Chapter 57
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Lupus in the Bracelet
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Abel quietly gazed at Lupus.
It was in pristine condition, without the slightest difference from how it had looked the last time he saw it—clearly well-maintained.
Normally, there wouldn't have been any need to pilot Lupus during practice, but now that the session had been halted, things were different.
To respond to Lupus, Abel placed his hand on the machine.
But then.
Woooong-!
Suddenly, intense vibrations surged from the bracelet on Abel's wrist, accompanied by a burst of light.
Reflexively, Abel's hand covered the bracelet, preventing any more light from leaking out, but the vibrations showed no sign of stopping.
-What... what are you doing?
Lupus, sensing something unusual, flung the question in a flustered tone.
But Abel had no answer to give. It was a phenomenon he hadn't anticipated at all.
And in the next moment.
Flash!
Light flared once more, and then, as if nothing had happened, the vibrations ceased.
As Abel blinked in bewilderment, Lupus's voice rang out again.
-What was that just now? It felt like something was pulling me in...
However, something felt different this time.
The voice sounded the same, but its presence felt much closer somehow.
As if it had taken up residence right on his wrist.
'This...?'
As that thought crossed his mind, Abel glanced down and noticed a pattern glowing on the gem at the center of the bracelet.
It was a pattern shaped like a wolf.
-What is this?
'You know where you are now, right?'
-It feels different, but not bad at all. Strangely comfortable and secure.
Those words gave him half his confirmation.
The phenomenon just now had transferred Lupus from the Gigant to the bracelet.
But Abel wore an odd expression.
Lupus's words didn't make immediate sense to him.
Fundamentally speaking, Lupus could be classified as one of the game's auxiliary AIs.
Its performance was outstanding, but it was notoriously finicky, making it extremely hard to satisfy.
'It wouldn't even glance at any Gigant below Miles grade.'
And yet, this Lupus was content with inhabiting the bracelet?
That was no ordinary matter.
No, he didn't even know why Lupus had transferred over in the first place.
"Hmm."
Abel pondered deeply, but nothing came to mind.
The bracelet he now wore was an relic he had never even seen in the game.
As he mulled it over...
"Abel!"
He heard someone calling his name from somewhere.
Abel told Lupus to wait a moment, then turned his head toward the voice.
Daniel and Darin were approaching at a brisk pace.
"Daniel. Darin."
"Hey! You okay?"
"Y-Yeah, you okay?"
Abel nodded at their questions.
"Perfectly fine. See? I'm walking around just fine."
"That's true, but don't you need to rest up to avoid any aftereffects?"
"Yeah. May's still sleeping."
"Isn't that just because she sleeps a lot anyway?"
She was already a heavy sleeper, and after pulling an all-nighter and running around busily, it was no wonder.
"Hmm. Yeah, that makes sense."
Even Daniel, who knew May well, readily agreed with Abel.
"By the way, I heard from Hena yesterday. The instructors showed up right after you disappeared? No one got seriously hurt?"
"Oh, yeah. Everyone's fine. Karian hurt his shoulder pushing too hard, but they said he'll recover in a few days."
That was a stroke of great luck.
It could easily have been a situation where several deaths wouldn't have been surprising.
"Speaking of which, that was insane. How much did you make this time?"
"Huh?"
Abel gave Daniel a puzzled look at the sudden question.
Then Daniel said excitedly.
"That Gigadeus! You own almost over 50 percent of it!"
"What? Why?"
Abel asked, utterly baffled.
He had certainly landed a solid blow at the end, but the instructors must have finished it off.
There was no real grounds to claim ownership.
Daniel continued.
"Didn't Hena tell you? The hit you landed was a critical one. That's why they could finish it off easily."
Normally, spoils acquired during practice sessions were distributed to the cadets as well.
That was why cadets always pushed themselves relentlessly in live combat scenarios—not just for grades, but for the gains.
It was a golden opportunity for those who weren't well-off.
Abel had calculated that too, which was why he fought like a madman in every battle.
"50 percent... not bad."
"Not bad? It's huge!"
Daniel, who wasn't exactly well-off himself, sounded even more excited than Abel.
Abel chuckled to calm him down.
"Yeah, it's a real jackpot. Once it's properly settled, I'll treat everyone."
"Awesome! It's a promise!"
Daniel beamed happily. Only after he closed his mouth did Darin speak up.
"Um, Abel."
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
Darin hesitated, fumbling with her lips a few times before mustering her courage to continue.
"Thanks to you, I made it back in one piece."
"Nah. It would've been way more dangerous without the instructors."
"Still. You charged ahead at the forefront, even when it was insanely risky."
With that, Darin bowed her head deeply.
Seeing her cheeks flush red, Abel chose not to deny it further, instead offering a faint smile.
"Yeah. Thanks for the gratitude."
"Oh, n-no. I'll get going then."
"Darin!"
Darin bolted away before he could stop her.
Daniel watched her go, then turned to Abel.
"She left."
"Yeah."
"Then I'll head out too. Back soon?"
"Yeah. Probably back this afternoon?"
The tent they were using was just for stabilization.
No major injuries, so they'd return by afternoon.
Daniel waved as he replied that he understood and walked off.
Abel checked his Gigant one last time, fiddled with the bracelet, and started walking.
'Lupus. Can you hear me?'
-Loud and clear.
'Looks like you reacted to the relic I got... I'll look into the details separately.'
-I see. This place isn't uncomfortable, so no issue. Now, go get some rest.
Lupus responded indifferently either way, then fell silent.
From the reaction, it seemed to have shifted back to sleep mode. Abel let out a quiet sigh of relief as he kept walking.
But he wasn't heading for the tent. He had something to pick up before returning.
And it wasn't far, so he arrived quickly.
It was a storage area piled with various supplies. Inside, a man who looked utterly exhausted waited.
Abel greeted him as politely as possible.
"Hello, sir."
The man's name was Conrad.
A child prodigy and genius from a young age, he was now an authority in the artifact world whom no one could disregard.
Though his appearance was that of an overworked office worker.
Conrad asked without looking up.
"What brings you here?"
"I'm here to pick up an item."
"Name?"
"Abel."
"Abel, Abel..."
Riffling through stacks of papers, Conrad soon picked one up.
"Here it is. Sword-shaped artifact. Ah, this one."
Muttering to himself, Conrad walked to the piled luggage in the back and soon returned carrying a familiar object in both hands.
"Urgh. This the one?"
"Yes. That's it."
At Abel's confirmation, Conrad awkwardly leaned the massive sword against one side, wiped his sweat, and checked the papers again.
"Hmm. Given the circumstances, only a basic analysis was done, but no dangerous elements were detected."
"Is that so?"
"If there'd been even a hint of something off, I wouldn't have handed it back. That said, pinpointing its exact functions will require a detailed analysis."
Even called a relic, its essence was ultimately an 'artifact.'
Not all relics had special or complex structures, so methods to analyze their abilities naturally existed.
People often imagined relics as immense treasures, but that wasn't always the case.
'Most relics don't have anything particularly special compared to modern artifacts.'
This world possessed technology advanced enough to produce Gigants.
Artifact crafting technology was exceptionally advanced as well.
Thus, many ancient relics fell short of modern counterparts.
Barring a few exceptional cases.
"For starters, it's highly durable and won't dull easily. Want to give it a lift?"
"Yes."
Abel immediately picked up the sword propped against the side.
While Conrad had strained with both hands, Abel lifted it with effortless ease.
"As you reported, it seems the weight reduction only applies to the owner. That's all we've figured out so far."
"Yes. Thank you."
"Thank me by telling me if you discover any special abilities. Not mandatory, but if it's worth researching, we'll compensate accordingly."
"Understood."
Of course, he had no intention of reporting it or handing it over for research.
He could get decent money, but its value went beyond mere cash.
"Alright, then... Oh, wait a sec."
Conrad stopped Abel and fetched something from the back.
"Take this. Carrying that sword around loose will draw all kinds of stares."
He handed over a device to secure the sword on one's back.
Surprised by the unexpected gift, Abel bowed deeply.
"Yes. Thank you."
"Sure. Off you go."
"Yes, sir."
Abel bowed politely one last time and exited.
Carrying the sword by hand wouldn't do, so he immediately used Conrad's gift to strap it securely to his back.
'Not bad.'
The weight was well-distributed, and drawing it looked easy.
'Once I fully unlock the form change, I won't need to carry it like this.'
But that was for later.
For now, it was perfect.
Abel smiled in satisfaction and headed back to the tent.
Upon arriving, he immediately began packing his belongings.
After packing and taking a short break, an assistant came and guided him elsewhere.
"Abel!"
It was the tent for his squad.
They weren't grouping by squads anymore, as all ten squadmates were there.
"Any injuries?"
"What's with the sword?"
"You went to some ruins? For real?"
Everyone bombarded him with questions, clearly curious.
Abel answered casually, passing the time.
And so, time flowed on to late afternoon.
"Everyone, grab your gear and come outside!"
Kaul's booming voice rang out.
Abel picked up his pre-packed belongings and stepped out.
He saw other instructors directing cadets to one side.
Heading to the designated spot, he spotted Gigants lined up in a row.
Then Kaul bellowed again.
"Line up in front of the Gigants as instructed! We're departing soon!"