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Every game has a barrier to entry where you need to learn the game system and rules.

Due to the complexity of the system, there are cases where newbies get slaughtered before they can even do anything in a battle action game with a lot of knowledge to learn or many seasoned players. This is also true for console games, where the so-called “barrier boss” exists.

Usually, it appears after the tutorial ends and you have a general understanding of the game. With patterns that are distinctly different from before and significantly higher damage, it acts as a gatekeeper, preventing beginner players, often called “newbies,” from progressing to the next stage.

Many users often quit the game because they get stuck at such a barrier boss.

Tactical Combat also had such a gatekeeper, and that was none other than Cook Yan Scott, the young master of a baronial family, who became Gilbert’s opponent.

Since the tutorial, the Entrance Mock Battle, is a team battle, even beginners can blend into the team and ride the so-called “bus” to progress. However, the one-on-one battle with Cook Yan Scott is entirely individual, making it difficult for beginners to overcome.

In MMORPG games, levels exist, and growing through stats or farming good items is the norm. In games without levels, improving the player’s own skill, often referred to as “user level,” becomes the foundation.

Tactical Combat also didn’t have levels, but it incorporated MMORPG elements where you had to raise stats through training or items.

However, at this early stage of the game, there wasn’t enough time for sufficient training, and there were limits to item farming. In other words, to win the practice battle against Cook Yan Scott, improving the gamer’s inherent skill and raising the user level was the answer.

In that sense, Cook Yan Scott was an excellent teaching tool. His Colossal Mech operation skills were neither overwhelmingly excellent nor lacking, making him the perfect practice opponent.

Among Tactical Combat users, defeating Cook Yan Scott was often referred to as “removing the beginner tag.”

For this reason, because his middle name was the same as a monster that acted as a gatekeeper in a famous hunting game, gamers affectionately called him “Mr. Yan.”

Gilbert, seeing the familiar structure of the mock training ground guarded by “Mr. Yan,” quickly formed a temporary contract with an Artificial Spirit.

[Cadet Gilbert Lion Heart recognized. Temporary contract successfully formed.]

Ignoring the stiff words of the Artificial Spirit, he moved the Colossal Mech fluidly.

Assigned the role of a data thief for Professor Alexander’s training mission, Gilbert recalled where Mr. Yan might be hiding.

The duel with Mr. Yan could be approached in two ways. The first was to crush the Colossal Mech with overwhelming skill and steal the data, and the second was to infiltrate enemy lines using the autonomous functions of the Artificial Spirit as Professor Alexander mentioned.

Whichever method was chosen, achieving the goal wouldn’t be a problem, but Gilbert decided to go with the second method.

After all, having played Tactical Combat countless times, Gilbert was highly skilled in both methods.

However, he judged that since the current protagonist, Ian, likely hadn’t experienced the second method properly, it would be good to demonstrate it directly to open his eyes.

Although Ian’s skill was better than other cadets, objectively speaking, he owed much to his Characteristic Skill.

If he were to duel Seraphina right now, Ian would likely lose without being able to do anything.

That’s how unrefined Ian’s current skill was.

Before starting the actual training, Gilbert briefly surveyed the infiltration route.

Mr. Yan had properly concealed himself in the training ground set up for this practice theme, as his large Colossal Mech was nowhere to be seen.

Perhaps designed with infiltration in mind, there were large structures and hiding spots everywhere, resembling a modern urban battlefield.

“Execute autonomous function. Open cockpit hatch.”

[Command recognized. Executing autonomous function.]

The Artificial Spirit of the Academy’s generic Colossal Mech wasn’t from the current generation, so the pilot had to give detailed commands, which was inconvenient.

This was why Gilbert had requested a prototype Artificial Spirit from Professor Horizon.

In Tactical Combat, the Colossus was highly regarded because of the support from its Artificial Spirit.

However, since it was decided to pass the Colossus to Ian, Gilbert chose the prototype Artificial Spirit that would go to the enemy as a second-best option.

“Conceal using structures as much as possible and advance toward the central building as if searching. If encountering a Colossal Mech, prioritize buying time.”

[Command recognized.]

As soon as the monotonous voice of the Artificial Spirit ended, the cockpit hatch opened, allowing him to exit.

Of course, he hid behind a large structure to avoid being detected by Mr. Yan.

As Gilbert exited, the hatch closed, and the Colossal Mech, with its autonomous function activated, began to cautiously move forward.

Watching this, Gilbert spread mana throughout his body using Lion Heart. The heightened sensation of improved physical abilities began to stimulate his peripheral nerves.

‘Let’s go.’

The Colossal Mech, advancing slowly as if buying time, would soon be detected by Mr. Yan.

No matter how many structures there were or how large the training ground was, there were limits.

Considering the size of the Colossal Mech, it wasn’t that vast, so a decisive battle with Mr. Yan was inevitable.

Gilbert’s goal was to steal the target and escape before that, so he had to approach the target as stealthily and quickly as possible.

Of course, this would be extremely dangerous for a regular soldier. Breaking through a battlefield where Colossal Mechs were fighting at close range with bare hands was insane.

But the Academy cadets, including Gilbert, weren’t regular soldiers—they were knights who could handle mana.

Currently, pilots who operated Colossal Mechs were called knights, but in the era before Colossal Mechs, knights meant superhumans.

*Tap tap!*

The Mana Meditation Technique of the Lion King, who once ruled the world, was now being reenacted in Gilbert’s body.

Lion Heart, with its excellent performance in compression and release, granted him the ability to perform movements at the limit of human capability.

[There you are!]

Mr. Yan’s voice echoed through the external communication magic channel. Gilbert, weaving between structures, chuckled at Mr. Yan’s behavior, which had a hint of a show-off. That aspect was no different from the game, which was a relief.

*Clang!*

With the sound of iron swords clashing in the background, Gilbert’s movements became more dynamic.

As he began to leap over tangled structures and run along slanted walls, his Three-Dimensional Maneuvering skill naturally activated, assisting his movements to become more stable.

With a physical ability of 90, the Mana Meditation Technique that could turn an ordinary human into a superhuman, and a skill that corrected movements defying physical laws—these three effects concentrated on Gilbert allowed him to move toward the central building with speed and movements beyond human limits.

[With that level of skill, you can’t beat me!]

Perhaps not expecting someone to infiltrate enemy lines on foot during a Colossal Mech training lecture, Mr. Yan, who was enthusiastically pushing back the autonomously moving Colossal Mech, seemed very excited.

Glancing at the Colossal Mech being pushed back by a large swing of the sword, Gilbert infiltrated the central building without delay and secured the target item.

While retreating while Mr. Yan was still excited about his perceived advantage was an option, this entire training would be evaluated.

Leaving behind a Colossal Mech, which embodied a nation’s technological prowess, would result in a penalty.

For a perfect finish, after exiting the central building, he gave a command to the Artificial Spirit connected by the temporary contract.

“Request to board the Colossal Mech.”

[Command recognized. Moving to board Cadet Gilbert Lion Heart onto the Colossal Mech.]

The Colossal Mech, which had been helplessly taking hits from Mr. Yan’s continuous attacks, collided heavily to create distance and then moved to pick up Gilbert.

[Ha! Did you think I’d let you escape?]

Still unaware of Gilbert’s presence, Mr. Yan, perhaps intoxicated by his own skill, laughed mockingly and chased after Gilbert’s Colossal Mech.

“Open cockpit hatch!”

[Warning! Enemy Colossal Mech nearby. Board quickly.]

Gilbert judged the position of the approaching Colossal Mech and instantly pulled up mana, leaping several meters up the structure’s outer wall.

Confirming the cockpit hatch was open, Gilbert, with the maximum assistance from his Three-Dimensional Maneuvering skill, safely boarded. Simultaneously, the autonomous function ended, and control was returned.

Almost immediately, Mr. Yan’s Colossal Mech closed in, and Gilbert quickly rotated his Colossal Mech to face him.

At such close range, reaction time was limited, but Gilbert had a dirty trick to turn the situation around.

Pulling the control stick, he activated the Back Tumbling skill, an inherent skill from the Entrance Mock Battle, in its active form.

In a split-second situation, the predetermined active skill was forcibly triggered, and the timing was perfect as Mr. Yan arrived right in front.

Using the forcibly activated Back Tumbling state, Gilbert executed additional maneuvers. Kicking off the ground and rotating, his Colossal Mech’s leg extended, drawing a crescent from below to above.

Mr. Yan, unprepared for such an unconventional attack, was struck by Gilbert’s Colossal Mech’s right leg on the cockpit.

*Crash!*

The momentum from the charge turned into a massive physical force, shaking the Colossal Mech and sending it flying far away.

Gilbert grinned, pleased that his old-school trick had worked perfectly.

It was the flawless execution of a Somersault Kick.

 

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