Chapter 52: Outrage and Oscillation (2/2)

Once one was evaluated as a Sovereign-Level mecha pilot they were immediately conferred the title of Lieutenant by any state in the three Alliances.

The graduation requirement for even National Scholar pilots was only Second Class. Sovereign-Level Second Class pilots were often called upon to command mecha squadrons of ten suits.

But even with all these ranking and expectations – Sovereign-Level, First Class, top ten – Tang Xiao still wasn’t capable of executing the Oscillation technique.

The Brunois Assault was a show move, worth little in actual combat. But Oscillation, that was a close combat maneuver that was highly prized. It was fair to say it was that level of ability every pilot dreamt of.

In truth Oscillation was something even the lowest Third-Rank pilots trained, but even Sovereign-Ranked pilots… maybe even God-Ranked pilots couldn’t master it. It took a certain level of talent not everyone possessed.

The technique knows as Oscillation caused the entire mecha to begin vibrating at high-frequency. The result was traumatic injury to the opponent, or to extricate oneself from difficult grapples. Brain waves are important in mecha manipulation, but Oscillation – that required an unfathomable speed of hand!

Modern mechas required both brain wave and manual control to operate, but oscillation was another matter. It required the pilot to execute a series of perfectly timed, high-frequency movements – all in an instant. Needless to say, this required exceptional dexterity. Repetitive motions, performed again and again in as short a time as possible. That was oscillation.

All three alliances have attempted to solve the oscillation problem through technological pursuit, employing exhaustive studies and experimentation. The problem persisted, however, that oscillation produced by these means was far and away less flexible than that which was performed by the pilot. It was also expensive, both fiscally and in terms of energy use.

It went without saying that Nooblet’s basic saber-mech didn’t possess this sort of high technology. The only explanation was that it was the pilot’s own skill.

When they tout speed of hand as a requirement of oscillation, what they mean is that the effective control of the mecha must top three hundred. That is to say, a pilot must execute at least three hundred flawless moves in a minute before oscillation can be achieved.

Tang Xiao new he himself could reach the three hundred mark but only rarely and with great effort. He could only manage around a hundred and eighty efficiently.

Nooblet pressed a clenched fist against Fresh Meat’s head. “Go on then, keep talking,” he snarled.

Fresh Meat bubbled excitedly. “How did you learn to oscillate?! H-how fast are your hands? How old are you? Do you teach or study here? Can you teach me? You must be a teacher, right? There aren’t any students here capable of oscillating.”

“Teach you?” A sadistic grin spread against Lan Jue’s features. “Sure, I can teach you. Where are you?”

Fresh Meat’s joy was almost overwhelming. “I’m in the research department. Just tell me where to be and I’ll go to you!”

“There’s a small lawn behind the electives building. I’ll be waiting for you there. Be there in ten minutes, or I’m gone.” Lan Jue’s voice came soft and even.

“Right, yes! I’ll be right there!” Tang Xiao was clearly ecstatic, how could he not be. He’d never known anyone who could oscillate. Whoever this person was, he must have recently arrived.

“But before you go, let’s give you some more first hand oscillation experience…” The first pressed against Fresh Meat’s head became a blur, and in an instant buried itself in the mecha’s head.

Crunch!