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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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Two months had already passed since enlistment. It was around the time when differences in skill levels among the trainees were starting to become apparent. Among them, the handsome Karl was undoubtedly standing out. Handsome face, excellent abilities, and even a large penis, according to rumors – what woman wouldn’t like him?! The freckled girl of Barracks 16, Eri, started chattering as soon as she sat down on her bunk.
“Did you see Karl in the mess hall earlier?”
As soon as Karl’s name was mentioned, it was only natural that the attention of her fellow trainees snapped towards her. He was that much of a hot topic.
“Good with guns, good with knives… He must be good in bed, too, right?”
The women giggled and chuckled, making lewd jokes. Just as the men were sexually frustrated, so were the women, so these kinds of obscene jokes were exchanged whenever they were bored.
However, the squad leader of Squad 16, Alisa, didn’t even change her expression and focused only on meditation. Whether her peers talked about men or not, her interest was solely on one thing:
Becoming a knight.
It was her earnest dream, fostered by watching countless planets and people while traveling through space with her father, a special forces sergeant in the Hel-Lugal’s transport fleet. The image of the confident knight, clad in a splendid suit, striding across the bridge, was etched in her mind and never forgotten.
“Dad, I want to be a knight too!”
“Then our daughter will have to work hard. Not just anyone can become a knight.”
“I’ll definitely become a knight. And I’ll wear cool clothes like that too!”
Of course, as she grew older, she realized how ridiculously far-fetched that childish proclamation had been. The barrier to knighthood was high and arduous. Even stepping over the threshold of a low-level knight order in the backwoods was no easy feat. In short, knighthood was a divinely ordained profession, only possible for those born with a talent for combat.
Eventually, after three failures, Alisa adjusted her course. Graduate from the training camp in first place and proceed to the knight course! It was a bit of a shortcut, but if she couldn’t enter through the front door, she’d have to go through the back door.
Anyway, with such a lofty and grand goal, where would she find the time to be distracted by mere sexual desire?!
After a while, the bell signaling the end of lunch break rang. The female cadets quickly tidied up their bunks and lockers and waited for the drill instructor.
Soon, the door burst open, and a strict, stern-looking instructor entered.
“Prepare for training.”
The female drill instructor of Squad 16 preferred short, clipped words rather than complete sentences. After the female cadets finished their preparations, the instructor spoke again, curtly.
“Line up in the hallway.”
And so, they headed to the training room for their afternoon training.
This session was close-quarters combat training. It was a time that Alisa, who had been making painstaking efforts since childhood to become a knight, particularly enjoyed and felt confident in. Honestly, competing among the so-called geniuses was utterly laughable after coming here. If her father hadn’t worked here, she wouldn’t have come to the Hell-Lugal training camp.
“But squad leader, who’s stronger, you or Karl?”
That was the biggest question on the minds of her peers. They all knew that Alisa’s skills were impressive, but they were curious how she would compare to Karl, the man of the hour.
Of course, Squad 16’s leader found such comparisons extremely irritating, but even if she explained it to her low-level peers, wouldn’t it just sound like bragging? It was best to just act indifferent.
“Well. Is that important?”
“You might end up facing each other. You haven’t encountered each other yet, have you?”
How dare they compare me to that guy. Of course, I’d win without a doubt.
Alisa felt the words rise in her throat like bile, but she barely managed to suppress them.
“This is why low-level trainees are…”
However, she endured everything for the sake of first place. Since leadership evaluations were likely part of the overall grade, it was best to maintain at least amicable relationships with her squad members.
“I just wish I could meet him. I haven’t even seen him once, damn it!”
“I’ve met him twice.”
“Ugh, you bitch. Yeah, goooood for you.”
“Seeing him in person, my pussy was trembling, you know? Wow, fuck, I was speechless. I realized, that’s what a truly handsome guy is like!”
“Ah, I wish it were my turn today.”
“Yeah, he’s my boyfriend.”
“Yeah, fuck, show your tits.”
“My pussy is pinker.”
“Your areola is so huge, it’s disgusting.”
“Bitch!”
“What, bitch!”
The two glared at each other fiercely, as if about to start a fight, but quickly backed down as the instructor approached.
“Prepare for training.”
“Alright.”
Squad 16 also put on their devices in sync with the signal. They too soon entered the simulation.
Of course, at first, they underwent various close-quarters combat training exercises with the instructors and drill instructors in training mode, and after a short break, they entered combat mode.
“I’m going to suck Karl’s dick, bitches.”
“Fuck, don’t you dare try to steal him.”
“Bullshit. He’s mine.”
As the countdown began, they were scattered to random locations.
Ah…
When Alisa came to her senses, she was positioned on the defensive line. Positioned near a passage with a sentry turret, she first looked for her comrades nearby.
She found two in total: one man, one woman. Including herself, a total of three people were assigned to one passage.
Naturally, it was more convenient to use numbers rather than names, so they each chose a number.
Alisa, the most exemplary and with excellent leadership qualities, was naturally number 1, the man was number 2, and the other woman was number 3.
Alisa didn’t utter a single unnecessary word except for those related to establishing the defense line. However, the horny man and woman, sensing an opportunity, chattered incessantly. Of course, how could the straight-laced Alisa not develop a sense of disgust towards them?!
Lowlifes.
However, she didn’t interfere with them in any way. Whatever they did was none of her business. She just had to do her best in this combat mode.
After a while, a beeping signal came from the unmanned sentry turret. It meant that the attack force was approaching. Simultaneously, energy beams whooshed out.
Alisa first tried to confirm the number of enemies.
“Number 2, Number 3! Mark the enemy positions on the map as soon as you confirm them!”
Soon, dots began appearing on the shared map. It would have been impossible in reality, but since this was virtual reality, all trainees had basic body enhancement implants. Naturally, due to their physical abilities being more than double their usual strength, the unmanned sentry turrets weren’t of much help.
Alisa, anticipating that her comrades wouldn’t be of much help, resolved to take on all the enemies by herself. Honestly, she was confident she could handle five or ten of these trainees. Someone aiming to be a knight couldn’t be struggling here!
She wouldn’t let anyone through. Absolutely not.
Whether or not other passages were breached didn’t matter. She only thought about the mission she was assigned. And that was the way it should be.
Alisa distinctly felt the firm texture of the vibroblade’s hilt in her palm and gripped it tightly until it creaked.
Indeed, the body enhancement implants, also called “spare lives,” lived up to their name. It was something she had longed for for a long time, but the price was astronomical, so she couldn’t even dream of owning one. Even the low-end models easily cost several million zenny, so it was out of her reach. Even though her father was a special forces sergeant in the transport fleet, his annual salary was only a little over one hundred thousand zenny, so how could he afford several million?
So, that’s why everyone was so desperate to become a knight! Once selected as a knight, they would be awarded body enhancement implants. It was an instant path to riches. And they’d gain honor as a bonus.
While Alisa was briefly fantasizing about a rosy future, two figures appeared from beyond the passage. Then, one of them suddenly flicked their vibroblade upwards.
With a buzzing sound, the unmanned sentry turret ceased functioning. The vibroblade, with its automatic return function, neatly landed back in the opponent’s hand. Alisa’s eyes gleamed strangely as she watched.
That bastard… knows how to handle a blade.
That was definitely not the skill of someone who had only trained for a month at the camp. If it was, then they were a truly remarkable genius. But such a genius wouldn’t be at this backwater training camp.
Alisa narrowed her eyes. Thanks to the body enhancement implant, her significantly improved vision allowed her to identify the person who had just thrown the vibroblade.
Ah…
As soon as she recognized the opponent, she couldn’t help but be surprised. He was definitely the exceptionally handsome man called Karl. Even though she wasn’t interested in men, his face was unforgettable. Honestly, even she was a little surprised by how handsome he was.
A strange feeling twisted in her gut. It was a feeling of burning competitiveness.
He was already renowned throughout the training camp for his skill. Of course, Alisa had also displayed comparable prowess, but for some reason, she was rarely mentioned. All the attention had been focused on him.
…It would be a lie to say she wasn’t jealous at all. At the same time, it was galling that someone inferior to her was receiving the spotlight.
I’m going to be a knight. I’m on a completely different level than him.
Alisa’s competitive spirit burned even brighter.
I’m going to kill that bastard.
And she intended to put a definitive end to this rivalry.
Who’s stronger, the squad leader or Karl?
It seemed she would soon be able to answer that question with confidence.
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