Chapter 227: Practical Evaluation (1)

Near the Transcendence Academy’s aircraft storage facility, on a large training field:

The final destination of the first test in this joint aircraft evaluation.

There, students from the low-tech team were staring straight ahead with nervous eyes.

A figure emerged from the horizon where the plain met the sky - the one they’d been waiting for.

“Wow, it’s here!”

“Who is it? Who’s in first place?”

Whispers erupted from all directions.

Soon, the Transcendents approaching from a distance came into view.

Two Transcendents were neck-and-neck in the lead, with another two hot on their heels.

Thud-thud.

The two leading Transcendents charged across the finish line with terrifying momentum.

The number 30 was clearly marked on the first aircraft to cross the line.

The aircraft that narrowly secured second place was No. 63.

Shortly after, No. 56 and Guest 89 crossed the finish line with only a few seconds between them.

The instructors recording their times on the scorecard were left speechless.

”…A new record.”

“To shorten the record by fifteen minutes…”

And not just one person, but four.

As the instructors stared in disbelief, the boarding hatch at the rear of No. 30 opened, and a woman with long silver hair leaped out.

Kani, the female pilot, easily jumped down from the several-meter-high hatch and raised both hands in victory.

“I won!”

At the same time, Khan emerged from No. 63 with a sour expression.

“Tsk!”

“You can’t beat me. For the next ten years, you’ll call me ‘Nuna’!”

“It was only a 0.1-second difference!”

“Whether it’s 0.1 or 0.01! You still lost, didn’t you?”

“Ugh!”

It seemed they had placed bets among themselves regarding who would secure the positions of “oppa” and “nuna” through this evaluation.

While the others grumbled, Tania from the 56th rank (who had secured third place) and Kendrick from the 89th rank (who had secured fourth place) stepped forward.

The tech team students around them shook their heads repeatedly as they watched the four individuals.

I’ve heard about them… but they’re truly insane.

No one at the Transcendence Academy was unaware of the silver-haired twins and the red-haired siblings.

They were the strongest freshmen in the academy’s history.

Not just one, but four of them.

How the hell are we supposed to beat those guys?!

All the aircraft at the Transcendence Academy shared identical specifications.

The performance differences came down to how well they were tuned and maintained.

But these differences weren’t particularly significant.

As a result, the rankings in the aircraft evaluation were often drastically overturned based on the capabilities of the pilot students handling the Transcendent period.

In that sense, no pilot student could surpass the skills of the Twin and Flame siblings.

That meant anyone paired with those four would likely receive high evaluation scores.

And as proof of this, the faces of those four’s teammates never stopped smiling.

Among them, Brew, the teammate of Kani who had taken first place, was so radiant it seemed she might emit light.

“K-Kani!”

Brew rushed toward Kani, clutching a towel and handkerchief.

“Y-you worked hard! Kani, first place! You’re amazing!”

The cool detachment she’d shown toward Louis was nowhere to be found.

Brew’s eyes toward Kani were filled only with bashful admiration.

“Ugh.”

Though Kani accepted the towel and handkerchief with indifference, Brew still managed to look genuinely grateful.

But that didn’t last long.

Kani dashed off somewhere.

When Brew saw who she was heading toward, his expression hardened.

“Louis! Louis! I got first place!”

Her eyes demanded praise, launching a gaze attack that would make any other male student’s heart drop. Yet Louis himself merely waved his hand dismissively.

“Meh.”

As if expecting this response, Kani grabbed Louis’s hand and placed it on her head. She then began nodding vigorously up and down.

Louis frowned at her absurd behavior. ”…What are you doing?”

“I’ll take care of my own head pats!”

When Louis wore an expression of disbelief, Tania came running over and grabbed his other hand, placing it on her head just like Kani had done.

“I’ll take care of my own too!” she declared.

With both hands suddenly occupied, Louis became the focus of dozens of envious glances.

Ha… Do as you please.

Soon after Louis offered his hands with a carefree expression…

Thud-thud.

Another Transcendent crossed the finish line.

The moment Louis saw the Thirty-Three Transcendent, he murmured:

“Even our Three-Three has arrived.”

Ten minutes after Kani, who had taken first place, entered. Though this was an astonishing record, shaving five minutes off the previous best, the records set by the first four remained so overwhelmingly superior that they dimmed this achievement’s luster.

Thud-thud-thud…

Unit 33 gradually slowed to a stop beside the makeshift ladder.

Whoosh.

The rear boarding gate opened with a puff of smoke, and after a long moment, Sierra descended the steps, her movements labored.

Her hair clung to her face from sweat.

Her face was pale, devoid of any color.

Her legs and arms trembled.

She looked like she might collapse at any touch.

As if anticipating this state, the instructor pointed to one side.

“If you’re going to vomit, do it over there.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Sierra covered her mouth and dashed away.

Yet no one said a word.

Rather, Sierra’s reaction was normal.

The abnormal ones were the four who had entered before her.

The instructor who had recorded Sierra’s results looked at the four gathered around Louis.

What the hell have they been eating?

While there was a separate power source to operate the Transcendent, controlling it required the pilot’s attribute power.

As a result, the Transcendent’s output was greatly influenced by the pilot’s attribute power. Moreover, the more intense the Transcendent’s movements, the greater the pilot’s attribute power consumption.

Now, if these lower-class pilots had been running for an hour and climbing mountains, they should have shown the same reaction as Sierra earlier. No, Sierra might have been the better one in comparison.

In severe cases, they might have vomited up their lunch or fainted from exhaustion.

But those four were different.

Despite achieving an unprecedented world record, they showed no signs of fatigue, nor was a single bead of sweat visible on their bodies.

Master Agus praised them as the talents who would follow in his footsteps…

His judgment hadn’t been wrong.

As the instructor watched the Twins and Flame siblings with a tongue stuck out in amazement,

“Give me this.”

Louis snatched the water flask and handkerchief from Brew and walked away.

Sierra was shuffling toward him.

“Take it.”

Sierra looked at the water flask and handkerchief held out to her.

Normally she might have refused, but now she couldn’t afford to be picky.

“Thank… you.”

She wiped her sweat with the handkerchief and rinsed her parched mouth. After taking a few more sips, her expression finally regained some life.

Sierra held the water flask and handkerchief in her hands.

“I’ll… return this later.”

“It’s fine. It’s not mine anyway.”

”…?”

“It’s his.”

Louis snorted at her question and jerked his chin toward one side.

There stood Brew, his eyes glinting with ferocity.

Sierra couldn’t help but chuckle.

I think I get the gist.

It had been four months since she’d been paired with Louis. Though they weren’t close friends yet, she understood the dynamics of his social circle well enough.

Sierra trudged back to Louis after returning Brew’s towel and water bottle. When she stood before him again, she wore a slightly apologetic expression.

”…Your physical condition was top-notch.”

She had no idea when Louis trained, but his peak physical condition remained consistent on every joint training day. Today proved no exception.

“My skills are lacking.”

Sierra gritted her teeth and chased after the four Transcendents leading the charge.

For the first half of the race, she could keep pace, but gradually, the gap widened.

Her fifth-place finish was a bitter pill to swallow - a result born of her own limitations.

Sierra burned with shame and felt deeply apologetic toward Louis, her teammate.

When she offered her apology, Louis snorted derisively.

Well, at least she’s not a bad person.

Over the past four months, despite their rocky start, Louis had managed to bridge some of the distance between them.

Not that they’d become friends, but knowing Sierra’s character wasn’t inherently unpleasant, Louis found himself unable to maintain his initial frostiness toward her.

Their subsequent interactions proved harmonious, and through this, Louis came to understand one crucial thing about Sierra.

…It’s like she’s constantly being chased by something.

Louis had noticed that Sierra lacked composure. Even in casual conversation, her words carried a faint urgency.

It’s not my place to interfere.

Since he wasn’t staying long anyway, Louis had no intention of meddling in Sierra’s life. With this mindset, he offered no particular comfort. He simply shrugged his shoulders and distanced himself from her.

Two hours passed in this manner.

“All units have returned except for the stragglers.”

“Students are assembled.”

The 1st Grade Trainee who had been overseeing operations in Agus’s absence climbed onto the platform. Observing the neatly aligned students, he began to speak.

“Everyone has worked hard to complete the first evaluation.”

The voice of a first-grade Trainee, resonating with mana, echoed throughout the area.

“But I’m sure you all know that the real evaluation begins tomorrow.”

At these words, the eyes of those in the top 32 teams for the mobility evaluation lit up.

Tomorrow’s practical evaluation - the so-called combat tournament - would determine which 25 individuals from the 32 teams would form the first class of the next semester. Additionally, there was the Tournament Scholarship, an academic achievement grant, and the privilege of visiting the Tower of Wishes, available only to the top five teams.

It was no wonder the eyes of those in the top 32 teams were sparkling.

“When you graduate from the academy, the place you’ll go to is a competition arena that can’t be compared to this. In that sense, those who can’t make it into the top 32 are basically stragglers. Right now, it’s just a matter of grades being assigned, but if you’re stragglers in society like this… you won’t survive.”

The trainee’s words darkened the faces of those who failed to make it into the top 32, while the successful group’s expressions brightened.

Witnessing this, the first-class trainee sneered with bitter mockery.

“What, you think you’re special? Just because you’re slightly ahead of others, do you look down on those below you? Seventh Squad!”

“Yes!”

“Present!”

“Do you think you’re qualified to mock the thirty-third ranker? If you’d been just a bit slower, you’d be the ones falling behind.”

”…”

“Don’t be arrogant about your slightly better performance. Those beneath you now will someday… aim for your position… and your neck.”

The trainee’s harsh criticism froze the expressions of the top 32 squad members who had been smiling moments earlier.

“That’s it, dismissed!”

With this curt command, the students scattered in all directions.

The flight students dragged their weary bodies away, dispersing in all directions.

But the tech team students were different.

They had to immediately service the aircraft that had undergone today’s maneuver evaluation.

Especially the top 32 tech team students had to stay up all night to maintain the aircraft.

This was because they needed to be ready for tomorrow’s practical tournament.

“Quickly, quickly!”

“Move that over here!”

The tech team students were bustling about.

Louis noticed Sierra remaining by his side instead of leaving and asked, “You’re not going?”

”…Can’t I help you?”

“Before you say that, go look in the mirror first.”

“Uh… cry?”

“You look like you’re one step away from collapsing.”

”…”

“If you try to help looking like that, you’ll collapse before tomorrow’s practical evaluation. Just go rest - that’s the best help you can give.”

”…I understand.”

Sierra gave a small nod and turned away. Louis watched her retreating figure as she walked off with a slight limp. He then turned his head and stretched.

“I should finish quickly and rest too.”

This whole affair was child’s play to him anyway. But that didn’t mean he’d take it lightly.

A tour of the Tower of Wishes…

He didn’t particularly care about next semester’s class assignments, but the scholarship and the Tower of Wishes tour were tempting rewards even for Louis.

I do want to see it at least once.

Instead of sneaking through back alleys like last time, it wouldn’t hurt to enter the Tower of Wishes through proper channels.

As Louis pondered this, a shadow approached from behind.

Louis turned his head with a sour expression at the familiar presence.

“What do you want?”

Standing behind him was none other than Brew.

His eyes glinted as he spoke, “Kani and I will win the practical evaluation this time. You’ll never beat us.”

”…?”

“When we win… I’ll confess to Kani. Remember that.”

With those words, Brew whirled around and strode away from Louis.

Watching Brew’s retreating figure, Louis muttered in disbelief, “Is he crazy? …What a fucking idiot.”

The dawn of the day the tournament was to begin.

Throb…

Sierra opened her eyes to a sharp pain in her chest. She struggled to sit up on the bed. Her roommate was still sound asleep on the opposite side.

I need to wash up.

Though it was early, she figured getting ready early would help her wake up properly. As she tried to get out of bed, her legs wobbled the moment they touched the floor.

“Ugh!”

Sierra twisted her body just in time to collapse onto the bed instead of the floor. The sudden dizziness made the ceiling spin around her. She bit her lip hard.

I pushed too hard yesterday…

The aftereffects of trying to catch up with the four Transcendents ahead of her were still lingering. Instinctively, she knew her body wasn’t in good shape.

Sierra struggled to sit up again, perching on the edge of the bed as she steadied herself against dizziness.

…Can I really win?

They were known as the “Monster Four” - the elite group of new cadets in the pilot division. To claim the championship she coveted, Sierra needed to defeat at least one of them.

She understood all too well the chasm between her abilities and theirs. She knew with absolute certainty that she couldn’t overcome them through her current skills alone.

Just as despair threatened to engulf her, a face flickered before her eyes. Sierra gritted her teeth.

”…I have to do this.”

She had to win the championship. It was the bare minimum requirement to sever the net that bound her.

Emboldened by renewed determination, she summoned her strength and rose once more.

Tom arrived at Harold’s laboratory for his after-school report. He was startled by the scene inside the room, which had changed dramatically since he’d delivered the test papers the previous morning.

Hundreds of paper bundles lay scattered haphazardly across the floor. The blackboard, once empty, now held not a single blank space, its surface completely covered in white writing. And there was Harold himself, staring at the board without moving a muscle.

The unusual atmosphere made Tom tense up. He called out to Harold cautiously.

“Master…?”

”…”

“Master?”

At Tom’s call, Harold slowly turned his body.

The moment their eyes met, Tom instinctively took a step back.

“Huh?!”

Harold’s gaze, now turned toward him, was overwhelmingly intense.

Moreover, within those eyes, a complex mix of excitement, joy, anger, and astonishment were all tangled together.

“Tom.”

“Ah… Yes?”

“Where is that bastard?”

“Wh-who are you talking about?”

“The Louis guy.”

“Pardon?”

“The white-haired guy in Low 1 Class!”

Tom didn’t know exactly who Harold was referring to.

But at this moment, he knew very well where the other students were.

“By now, the final practical evaluation for the low-tier class should be underway… He’s probably at the competition arena…”

Before Tom could finish his sentence, Harold had already bolted out of the laboratory.

Even Tom, who had observed Harold for over a decade, had never witnessed such an intense reaction from him before.

“What on earth…”

Behind the stunned Tom, the late afternoon sunlight streamed through the window.

”…What’s happening?”

The crimson sunlight illuminated the blackboard that Harold had been staring at intently moments earlier.

Simultaneously, the proof he had spent thirty hours developing turned orange.

At the end of the glowing red-blackboard, Louis’s answer from the test paper was clearly written.