I Became the Genius of the Gigant Academy - Chapter 44:

Darin’s warning signaled the end of their short break, and a rumbling sound was heard not long after. The cadets, including Abel, silently looked in that direction while holding their weapons. The relatively high ground allowed Abel to spot them first.

‘There are five of them.’

Abel breathed a sigh of relief on realizing who they were, there were only five of them, but they were ordinary supply planes. Judging by the way they were moving, they didn’t seem to have noticed Abel’s group yet.

Abel gave his group a signal before acting. It was nothing too complicated. Do we stay hidden or make contact? Their answers came quicker than expected

The group decided to make contact. Abel also belonged to the latter. This was because he thought it was better to gather as much information as possible rather than act rashly.

‘There’s no reason to fight among the cadets in the beginning anyway,’

Organizing his thoughts, Abel shouted in a loud voice before getting closer.

“Who’s there?!”

He could see the other side looking around, searching for where the voice was coming from. Two turned their heads around to find the sound source while the other two crouched down to look first.

“This is bad.”

However, not everyone felt that way. There was someone who replied in a voice that was beyond calm, and it was cold.

“This is Ioline from class B.”

“…Why are you approaching this way?”

Abel didn’t bother to reveal his identity, instead, he asked another question. Ioline stared at him for a moment, then opened her mouth.

“It’s not like I noticed you or anything. Our paths simply overlapped.”

“I see.”

There was a moment of silence. An easy opponent would have tried to dig some information, but Ioline was not like that at all.

‘It’s obvious that she wouldn’t be willing to talk about cooperating or exchanging information.’

Making a quick decision, Abel spoke again.

“Well, don’t come anywhere near here and just pass by.”

“Okay.”

As expected, Ioline’s answer was brief, and she began to leave that area with the other cadets. Abel made a mental note of the direction she was taking when they were out of sight.

“I guess the scope of the training grounds isn’t as wide as I thought since we crossed paths with Class B.”

Kalian spoke first, and Abel nodded.

“Yes. We may have to compete against other groups during this practice.”

It was just a guess but what Abel said was true. The practices were technically just as important as the midterm exams. This is because the midterm exam is mostly theoretical, and the evaluation received during the practice period is reflected in the grade at a fairly large rate.

‘That’s why I’m evaluating everything…….’

Abel chimed in with a few words, and everyone else chimed in as well, exchanging opinions. After a five-minute break, Abel spoke again.

“Now, let’s get moving. Oh, and Darin”

“Uh, yes?”

Surprised that he was suddenly called, Darin answered, startled. Abel then said to him.

“Do you feel anything around you?”

“Uh… I don’t?”

“Alright.”

Darin replied as if he didn’t know why he was being asked such a question, but Abel knew he had a talent for the seeker position. It wasn’t a coincidence that he was the first to notice Ioline and her group approaching earlier. He had yet to be properly trained in that position, and though he was clumsy, his talent was real.

Abel thought as he slowly maneuvered his craft, ‘The more I think about it, the more amazing the composition of the group is.’

Darin who is in the position of a seeker, which is essential in the mission. May is an attacker with maximum offensive ability. Daniel is a tank with excellent defense and great stamina. Kalian and Abel, who are both great in the offense and defense.

In addition, three out of the five members belonged to the special class which is pretty much unrivaled in the entire game. Of course, that didn’t mean they had an automatic advantage with such power. However, the evaluation criteria would be demanding. It’s a bonus that they’d be given tougher tests.

‘Just look at how the Ironwolves were deployed right from the start.’

Letting their guards down was not an option and it’s not like they’d be caught off guard by the fact that Ironwolves were deployed right from the start.

“Darin, keep an eye out for anything approaching.”

“Oh, okay.”

Abel gave Darin an instruction before continuing toward their destination.

»————- ★ ————-«

In a large tent, there was a long table at the center of the tent, and seated around the table were the instructors. Vice Principal Fletta, sitting at the head of the table, looked at the map on the table before speaking.

“Well, there’s certainly a bit of a gap at the beginning.”

“That’s right. I guess it’s because it’s more of an assessment of the strength of each group until Phase 2.”

Fletta nodded in agreement with one of the instructors. The beginning of the practice was focused on checking the overall level of each group rather than specifically evaluating the cadets.

The practice was the same ordeal for all cadets. It presents a test suitable for each level. In other words, the groups with a higher overall level will have to pass more difficult tests.

Infamous Scans

Fletta said, tapping the map with a pen, “We’ll have until the midterm period to evaluate each cadet’s level of achievement. The practice should focus on their disposition and how much more they can grow. Everyone keep that in mind.”

“Yes!”

Upon hearing their response, Fletta brought up another topic instead of continuing the conversation.

“Which groups are in the lead right now?”

“Two groups. Group A, which Cadet Abel leads from Class A, and Group B, which Cadet Ioline leads from Class B.”

“Hmmm. Are the two groups on a similar level?”

“The pace of progress is similar, but technically, Group A is ahead. In the case of Group B, the route itself is shorter.”

“I see.”

Fletta checked the faces of Abel and the cadets in his group before speaking.

“For now, we’ll call it a day, and we’ll meet again tomorrow morning.”

“Understood!”

When she gave the order to disperse, most of them left, and only a few remained. Fletta spoke up a moment later.

“I don’t see any signs of anything yet, but I need you all to keep an eye out.”

“Alright.”

“Understood.”

Those who remained were the ones who focused on patrolling the perimeter and ensuring a safe environment instead of directly intervening in the practice process. The place where the practice takes place is a “safe” space that the academy has carefully created. But there are no absolutes in life. In reality, you never know when or where variables will pop up.

“Well, then, everyone can leave.”

Fletta dismissed the remaining people who stayed behind, and shortly afterward, she was the only one left in the tent. Sitting alone in the tent with everyone else gone, Fletta wiped her face.

“Haah.”

To her, overseeing the practice was like walking on a thorny path. The practice didn’t have a long history. It had only been created five years ago. At the time, she was very negative about the idea of a practice course, and the reason was simple. Because it was dangerous.

It was not until the second semester of their second year that they’re supposed to go on a mission in the field, and before that, no matter how great the cadets were, it was considered that they weren’t ready. But the Academy eventually created a practice course.

That’s not all. The practice was just the beginning, and all sorts of dangerous activities were added. The reason was simple. The situation was dire.

After the Great War, the Empire enjoyed a brief period of peace. However, it was built on blood and corpses. Regardless of that, peace is peace. But that peace began to falter five years ago, and a lot changed after that. The Del Mordor Academy also failed to resist the tide of change.

‘Some people said that the Academy is not changing, but returning to its original ideology.’

The Del Mordor Academy began as a training center for outstanding ‘knights.’ However, as soon as the era of peace ended, the academy was transformed into a training center for Gigant Riders.

Young children, barely out of their teens at best, were being sent into dangerous places in the name of becoming a gigant rider. She didn’t like it. In particular, she didn’t like that they pushed ahead with the practice at a time when all sorts of dangerous groups were on the rise in the Empire’s territory.

“Tsk. What the hell was Master thinking?”

Fleta muttered to herself and put down her pen. Her gaze returned to the map. Sunlight was peeking in through cracks in the ceiling.

‘The sun has risen’.

Turning her head slightly, she saw the sun rise above the horizon, and for a long moment, she stared at it as if longing for light.

»————- ★ ————-«

Silver gigant, glistening in the scorching sun, were galloping through the wilderness.

Kung, kung, kung!

The ground shook as if there had been an earthquake as the five gigants ran. However, Abel, who was running in the lead, didn’t seem to mind and focused on running faster. Soon after, Abel spotted a large building up ahead.

Thump!

Abel raised his hand to signal a stop and slowly slowed down before coming to a halt.

“There is a building ahead.”

At those words, others also noticed that the buildings were lined up. The navigation was also pointing to those exact buildings.

“It could be a trap, so let’s approach it slowly.”

Everyone nodded silently at Abel’s words. Everyone already thought of Abel as the leader. Of course, Kalian still had a bit of defiance left. In any case, Abel slowly approached the building with his sword in his hand. He soon noticed someone standing in front of the building.

“Hey! This way! Stop right in front of me!”

A very familiar voice shouted. It was none other than Karl. Karl didn’t just stop at shouting, he also gave a signal that had been sent before practice.

‘That signal…… it meant that it wasn’t a trap or anything in that scenario.’

The other cadets saw it, too, and after exchanging a few words, they followed his instructions and got off the gigant.

Woo-

A cool breeze cooled Abel as he stepped out of the cockpit. Abel was tired from operating the gigant for hours. Although he was tired, he walked towards Karl without making it obvious.

“Good work, everyone!”

Karl exclaimed, spreading his arms wide. Of course, no one ran into his arms for an embrace. Abel kept his distance and asked,

“Where are we?”

“Hmmm. It’s an intermediate base. You’ve heard of it in class, right?”

“Oh, yes.”

The intermediate base had its own meaning. The longer you operate a Gigant, the more fatigue you accumulate. If you’re without a Gigant, you can sit somewhere and relax, but while on a Gigant, you can’t.

Even if you stay still on the gigant, you will only accumulate less fatigue and will not be relieved. Therefore, an intermediate base was essential for operating Gigants. It’s a place where you can get off the gigant and relax safely and even do simple repairs.

“You all can take up to six hours of rest here. However, if you leave in the middle, that’s the end of the rest.”

Karl continued to explain to the cadets.

“Intermediate bases like this one are located throughout the practice site. And it’s the cube that tells you where it is.”

He was referring to the cube that Abel had been calling navigation in his mind.

“What’s next after this?”

Daniel asked Karl, raising his hand. It was a question Abel hadn’t asked in the first place because he didn’t think he’d get a proper answer, but Karl answered surprisingly.

“Endless battles.”

An evil grin hung on his lips.

[To be continued.]