Chapter 72 - Metadome Lesson

For the Metadome Lessons, Aldrin and the rest of their group were brought away by Janet.

With ten instructors having trainees under them, they divided the huge open space where they gathered before by activating some kind of mechanism to create dividing walls.

At the moment, they're at what they called the Block J or just the 10th makeshift training grounds for their group that was bordered by those seemingly durable-looking walls. In front of them was Janet and behind her were two five-meter-tall, white-painted Training Metadomes.

A Training Metadome was just a cheaply-made product based on the Standard Model. It's a disposable Metadome that was specifically used for this kind of purpose.

Even so, an NQL module was installed in it for the Energy Refiners to practice on.

Compared to the Metadomes of their escorts to this fortress, the Training Metadome could be said as bare bones of it.

It has a humanoid shape and limbs that were well proportioned.

Since Aldrin got two different sources of information about Metadomes or three if he included what Clark haughtily preached which he called 'pointers', he's already quite familiar with these metallic husks that doubled up as a very strategic weapon against a wave of Rift Monsters.

"Listen up! Today, we're going to start your Metadome Lessons." Janet started as she loudly tapped the leg of the Training Metadome behind her. "I'm aware that all of you except Aldrin have been taught by your family on how to operate this thing like any normal soldiers do."

Irina and the other three instantly nodded. Frederic then patted Aldrin's shoulder by giving an encouraging thumbs-up as if saying he got his back. Likewise, Irina and Caroline looked at him with a twinkle in their eyes that clearly said 'You don't need to worry, you have us to guide you.'.

And naturally, Clark was the exemption, "You remembered the pointers we told you earlier, right? Don't disappoint us."

"Clark! We're a team here. Do you have to be that condescending?"

"What? I'm only reminding him. He's the strongest Energy Refiner and that's a fact I will not refute. But fights against Rift Monsters are often done with the aid of Metadomes. No matter how strong he became, if he cannot be half as great as us at operating it, he will definitely become a liability for us."

With Clark's answer, Irina couldn't rebut it. It's true after all. Instead, she clicked her tongue as she annoyedly glared at him.

Upon seeing that, Aldrin couldn't help but shake his head as he thought something that he could probably say to Clark as a piece of advice, 'That's not a great way to impress a woman, you know? That's probably one of the reasons Irina cannot find herself liking you as more than a friend.'

Since he became the center of their topic, Aldrin stepped out and wryly smiled. "Ah. Don't worry about me. If I cannot learn it today, we have a whole week for Metadome Lessons. Ain't that right, elder sister—"

"That's Instructor for you! That's right, it's a week and we're going to assess you again before sending you inside the Rift." Janet cut off Aldrin from blurting out what she asked him to call her as. Still, she answered his inquiry right after.

"Uh. I understand, Instructor. Hear that? A week. I'll do my best to catch up with your experience. Besides, I have all of you to rely on. If not then, you can all make me the vanguard or scout." Aldrin scratched his head before saying all that to his groupmates.

Although what he said was kind of weak, they still nodded their heads, with Irina becoming more enthusiastic. The fire in her eyes burned ever so brightly.

She watched him dominate the dueling grounds yesterday. Even if Clark said all that, if Aldrin could display the same prowess while operating a Metadome then he'd be their greatest asset. Furthermore, Irina had high hopes with his Support-type Assessment.

After all, her father was the same. According to him, Support-types were mostly tacticians if not escape specialists. They might be somewhat unimportant if alone. However, in a group, they can save everyone in a seemingly hopeless situation because of how they can read the situation and judge it effectively.

With the little scuffle of words out of the way, the lesson began.

Janet personally operated one of the two Training Metadome while they took turns in trying to catch her as she ran around the whole Block J.

With the four of them failing to do so despite their 'experience' in operating a Metadome, Aldrin's turn soon arrived.

"Have you reviewed everything?"

From the Training Metadome's cockpit, Janet asked Aldrin who's about to climb the kneeling Training Metadome that was last used by Clark.

The guy came out exhausted even though the manual controls of the Metadome only consisted of buttons they had to push and a few steering rods.

Alright. It's more complicated than just driving a car. But in hindsight, as long as one knows what the button or the commands are for, it could run as smoothly as a human's body.

"I did. But if they can't catch you, what more a total newbie like me? Isn't this bullying, Instructor?"

"Oh. Are you scared now? I think you're going to do your best?"

"I do. But compared to an old hand like y—"

"Who are you calling old?"

"I mean, veterans like our young and beautiful Instructor, then it'll be a miracle if I don't trip at all."

Emphasizing the 'young and beautiful', Aldrin saw how Janet proudly smiled and nodded at it. She's having a kick from it.

'There's no doubt. She's out for my blood after last night. It's subtle but without giving me leniency as a total newbie, that's what I can feel.' Aldrin sighed inwardly as he seated himself inside the cockpit of the Training Metadome and started its engine.

Putting his hands on the control deck of a Metadome, he recalled what he read and everything he gathered from watching his four groupmates.

A few seconds later, a screen lit up in front of him, giving a clear view of what's in front of the Metadome.

Following that, Janet's face appeared at the upper right corner of the screen as the communication between the two Metadomes was established.

With his hands ready to operate the machine, Aldrin's refined Energy traveled from his Energy Quintessence to his brain, clearing up any unnecessary thoughts and slightly increasing his focus and brain activity.

It's a normal procedure. Soldiers are also taking up some kind of medicine to boost their brain activity to increase their focus and synaptic reflexes.

'According to Janet's tip last night. Mastering manual control is also an important milestone to be an expert when it comes to Metadomes. Because if something went wrong with the NQL, one switched to manual control while that Energy Refiner-specific technology rebooted and identified the problem. That's why every instructor will start with this.' Aldrin thought as he watched Janet's lips arching into a wide grin. 'I doubt she showed this to the other four.'

Whether that tip was common knowledge or not, Aldrin had no idea. His groupmates seemed to be more excited for the NQL, after all.

But since it's given by Janet that declared how she wanted to make him the most outstanding trainee, Aldrin decided to trust her on this one.

As the engine of the Metadome whirled indicating that it's already heated enough, Aldrin began to chase Janet.

Ten minutes later, Aldrin opened the cockpit, falling face-first from it as his whole body ached from exhaustion.

'I salute all the soldiers who can manually control a Metadome!' He shouted in his heart.