was that they didn’t run away even though the defeat was deep.

‘Are they stalling for time?’

That was also strange. The troops that come out in the tutorial are about the same. It would be better to run away and join the reinforcements.

-Good! Let’s charge into the colony like this!

The troops regroup for a moment on the ridge and start marching again. It was proceeding smoothly until the end of the first tutorial mission, but I felt a strange sense of anxiety. In the game, it was the end, but just like I was able to ride and control the Titan. It was a worry that the opponent would also use a different move.

‘The fact that they stopped production means they are making something else.’

Kilug is a quite unique race. Pushing with quantity and mobility rather than civilization. It’s a space race with a Mongolian nomadic feel.

Therefore, there isn’t much in the colony. Naturally, collection storage that absorbs surrounding resources such as underground, and production bases that spew out troops. The two are the main ones.

However, a more developed base. So, there are other buildings in bases that have evolved to the point where they don’t appear in the tutorial.

‘What might be here too… is probably a defense base.’

The game has become reality. It wasn’t troops arranged in order for newbies during the tutorial, but productivity that came rushing in like crazy. Considering that, if reinforcements stopped, they would have developed that much.

I checked the remaining plasma cannons and missiles. I also checked the armor durability.

‘There will be Bone Pressure, right? If they say they don’t make many, even biological cannons.’

I think about the buildings that can be built in the opponent’s colony now. The estimate came out quickly. I could handle it enough.

While moving with such expectations, I arrived near the enemy colony before I knew it.

As these alien monsters always do. In the nest, something sticky, red, and purple was spread all over the floor.

A.k.a. biological mud. Kilug bases that can be seen as living things, even if they are called buildings. So, I know it as a substance that transmits energy and commands between buildings.

When the Titan’s foot stepped on the biological mud, it stuck out like stepping on gum. In addition to the red and purple mud, something white like body fluid also stretches while sticking. I’m not stepping on it myself, but I felt dirty.

‘But why is there still no defense base?’

Originally, bones or lasers should have been flying by now.

In the first place, before that, defense buildings were not visible. All I can see are the production bases visible in the distance.

The anxiety grew even greater. What on earth are they trying to prepare?

Are they suddenly going to open the mouth of the production base and pour out a huge amount of quantity? But we are too close for that. It meant it was good to concentrate firepower on the entrance where the quantity pours out.

It doesn’t seem like quantity, but I was worried about what they were preparing. But I couldn’t back down. Now I had to go for it, no matter what.

It was then. The production building in the distance started to wriggle.

-Everyone, prepare to fire!

I aimed all weapons at the entrance that spits out troops. But the place that opened wasn’t that side.

The top of the building split. It started to split into several branches as if a flower was blooming.

There are several types of Kilug that come out like that.

One is a flying object. But those guys don’t keep the building split like this. They just open the top for a moment.

The troops that come out split to that extent are large species.

The radio starts to catch fire.

Emergency! Emergency! Large Kilug appearance…! Evacuation order…. We’re all going to die….

I can’t see the faces of other pilots or troops. Even so, it seemed like I could see their expressions through the radio. Confusion, fear, helplessness, despair, etc. Maybe my expression wouldn’t be much different.

Finally, where the flower of death fully bloomed, there was something like a huge pile of mud.

I could tell what that mud meant. Sweat flowed down from my forehead.

“Giant Mud….”

One of the two types of large Kilug species. The one with the top-tier firepower among Kilug monsters. A monster that usually appears as a boss mob only after passing about 3 quest planets.

A part of it rose like a pillar from the mud. At the end of it, a red eye opened with a flash.

And energy began to gather to the point where it was visible to the eye.