I like the relaxed feeling after a successful test. I feel so good remembering that until the next one, two days later, I am not obligated to do anything. I can sit back and relax, maybe check my equipment, and make a plan against my next opponent, but that is almost a holiday for me.
"I see you are enjoying your time here." A man in his fifties entered the room with a cigarette in hand. He has black hair with lots of white strips from aging and the stress of his job. His name is James Clock, a high-ranking UDC field agent.
And he is the closest thing to a father to me, and he is my mentor as well. He was the captain of the strike squad sent for the raid on the secret facility, which many kids, including me, got used as test subjects for an unknown organization.
He was the one to rescue me from the machine I got connected to and the one to wait next to me while I got transported back to a military hospital with a helicopter. Then when UDC found out about the chip inside my brain, he was the one assigned to take me to the special kid's training facility and one to protect me despite some high-ranking members stating UDC should remove the chip from my head. But thankfully, the simulations and tests they did showed the chip was already integrated too deep in my brain and would end up as scrap if removed, so I am still alive.
"I know the capabilities of the things I made. They are part of me, both literally and figuratively," I put my hand on the exosuits chest piece. Flames of Aganta managed to pierce all layers except one that stopped it near my flesh. I know why my father is angry at me. One more layer and fires could be left a permanent scar on my chest.
Father sighed. "You know I never doubt the quality of the machines you create, you are my son indeed, and I know your potential more than anyone, but I want you to understand one thing, you can replace or repair machines, but your soft human flesh has no luxuries like that."
He walked next to me and put his hand on my shoulder. "Please, be careful on your next test match." He began moving towards the exit.
"I will try," I said. "But don't wait for me to promise. If I get scared of some scars before the start, who knows what I will do against twenty-meter-long human-eating alien monsters." I added right before he exited.
He turned towards me and smiled before leaving.
***** Two days later. Inside the UDC test chamber.
The second match is going to start any minute. We both are standing at our designated points, waiting for the ring. I will be more careful because my current opponent is your everyday main character with a sword, but that's not why I am a little anxious. He doesn't have a guild he is associated with, thus limiting my ability to a background check and prepare my equipment. Still, swords are not known to be good against heavy armor, and my exosuit can increase my strength output. I modified it with more armored plating, and I think a couple of good landed punches could take him out.
"Good luck." He said. "You'll need it today."
Why is everyone so cocky about their strength? "Good luck."
And the bell ringed, and the match started.
"Let me show you something good." He pulled out a katana with a black blade from its sheath.
Exosuits AI automatically scanned the weapon and gave me a 3D model to inspect. I love military-grade technology when you can borrow it for free. But back to our topic, the katana itself has a weird design. I will ignore that the sword is made solely from black or dark purple colored material, it is too decorated, and every piece, except the blade's edge, is covered in decorative engravements. And it has a dark purple aura, making me question why this guy hates colors so much.
He smiled. "Behold! And fear the mighty Kurotama." He directed his weapon toward me.
"That weapon is the worst thing you can use against an armored opponent. What the heck are you saying?"
He got shocked by my answer but shook it away in seconds. "Hah! You talk empty words, and I want to hear them again when you lose this battle. Now prepare yourself!" He raised his katana above his head, and the aura around the weapon grew. "I'll make you eat your words!" He shouted and began moving toward me.
To test his strength, I allowed him to attack me. Of course, I made a cross with my arms to block the impact. I am not that stupid.
His katana hit my arms and bounced away with a clink. There was a scratch on the stell plating outside, but nothing serious.
"Is that all?" I grabbed him from his collar and threw him away.
He bounced on the ground several times but stopped himself by stabbing the ground. His weapon sliced right through the reinforced plating on the floor. That is not good news.
The aura around his weapon grew even more, and he stood up. "Now, I am over with playing." Not only that, but his movements also became faster and sharper than before.
He dashed forward at incredible speed and began attacking furiously. And I saw this blade cutting through metal alloy used in tanks that withstand three-story tall building-sized monsters.
"Chance of strategies." I fired gas canisters in front of me and moved away, using them as a cover. While doing that, I also deployed my decoy. The small thing began firing taser rounds toward the katana boy.
"That bit of electricity cannot stop me!" He shouted and began randomly attacking the smoke. Not the brightest of the lamps, but he sure has the power to be feared off.
Now he is busy cutting smoke particles. I have time to change my strategy. If I want to win this fight, I either need long-range heavy firepower, which I don't have, or a speed greater than his. So, I dropped all of the extra plating and equipment on my armor.
I dashed forward through the smoke as the katana boy finally found the decoy drone and stabbed his sword towards it in a very dramatic way. He turned it three times in the air and pierced it through the middle holding his sword sideways.
"Got your revenge on my poor decoy?" I leaped forward, ready to land a punch on katana boy. He tried to kick me in the chest to block me, but it wasn't powerful enough to stop me, and I landed a hit on his liver.
He spat to the ground and fell, began panting.
I turned toward the jury and began moving my arms, showing my opponent. It was stupid, but the jury understood what I was trying.
One of them opened the broadcast system. "We'll give him ten seconds to get up. Of course, you can punch or taser him right now, but it is up to you."
I made an okay gesture with my hand and began waiting while watching my opponent trying to breathe on the ground.
He struggled a bit more, but he didn't manage to get up on time, so the jury chose me as the winner and ended the match with a whistle.
***** Outside the facility.
I loaded my exosuit onto a wooden box, and several UDC agents took it away for storage. Meanwhile, they do that for me. I moved outside, where I except my father waiting.
And after a short walk, I exited the massive facility located middle of a city. My father was waiting right outside. "Your performance was good today," he said. "I took a call from one of the jury members. He said UDC like to inspect your exosuit." He handed me a piece of candy.
"I crafted that armor in a workshop given me by the UDC. There are more than five secret cameras placed inside. They already know how to make one." I picked the candy and began eating.
"Not everyone in the UDC has an alien supercomputer on their head. They can't draw the blueprint of an advanced battle armor just by looking at how you made it, and you should be happy they are finding you useful. That means opportunity in your language."
I raised my finger. "It is not a battle armor, but an exosuit and while talking about battle armors, tell the UDC if they want to inspect my exosuit, they must increase my research funding as well, you know, these things don't come cheap."
What I said shocked him. "You already have twenty million dollars worth of funding! What will you do with more?"
"To make a battle armor, of course. My current exosuit is light and pretty much useless against large crimsons."
He nodded his head. "And what that battle armor can do in theory?" He took out a notepad filled with random ideas by me. It is a small tradition between us. Every time I talk about a project in my head with him. He takes notes about the projects.
"Heavier weaponry, if possible longer range, I think a large enough armor can hold short-range missiles and weapons with high caliber ammunition. And I want to try that new experimental alloy they make using Crimson Chitin and steel."
"Anything else?" Father asked. "Like a cherry on top?"
"I'll also want to add thrusters, but a fuel tank would take too much space. Do you think they will lend me the new ion thrusters that work with electricity? For movement, they can do wonders, and even though I said new, that technology is already ten years old."
"Forget what I said before, but while all of that sounds great, doesn't UDC already has similar things? Almost every continental army has at least three to four separate models for each class of battle suits." He has a point.
"Well, UDC uses Crimson Shards to power their heavy equipment, which, while taking less space than gasoline or electric batteries, still isn't small. And let's not forget they are mass-produced, which in your language means not customized by the operator. I want something customizable and light since I only need an engine. I am the fuel after all."
He sighed. "And that's the main problem. You are designing a weapon suitable for yourself. Some weapons are mass produced for a reason, they need to be standardized, but I am still surprised how cheap you can produce these things."
"Nah, the expensive part is usually before putting the equipment on the production line, like the brain power behind it and the cost of materials. I can cut many of these things."
A black van with the UDC logo parked in front of us, our ride, and we sat inside. It will take us to our designated spot for resting.
"Well, I advance over existing technology, and chip helps me also I've been working on reliable batteries for some time and-
Father patted my shoulder. " I'll talk with the high council about your request, but in exchange, I want you to build something that can help UDC. After all, we are not battling for power. UDC is to defend the world."
I nodded. "Increase my funds, and I'll develop new sentry bots for UDC."
"Deal." Father shook my hand. "And for your next match, be ready to join titans. UDC was planning to put you on a more advanced education program already, but you proved that you can hold yourself in a battle, so they added you to a different program."
"So, who are these titans? Do UDC have a secret test for special kids." I asked.
"Well, yes, but it is not something we tell the public. It is more like we are trying to see what special kids can do, you know, the current generation lacks the heroes of twenty years before.."
"I understand, but can I compete in that league? UDC limits me in matches, and most of my heavy equipment is abroad."
He smiled. "That special league also has its own special rules."
I smiled as well. "Then open your notepad. I have a long grocery list."
