Chapter 188: Squad 69 Training Session (1)
A few quiet days passed by without anything special happening, each day feeling almost the same as the last, until finally, the dates mentioned in Yerin’s letter arrived.
Their squad’s first official training session was finally about to begin.
The morning lectures came and went with the usual dull repetition. Some classes were still manageable, while others felt painfully boring depending on which instructor was teaching that day.
Once the final bell rang and the classroom slowly emptied out, Ruvian quietly left soon after. After a few walks, he finally arrived at the training hall that Yerin had reserved for their squad.
The training hall was enormous, with a vaulted ceiling stretching far overhead. Large pillars stood around the perimeter of the hall.
Near one side rested the array console, an advanced system designed to create fully simulated combat constructs for training purposes.
’So, they are all here.’
Yerin stood closest to the control pillar with several glowing screens floating before her. One of her hands moved calmly across the array panel. She looked completely focused on calibrating the machine. Her longsword, carrying a subtle curve along its blade, rested quietly across her back.
Not far from her, Arlok leaned lightly against his poleaxe. The massive weapon looked strangely natural in his grip despite its intimidating size. His posture appeared relaxed and almost careless, yet his sharp eyes immediately followed Ruvian the moment he entered the hall.
Shima stood a short distance away while calmly adjusting the straps around her gloves. The wide-bladed falchion hanging at her waist showed several small chips along its edge, clear signs that the weapon had seen real combat many times before.
Meanwhile, Horren remained near the archway in silence. His fingers brushed lightly along the curve of his bow in a restless habit while his gaze wandered around the room before eventually settling on Ruvian.
Ruvian stepped forward just as the heavy door sealed shut behind him with a low metallic sound.
"Ha! Would you look at that? He came late."
Arlok burst into laughter while slamming a fist against the shaft of his poleaxe.
"I won the bet!"
Ruvian lifted an eyebrow.
’Huh? Were they seriously betting on when I’d show up?’
Shima immediately clicked her tongue in annoyance.
Yerin, who was still standing near the console, finally let out a small smile. "Good, he came just right. I also finished with the configuration. We can begin in a minute."
Horren shifted slightly near the side.
"I think we should start with something light," he said while lightly tapping his fingers against the curve of his bow. "Maybe just one or two Lesser Rank beasts first. Just to test our footing."
Arlok snorted loudly.
"What’s the matter, Horren? You’re afraid a little simulated dog might bite your ankles?"
"No, of course not... okay, maybe a little bit."
At the same time, Arlok turned toward Ruvian with a grin stretched across his face.
"Also, rich boy, you at least know the class range of Voidspawn, right? Or do they not bother teaching that to Class E?"
Ruvian finally stopped near the group before answering calmly.
"Hmm they did go over a lot in theory. Shame the notes were mostly poorly organised, half-complete, and occasionally self-contradictory."
He shrugged lightly and said with a sarcastic tone.
"Inspiring education. Though, what can I say? That’s the usual norm in Class E."
Arlok chuckled before thumping the end of his poleaxe against the floor.
"Hahaha!! Nah, they probably don’t want to scare you lots with the juicy stuff. Anyway, want us to fill you in a little?"
Ruvian added with a faint smile.
"No need. I’ve already done my own research."
Of course, what he did not mention was the fact that he had once gone through almost every classification and database related to the Voidspawn himself back when he was a proofreader. So he got almost everything checked inside his head. And on top of that, he still had [Omniscient Review] as a backup.
So pretty much to say, he knew and remembered almost all the types of Voidspawn in this world.
A second passed between them.
The array console gave a soft tone; the calibration was finally complete. The hall glowed in full around them.
Yerin looked around.
"Anyway, the settings are done. We’ll be starting at the bottom," she said, stepping back toward the center. "Then, we slowly raise the level."
"We’re not at the level where we can go toe-to-toe with a Wretched-Rank. So, we need to work on our understanding first."
*****
The concentric power around the center of the chamber ignited in sequence, casting a pale cerulean glow that expanded outward in a ring.
Then the pillars lit up.
Each one flared to life with cascading runes, locking into sync with the array. A moment later, a dome of translucent mana surged into place, forming a barrier around the training field.
And at the center, the summoning began.
"We are going with Two Lesser-Rank types," Yerin reminded them.
"The standard simulation parameters."
Then, before the drill could officially begin, and before the Voidspawn could materialise, Ruvian quietly activated [Character Sheets] on each of them, starting with Yerin.
===============
{}---『RUNEHEART』---{}
◇ Name: Yerin Solder
◇ Age: 18
◇ Spellcore: Tier 3
◇ Rank: Second-Class Magus
◇ Magic Affinity: [Fire]
[Mana Resonance: (489/1,000)]
==[General Attributes]==
Strength: C
Agility: C-
Endurance: C+
Vitality: C+
Perception: C-
==[Mage Attributes]==
Mana Control: D-
Casting Speed: D-
Magic Power: C
Mental Strength: C+
Mana Sensitivity: C-
Mana Essence: [2,800/2,800]
==[Innate Blessings]==
- [N/A]
==[Affinity Mastery]==
- [Fire (Intermediate)]
- [Pure Mana (Basic)]
===============
’Hmm, based on these stats alone, Yerin was already nearly on par with Silvena — perhaps slightly superior when it came to close combat,’ he thought contemplatively.
But after seeing her Mana Resonance, Ruvian realized the reason was obvious. Yerin had likely been shaped into a fighter since childhood. The resonance itself revealed that she had already been exposed to battling Voidspawns long before she ever arrived at Velthia.
Then, he inspected Arlok next.
===============
{}---『RUNEHEART』---{}
◇ Name: Arlok Carnam
◇ Age: 19
◇ Spellcore: Tier 3
◇ Rank: Second-Class Magus
◇ Magic Affinity: [Earth]
[Mana Resonance: (539/1,000)]
==[General Attributes]==
Strength: B-
Agility: C-
Endurance: C+
Vitality: C+
Perception: D+
==[Mage Attributes]==
Mana Control: D-
Casting Speed: D-
Magic Power: C
Mental Strength: C+
Mana Sensitivity: C+
Mana Essence: [2,000/2,000]
==[Innate Blessings]==
- [N/A]
==[Affinity Mastery]==
- [Earth (Intermediate)]
- [Pure Mana (Basic)]
===============
’What?’
Ruvian was genuinely surprised.
’This guy is actually stronger than Yerin... So the other day, he wasn’t just boasting when he claimed his strength rivaled most of Class A — excluding the named characters, of course. Even so... that’s still impressive.’
Then, he shifted his focus to Shima.
===============
{}---『RUNEHEART』---{}
◇ Name: Shima Lesla
◇ Age: 17
◇ Spellcore: Tier 3
◇ Rank: Second-Class Magus
◇ Magic Affinity: [Lightning]
[Mana Resonance: (18/1,000)]
==[General Attributes]==
Strength: C-
Agility: B-
Endurance: D+
Vitality: D-
Perception: C-
==[Mage Attributes]==
Mana Control: D+
Casting Speed: C+
Magic Power: C+
Mental Strength: D+
Mana Sensitivity: D-
Mana Essence: [2,300/2,300]
==[Innate Blessings]==
- [N/A]
==[Affinity Mastery]==
- [Lightning (Intermediate)]
===============
’Hmm... From what I can tell, Shima’s quite talented for a Class C scholar, especially someone her age. But unlike an all-rounder, her combat style clearly leans toward speed and agility.’
Ruvian quietly assessed.
And finally, he moved to Horren.
It was then... Ruvian was slightly shocked.
──────── ✦ ────────
[Chapter 188: Squad 69 Training Session (1)]
