Only now did Latham fully believe Schneider's claims.

  Mech piloting was no trivial skill—even a prodigy like Schneider needed over a decade of grueling practice to excel. Merely reviewing these combat recordings demanded staggering time investment, let alone mastering every maneuver to instinctual perfection.

  Guided by the sensor consciousness, he entered the training chamber and selected a sparring partner.

  "Bring it on!"

  The two training mechs clashed in a blur of calibrated violence. Within minutes, their positions had swapped multiple times. To any observer, distinguishing Latham's unit from the AI-controlled opponent would've been impossible.

  A seasoned pilot witnessing this duel would've gaped in awe. Every feint, parry, and strike mirrored archived recordings of legendary mech masters. The bout flowed with such textbook precision, it resembled a playback of historical matches rather than live combat.

  Ten minutes later, both mechs froze in synchronized stillness.

  Latham clenched trembling fists, exhilaration surging through him.

  Beep-beep-beep—

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  He mindlessly accepted the incoming call.

  "Buddy, heh, it's me."

  Latham grinned at Schneider's familiar voice. "Miss me already?"

  "Smartass." Schneider's tone turned urgent. "You tried the program?"

  "Loved it. Already running sparring drills."

  "Sparring?!" Schneider's breath hitched. After weighted silence, he spoke gravely: "Listen—you're the most gifted rookie I've seen. But take this advice: stop sparring. Now."

  "Why?"

  "My mentor drilled this into me: Foundations first. Always."

  Latham's smile faded. Though logical, the warning chafed—why grind basics when the sensor consciousness handled everything?

  "Latham? You there?"

  After a beat, he replied: "I appreciate it, but I know my limits."

  The line crackled with tension before Schneider sighed. "Fine. Then let's duel."

  "Duels already?"

  "Just casual practice. Link through your local program, not Skynet's main servers."

  Within minutes, Schneider materialized in the virtual training hall. His gaze locked onto Latham's sparring mech.

  "You really went straight to live combat..."

  "Not a big deal."

  Schneider shook his head ruefully. "Let's begin."

  "No warmup? You don't need to familiarize—"

  "I've trained in this sim for twelve years." Schneider cut in, donning his helmet. Armor plates materialized over his avatar—deliberately matching Latham's basic training mech model.

  "Wait." Latham frowned. "You're using the wrong rig."

  Schneider glanced at his standardized armor. "This is correct."

  "You should be in your custom battlemech."

  "Wouldn't be fair." Schneider's hologram smiled grimly. "I've got decades of advantage. This levels the field."

  Latham nodded, respect tempering his confidence. The duel commenced—a baptism by fire where raw talent collided with honed experience.