Chapter 288: Blazing Flames of the Battlefield[R-18] (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 288: Blazing Flames of the Battlefield[R-18] (6)
“All personnel, gear up and assemble at Hangar 1 within ten minutes.”
Before the instructor had even finished speaking, I quietly rose from my seat. The other cadets, as if they had been waiting for this, began to move with excited expressions.
Hangar 1.
Inside the massive space, dozens of old D-class Cradles were already lined up. In front of them stood rows of cadets, all changed into their pilot suits.
“Assembly complete!”
The instructor’s command echoed, and a moment later, the senior officers who had been waiting behind him revealed themselves.
One of them stepped forward.
He was bald—the principal of the military academy and a former military strategy researcher. He smoothed a wrinkle on his uniform before gesturing to the two people standing behind him.
“Attention!”
His low, heavy voice resonated through the hangar.
“The individuals behind me are here to personally observe today’s mobile weapon training.”
Every cadet lifted their gaze in unison.
A woman with red hair and sharp eyes. The rank of colonel glittered on her shoulder.
She looks familiar.
The thought crossed my mind for a second. Next to her stood a man with a nonchalant posture.
“I am Colonel Sheryl Mortimer, commander of the Earth Federation’s Zeros Code.”
At her introduction, the cadets stood even straighter, their tension palpable.
“I will be personally conducting today’s practical training.”
A murmur rippled through the trainees. It was highly unusual for a high-ranking officer to conduct a training session herself.
“The purpose of this exercise is to evaluate your practical mobile weapon operation skills. Each of you will board a Cradle and carry out the designated mission.”
Her gaze swept over the cadets before it paused on me.
“Notably, those who demonstrate outstanding performance during the training may be selected for a special task force.”
Her words ratcheted up the tension. A special task force. That meant the elite track.
Interesting.
“We begin in ten minutes at the external training grounds. Move to your assigned units.”
Her order was given. Everyone checked their numbers and headed for their respective machines.
I was assigned Cradle number 15.
As I climbed into the cockpit, I was met with the smell of old metal and oil, and the heavy scent of rusted circuits.
“This sensation… feels like a woman’s pussy at its climax.”
I muttered to myself as I initiated the system boot-up sequence. The monitors flickered on, and the comms connected.
[Cradle 15, systems normal. All connections established.]
“Jin Seo-yun, ready for launch.”
[Confirmed. You are cleared for departure.]
The hangar’s massive doors opened, revealing the path outside. The units of the other trainees began to move out in sequence, both in front of and behind me.
A blue sky unfolded before my eyes. The training ground was a vast wasteland, a place where training with live weapons was possible.
[All units, move to your designated positions.]
I settled deep into the cockpit and gripped the control stick. The Cradle began to move smoothly.
[60 seconds until training begins.]
The colonel’s voice came over the comms.
[This training exercise is a survival battle. The last one standing is the winner.]
The sudden change in rules threw everyone into confusion. A survival battle meant everyone was an enemy.
[Weapons are limited to training-issue Stun Blades and Stun Rifles. The system will calculate damage upon impact. When accumulated damage reaches 100%, the unit will be forcibly shut down.]
Only one survivor. This was far more interesting than I had expected.
[30 seconds remaining. Stand by at your positions.]
I scanned my surroundings. A total of 20 trainees were participating, each taking up a different position.
Shall we start off light?
[10… 9… 8…]
The countdown began. My finger hovered over the Stun Blade’s activation button.
[3… 2… 1… Begin training!]
Instantly, every unit started to move. But I remained still. I waited.
The first one to move becomes the first target.
My calculation was correct. A few seconds later, two units clashed, initiating combat. Right next to them, three more were tangled in a chaotic melee.
I waited until that moment, then moved silently toward the most overconfident-looking unit.
It was Brian’s machine. A teammate from the simulations, and the bastard who had tried to order me around from the start.
He had just taken down two opponents and was brimming with confidence. But he was too slow to notice me approaching from behind.
Things like this are always best from behind.
My blade dug precisely into the joint of his unit. The system immediately calculated the damage.
[Unit 17 has sustained 60% damage.]
Brian spun around in shock, but it was too late. My second attack pierced the core of his machine.
[Unit 17, judged defeated.]
“What…?! When—!”
His scream echoed over the comms, but I was already moving toward my next target.
I approached the three units fighting each other. They were so focused on their own battle that they failed to watch their surroundings.
My movements were as smooth as flowing water. I sliced through the leg of the first unit, and as I parried the second unit’s weapon, I struck its chest.
[Units 11 and 9, judged defeated.]
The third unit tried to flee in surprise, but I had already predicted its path and cut it off.
[Unit 4, judged defeated.]
Too easy.
I had already taken down four. The remaining trainees began to raise their guard. My presence was now recognized as a threat.
I spotted another unit in the distance. It was engaged with an opponent, but its movements seemed a little unstable.
Hesitating.
I weaved through the fallen machines, approaching quickly in a wide arc.
My unit’s movements prioritized trajectory over speed. Exactly 17 seconds later, just as that unit locked its aim on the enemy before it, my blade swept in from the side, striking its joint and weapon linkage simultaneously.
[Unit 6, 87% damage. Warning levels reached.]
The cadet in the cockpit tried to evade, but my unit had already pulled back.
[Unit 6, judged defeated.]
Five.
*
“Whew~ He’s something else, isn’t he?”
On the monitor, the scene of Jin Seo-yun’s unit taking down its fifth enemy played on a loop.
The trajectory of the blade.
The footwork and positioning.
And the timing that perfectly exploited the enemy’s psychology.
Jack Spencer stood with his arms crossed, rhythmically tapping one foot with a relaxed smile on his face.
“Her movements and actions are clean.”
Next to him was the female officer with her red hair tied back.
Sheryl Mortimer.
Without taking her eyes off the screen, she offered a short assessment.
“Flawless. His sense of balance between units is excellent, and his situational judgment is intuitive.”
Jack nodded, the corners of his mouth lifting.
“He’s gotten better… than what I saw in the video files.”
Colonel Sheryl crossed her arms and continued to watch the screen, tossing out a single comment.
“I can’t gauge his true skill against these cadets.”
“Oh?”
Jack raised an eyebrow slightly.
“Are you going to step in yourself, Colonel?”
Sheryl’s eyes remained fixed on the screen as she answered decisively.
“Yes.”
In that instant, the look in Jack Spencer’s eyes shifted. A playful smile touched his lips as he slowly rose from his seat.
“Aw, is there really a need for you to step in, Colonel? I’ll take care of the rookie~”
Sheryl narrowed her eyes at him.
“Jack. Keep it light. Don’t break regulations.”
“Got it. Lightly~ Just enough to take off an arm or so.”
“Jack.”
“Just kidding.”
He grinned and headed for the hangar.
*
After finishing off the last cadet, I slowly lowered my blade.
Silence seeped into the cockpit.
[Current survivors: 1]
It’s over.
I let out a breath.
It had been a one-sided training exercise, almost anticlimactic. Just as I thought the signal to end the training would sound, it happened.
—Thud…
The ground trembled.
A heavy footstep.
Dust kicked up, and from within it, another Cradle emerged.
…What?
There were supposed to be 20 units assigned from the hangar. I had personally defeated 19 of them.
The unit that appeared before me held a combat-issue blade in each hand and, without any warning, charged straight at me.
—CRASH!!
“……!”
I twisted the unit and rolled to the right.
It was a close call.
The blade grazed my shoulder.
[Warning! Right shoulder external armor damaged. 8% damage sustained.]
Tch. I thought I dodged it perfectly. The machine can’t keep up with my reaction speed.
It was an inconvenience I hadn’t felt until now, a weakness I hadn’t noticed while fighting such easy opponents.
I reflexively brought the unit back to its feet and drew my own blade.
“I don’t know who you are, but I was just starting to get bored myself.”
I took a breath and charged first, kicking off the ground.
Sand flew, and the weighted frame groaned.
Gripping my blade tightly in one hand, I thrust forward, aiming for its abdomen.
But my opponent was more skilled than I’d anticipated.
—Clank!
The tip of my blade was forcibly deflected. The moment my sword slid past, my opponent’s knee slammed into my unit’s torso. I tried to react as soon as I saw it coming, but…
—BOOM!
“Kuh…!”
The inside of the cockpit rattled. I took a direct hit to the abdomen and was pushed back half a step.
My balance wavered for a moment, but I instinctively shot my foot back, planting it on the ground.
I pushed off the ground, bent my knees, and regained my center of gravity.
Hah… Are you trying to play with me?
Just now, my opponent had a clear opportunity to pierce my core. But they had withdrawn their sword.
Their unit stood before me, lightly swinging its weapon and maintaining a moderate distance.
It’s been a while since I’ve had this much fun.
I steadied my breathing and lowered my stance. Both knees pressed into the ground, perfectly stabilizing the unit’s balance.
Alright. In that case…
I’ll enjoy this too.
I reversed my grip on the blade and rushed forward, turning my unit sideways.
I feigned an attack on the chest, but my real target was the left joint.
My opponent reacted, raising their blade. The unit’s frame creaked.
Just as I expected.
I changed my trajectory.
I angled my blade vertically and brought it down hard on the side of the unit’s knee.
—BANG!
The joint gave way. The unit momentarily lost its balance and swayed.
In that split second, my body moved first. I pulled my sword back behind me and thrust the tip toward the unit’s head.
—KRAZIK!
It wasn’t a direct hit, but it scraped shallowly against the side armor.
A smile spread across my lips on its own.
If the machine couldn’t keep up with my reaction speed, I just had to move based on that limitation.
Just match the timing.
My opponent righted their stance. The moment they did, they charged again.
Their blade swung in an arc from the left, a move designed to slice my flank by rotating the entire unit.
It was precise and sharp. But…
“Too slow.”
I leaped.
Ducking low, I slid under my opponent’s blade. My unit spun a half-circle in the air, changing its step.
I drew the blade from behind my back, pulling it up from my left hip to aim at the arm holding their weapon.
—CLANG!
My opponent blocked with their blade, but my goal wasn’t to break through.
In that instant, I leaned my unit back and raised both blades in front of my chest.
Another half-turn.
Rotation, high-speed slash.
—CRAAASH!!!
My blade, planted like an iron wall, dug into my opponent’s.
—Clang! Clang! Clang!
It wasn’t a single strike.
It was a continuous assault.
A rapid change of angles that the unit struggled to handle.
I compensated with my own body. I matched its speed.
If the machine couldn’t follow my reactions, I would predict its movements and act a beat ahead.