Chapter 12
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: First Gigant Practice
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“Alright, everyone, look over there.”
At Kaul’s words, all eyes turned in that direction.
There stood the massive building that had piqued everyone’s curiosity.
Sure, big buildings were common enough, but one with an entire wall serving as a door? Not so much.
Rumble!
Moments later, with a deafening roar, the door slid open, shaking the ground beneath their feet.
Thud, thud, thud—!
What emerged from within were none other than two Miles Gigants.
As the two Miles stepped forward, the cadets stared in awe.
Even Abel was no exception this time.
Back on Earth, no matter how trashy the movie, if it featured robots, he’d bolt to the theater without a second thought.
That passion hadn’t changed since coming here.
To Abel, a Miles was like a work of art he could never tire of, no matter how many dozens or hundreds of times he saw it.
Boom, thud!
Their movements alone drew gasps of admiration.
They were that flawless.
The second one was decent enough, but the rider in the lead was on another level entirely.
A Gigant’s specs were crucial, but a rider’s skill was just as vital.
‘No matter how great the Gigant, a lousy rider can’t unlock its full potential.’
That’s why Abel had racked up win after win in the underground fights.
No one rode a worse Gigant than his, but no one was better skilled than him either.
In that sense, the rider controlling this Miles was beyond reproach.
Their movements flowed as naturally as water yet snapped with precise angles.
A truly elite Gigant rider revealed their superiority even in something as simple as walking.
‘A professor?’
It was only natural for that thought to cross Abel’s mind.
Not many could handle a Gigant at that level.
Swoosh—.
But the figure who soon emerged from the cockpit wasn’t some grizzled old instructor.
It was a young woman with a youthful face.
She flashed a bright smile and waved.
Kaul pointed at her.
“This is the teaching assistant who’ll be helping with today’s special class. She’s also your senior. She’ll be on standby to prevent any accidents during the lesson, so no worries about safety.”
From those words, Abel immediately guessed her identity.
There was only one standout rider who was also Kaul’s prized protégé.
Chloe, the third-year who’d later become student council president.
A closer look confirmed her features matched.
As Abel nodded to himself,
Kaul spoke up again.
“Alright! Here’s one more bonus reward!”
He pulled another sheet of paper from his pocket and showed it to everyone.
It read: ‘Telesium 10kg Voucher’.
“If you can make that TA over there move even half a step from where she’s standing, this is yours too! Just so you know, this one’s coming out of my own pocket! Fail, and you get nothing!”
The cadets’ reactions were mixed.
The reward was incredible, sure, but it wasn’t quite enough to ignite their drive.
Just standing up was a huge challenge for them as it was.
Pushing back a TA who’d just demonstrated such effortless control?
Anyone would shake their head at the notion.
Of course, not everyone felt that way.
“Thank you!”
Daniel shouted with fiery enthusiasm.
His sparkling eyes suggested he was dead serious about trying.
Abel turned from Daniel to sneak a glance at Chloe’s Gigant.
‘Even half a step counts, huh.’
Tough, but not impossible.
As Abel mulled it over, Kaul scanned the freshmen with a grin and bellowed,
“Alright! We’ll do the practice one by one, in order! Number one, Darin!”
* * *
The practice proceeded in sequence, starting from number one.
First up was a brown-haired girl named Darin, who gave off a timid vibe.
Thud—!
She managed to activate it but couldn’t stand and toppled back down.
Number two, a redheaded boy, couldn’t even activate his.
Same for number three.
“This can’t be happening.”
Kaul watched the dejected cadet mutter to himself and thought,
‘The principal sure is ruthless.’
Normally, Miles used for noble families or freshman practice came with auxiliary devices that limited performance but made them easier to handle.
But these didn’t have any.
They were the exact same models used by active-duty riders.
The gap was massive, so even those who’d trained at home would struggle to activate them.
The disconnect might even make it feel harder.
It was a step beyond the tweaks they’d made to the Tito cores for the entrance exam—a penalty.
As number three slumped back to their spot, it was time for the next.
Number four.
“Number four, Abel! Step forward.”
Abel’s turn.
Kaul’s face, watching him approach, had shifted from pity to keen interest.
“You’re the top scorer?”
“Yes, sir.”
Kaul grinned at Abel’s calm reply.
“I expect great things.”
“Yes, sir.”
It could’ve felt like pressure, but Abel strode toward the open Miles cockpit like he’d been waiting for this.
He climbed in, settled into place, and the cockpit sealed shut.
‘Feels fresh riding one again.’
He’d ridden one before, but Abel’s eyes sparkled as he scanned the interior like it was his first time.
‘Looks similar to the last one inside.’
It was like piloting a giant robot, but no complex buttons or screens.
This was the power of magic engineering, not science.
No time to gawk, though. Abel steadied his breathing and reached forward.
“Hup.”
There was a blue orb the size of a bowling ball.
The core.
Essentially, a Gigant’s most vital component.
Abel gripped it with both hands, feeling a sharp tingle.
Clunk!
The interior vibrated faintly, and restraints shot out from behind, locking him securely.
Whirr—.
Blue light enveloped his body.
This was all prep.
The restraints held him firm, the blue light absorbed shocks, and the cockpit itself bore shock-absorbing magic circles.
Without them, the rider would die just from rough maneuvers.
Early experiments had plenty of fatalities before data piled up.
“Fuuu.”
Abel exhaled long, clearing his growing doubts, and focused.
Sync Rate was a slippery thing.
Trickier than mana in some ways, it was an utterly irrational power that only revealed itself to the chosen few.
Whirrrrr—!
Luckily, Abel had talent in spades when it came to that finicky Sync Rate.
No auxiliary devices?
Didn’t matter to him.
The last Miles he’d ridden didn’t have any either.
“Grrr.”
Veins bulged on his forehead.
His vision shifted.
As Sync Rate soared, mana in his body surged in response.
His mana was D-rank now.
Not high, but plenty for an unarmed Miles.
More importantly, quantity mattered less than control.
That’s why Abel had trained his mana operation daily without fail since awakening it.
Whoooosh!
His mana flowed from hands to core, then back to his body.
Repeating, it linked him and the core as one through mana.
Thump—!
His heart pounded fiercely.
Whirr!
The dormant Gigant opened its eyes.
“Hoo.”
Euphoria and thrill flooded him at once.
Abel savored the electric bliss but stayed on task, activating the Gigant.
Whirr—!
He pulled the limp Miles arms up to chest height, planted its palms on the ground, and pushed.
Grind!
The upper body rose slowly.
But that wasn’t all.
He shifted left foot, then right, then heaved up.
Vision rocketed skyward.
When it planted both feet solidly,
‘Ah, this feeling…….’
Abel couldn’t help but marvel.
Not a puny human view, but a 6m giant’s.
Even hulking Kaul looked like an ant.
That rush as everything fell away and the world opened up—indescribable.
‘Last time, this was as far as I got.’
The test hadn’t required more, and his mana back then was too scant anyway.
But now?
More mana, plus the ‘Mana Amplifier’ from pounding Luke and the quest reward.
‘This is an investment.’
Amplifiers weren’t cheap, but nothing compared to Telesium.
And he had five.
Abel pulled one from his pocket and popped it in his mouth.
A spicy burn spread, strength surging through him.
He could walk this field—or sprint it.
Thud! Thud!
But his Miles didn’t stroll the field.
It turned toward Chloe’s Gigant waiting nearby.
—You said half a step counts.
Abel flicked on the output and spoke; his voice boomed amplified through the Gigant.
—What?
Chloe blurted, caught off guard.
Instead of explaining, Abel assumed position.
—I’m short on time. Let’s start.
Kaul, hearing it from below, snapped to and yelled,
“Everyone, over here! Hurry!”
* * *
Chloe was utterly baffled.
She’d been surprised when the freshman activated and stood his Miles, but she’d calmed quickly.
The academy often admitted monsters of talent.
But she never dreamed he’d skip the easy Telesium 1kg and charge her instead.
“What the hell is this guy?”
Feeling like she’d encountered something inexplicable, she still took stance.
Freshman or not, a Miles was a Miles.
Unprepared, even a hard shove would send her tumbling.
‘Just gonna charge straight in?’
She shook off the shock and analyzed fast.
Few scenarios came to mind.
Against a fellow third-year, she’d game out dozens before a sudden fight.
But this was a second-day freshman.
‘And an unarmed tin can at that.’
No matter the talent, a rookie in a bare Miles had limited options.
‘Lower his stance? Or go all-in body slam? Or…….’
As she calculated, Abel had already activated a skill.
Overflow.
Riding a Miles amplified its effect massively.
Heart racing like it’d burst, body burning hot—but senses razor-sharp.
In this moment, he felt one with the Gigant.
Abel eyed Chloe’s machine.
Unlike her myriad options, he’d planned one move from the start.
One he’d drilled endlessly, debuting in real combat just yesterday.
He surged forward in a flash and muttered inwardly,
‘Shadow Step.’
The hefty Gigant shot out like the wind.
At Miles grade, sheer speed was a threat.
Especially unanticipated.
Thud—!
In a blink, Abel’s Gigant was upon her.
Its fist rocketed out, matching its speed, aiming for her.
She showed no reaction until the last second.
Clang!
But just before impact, her Gigant moved—arm up, deflecting the trajectory.
The clenched fist grazed her forearm’s outer side and punched air.
More than a block; it stole his balance. Exquisite.
In a normal fight, Abel would’ve sensed defeat.
But he wouldn’t have charged so recklessly if it were normal.
His goal from the start: close to point-blank range.
Whirr!
As Chloe moved to finish, Abel didn’t dodge or block.
He triggered Shadow Step again.
Shadow Step was near a movement skill.
Usually ideal for pokes or ambushes, like he’d just done.
But veterans always found new tricks; they didn’t limit movement skills to moving.
‘Movement skills are prime attack tools in close quarters.’
Not using the skill to exploit gaps—the skill itself becomes the attack!
Abel stared straight at Chloe’s still-composed Gigant and triggered it again.
Mana roiled wildly inside him, surging through controls into the Gigant.
The mana didn’t scatter wildly; it blasted in one direction.
‘Shadow Step.’
Boom—!
Abel’s Gigant burst forward, tangling with Chloe’s as they flew together.