Chapter 18:

Chapter 18:

The number of teaching assistants was much higher than last time. Even more, than cadets taking classes. This was because, unlike the last time, the number of gigants prepared was ten. A cadet who is not yet familiar with a gigant could have a severe accident while training.

“You understand what I mean, don’t you?”

“Yes?” Karl said kindly while patting Abel’s shoulder.

“So that means I don’t have much to do.”

Abel smiled awkwardly. He was not wrong. Gigant training teaches you about the overall Gigant operation, but at the beginning of the lesson, Karl, the teacher in charge, has little to do.

‘At least everyone should be able to get up and walk around to proceed properly.’

Until then, it’s up to the assistant to do the heavy job, which means there’s no way Abel can escape Karl.

“You don’t seem to like it, do you?” Karl asked Abel, who was smiling awkwardly.

“Of course not. The special training is an honor.” Abel spoke as smoothly as if his mouth had been greased.

Karl smirked again and nodded.

“Now, get in first.”

With that, Abel walked toward Lupus’s core. It was a little unnerving to be suddenly given a special lesson, but Abel didn’t feel bad about it. That was because his gigant was lying right in front of him.

‘Well, at least he won’t make me do anything weird in class,’

Abel decided to think positively. Karl might be a bit hot-tempered, but he had solid skills. He was one of the best Gigant riders in the world, so getting special training from him is an excellent opportunity.

Arriving at the cockpit of the gigant, Abel looked up at his own gigant.

‘Lupus.’

When he thought about the name, it thrilled his body. If it weren’t for Karl watching from behind, Abel would have stared, stunned.

Abel swallowed his disappointment and climbed into the cockpit with the aid of an auxiliary device. The cockpit was opened beforehand, but Lupus wasn’t since this was a personalized gigant; it had its own lock. Knowing this, Abel cautiously placed his palm on the outer cockpit glove.

Wooooo!

A blue light rippled out from the center of the circle. The light that spread into a circle converged in a single point, and with a low vibration sound, the armor surrounding the cockpit split open from side to side. It opened by recognizing Abel’s unique magic pattern. Abel stepped into the cockpit with a slightly reddened face.

“Hmm.”

The interior was similar to the Milles he’d ridden before. Unlike the exterior, which was outfitted with additional armament, the interior remained the same as the basic specifications. But that didn’t make it any less satisfying. Abel smiled and placed both hands on the inner core.

‘Slowly...’

It was a nerve-wracking and exciting moment, and he needed to be extra careful because this would be the moment he would imprint his first presence on his Gigant.

Wooo-

He began to draw magic power from deep within his body which was being sucked into the core of the gigant. The mana raced toward the power source inside the Gigant.

Abel’s infusion was a spark to restart the sleeping giant’s heart. His magic power which circled the power source increased further and then returned to Abel in more significant quantities. Abel continued to supply it with more magic power. And an endless cycle continued to form between Abel and his Gigant.

“Aaah.......”

Abel gasped as he felt his senses expand instantly, and he instinctively began to increase his tuning.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The sound of his heartbeat echoed like thunder. Abel’s mind left his frail human body and occupied the metal gigant. Abel called out the giant’s name.

“Lupus.”

Woof!

A green glow sparkled in Lupus’s empty eyes.

Coooong!

Then, Lupus slowly moved his arms and pushed himself up....

Coong!

A series of vibrations caused everyone to turn their heads and stare at Lupus as he rose to his feet. The quick synchronization and smooth movements elicited admiration from their mouths.

“Whoa.”

Abel let out the breath he’d been holding only after he’d helped Lupus to his feet.

Even though it was built to standard specifications, it differed from the last Milles he’d driven. After all, Gigants are handmade.

Whoosh!

Just when Abel thought his attack might work–

Boom!

Karl’s arm slammed into Abel’s arm, it was a swift and concise move and Abel quickly took a defensive stance.

“Not bad.”

However, instead of attacking Abel’s vulnerability, Karl spoke in a calm voice.

“Try using one of your extra armaments. You can use more, but using several armaments at once will be hard anyway.”

This isn’t meant to belittle Abel. It was just good advice. It’s common knowledge that even the most experienced gigant riders need time to adjust to new armament.

“... Alright,” Abel nodded and stepped back slightly.

He had expected it, but he couldn’t help but feel frustrated that his attack had been blocked so easily. He’d hoped to give him at least a surprise attack, even if he couldn’t knock him out. However, his thoughts might have changed if he’d known Karl’s intention.

‘This is no joke.’

Karl was surprised. What he was trying to teach Abel was humility. There have been countless cases where people of great talent were consumed by arrogance and pride. Abel had a reputation for being chosen by the hero Alon even before he entered the school. He needed to make sure he killed his spirit.

He dodged with a simple upper-body movement,

‘That sucks.’

But Abel’s attack was faster and more threatening than when he’d first seen it. He has grown so much in just a week.

‘Get a grip.’

Karl resumed his stance, remembering the purpose of this training. He would have to be alert if he was going to teach this boy a proper lesson.

Karl spoke in a relaxed tone to hide his excitement over what happened,

“If you succeed in hitting me just once, I will grant you a wish in addition to your exemption from physical training.”

“Okay.” Abel nodded and inspected the additional pieces. The Scarlet Trio set are all excellent combat aids as long as you use them well.

“Hmph.” Abel took a long breath and concentrated, his stance lower than before. He was more focused on maintaining his stability than speed.

This was because if he made a wrong move, he might fall. The eyes of cadets and instructors in the room were all looking his way, but Abel’s attention was focused on Karl, who was in front of him.

‘Just one hit’

It wasn’t the wish that mattered now. A huge wall? A huge difference in skills that can’t be overcome? None of that mattered. Overthinking will only slow him down. So he kept it simple.

‘I’m going to hit you in the face somehow.’

Whatever it took to hit that gorilla at all costs, that was all that mattered. As soon as Abel was determined, he kicked the ground. So far, it was the same as before. No, he was slower because of his stance. But when his other foot hits the floor.

Whoosh!

The additional armament, ‘Blessing of the Wind,’ attached to the back of his foot, unleashed a powerful thrust, propelling Lupus straight forward. It was an off-balance armament, but he’d already lowered his stance to prepare for it, so it didn’t matter much.

Now, with the addition of the Shadow Step, he can attack twice as fast as before, but simply being faster isn’t going to cut it against Karl. So he uses the Overflow skill and his second armament at the same time.

Boom!

Headpiece ‘Sage’s Crown’. It rises like antennae on each side of his head and maximizes the performance of his sensory organs. It allows him to see better, and even predict where to attack and where attacks will come from.

The combined effects of Overflow and Sage’s Crown temporarily slowed down time. The strain on his body intensified, causing blood to trickle from his nose, but Abel didn’t care because Karl’s gigant was right in front of him.

Whoosh, whoosh!

As Abel’s fist extended forward, Karl reacted almost instantly. He stretched out his arm to try and block Abel’s attack with a fantastic reaction speed. But if it continues like this, it is apparent that he will eventually get hit. In a fraction of a second, Abel made his next move. He didn’t pause. He just kept throwing punches repeatedly.

‘Double attack.’

His left arm bounced off like a spring just before his right fist was blocked. Karl, who had already moved to slam his fist into Abel’s side, swerved quickly.

Bang!

He couldn’t avoid Abel’s fist from hitting his chin. The accident, which was accelerated with the sound of impact, returned sharply to normal, and a splitting headache and sticky fatigue hit Abel.

There was zero magic power left in his body. He had poured everything he had into that one blow. Abel resisted the desire to lie down immediately and said to Karl, who slowly lowered his head,

“Now... Can I tell you my wish?”

[To be continued.]