Black Straggler

[Status:

Name: Sy Verdin

Profession: Level 0 Pioneer

Pioneering Score: 2

(Attributes)

Strength: 10

Dexterity: 12

Agility: 11

Vitality: 21

Intelligence: 23

Wisdom: 15

Innovativeness: 8

Focus: 9

Neural Affinity: 0

(Martial Skills)

Basic Weapons Mastery = Level 0

(Technology Skills)

Basic Weapon-tech = Level 0

Basic Energy-tech = Level 0

Construction-tech = Level 1

Computer-tech = Level 1

Basic Propulsion-tech = Level 0

Bio-tech = Level 1

(Specialty)

Basic Miniaturization = Level 0

Basic Mecha = Level 0]

Nodding in satisfaction, Sy exited Steel Arena for his noon break. Tiff was not around this time, so he decided to treat himself with meat scallops in a nearby restaurant called 'Real Deal'.

Meanwhile, his recent work garnered a lot of attention when 200 The Strongest Pistoleer - Felian X was sold. Even Gregory was victimized, thinking that Sy had made another masterpiece. The Runerie could only laugh at his naiveness when he saw the trash specs, and considered the cool mech as a worthy display made by a genius.

The deceptive looks powered by an even more dishonest name unrelentingly made people buy it. The reviews who warned people away made little effect - only a ripple against the tidal wave of deceit.

Few concerned mech specialists had taken the mantle to lead the crusade against Vulcan444. This cunning young man must be stopped at all cost. If he made another devious approach, many more people will be swindled at his mercy.

Kerby and his gang, along with Hanz' were given a one day leave from training exercises, giving them leisure to freely spend their time in their own way. Once they saw that Sy made a new mech, they all curiously checked it in the market. But with their tactical awareness, they found the crap output of The Strongest Pistoleer - Felian X in no time and regarded Sy as trolling. However, they decided to invest in the joke and each one bought a piece. Eventually, the temptation of the two Straggler S1-2s' cockpit ceased their attention.

Unaware of what was happening in Steel Arena, Sy caressed his belly with a wide grin. The juicy thin slices of meat had given him the best satisfaction he had ever experienced throughout his entire life. He abruptly stood up, and went back to the gaming center. Tiff was still missing so he went straight back to his pod.

In his virtual workshop, the aviators were back screaming. Sy chuckled after observing them for a second before he began to plot his next move. Since he wanted to redeem himself, another variant of the Pistoleer - Felian X must be crafted. This time, with a substance.

The Pistoleer had a thick armor for a light mech. Probably a reason why it's in the 3rd Gen as the 2nd Gens will have trouble damaging it, coupled with its mobility and effective pistols in the lower divisions, it's unstoppable. However, in this division, it couldn't perform well.

In order to balance its specs, as to not lower or promote its gen and tier, Sy planned to remove that extra thickness of armor, all the while giving it more agility and speed. Then make the pistols more serious.

Sy bought the license for the pistols which only costed 200 Gold, before a stock version of the Pistoleer - Felian X, and started working around it. The aviators whose turn was still pending on the Stragglers saw this. They spectated Sy's blurry figure moving left and right, up and down, with mouth agape.

After only a few minutes, the workshop owner let out a content 'Ah!' which further made the pilots curious to what the strange man had accomplished. After a closer look, they saw that the brand new Pistoleer - Felian X was slimmer in size.

Sy turned his attention to the pistols. 3rd Gens' energy weapons, mostly depended on energy cells, drawing their power from them instead of the reactor. The young pioneer wanted to increase the output of the weapon while sacrificing the fire rate to balance it. As such, he changed the energy capacity fed into the crystal, before reinforcing the structure of the pistols to prevent any form of collapse from this new modification.

With this, the energy blast was two times stronger, but the fire rate was also twice slower. Along with its new speed and agility, the mech was now destined to fire while moving in short range, as it wouldn't be able to tank incoming projectiles from enemies with its thinner armor.

He also made new storages for the ammunition of the pistols, which the mech could easily grab just around its waist.

Not satisfied with this, Sy went to the computer core to make a manual on how to handle the new pistoleer, which he would upload later into the main computer of the mech along with a new set of automated movements from a computer guidance he plucked from his new variety of knowledge in Computer-tech.

After making new changes on the cockpit - he was done. While he thought of a proper name, the free aviators hurriedly went to the cockpit of the Pistoleer.

Hale was the first one in the cockpit, and immediately asserted his dominance. He first tested random movements, and while squatting, he commented, "3rd Gens are smaller than 4th Gens. I can feel the advantage of being smaller. It seemingly responds faster because of its lesser mass."

The newly modified Pistoleer's head only reached the shoulder of the Mathilda 800s who were also categorized as light mechs.

"What's this?" Hale saw 4 buttons, new ones. They were arrows pointing forward, backwards, left and right. Curiously, he pressed the forward button.

Suddenly the mech tensed without any relays from his brain, then dove onto the ground and rolled forward.

"Whoa! Whoa!"

The aviators who were watching panicked, as a humongous machine as big as a building, made a huge motion of movements, and threatened to squash them into meat paste. Luckily, it was only a game.

The way the mech rolled on the ground before landing on its feet was so smooth, it astonished the frightened pilots.

"Hale! Did you f*kin' do that?"

"That's f*ckin' smooth, man! Do that again.. Do that again!

Hale only laughed in the cockpit before the mech performed the action again and landed exactly at its former location.

"Hale! Get the f*ck out of there! Let me pilot that mech. I know there's a trigger for that sh*t. You can't do that precisely in the same manner!" Kerby shouted below.

Hale made a quick assessment out of this. Due to the response delays of a mech, a pilot would not be able to perform some feats such as dodging. With these new buttons, the mech would react faster with just the press of button even without the pilot relaying neural orders to it. The only drawback, was that the action can not be interrupted. One can easily roll their mech on the wrong ground without a way to disrupt the movement.

On a corner, Sy finally thought of a good name, and registered his new work on the game system.

[SSS Rank Pistoleer - Felian X]

Since the aviators were having some fun, Sy chose the automated production function of the game. After spending 5,200 Gold for a single production, he put the new variant in the market and the game system made a price for it; 20,000 Gold.

Seeing that it was too costly, Sy couldn't do anything, but accept the AI's judgement.

As the new product entered the market, the crusaders instantly pounced without looking at the specs of the mech, seeing that it had once more sported an excessive name.

[3rdratedesigner: Vulcan444, you stop this nonsense right now!]

[specialistRick: No one will fall for this now! We know what you're doing!]

Although, scamming your customers was a good way to lose reputation, and not good in the long run, the specialists feared that Vulcan444 would rake in the cash and then disappear forever.

Even with all their combined effort to prevent people from noticing it, two groups of certain aviators steered the pot creating a ripple that caused the new variant to be recognized and bought in bunches.

They could only watch with tear in their eyes.

"Let's go for a match later using the SSS Rank Pistoleer - Felian X later." Mig suggested, just rightly after buying one.

"Yeah! We shall crush a lot of kids!" Till agreed, but with sinister intention.

Sy could only raise a brow and chuckle at their frolicsome attitude. It occured to him that being them would make his life more simple, as he would see things at a different angle, enjoying the little things given. Nothing would be complicated even though you understand less. Just do what you want to do, whenever you want to, and without overthinking the consequences.

After some observations, he turned to the computer and decided to make a tech tree for the Straggler S1-2 that other workshops were doing in order to give customers a guide on new customizations for a certain type of mech. After all, it was an unfinished design, one that he intended to finish.

After skimming through the available materials in the market, there was only one alloy that could bond or completely replace the Hybrid Titanium, and without encumbering the mech. This was also another type of hybrid titanium, called the Black Titanium. Although ten times more expensive, once it was integrated into the Straggler S1-2, then the mech would have no more weakness.