Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Eggshell Assault
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'Rich, too.'
No denying the sheer scale, even if it was a battleship on the verge of scrap.
Everything that went into building one was expensive as hell.
Just the value of the materials from dismantling it could build a standard spaceship of the same size.
"This must be our main base."
-What do we do?
"Hang on. Let me think."
The showdown only ends when one team remains or the hour-long class wraps up.
The one ironclad rule: never attack a cadet once their emergency barrier activates.
Break that, and you get slammed with brutal penalties, no warning.
"Let's hunker down for now. Plenty of obstacles here—great for defense. Solid starting spot."
My goal was survival.
Barton was a cheat character who could solo the whole enemy team and devour every cadet alive.
Teamed against that monster, charging in for a sudden death was suicide.
Barton wouldn't unleash his full power unless pushed, so playing for survival had real odds.
-Turtle up? In a one-hour showdown? How the hell do we rack up points like that?
One teammate griped.
The complainer seemed like a hothead type.
Even if it was a temp gig, I was team leader.
I could pull rank, but that was a last resort.
Positions were temporary anyway.
No need to make enemies.
I recalled his name, personality, and traits before speaking.
"You're Robert, right? Robert Marcelo."
-Yeah.
"It's not just turtling. I'll get us as many points as any top team. Deal?"
-How?
"Give me a sec. If it flops, I'll step down anytime."
-...Fine, if you put it that way.
Robert nodded and backed off.
"My goal's first place. Let's keep as many of us alive as long as possible."
-Got it, boss.
-Issue orders freely. Dying to see what a medal-winner like you can do.
I rallied morale and scanned our surroundings.
Time-wise, the showdown had already kicked off.
Five main angles to cover, visibility-wise.
Seemed like a lot.
But a little ingenuity slashed that burden.
"Robert, grab that black steel plate over there and weld it to this spot."
-This scrap? Piece of... huh?
"Heavier than it looks, right? But your telekinesis can handle it."
The plate I pointed to was way denser than it appeared.
It lined the battleship's inner hull—fine processed, but it ballooned on heavy impacts to seal cracks or holes.
And right now, pre-swelling, it was six times denser than standard steel.
"Nice. Now slap it here and pound it as hard as you can."
With everyone pitching in, we built an elliptical shelter—like an eggshell with the top cracked open.
-Wow. How'd you even think of that?
-Not bad.
Luckily, no teams rushed us mid-build.
I called Robert back.
"You've got the biggest role."
-Me?
"Yeah. You're our helm now."
Robert's telekinesis was insanely versatile.
Especially in zero-G, no footing.
Simple reason: telekinesis ignored recoil, letting you impart pure kinetic energy.
Basically a thruster. If his power held, we could pilot this eggshell wreck like a ship.
Robert got it quick.
-No sweat. Point the way, I'll steer.
"Perfect. Everyone hear that? Time to hunt points."
I'd already mapped the area during construction.
Knew exactly which spots were soft targets.
I used my armor suit's mapping to direct ops.
First up: Team 3, harassing us with a skeleton crew.
Only three visible—probably just scouts.
"Fire!"
They panicked, not expecting us to roll in shielded.
Concentrated fire dropped two; the last bolted solo.
"Ease off. Follow slow."
-Why?
"Gonna tail him in."
-Ah.
Building this ate time.
Two kills wouldn't cut it.
As expected, the lone Team 3 led us right to their main force.
-They're in a firefight.
-Orders?
"Eat 'em both."
The zone crawled with hostiles.
Scattered skirmishes everywhere, total chaos.
'Can't snub a free buffet.'
I had Robert swing the wreck wide to the flank.
Team tucked behind it.
To the unaware, it'd look like drifting debris.
Plan clicked fast.
"Now!"
Team 3, clustered facing the wrong way, got caught flat-footed.
Their heavy-hitter triggered emergency barrier first under focused fire, then the rest's suits shredded.
"Chase!"
Hiding was pointless.
We rammed their hidey-holes with the wreck.
A few popped out swinging, but we were pristine and outnumbered.
After brutal close-quarters, we wiped Team 3.
"Loop wider to the edge."
-This good?
Robert was fired up now.
Thrilled at his huge impact despite not frontline fighting.
Teammates matched his vibe.
No losses, points piling fast—focus sharpened.
-Energy guns are low. Charges nearly gone.
"No sweat. Check that out."
Yoon Ji-hye eyed my point.
Dropped guns and supplies littered from fallen cadets.
-Oh right! We can loot theirs!
"Yep. And grab every directional bomb you see."
-Got it!
We scooped everything.
Kept rolling the wreck into fresh targets.
Simple tactic, but unstoppable.
Word spread eventually; multiple teams pinned us down.
"Pull back now."
-What? No more fighting?
"Too much heat. We'll just draw focused fire."
We overplayed our hand.
Ten minutes left in the showdown.
Our score locked first already.
We dragged the wreck to the outskirts, dodging eyes.
Then—
-Wow, that's...
Snow bloomed in the void.
Huge and gorgeous, even hundreds of meters out.
"Barton."
The snowflake's beauty hid ugly reality.
Red emergency barrier glows dotted it—fresh dropouts.
'That's...'
Just the opener.
Hidden powerhouses cut loose.
Cadets blasting tank-melting heat rays, others hosing beam barrages like artillery.
Top-tier slaughterhouse.
Yoon Ji-hye sighed in relief.
-Glad we bailed early.
"You could hang with that crowd."
-M-Me? No way. I can't fight those guys...
No chances yet, but she was top-year cadet.
Shockwave generator.
Lethal, high kill potential.
Later evolves to quake-scale via ability bloom.
'Melee monster especially.'
Even as an ability user, crushes up close.
Undissipated waves shred bodies—can't approach easy.
Fights way more destructive than her looks.
"You're our ace. Cover us if shit hits."
-Even if you say...
Shy now, but she'd deliver when pressed.
We waited out the brawl.
Jumping in was pointless me-too.
Stonewall to end, second place minimum.
'Decided?'
Barton’s team took it, as expected.
They swept remnants and beelined our last survivors.
I rushed prep.
Five minutes tops left.
"Hey, you hear me?"
-Lemon? Guess you're the final holdouts.
"Yep. Want the win? Come get it."
-On my way.
I taunted over public channel.
Six left in Barton's crew.
Barton leading the charge.
"Robert, you're up."
-Just watch. I'll mop 'em.
Robert surged the wreck ahead.
Rest of us scattered, hunkered in debris.
Sacrificed our trusty shield.
-Come on, you bastards!
Robert mass-taunted.
Not just his gun—our looted arsenal too, telekinetically mass-fired.
Barton morphed cryo crystals into a clear shield, bulling through.
Beams hammered dozens per second—no cracks.
They closed, shredding the wreck.
Robert fought on.
Burned every barrier trigger we had, our gear included. Epic.
Suit half-wrecked, he pinned them with telekinesis.
As they fixated on him—
"Detonate."
Pre-planted directional shocks blew in sync.
Zeroed on Barton's cluster.
Over thirty blasts—insane punch.
-We did it!
Robert drifted, ragged, suit in emergency repair—out.
Mission accomplished, though.
Prime MVP if we clinched first.
But the smoke cleared to a shock.
-Damn, tough bastards.
-What the hell? Crystal?
Barton’s five triggered barriers, auto-eliminated.
Barton endured, sheathed in blue crystal.
"Barton. Still kicking?"
I called; crystal receded.
Barton uncurled from fetal pose inside.
Stretched tall, cracked his neck.
-That surprised me. Return serve.
He spread hands.
Cryo crystal sprouted in palms, ballooned huge.
Shattered to thousands of shards—each an ice arrow, locked on us.
"Uh... you’re not aiming that our way, right?"
-Trying to.
"You heartless prick. Too bad—time’s up."
-...What?
Barton’s double-take hit as the showdown ended.