Chapter 48:

Chapter 48:

The battle that started as a surprise attack eventually ended in a complete victory for the cadets. After the battle was over, Hannah regained her composure and spoke up.

Hows everyone doing?

Im okay.

Me too.

I think I have some damage to my arm, but I can still move it for now.

Fortunately, the damage was not that serious. There were two aircraft with damaged parts that affected maneuverability. The rest had only minor damage to the external part. Meanwhile, Abel, who should have been sorting out the situation with Hannah, was deep in thought.

What was that?

The changes in his body that occurred near the end of the battle and the slim figure that appeared from a distance were issues that could not be ignored. First of all, there were only two cases in which the patterns engraved on his body heated up. When faced with fragments of a gigant and when that fragment is killed. But neither of them happened.

Was that human-like figure a fragment of a gigant?

Abel frowned at that thought. He knew all the fragments of gigants that appeared in the game, but none of them were like that. Many were shaped like humans, but they were larger than that. But this time around, it was not much different from a human. Even though he saw it from afar, it was clear.

Ill have to take a look around that area on our way.

Abel quickly concluded. Fortunately, they were heading in the same direction where the human-like figure appeared. He had no time to sit around and wonder.

Well, then, lets leave this area and then rest.

Hannah said after organizing the situation. Abel followed her words without saying anything and began to move. On the way, Abel scanned the area where the human-like figure had been, but there was no trace.

Theres no sign of it,

He couldnt find anything to the point where he wondered if he was just seeing things. The rest of the time, they continued to move, repeating battles and resting, and though there were a few dangerous moments, their increased numbers allowed them to get through them with relative ease. Time passed quickly, and they came to a large forest after a few more hours.

Ive found it.

Abel thought. It was the forest where the artifact lay, where Abel had been searching for it.

The direction of the base points towards this forest. What should we do?

Hannah turned to Abel with a question, asking for his opinion as a fellow leader. In the forest, a Gigants combat power is limited. Its difficult to see, and there are many obstacles around. Perhaps thats what Hannah is worried about. But Abels answer was fixed.

I think we should go in. We dont know exactly where base is. It could be in this forest.

Hmm. Well, thats true.

Hannah nodded as if that had been on her mind. Abel said to Hannah.

Why dont we ask the others?

That sounds like a good idea.

Abel and Hannah asked their group for their opinions, and it wasnt long before they came to a conclusion.

Well, lets be careful. Lets go in.

- -

The forest has many faces. It can be cozy when the sun is shining through the leaves, but wandering alone in the dark forest takes a lot of courage. Its a cradle for many creatures and a food chain for others.

Kung kung kung-!

Uninvited gigants of steel strolled through the forest with different expressions on their faces. As Abel walked through the forest, he thought to himself,

Come to think of it, all the trees here are really big.

Ten gigants are moving around. And yet, they had no trouble walking through the forest. Each tree was huge, and they were spaced quite far apart. It wasnt the kind of forest that you could comfortably fight in, but if it were a forest with small trees, they wouldnt be able to enter it, much less fight.

Well, most of the forest I have seen so far looks like this.

Ah, ah, ah

A voice of terror was heard. Even Hannah, who had been in charge of controlling the cadets, could only utter a word in a trembling voice.

Oh God!

A colossus. It is the enemy of mankind and, at the same time, an object of terror. It was at least three times the size of the gigant they were riding, and its body was covered in silver-colored metal. It looked more like a snake than a beast, but in reality it resembled an imaginary dragon. The long legs, the red glowing eyes.

Thump!

The furious pounding of his heart woke Abel from his momentary stupor.

Thump thump thump

His heart was beating furiously, and at the same time, a blazing, intense heat emanated from the pattern engraved on his chest. Typically, he would have been struggling with pain, but in his half-crazed state, it was actually helpful.

Using the intense pain as fuel, Abel regained his senses and grasped the situation.

The colossus that had suddenly risen from the ground was looking down instead of attacking right away.

Abel thought quickly.

Its impossible to fight it head-on.

Even though there were ten Gigants, it wouldnt be enough to deal with it. Normally, it would take at least ten Miles-class Gigants, fully armed, to take on a Colossus.

It would also take a skilled rider to operate it, and all that was present here was a bunch of novice riders who were just starting to get the hang of operating a gigant. In addition, the aircraft were entry-level with minimal armament.

Itll take a while for help to arrive.

Now that the Colossus has appeared, the Academy will surely send help. It wouldnt be simple to compare it with the game, but if it was similar, it would be around 10 minutes.

10 minutes.

Abel opened his mouth.

We just have to hold out for 10 minutes, and help will definitely come!

Abel shouted in a loud voice. Loud enough to be heard by the half-fazed cadets. It was enough to jolt some of the cadets back up, but there were many who were not motivated, so Abel gripped the sword tightly in his hand and strode forward. His steps toward the colossus were heavy. But Abel didnt stop. Instead, he picked up his pace, eventually running.

Whooo

When the Colossus saw Abel running toward him, he flicked his tongue and moved slightly. The moving of its silver scales exuded a sense of intimidation. Abel gritted his teeth and increased his speed.

Whisssss

At that moment, the colossus raised its tail high in the air.

Kwaaang!

Immediately afterward, a loud bang and a cloud of dust rose, causing the onlookers to turn pale. However, their expressions quickly changed as Abel emerged from the dust.

Of course, that wasnt the end of the attack, as the colossus swung its tail to crush him repeatedly. Each time, Abel used his Shadow Step to avoid the attacks narrowly. The distance narrowed instantly, and Abel used another skill as he moved.

[Skill overload]

His body heated up, and his senses expanded. It was as if he had pushed himself to his limit, but Abel didnt care and raised his sword.

Shrrrrrrrr!

The colossus twisted its body in anger as Abel closed in on it. But Abel did not back down. Now, it was time to move forward.

Puuhh!

A faint glow began to emanate from his pattern

[To be continued.]