A masked man stepped inside an isolated mech bay aboard a ship. He walked forward, his boots echoing against the scuffed deck, until he reached the mech that had recently been unpacked.
"When I heard our son prepared a gift, I did not expect to receive a tiger mech." The masked figure remarked as he studied the Devil Tiger with a critical eye. "Why do I have the feeling that this gift is not entirely planned?"
A small figure appeared alongside him. The crystalline woman wearing an elegant gown smiled up at the ferocious-looking tiger mech.
"This mech is a labor of love. From son to father, from mech designer to mech pilot, Ves hasn't forgotten about you. Though I don't pretend to understand much about mechs, I can immediately tell that this Devil Tiger will be the key to our ascension."
Though the formless mask hid Ryncol's expression, his body language clearly conveyed his skepticism.
There was nothing wrong with the Devil Tiger. From his own knowledge of mechs, he immediately recognized that the mech in front of him was very powerful and expensive.
In addition, he vaguely sensed something formidable about the mech. He couldn't quite describe what he was feeling, but as someone who piloted mechs for a living, the Devil Tiger was definitely a machine that demanded attention!
However, no matter how impressive the mech appeared, there was one huge problem.
"I don't pilot bestial mechs, honey. While this tiger mech is very impressive, I only pilot humanoid mechs."
Cynthia Larkinson grinned. "Haven't you been learning how to pilot other mechs? With the help I've provided to you, you've been improving at a rapid pace."
"That's because I've spent more than six years trying to become accustomed to piloting spaceborn mechs!" The Dark Cleaver let out an exasperated breath. "Most battles in the Nyxian Gap take place in space. If I didn't work so hard in becoming more proficient in piloting spaceborn mechs, I would have never been able to earn the respect of my men and take over the Oblivion Hand."
As a Larkinson, he possessed a much greater foundation than regular mech pilots, let alone the badly-trained pirates of the Nyxian Gap. He already possessed a basic level of proficiency in piloting spaceborn mechs, but it took several years of intensive piloting and training sessions for him to reach the level of proficiency reached by Larkinsons who specialized in piloting spaceborn mechs.
To be honest, Ryncol still wasn't comfortable with piloting a mech in space. The lack of solid ground underneath the feet of his mech often made him feel lost and adrift.
He missed fighting on stable ground. Distances were smaller, giving melee mech pilots such as him a lot more opportunity to close in to the enemy.
Though he still led the Oblivion Hand in battle after he became its commander, his mech mostly floated in the rear while the ranged mechs under his command pelted their opponents to death.
Ever since the Dark Cleaver took command of the Oblivion Hand, they never lost a battle. With someone as mysterious as his wife scouting their enemies and sabotaging them prior to battle, the Oblivion Hand always held the upper hand.
The continuous string of victories had propelled the Oblivion Hand into prominence in the Nyxian Gap. More and more pirates and other scum gave way when the Oblivion Hand passed through their space. In addition, the spoils they gained from their victories attracted an enormous amount of recruits.
Though a lot of spies and malcontents attempted to slip into their ranks, Cynthia always managed to sort them out before they did any damage.
Ryncol would have never made it this far without his wife's assistance. However, that did not mean he always went along with her plans!
"You know we can't afford to stay in a single area." He crossed his arms. "With hunters continually following our trails, we always need to stay a step ahead. We can't afford to linger too long on the surface of a planet."
"I know that." The miniscule woman spoke. "But there's more to this mech than you realize. It's worth it for you to pilot this great machine. Do you know why? Because our son has imparted something special to this mech. Why don't you step inside the cockpit first? I'll show you why the Devil Tiger will be the key to gaining an edge against our pursuers. You might even become strong enough to defeat them in battle!"
The man sent a dubious glance at his partner. "The last time you showed me something instead of telling me something, you stuffed a bunch of pills down my throat. I was indisposed for days while my body and mind were tearing themselves apart!"
"Didn't you get better in the end? I was just doing what was best for you, honey!"
Though Ryncol was very hesitant about following his wife's instructions, eventually she managed to badger him into stepping inside the cockpit.
Once he climbed into the cockpit and sat on his chair, he quickly moaned in comfort.
"This is the most comfortably piloting chair I've ever sat upon! As expected from my son! He knows exactly how to pamper mech pilots!"
The floating crystalline form of a woman hovered happily above his head.
"The comfy chair is just the start. There's something else about this mech that will help you become stronger. Why don't you activate and interface with the Devil Tiger. There's a surprise waiting for you once you connect with your mech."
Though Ryncol only grew more and more apprehensive about following her suggestions, he couldn't muster up much resistance against his own wife.
She had never been wrong, after all.
He booted up his mech and tentatively lowered the piloting helmet onto his head. The Devil Tiger came to life. The aura hidden behind the spiritual barrier that Ves had left behind became more pronounced. A hint of it leaked past the blockage, giving the mech pilot a preview of why the Devil Tiger acquired its name.
Soon enough, the man-machine connection started to engage. Just as Ryncol started communicating with the wakening tiger mech, the diminutive crystal woman started to make her move.
She stretched her tiny arm outwards and gripped her hand into a fist. Then, she pulled something out, causing the design spirit of the Devil Tiger to scream in agony and pain!
Her hand gripped something invisible to the naked eye. Only Cynthia could see what she held. She studied what she had taken with a satisfied grin before shoving it through the helmeted head of her husband!
"AAAAAAH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"
This time, it was the mech pilot's turn to scream! Despite flailing around on his piloting seat, the tiny woman remained unconcerned as he concentrated on manipulating the intangible object she shoved in the mind of the man she loved.
Several agonizing minutes passed by as Cynthia performed a series of intricate spiritual surgery. The complexity of her manipulations vastly exceeded anything that Ves could do on his own!
In fact, if Ves could see her now, he would have been astounded to see what was happening! The design spirits of his mechs were never supposed to be abused in this fashion!
Ryncol kept feeling as if his mind was being dipped into a sun as he bore through the pain that affected his deepest being! He felt as if his fundamental sense of self was being altered on the spot!
Eventually, Cynthia ended her operation. She looked a lot more exhausted than before as she expended a lot of energy and effort to accomplish her objective.
Her husband slowly recovered from the changes that took place in his mind. He immediately shut down the mech as the man-machine connection compounded his headache!
"What.. what did you do?!"
"Nothing much. I just gave you the essential ingredient that will allow you to become an expert pilot. In fact, your new state resembles that of an expert candidate! Aren't you happy, honey?"
"Happy? Do you realize how much pain I am in?! I don't feel anything like an expert candidate, and as a Larkinson I should know!"
Cynthia's tiny form floated closer and gently caressed her husband's head while she studied her handiwork. Her expression revealed no hint of an apology.
"Just bear with it. I had to be a lot more forceful than I initially thought. It's inevitable for you to suffer some side effects. The pain will fade, but the discomfort will remain."
"How am I supposed to lead the Oblivion Hand when I'm no longer comfortable in my own skin?! Fix this, please!"
"I'm sorry, honey, but you have to do the rest yourself. The side effects of my operation can only be mitigated if you integrate the changes I've made."
"How am I supposed to do that?!"
Cynthia waved her tiny hand across the cockpit. "By piloting this mech. It's connected to you, now. It hides a wellspring of strength. I've borrowed a small portion of it to empower you, but to make it your own, you need to master your new strength in order to remain in control. Piloting the Devil Tiger in battle will help you familiarize with your changes and stave off any adverse consequences."
Ryncol Larkinson was never destined to become an expert pilot. For Cynthia to give her husband the strength he needed to resist their enemies, she had to resort to desperate means in order to change his fate.
It was worth it, though. Despite the sloppiness of her operation and the many side effects that arose, she was confident her husband would be able to overcome this challenge!
What she didn't mention to her husband that she was actually gambling with his life. If he failed to master his new strength and advance to expert pilot in a couple of years, the foreign energy inserted in his mind would eventually rebel and take over his body!
This wasn't something she could meddle with any longer. With how intertwined she attached the new energy to his mind, damaging one would also damage the other. This was why she heavily emphasized to her husband to control the new addition to his mind before it gained the upper hand!
Once Ryncol's headache began to subside a bit, he turned towards his wife and glowered at her. "I hate you, you know that? You're not the woman I rescued and fell in love with back then. You did a good job in deceiving me with your innocent act and your duplicitous smiles. When I finally found out the truth, I realized that I married a lie. By then, it was too late for me to request a refund."
Though her husband was badmouthing her, Cynthia took no offense. "The love we share is real, and the son we raised is the proof of that. I'm sorry for hoodwinking you back then, but I was in desperate straits back then. It's all water under the bridge, right? Despite all the trouble we're in right now, I still love you as much as I did when you rescued me like a knight in shining armor."
Her husband sighed. "And I love you too."
Love was very mysterious. Despite the problems associated with her complicated past, the time after her early death was one of the bleakest periods in his life. When she finally returned to him in her strange form a few years ago, it was as if he rediscovered the joys of his life.
Cynthia turned grim as she cast her thoughts to the future. Aside from the incessant pursuit following after their heels, she also worried about a greater threat.
"Please bear with the changes and do your best to grow stronger quickly. You'll need that strength for what is to come."
"What are you worried about, Cynthia?"
"A powerful foe." She replied with a grim expression. "One that is great enough to force our son to run from the star sector in the future."
The Ruined Temple was not a foe to be taken lightly!