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[The entrance mock battle will now commence. All new cadets, please board your Colossal Mechs and proceed to your team’s designated positions.]

As soon as Gilbert finished explaining the strategy, the broadcast signaling the start of the mock battle echoed through the area. Although his teammates looked a bit flustered upon hearing his plan, Gilbert paid no mind.

Frankly, there weren’t many strategies to use in this situation. The mock battle’s limitations made it hard to utilize the terrain, and there wasn’t enough time to set traps.

Ultimately, to break through the opposing teams’ united front, a tactic that surpassed mere strategy was needed. And that tactic was none other than his own rotten-water technique. He didn’t expect things to go smoothly just because this wasn’t a game. Even though he had been a top-tier player in the game, this was his first time piloting a Colossal Mech in this world.

The controls might have been slightly altered, and Gilbert’s body might not have synced well with the mech. He had spent so much time fooling around that he couldn’t recall ever piloting a Colossal Mech, despite being the heir of the Lion Heart Family.

In other words, he had no idea if he even had any talent for this.

Still, if he had even a shred of talent, he could rely on experience to pull through. At the very least, his Characteristic Skill should directly affect the mech, so he couldn’t have been set up to have zero talent.

With a pounding heart, Gilbert boarded the academy’s generic Colossal Mech alongside his teammates. The interior was thankfully identical to what he had seen in the game, which put him at ease.

As he infused the activation magic circle with mana, the mech began its initial startup.

[Colossal Mech activating.]

The voice of the Artificial Spirit, embedded like an AI, echoed through the front display.

In the Tactical Combat setting, all Colossal Mechs were equipped with these Artificial Spirits, and higher-tier mechs were said to possess more advanced cognitive abilities. The protagonist’s top-tier mech, for instance, was a relic of the highly advanced civilization of Atlantica, capable of high-level thinking akin to a human.

Some in the community even jokingly referred to the Artificial Spirit as the “real wife.”

[Tutorial entrance mock battle commencing. Stat and Skill windows unlocked.]

Finally!

The system window Gilbert had been waiting for appeared before his eyes. In the original game, the stat and skill windows were also unlocked right before the entrance mock battle, just as he boarded the mech.

He had been worried they might not unlock, but thankfully, they did, and he felt his body grow lighter. It seemed the unlocked stat window was already affecting him.

Gilbert wanted to check his stats and skills immediately but held back and focused on moving the mech. The controls were identical to the game, so it felt familiar.

In fact, the slight delay he had experienced in virtual reality was absent here. Without the sync rate system designed to prevent risks in VR, there was no lag.

At this rate, he should have no trouble excelling in the tutorial entrance mock battle.

Confirming that all his teammates were aboard their mechs, Gilbert headed toward the assigned position for Team 1 while quickly assessing their skills. This was something he had done every time he played the tutorial in the game. His deputy, Angelina, was piloting the mech far better than he had expected. Her movements were flawless and more natural compared to the others.

The rest of the team also had no issues moving their mechs. After all, the prerequisite for entering the academy was the ability to pilot a Colossal Mech, so it was impossible for anyone to struggle with basic movement. While there were some skill gaps, everyone was capable of basic combat.

That likely meant the opposing teams were in a similar state.

[Deputy Angelina.]

[I’m listening.]

[As I explained earlier, once the battle starts, I’ll leave the detailed coordination to you.]

[I don’t know where you got the confidence to come up with such a strategy, but fine. It’s not unreasonable.]

After reminding Angelina of the plan via comms, Gilbert took a deep breath as he observed the opposing teams positioning themselves in the distance.

He had experienced this countless times in the game, but now that it was real, he felt the tension. If he failed even in the tutorial, he’d have no chance of surviving in this Tactical Combat world. He wasn’t lacking confidence, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t nervous.

[The Demia Empire Academy entrance mock battle will now begin. The mock battle will continue until only one team remains. Teams will be eliminated if they lose their base or if all members are incapacitated. We wish the participating cadets the best of luck. Let the mock battle commence!]

As the announcement ended, the mock battle began. Gilbert, following his initial plan, took the vanguard with Team Leader Hans by his side. He had placed Angelina in the commander’s seat, a bold move given her exceptional command skills.

With their numerical disadvantage, it was unlikely that his command alone would turn the tide. Even the best strategy would be meaningless without the means to execute it.

And Team 1 was severely lacking in both manpower and battlefield conditions.

Gilbert believed that to turn the situation around, they needed a tactic that could shatter the enemy’s strategy—a game-changing move.

In that regard, the Colossal Mech was the perfect medium for such a tactic.

A skilled mech pilot—a high-ranking knight—could have a massive impact on the battlefield.

And while Gilbert wasn’t a knight yet, he was someone who could make that possible.

[Team Leader Hans. Do not move ahead of me. Focus solely on supporting me and ensure you don’t get lost.]

[Understood!]

[Good luck.]

Ending the comms, Gilbert watched as the opposing alliance’s mechs charged forward with heavy thuds. Their movements were slightly awkward, giving him a rough idea of their piloting skills. However, being a three-team alliance, they had the numbers.

Drawing the iron sword that came as standard equipment, Gilbert stepped forward, positioning Hans to his right rear. Having him as a wingman gave him a sense of stability. It had been a while since he had formed a formation like this, as he had often gone solo in the game.

Now that the game had become reality, forming a formation reminded him of his days as a fighter pilot. Gripping the control sticks with just the right amount of force, he smirked fiercely and took his stance.

Gilbert Lion Heart.

Originally named Kang Do-jun.

A veteran of World War III, with 353 fighter kills to his name.

He was the man who held the title of world’s top ace pilot.

***

Angelina Aurora Nobilitas, appointed as Team 1’s deputy by Gilbert, was seriously questioning whether what she was seeing was real.

Just an hour ago, she had sighed upon learning that the randomly assigned team commander was the infamous Gilbert Lion Heart. Though she had started to see him in a different light after witnessing his orderly commands in the barracks, she never imagined he would possess such exceptional mech piloting skills.

When he volunteered to take the vanguard, she had planned to use him as bait to buy time and score points. But upon seeing the mech battle unfold, her thoughts did a complete 180.

The academy’s generic mechs weren’t particularly high-performance.

This meant that the specs of the opposing alliance’s mechs and Team 1’s were identical, and there was no performance gap to overcome their numerical disadvantage. In other words, Team 1 had no chance of holding off the three-team alliance.

Yet, Gilbert, with only Hans as support, was single-handedly taking down the enemy vanguard as they charged toward the base. Angelina, who had some expertise in mech piloting, couldn’t help but marvel at his almost miraculous control.

His movements were decisive and flawless. When dodging, he moved with precision, avoiding just enough to evade attacks, and he exploited openings with perfect timing to disable enemies.

He also seemed highly skilled in swordsmanship, effortlessly deflecting iron swords thrust at him from all directions. Angelina wondered if she could have done the same in his position, but the answer was a resounding no.

‘How does a troublemaker like him have such talent…!’

It was truly a devilish talent. It was almost a waste for someone known as the Count Family’s troublemaker to possess such exceptional piloting skills.

Now she understood why he had confidently taken the vanguard. While she had thought his plan to disrupt the three-team alliance was absurd, she had underestimated him.

The morale that had wavered in the face of the enemy now surged to its peak. He was a one-man army, showcasing why nations competed to recruit skilled mech pilots.

[Attention, Team 1. The enemy vanguard has been crushed, but there’s a possibility of a follow-up attack. Teams 1 and 2, focus on blocking additional forces under Team Leader Hans’s command. And Deputy Angelina.]

[Yes, Commander. I’m listening.]

[There’s a chance they’ll attempt a flanking attack on our base. Can you handle it?]

[I’ve already dispatched scouts from Team 3 to each enemy position for reconnaissance. According to their reports, there’s no significant movement.]

[I see. What’s your assessment?]

[They’re likely regrouping. They wouldn’t want to risk further losses by clashing with us head-on.]

[Then what should our next move be?]

As Angelina continued the comms, she couldn’t help but feel a bit intimidated by Gilbert’s mech, which showed no signs of slowing down as it took down enemies.

[I agree. While we’ve gained a significant advantage from the recent engagement, a full-frontal assault could risk losing our base.]

[Well said. I’ll follow your advice.]

The comms ended. Angelina surveyed the battlefield once more.

The once-formidable vanguard had been wiped out in a short time. A few surviving mechs were retreating to their base, but Gilbert didn’t pursue them. Angelina couldn’t help but admire that decision.

After such an overwhelming victory, it would have been easy to get carried away and chase recklessly, but Gilbert simply returned to the base as if it were the most natural thing to do.

His exceptional mech piloting skills and perfect emotional control.

Angelina couldn’t deny that Gilbert was an extraordinary individual.

 

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