I'll Be The Red Ranger - Chapter 141 - Green Lightning

- Oliver -

He tapped the interface on his gauntlet.

[Activate]

Once again, emerald particles began to spread over his body, swirling and coalescing to form the armor. But this time, Oliver felt the pain of donning the Green Armor more intensely. As each segment locked into place, it was as if needles were piercing his skin, connecting the armor directly to his nervous system.

"Fucking hell!" Oliver cursed aloud, his voice echoing in the empty hangar. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth as he bit down, trying to suppress the agony. He forced himself to focus, to push through. "I need to improve my constitution if I want to keep using this armor—especially while my synchronization with it is still low," he muttered, straightening up despite the searing pain.

With his feet planted firmly on the ground and the wind catching the cape that now billowed behind him, Oliver began to gather his Energy. He directed the flow down through his body, concentrating it into his legs and feet.

‘With [Prometheus] and this armor, I’ll reach the Half Wall quite fast.’ he thought, a slight smile forming beneath his helmet.

Feeling the massive power surging through his veins, he bent his knees and violently kicked off the ground.

Where solid stone had been moments before, there was now a crater. His leap obliterated the hangar's floor, sending shockwaves through the structure and catapulting him northward.

Oliver couldn't believe the level of power he'd just unleashed. He was practically flying, propelled by nothing more than the sheer strength of his jump. As he began to arc and descend, the sonic boom of his departure caught up to him, echoing across the forest.

‘I don't need to go upriver. Unlike when we arrived here, I don't need to dodge or avoid the Ork patrols. Just a straight line— I should make it in five minutes? Something like this.’ Oliver thought, trying to estimate. ‘How much time do I have left?’

| 09:11

Even behind his helmet, he could feel the force of the wind whipping against his face, the cape pulling taut behind him. As he neared the ground, he braced himself. The moment his feet touched down, he channeled Energy once more, launching himself into another colossal leap that carried him several kilometers further.

He continued this process, leaping across the terrain in a series of titanic jumps that blurred the line between leaping and flying.

‘Prometheus isn't consuming as much Energy,’ Oliver noted with a mixture of surprise and satisfaction. It seemed the armor was aiding him, enhancing his control over his abilities and making Energy consumption more efficient.

After several minutes of this rapid traversal, the rear guard of the Ork army came into view. Tens of thousands of Orks marched relentlessly toward Half Wall, a sea of armored warriors. But even more daunting were the war machines looming ahead.

Massive tanks that resembled giant centipedes crawled forward, each segment adorned with heavy cannons and spiked armor plating. The grotesque machines undulated across the battlefield, their multiple legs tearing into the earth as they advanced.

‘I need to focus on the Titans and need to avoid drawing attention,’ Oliver thought as he adjusted his course to avoid provoking the Ork army. ‘Can't leave any traces that the Green Ranger came from the south either.’

Without a second thought, Oliver concentrated a massive amount of Energy into his fists and delivered a swift punch to his right. Though it was pure Energy being expelled, the force was enough to alter his trajectory, sending him hurtling far away from the Orks' position.

After a few more leaps, he finally caught sight of the enormous wall in the distance. Beneath it stood creatures half its height, but their grotesque forms left no doubt about their strength or purpose.

Oliver observed three types of Titans being deployed. The first were the Flesh Titans, constructed from putrid remains. They were the weakest but possessed immense regenerative powers. These were the same types he'd encountered during his escape from the Ork prison. Among the fifty Titans he could see, forty were of this kind.

The second type were the Bone Titans. Unlike the flesh counterparts, they had no muscle, flesh, or decay—entirely white and composed of compressed bones that formed their very skin. They were stronger and more resilient but also slower, and they could barely regenerate any damage.

Finally, the most terrifying Titan was also the slowest, trailing at the rear of the advancing army, almost dragging itself forward. Its skin appeared to be made of copper.

Metal or stone Titans were rare; the more inorganic the material, the harder they were to produce. Oliver speculated that this was related to some effect of the Z Crystal, much like how humans struggled to use Crystals in their weapons due to their artificial nature.

Yet, the power of a Metal Titan was formidable. Each of the monster's footsteps sank several meters into the earth.

‘If that thing reaches Half Wall, it'll pierce straight through and tear the levels apart,’ Oliver speculated grimly.

| 05:03

‘I just need to hold for five minutes. Just five minutes.’ Oliver repeated to himself, trying to focus on the fight and ignore the pain he was feeling.

At the apex of his leap, he finally saw the entire battlefield laid out before him. Dozens of Titans were converging on Half Wall. In his hands, curved daggers formed, shimmering with Energy and ready to strike.

He focused on those closest to the wall, where no Rangers or Cannons were engaged. One of the Flesh Titans was already hammering against the fortification.

As soon as Oliver touched down, he concentrated and used his strength to propel himself toward the monster. Lacking complete control over his newfound power, he created yet another crater in the ground, launching himself with immense force at the creature.

The moment his daggers made contact with the Titan's decaying flesh, the creature erupted into a thousand pieces—a gruesome explosion of sinew and bone.

Oliver was momentarily stunned. He didn't know what expression to wear: surprise at the sheer power of his attack, fear that he might inadvertently harm his allies, or joy at being able to make a significant impact. All these thoughts flashed through his mind in milliseconds.

But there was no time to dwell. Instinct took over as he set his sights on the next Titan. Without hesitation, he launched himself into another attack, determined to push back the tide of monstrosities threatening to overwhelm the wall.

Oliver knew that his attacks against the Flesh Titans would serve mostly to paralyze them temporarily. They would regenerate quickly, their grotesque forms knitting back together almost as soon as he tore them apart. But even a momentary delay was valuable—it could buy precious seconds and minutes for the Mechs to arrive and reinforce the defenses.

With each leap, another Titan exploded, and another sonic boom echoed across the battlefield. Oliver was pushing himself to the limits, channeling every ounce of Energy he had to prolong the fight for as long as possible. He weaved through the chaos, deftly dodging the artillery fire from Half Wall as he accelerated toward his next opponent.

The battle was a blur of motion and adrenaline for the next few minutes. Oliver didn't pause for even a second. His movements were a relentless cycle of attack and evade—leap, strike, dodge, repeat. The strain of using the Green Crystal at such low synchronization gnawed at him, but he couldn't afford to slow down.

| 01:15

Finally, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the first Mech units approaching over the horizon—the glint of metal and the hum of their engines unmistakable. Relief washed over him.

"This is my cue. Fighting Titans for four minutes—I think that's my limit for now." Oliver murmured to himself.

Seizing a moment amid the turmoil, Oliver leaped away from the fray, angling his trajectory toward the dense forest that bordered the battlefield. As he soared above the treetops, he looked back briefly at the unfolding clash. The Mechs were engaging the Titans now, their heavy weaponry unleashing devastating volleys.

‘I've done enough,’ he thought, allowing himself a fleeting sense of satisfaction.

Landing silently among the shadows of the towering trees, Oliver used the confusion and smoke from the battle to mask his retreat. He moved swiftly, navigating the underbrush with practiced ease.

‘I need to get back to the Ork base before they send a rescue team,’ he reminded himself. The glitch from the Green Crystal weighed heavily on his mind. It demanded that no other human or Ork discover he was using the Green Crystal under penalty for its destruction.

| 00:00

| Green Armor - Energy Input Required

| Armor Deactivating

The Green Armor quickly dissolved, and Oliver could feel all his strength draining from his body. "I-I won't be able to keep walking… I need the Blue Armor."

Although not his strongest armor, it acted almost like a lifeline. 'This way, I can at least make it back to the base.' 

Allowing him to continue his grueling walk. Without his jumps with the Green Armor, it took Oliver almost an hour to reach the Ork base, where he had first fought the Red Ork. The place was eerily silent now. He deactivated the Blue Armor, suppressing a wince as it left him with no support.

Without the armor's power, exhaustion hit Oliver like a tidal wave. He stumbled, collapsing onto the debris-strewn ground. He lay back, letting the physical toll of his efforts overtake him. His muscles ached, and his mind was clouded with fatigue.

"Now, I wait," he thought, closing his eyes.

Hours passed. The distant sounds of battle had subsided, replaced by the ambient noises of the forest around the base.

Finally, the faint hum of engines approached. Voices echoed through the ruins.

"Search the area! He was last reported here!" someone shouted.

Footsteps crunched over the rubble.

"Over here! I think I've found something!" another voice called out.

Oliver felt hands grasping his shoulders, the muted clamor of concern piercing through his haze.

"We've found the Blue Ranger. Oliver? Oliver?! Can you hear me?" a medic urged, her voice urgent.