Gladiator

"Alright, we can see that the contestant Hooker, piloting the Red Dragon, has given up his attack on Disen. It seems he has realized that Disen is a tough nut to crack."

"From a tactical standpoint, this is a wise choice. The competition has just begun, and there's no need for Red Dragon's mecha to waste a significant amount of energy on the Mammoth. As for Disen, piloting the Mammoth, conserving resources is even more crucial. With a mecha that's at a disadvantage in all aspects, to win, he must ensure sufficient resources to compete in the endgame for the flag."

"At this stage, avoiding combat or engaging with long-range weapons is the optimal strategy."

Kenny sat in the studio, watching the broadcast screen and rapidly explaining the match.

At this moment, the broadcast camera also followed the contestant with curly hair, hiding behind an asteroid, giving a close-up of the energy gun.

The gun, grey and white, was over two meters long, with a sizable energy furnace at its end, emitting a faint green glow.

"Disen, the highest-ranked contestant, clearly realizes his predicament and is preparing to use firearms for long-range harassment."

"We can see he is using a heavy energy gun in his mecha's hand. Such guns generally come in two types: one with an independent power supply and the other powered by the mecha's energy. The gun in Disen's hand is a fifth-generation basic model energy gun produced by Mark Company, featuring an independent power supply."

"Compared to traditional field mecha guns with live ammunition, this energy firearm has its pros and cons. The advantage is its rapid firing rate, stable trajectory without significant drop, and ammunition drawn from the energy furnace, eliminating the need to carry physical ammo, thus reducing the mecha's burden. However, compared to physical bullets, air resistance consumes more energy from energy bullets, resulting in generally shorter range and insufficient lethality.

Facing field mechas weighed in tons, such basic energy guns can still play a role in interception and damaging structures, but they generally struggle to penetrate the exterior armor of field mechas, posing a direct threat to Iron Rider..."

Indeed, everyone's success is not by chance... Thomas sat in the monitoring room, nodding slightly as he listened to Kenny's commentary.

Kenny clearly possessed profound professional knowledge, analyzing both tactics and equipment with clarity and coherence.

Most importantly, he could even recognize the energy gun in LCH's hand, knowing which model it had been modified from.

To know, this gun had lain in a junkyard for years, its brand and number severely worn, so much so that even Thomas himself couldn't name it.

The camera shifted, focusing on the central battle arena. Thomas turned his head along with the camera, now looking at another monitor showing LCH hiding behind an asteroid.

Boom, boom, boom—

In the midst of the battlefield, missiles, energy shields, and alloy swords clashed relentlessly, composing a symphony that set the blood racing.

In the central arena, the battle was dominated by three major mechas: two military models and one racing model. These three mechas, with their clear attribute advantages, had taken strategic positions and were engaged in combat with several others.

Clang!

Hooker, piloting the Red Dragon, crossed paths with another mecha. Their giant alloy swords clashed, sparking and kicking up a cloud of dust as they hit the ground.

"Rocket Punch, ready!" Hooker's eyes flashed, the arms of his mecha folded together, revealing the thrusters at the Red Dragon's elbow joints.

The next second, the engine's roaring howl, like a wild beast's roar, filled the air. The thrusters emitted a pale blue flame. With a swift turn, Red Dragon's massive steel fist, eighty centimeters in diameter, brutally slammed into the back of its opponent.

Boom!

With a thunderous explosion, the opposing mecha's back armor was severely deformed, and Red Dragon's fist plunged into it. The mecha stiffened, its indicator lights flickering before dimming. It fell straight down like a person knocked unconscious by a blunt hit.

"This is a war of life and death..."

Hooker only glanced at the downed mecha before turning his head, continuing towards the top of the wrecked warship. As a professional Iron Rider, he didn't even need to confirm if the mecha had truly lost its combat capability. With its back armor deformed to such an extent, the cockpit must also have been severely damaged, rendering the pilot inside incapacitated, if still alive.

"If only I were piloting that mecha," LCH thought to himself, recalling Thomas's words about the boss's smelly hand. This scene, observed from a distance, was tinged with a hint of envy in his eyes. In terms of overall quality, he was actually the strongest among all the Iron Rider pilots. Unfortunately, he was almost piloting the weakest mecha.

"Focus..." Thomas's voice suddenly echoed in his ear:"Someone has noticed you."

Someone?

The reminder from Thomas was timely. LCH refocused his attention and quickly spotted a mecha striding towards him. This humanoid mecha stood around six meters tall, with dark grey exterior armor. Its wide frame and robust mechanical limbs indicated its considerable weight from the vibrations it caused on the ground as it moved.

"Damn it!" LCH cursed under his breath, quickly switching his energy gun to normal mode and turning the muzzle around.

Having participated in five flag capture battles, he was familiar with all the mechas present, and this one was no exception. The bulky figure before him was known as 'Gladiator,' piloted by a Iron Rider called Heiren, commonly referred to as Black. Gladiator, like the Mammoth LCH was currently piloting, was classified as an entertainment mecha.

However, not all entertainment mechas are equal. Unlike the Mammoth, which was designed to fulfill the fantasies of the average person, Gladiator was once a racing mecha, albeit not a high-end one. It had genuinely participated in corporal-level competitions. Due to design flaws that couldn't keep up with the intensity of the races, it was eliminated and later modified by other mechanics to fit the standards of an entertainment mecha.

Gladiator had a substantial energy reserve, heavy weight, thick armor, and high output. In terms of data, it was only slightly inferior to the three giants in the center of the battlefield and should have been considered a popular contender. However, Gladiator never managed to secure a high ranking in the odds chart.

The reason for this was a critical flaw—lack of weapon configuration!

Apart from the basic energy shield, Gladiator lacked any long-range capabilities, relying solely on its tonnage and strength for combat. This clumsy fighting style often made Gladiator appear like an easy target, getting outmaneuvered and mocked by others. Compared to those mechas, LCH's Mammoth was indeed an easier opponent to deal with.

"Disen, have the guts not to run!" Black, piloting Gladiator, revealed a sinister smile on his face.

Run?

LCH raised an eyebrow, a cold smile forming on his lips."Just you? Who do you think you're underestimating?"

As Gladiator drew closer, LCH increased the distance between them and then abruptly pulled the trigger. The energy furnace trembled slightly, taking about half a second to warm up.

In the next instant.

Tut-tut-tut-tut

The distinctive firing sound of the energy gun resonated as LCH's [Red Dragon] unleashed a barrage of energy bullets with an almost exaggerated rate of fire, all striking Gladiator's armor.

In no time, the sound of bullets hitting metal filled the air, sparks flying everywhere. In the blink of an eye, Gladiator's armor showed signs of damage and dents.

"So fierce?"

The red warning lights in the cockpit lit up, causing Black's expression to change drastically. He quickly rolled behind a cover, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He had chosen LCH as his opponent largely because he believed the energy weapons' lethality was weak, thinking Gladiator could withstand the firepower.

Black hadn't anticipated that in just a moment, with dozens of bullets fired, LCH would penetrate his armor, the effect almost comparable to Jet Lee's onboard heavy machine gun. The shock on Black's face grew increasingly evident.

"Is this kid really using an energy gun?" he wondered, baffled by the unexpected power of LCH's weapon. The performance of the [Red Dragon] in LCH's hands had clearly exceeded his expectations, challenging his assumptions about the capabilities of energy firearms.