The clang of metal and the hum of machinery filled the scrapyard as Elias Vale inspected the mech he had unexpectedly brought to life. Around him, broken servos, frayed wiring, and dented armor plates littered the floor like the casualties of a thousand failed cadets. Only now, for the first time, Elias was not one of them.
The System pulsed in his mind, calm and methodical:
"ANALYZE COMPLETE. REPAIR COMPLETE. EVOLUTION UNLOCK AVAILABLE."
He hesitated. Could he risk it? Could a cadet like him truly push this further?
He reached out, letting the System scan every panel, every wire, every microcircuit. Numbers flashed before his eyes:
Hull Integrity: 47% → 65%
Servo Efficiency: 32% → 54%
Weapon Output: 28% → 41%
With a thought, the System completed repairs automatically, then suggested an upgrade path.
"EVOLVE → Option A: Combat Enhancement," it displayed."Option B: Mobility Enhancement."
Elias hesitated. Combat. Mobility. Both seemed tempting, but he remembered the crushing humiliation from yesterday, the snickers, the mockery, the cold blue eyes of Serena Lark staring down at him.
"Combat," he whispered. "Make it… count."
Numbers jumped. Sparks ran along the mech's frame. Servos realigned, weapons calibrated automatically, and HUD displays updated.
Hull Integrity: 65% → 82%
Servo Efficiency: 54% → 78%
Weapon Output: 41% → 63%
The difference was instant, undeniable, and thrilling. Elias flexed his fingers, feeling control like never before.
He activated the mech's thrusters, lifting off slightly from the ground. A gust of air whipped through the scrapyard, scattering tools and debris. The System displayed a new metric:
"PILOT SYNCHRONIZATION: 82% → 91%"
"91… not bad," Elias muttered, a small smile creeping onto his face.
He tested a basic combat simulation, swinging the mech's arm-mounted cannons. A series of broken drones scattered across the yard was obliterated in seconds. Sparks flew, chunks of metal skittered across the floor, and the cadets in the observation area gasped.
Serena appeared at the railing, her blue eyes widening. "Vale… that's…" She paused. Her voice faltered, caught somewhere between disbelief and curiosity. "That mech… it shouldn't be able to do that."
Elias kept silent, letting the display speak. The System had begun visually showing upgrades in real time:
Weapon Accuracy: +22%
Attack Speed: +18%
Target Lock Efficiency: +31%
He couldn't stop the grin. This was more than just survival. This was dominance.
By the time he landed, a small crowd had gathered. Whispers buzzed like static:
"Did Vale just… upgrade that mech on his own?"
"Impossible. That thing was junk yesterday!"
"I swear, he's cheating somehow."
Even cadets who had ignored him before were glancing over, some with envy, some with genuine fear. The academy's elite were starting to notice.
Serena's gaze remained locked on him. She stepped down from the platform and approached, heels clicking against the metal floor. "Show me again," she said, voice quieter this time, a hint of challenge—and maybe… interest?—in her tone.
Elias raised an eyebrow. "Why? To make fun of me again?"
Serena smirked, but there was a flicker of something softer. "No. I want to see if this… miracle of yours is consistent."
The tension between them crackled like static electricity. Elias felt it—something more than rivalry, more than challenge. Something stirring beneath the layers of contempt.
Alone in a quieter corner of the scrapyard, Elias began running controlled tests. He pushed the mech to its limits: thruster boosts, heavy weapon output, and agility maneuvers. The System recorded and displayed all metrics numerically, reinforcing progress:
Combat Rating: D → B
Mech Efficiency: 54% → 85%
Weapon Damage Output: 63% → 92%
"EVOLUTION COMPLETE. NEW PATH UNLOCKED: SYNERGY MODULE."
He paused. Synergy Module? The display explained briefly:
"Synchronize with nearby tech and pilot skill to exponentially enhance system output."
His pulse raced. This could change everything. Every mech in the academy suddenly seemed obsolete.
Serena, watching from the shadows, stepped closer. "Vale… don't tell me you're… controlling it with your mind."
Elias smirked slightly, though inside he was still unsure. "Something like that."
She tilted her head, curiosity flashing in her eyes. "I'll admit… this is impressive."
Her admiration, subtle but undeniable, hit Elias harder than any weapon. For the first time, he felt noticed—respected—and maybe… desired.
Other cadets, mostly female, were beginning to notice him too. Whispers reached him in passing:
"He… fixed that mech? On his own?"
"Is it… the system? Or is he a genius?"
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but… he's hot when he's confident like that."
Elias didn't have the patience—or the concern—to dwell on it yet. Power first. Recognition would follow. But the seeds were planted.
Even Serena lingered longer than necessary. He could feel the subtle shift: contempt turning into intrigue, and intrigue into something else entirely.
By the end of the day, Elias was exhausted. Every muscle ached. Every thought buzzed with the System's new potential. He had survived humiliation, broken the limits of his assigned mech, and—most importantly—had earned the first spark of attention from the academy's elite female cadets.
As he left the scrapyard, the sun glinting off his mech armor, he realized something:
This was only the beginning.
The academy had laughed at him yesterday. Today, they had witnessed a hint of his potential. And tomorrow? Tomorrow, he would make sure they could not ignore him.
The weakest cadet was awakening… and nothing would ever be the same again.