Chapter 46: Unveiling Tempest Inferno
The competition was in full swing, with mechs being inspected and evaluated. Kalki's mech, Tempest Inferno, stood apart from the rest. He had deliberately withheld detailed information about it, providing only its name. As he waited, a professor approached, intrigued by the lack of data.
"Mr. Kalki," the professor said, handing him a sleek, glass tablet—a piece of futuristic technology that functioned like an advanced android phone. "Please input the full details of your mech."
Kalki complied, transferring all the specifications into the tablet. As the professor began reading, his eyes widened in utter shock. He grabbed Kalki by the shoulders, shaking him as he asked, "Is this true? All the information in this tablet—is it accurate?"
Kalki nodded, a smirk playing on his lips as he enjoyed the professor's reaction. "Yes, it's all true."
Without wasting a moment, the professor sprinted towards the upper echelon to bring them to the scene. Within seconds, he returned, holding two senior professors by their wrists, practically dragging them along. The urgency in his movements spoke volumes.
"Look at this!" he exclaimed, thrusting the tablet into their hands. "This technology could revolutionize our kingdom's development and our own careers!"
The two professors took the tablet and began to read. Their reactions were even more dramatic. Their heartbeats seemed to stop, and their eyes widened to the point where they looked like they might pop out of their sockets. The room fell silent as they processed the information.
"Did you create this?" one of the professors finally asked, his voice trembling.
"Yes, I did," Kalki replied, his tone calm and confident.
The three professors exchanged astonished glances, unable to hide their amazement.
### Chapter 46: Unveiling Tempest Inferno
As the professors examined the tablet, one turned to Kalki, his expression a mix of amazement and concern. "Kalki, do you realize what you've done?"
Kalki shook his head, genuinely unsure. "No, I don't."
The professors exchanged bewildered looks before one of them spoke up, holding his head in disbelief. "You've created the costliest design of a mech that can utilize small-tier ores to achieve maximum output. It's revolutionary."
Another professor added, "You've essentially designed the basic structure of an extreme technological core that harnesses both fire and wind essence. This has never been done before."
Kalki felt a twinge of fear. Had he overdone it with the system's enhancements? Would this bring unwanted attention or problems?
"We need to test this immediately," one professor declared. "But we must do so discreetly, without exposing your mech to the other students."
They moved swiftly, ensuring Kalki's mech remained covered and unseen. The professors guided the mech to a secluded testing facility far from the university grounds. The facility was vast, the size of a small town, equipped with high-tech mechs, though none matched the sophistication of Tempest Inferno.
The professors began the testing process, their excitement palpable as they prepared to see if Kalki's design lived up to its extraordinary potential.
The testing of Tempest Inferno took place in the presence of elite soldiers and a group of astonished professors. Kalki entered the deck of his mech, while Yaksha seamlessly integrated into the mech's software. As the professors and soldiers watched, Tempest Inferno began speaking with a human-like voice, a display of advanced AI that left everyone in awe.
One professor voiced a concern. "Is it safe to have an AI in the mech? It could harm the pilot."
Kalki quickly covered for Yaksha. "It's not an AI; it's the consciousness of the mech itself."
The soldiers were shocked, having never seen anything like this before. With the mech's abilities and presence established, the testing commenced on a rugged mountain landscape, a proving ground far from the university. The facility was vast, the size of a small town, equipped with high-tech mechs, but none matched Tempest Inferno's sophistication.
Kalki drew Tempest Inferno's massive blade from its back. As he activated it, the sword's edge glowed with a fiery aura, crackling with energy. With a single swing, the blade unleashed a devastating slash imbued with searing flames and razor-sharp wind currents. The sword cleaved through massive trees and boulders as if they were butter, leaving molten trails in its wake. The professors gasped, their eyes widening in disbelief at the sheer power displayed.
Next, Kalki aimed the mech's forearms at a cluster of reinforced targets, including thick forest sections and rock formations. The Inferno Cyclone Cannons roared to life, generating powerful vortexes of fire and wind. When fired, the swirling infernos incinerated trees and blew away rocks, reducing them to ashes and scattered debris. The soldiers exchanged astonished glances, clearly impressed by the destructive capability.
Tempest Inferno's shoulder pads activated, and advanced lasers, using wind technology for enhanced precision and range, targeted multiple moving drones positioned around a mountain. The lasers cut through their armor with pinpoint accuracy, guided by an auto-targeting system that tracked and eliminated the drones simultaneously. The professors were left speechless, struggling to comprehend the level of technology they were witnessing.
From concealed compartments within its chest and thighs, Tempest Inferno launched a barrage of advanced fire-infused missiles. The guidance systems sought out enemy weak points on enormous boulders and thick tree trunks, striking with explosive payloads that created fiery shockwaves upon impact. The soldiers watched in awe as the missiles decimated an array of distant targets, the fiery explosions lighting up the sky.
To demonstrate its defensive capabilities, Tempest Inferno generated an Essence Dome. This barrier combined wind and fire elements to create a swirling vortex of energy around the mech. The dome deflected incoming projectiles from simulated attacks and neutralized energy-based assaults, providing temporary invulnerability. The professors marveled at the seamless transition between offense and defense, their expressions a mix of admiration and disbelief.
Mounted on the mech's back, the Hurricane Pulse Cannons released concentrated blasts of wind energy, knocking back enemies and creating powerful shockwaves. These blasts flattened clusters of trees and sent large rocks tumbling down the mountain. When fully charged, they unleashed a devastating pulse capable of flattening everything in a wide radius, including a reinforced structure set up for the test. The soldiers' initial skepticism turned into respect, acknowledging the sheer power of the mech.
Kalki then transformed Tempest Inferno into its sleek, high-speed vehicle mode, resembling a futuristic jet. Using its Blazing Boosters, it soared through the air with immense speed and agility. The Cyclone Wings extended, harnessing wind currents for stable flight and rapid maneuvers. In this mode, it launched Flame-Trail Missiles that left a trail of fire, pursuing targets such as large boulders and tree clusters with relentless precision. The soldiers and professors were left in stunned silence, unable to believe the versatility of the mech.
As the professors and soldiers gathered near Kalki, ready to praise Tempest Inferno's extraordinary capabilities, they were suddenly interrupted. A massive weapon emerged from the mech's back, the Mountain Eradicator, and began charging with elemental energy. The cannon glowed intensely with a mix of blue and orange, signaling the imminent release of devastating power.
Before anyone could react, the cannon fired. A cataclysmic blast erupted from the Mountain Eradicator, obliterating the entire mountain in a blinding flash. The shockwave radiated for miles, shaking the ground and scattering soldiers and professors in all directions. Trees were uprooted, rocks shattered, and the landscape transformed into smoldering rubble and swirling ashes.
The soldiers and professors were caught off guard by the sudden attack, their expressions shifting from awe to shock and disbelief. They staggered under the impact of the shockwave, realizing the sheer magnitude of destructive force that Tempest Inferno could unleash. It was a stark reminder of the mech's unparalleled power and the extraordinary danger it posed, even in controlled testing environments.
The professors' jaws dropped, their hearts pounding as they realized the true potential of Kalki's creation. The soldiers, initially unimpressed by the mech's appearance, were now in awe, never having witnessed such destructive power from a single mech, especially one piloted by an unknown teenage boy. Their expressions ranged from utter disbelief to profound respect, acknowledging that they were witnessing a groundbreaking advancement in mech technology.
As Kalki slowly emerged from the mech, dazed by the impact of Tempest Inferno's devastating attack, a figure suddenly rushed forward, pushing through the disoriented soldiers. The soldiers, recovering swiftly, snapped to attention and saluted the approaching person, addressing him as "General."
Confusion clouded Kalki's mind as he watched the General stride up to the mech's leg, where he knelt down and tenderly kissed it, murmuring, "Darling, I've waited years for this moment."
Yaksha, the mech's AI, irritated by the intrusion, pushed the General aside with a commanding voice that echoed through the mech's systems, "Step aside."
As Yaksha's commanding voice echoed through the mech's systems, pushing the General aside with authority, there was a momentary silence. The General, undeterred by Yaksha's dismissal, stood up and approached Kalki with an intense determination. Ignoring the AI's directive, he leaned in and planted a kiss on Kalki's cheek, catching him off guard.
The soldiers and professors looked on in surprise, unsure how to react to the General's unexpected display of affection. Some exchanged puzzled glances, while others maintained their disciplined composure, though their eyebrows raised in curiosity.
Kalki, taken aback by the General's bold move, stepped back slightly, his expression a mix of confusion and discomfort. "What are you doing?" he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
The General, his gaze unwavering and filled with a strange intensity, replied softly, "I've waited years for this moment, Kalki. You've exceeded all expectations."
Yaksha, observing the exchange with a hint of irritation in its voice, interjected, "Enough of this. Explain yourself, General."
The tension in the air thickened as everyone awaited the General's response, unsure of what would come next in this unexpected turn of events.