Chapter 55: Mecha Martial Arts! Kid!

“Fire!”

Boom!

An armor-piercing shell shot out at lightning speed, striking another mech from the Black Hawk Empire with a resounding bang.

Clearly, the crew inside this Black Hawk mech lacked the experience of the one beside it. While the seasoned Fearless pilot had immediately started moving upon sensing danger, this mech’s crew stood frozen in place.

A moment’s hesitation was all it took for the shell to find its mark, even though they had intended to relocate.

Fortunately, the mech had at least shifted slightly, so the shell didn’t hit the vital torso but instead struck the side, where a mechanical leg connected.

The powerful armor-piercing round shattered the fragile joint instantly. Even the extra outer armor plating couldn’t save it.

The hydraulic system in one leg failed, turning the mech into a limp wreck. With a heavy thud, it collapsed on the battlefield.

“Good, another one down! Xi—Hey!”

King Gigi shouted again, urging the Raven squad forward.

“Quick, turn around, keep moving! Their cannons are zeroing in on us!”

He noticed how deadly accurate the enemy NPC gunners were. If he hadn’t been constantly weaving and dodging, he’d have taken several hits by now.

Though a player was attached behind them with strong repair skills, even a player’s repairs had limits and couldn’t fix all damage in seconds.

If their mech were disabled now, it would be instantly overwhelmed by concentrated fire.

Boom!

They narrowly dodged another shell, but it grazed the edge of their armor, carving a deep scratch and even chipping off a small piece.

Luckily, it caused no critical damage. The veteran soldier, 10086, hanging on behind, immediately began frantically tightening his wrench to repair the damage.

“Pilot, charge straight in! Engage in bayonet combat!”

Calculating the distance, they were close enough now that waiting for the cannon to reload was too slow.

Better to settle this with the bayonet! So far, they hadn’t even used this blade against an actual enemy mech.

Bayonets fixed, the Fearless mech surged forward, its momentum rising instantly.

The Black Hawk pilot’s face stiffened as he saw the metal giant charging at him with bayonet raised.

Honestly, their own troops rated the bayonet rather mediocre; they believed these long-barreled artillery mechs were meant to annihilate enemies from afar, not engage in close-quarters stabbing.

What era is this, still playing at melee combat?

They could blast enemy armor to smithereens from hundreds of meters away. What use was a bayonet?

Yet here it was, coming into play after all.

Fortunately, their training had thoroughly covered mech bayonet techniques. Despite their disdain, the Black Hawk infantry pressed forward with their own bayonets.

“Ura!”

A familiar battle cry rang out as the two steel giants clashed with a heavy thud.

“Damn! My ears nearly exploded!”

Inside the cockpit, the players cursed. Though all sensations were simulated brainwaves and their real ears remained unharmed, the sheer volume was unbearable.

The ironclad mechs sounded like massive bells when they collided.

Neither side’s bayonets scored a hit. Despite the player’s fierce charge, the seasoned Black Hawk crew narrowly dodged the thrusts and parried the attacks with their own blades.

Then, their pilot, relying on experience, swung a mechanical leg to trip the player’s feet.

“Damn! No honor among Black Hawks!”

The sudden sweep caught the two players, lacking mech combat skills, off guard. Before they could realize what was happening, violent shaking nearly toppled them.

Right after, a gleaming bayonet thrust aimed straight for the cockpit.

Crack!

The blade, coated with a special metal, pierced the Fearless mech’s front armor with ease. Whether Fearless or Pacifier, these mechs were not heavily armored; their defenses were relatively thin.

Had the Raven pilot not reacted swiftly, pulling the mech back a step, this stab would have been fatal.

“Holy crap! The game designers really went overboard with mech combat!”

The two players stared in shock at the bayonet blade now nearly inside their cockpit.

They’d always treated these machines like tanks, but this was the first time they’d seen such nimble melee combat capabilities.

Clearly, this kind of finesse wasn’t achieved alone; it required seamless coordination between the pilot and the commander. Only through perfect synchronization could they execute human-like mech fighting techniques.

As for the players’ coordination…

Well, they were pretty in sync when shouting “Shoot them all!”

“Haha, rookies, you think you can just master the Empire’s armored vehicles so easily?”

The Black Hawk troopers sneered, pressing the bayonet attack relentlessly.

Though surprised the enemy had captured and was operating their vehicle, they still outmatched the opposing crew in skill.

Suddenly, a cannon shot rang out unexpectedly. An armor-piercing round struck their mech with a sharp clang, causing the Black Hawk crew to freeze.

They caught sight of a strange sight—a Cambrian soldier, somehow perched atop the Fearless mech’s canopy, manning a peculiar little cannon.

That shot had come from that tiny gun!

“What the hell? What kind of crazy tactic is this? That soldier’s still clinging on up there?”

The Black Hawk crew was stunned, admitting they’d never seen such hardcore tactics.

The soldier on top kept firing rapidly, peppering their mech with shells.

Though the rounds weren’t strong enough to penetrate their armor, the relentless barrage was unnerving.

Until—

“Damn! That guy just shattered our observation scope!”