Chapter 6 - 6.Sian

As Sian's consciousness faded, the world around him blurred into darkness. It felt as if he were sinking into an endless void, where time held no meaning and thoughts were lost like whispers in the wind.

When he finally regained awareness, Sian found himself sprawled on a cold, metallic surface. The air was different, sterile, almost artificial, with a faint hum reverberating through his body. He blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the bright lights above him.

Sitting up, he surveyed his surroundings. Trees and grass filled his view. The previous house was nowhere to be seen and now, he was inside a mech armor, the interior illuminated by glowing panels and screens.

*Beep!*

Control interfaces blinked in front of him, displaying information he couldn't quite comprehend. Panic surged through him as he fumbled with the strange controls, unsure of what had just happened.

"Shit! Where am I?" he muttered, his voice echoing in the confined space.

The last thing he remembered was the mech charging at him, and now… now he was inside it.

'I was inside? It?' he thought confused.

Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind, calm and authoritative.

"Welcome, pilot. You have been selected to operate the Guardian-01 mech golem. Your primary objective is to protect and assist the Creator in accomplishing his task. Failure to comply will result in memory erasure and the golem being unbound."

Sian's heart raced. "Wait, what? Task? What comply? Shit! I didn't sign up for this!" He instinctively cursed and reached for his throat, recalling the physical exertion and fear he had just experienced while flying.

"You have a choice," the voice continued. "You can either terminate the contract, and I will erase your memories. But before you make that decision, you need to familiarize yourself with the functions of the mech."

"Learn? How am I supposed to do that? Full of bad luck, no kidding! I always get into trouble!" Sian exclaimed, frustration bubbling up.

"I'm just a regular guy, not some superhuman," he said, exhaustion lacing his voice.

But the voice of the mech armor didn't allow him to relax.

"Your subconscious has already begun the synchronization process. Focus on the interface before you. Visualize your movements, and the Guardian-01 will respond."

Sian took a deep breath, attempting to calm the storm of emotions within him. He glanced at the control panels, the glowing symbols pulsing gently as if they were alive.

He raised his hands tentatively, mimicking gestures he had seen in action movies.

*Whirr…*

To his surprise, the mech mirrored his movements. It lifted its arms and flexed its fingers, the machinery whirring in response. "Okay, this is… actually kind of cool," he admitted, a sense of empowerment washing over him.

Just like any man, being inside a mech armor gave him an exhilarating feeling. It was akin to driving his first car.

"Now, initiate combat mode," the voice instructed.

With a surge of adrenaline, Sian focused on the screens, and a new set of options appeared. He selected the combat mode, and immediately, the mech's systems activated with a powerful hum.

Weapons emerged from a compartment, which was the other box, the same one that had contained the gigantic silver sword.

The sword floated before disassembling and forming other weapons, a Cross Shield with mana as its shell and five broadswords floating above his head.

"Combat mode activated. You are now equipped with the Cross Mana Shield and flying daggers," the voice confirmed.

Looking at his cool appearance, excitement overwhelmed him.

"This isn't a dream, right? Guardian?" Sian asked, fearful that everything might be an illusion.

"Calculating all scenarios, the user isn't unlikely to be trapped in an illusionary magic that induces dreams," the voice replied.

"Time to test this thing out!" Sian shouted, his previous worries replaced by excitement. He stepped forward, the mech moving with astonishing grace for its heavy-looking appearance.

In other views, a 6-foot-tall mech navigates the forest with ease. Its body, made from magic steel, gives it a warm but sharp look.

With each step, the mech transitioned from walking to running. Finally accustomed to the mech, his body, pumped with adrenaline, moved faster.

Trees began to blur as he sped up, effortlessly navigating the woods. The visor inside his helmet seemed to enhance his thinking, making it easier to find the best path.

He vaulted over rocks like a professional athlete, excitement surging through him, and he couldn't stop shouting.

"Woaaahhhhh!" Sian's voice echoed throughout the forest, startling nearby birds.

After minutes of running, he asked, "Guardian, give me the coordinates of my friends."

"Searching the user's memories... Coordinates found. Providing the best route."

In front of him, a map appeared, showing his current location along with two additional dots.

"Guardian, I want to know. Who is the master?" Sian inquired, worry creeping into his voice.

"The master will only reveal himself once you complete a task assigned by him. In the meantime, be patient and await his orders."

Sian's heart sank slightly at this thought. "Shit, what have I gotten myself into?" he murmured.

His excitement began to wane, but deep down, he felt a flicker of hope that the creator of this fearsome mech was not some eccentric individual who didn't care for his well-being.

...

Sian had been missing for three hours, and Bob and Jerry were beginning to worry.

They had filled their stomachs after finding a coconut tree.

Sian's sudden disappearance brought back memories of their frightening encounter with the slime, and the fear still lingered in their minds.

*Thump*

A sound startled them from behind. With no weapon to use, they picked up a fallen branch from a nearby tree, ready to defend themselves.

What Bob saw next nearly freaked him out. A robot with a slim body and bluish metallic color stood before them, its red, menacing eyes staring at them with curiosity. It slowly raised its hand, making both men uneasy.

"It's me," the robot said.

"Sian?" Bob asked, uncertainty thick in his voice.

"Yeah, it's me," Sian's voice confirmed again.

The robot opened its body, revealing Sian, who had no visible injuries, but his eyes were focused on the opened coconut.

Sian walked from the mech, stunning the two while he reached out to one of the coconuts.

"Sorry about that," Sian said as he effortlessly cracked open another coconut with his bare hands.

*Crack*

The fruit broke easily, and Sian, focused on the coconut, didn't even realize what he was doing. He drank the coconut water while scooping out a handful of flesh with his hand.

Bob and Jerry, stunned by the Guardian Mech, looked at Sian as if he were an alien.

Unbothered by their stares, Sian ate with relish, his growling stomach beginning to fill.

*Crack*

Another coconut broke in his hand, and as his stomach filled, he finally realized what he was doing.

"What the shit," Sian exclaimed, sounding like a child in disbelief.

Bob and Jerry were at a loss for words.

"What happened, Sian?" Jerry asked.

Looking at his hands and the coconut, Sian's mind began to race as he sat down on the ground.

He decided to tell them what transpired after his disappearance.

...

"That's all," Sian shuddered.

"What do you mean that's all? That's a freaking mech! How about you give that to me?" Bob said greedily.

Bob and Jerry could hardly contain their excitement. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, riding a mech had always been a man's dream.

"Why don't you ask it?" Sian replied confidently.

He knew that until he relinquished his contract, the suit would always follow him.

"Nah! Maybe next time," Bob said without hesitation.

Despite his greed, looking into the mech's menacing eyes always gave him the creeps. Its eyes seemed to observe all their movements.

Jerry Jones, a war veteran who had emerged from countless battles with only minor scratches, was fascinated.

He already knew the military had experimental mechs intended for warfare, and he was among the first pilots.

But unlike those bulky metal frames, this mech suit had a silvery hue and was covered in a hard shell.

Its body appeared to be carved from a single large piece of metal.

What he didn't know was that his assumptions were correct.

Guardian-01, the prototype of Mech Armor, was created by Grid and inspired by certain movies.

However, unlike in the movies, it was powered by mana and constructed from golem magic and puppetry.

Using stainless metal soaked in mana liquid and complex golem magic, the design golem was supposedly intended to be bulky for better balance. Inspired by movies, Grid hollowed out the interior of the golem and slimmed it down, making it more humanoid before adding numerous magic circles that mimicked artificial intelligence. By employing puppetry magic, he added the soul imprint of the user and connected it to the mech with a mana thread.

So instead of the user being outside controlling the mech, the user would be inside, providing better balance to the golem.

After inspecting the golem, Jerry asked Sian, "What do we do now?"

"We need to find shelter, maybe a cave or hut we can use," Bob suggested.

"I know that, what I mean is, what are we going to do about the situation?" Jerry clarified.

"I don't know," Bob replied uncertainly, glancing at the sky covered by leaves.