Ch.112112. Seekers of Twisted Possession

“For this reason, cadets must always be deliberate in their thinking. A moment’s choice will determine their lives on the battlefield.”

The exchange program wasn’t solely about combat practice between academy cadets. Rather, observing the education of the hosting academy could be considered the main purpose.

An academy’s lectures embodied its educational philosophy. Some academies emphasized giant mechanized soldiers, while others focused on individual combat techniques.

Since each academy had developed with such different educational philosophies, being able to observe another academy’s teaching methods provided a foundation for growth.

The cadets from other academies participating in this Demeia Academy program were also growing by observing Demeia’s high-quality lectures, seeing and experiencing many new things.

This lecture was no exception. Despite being about piloting giant mechanized soldiers, the professor focused more on reading battlefield situations and making quick judgments rather than teaching piloting techniques themselves.

It wasn’t that he didn’t discuss piloting techniques, but the lecture emphasized how to move the mechanized soldiers effectively in the right place at the right time.

He repeatedly stressed that achieving maximum efficiency with minimum movement was the pinnacle of piloting skill.

Gilbert stared blankly at Professor Alexander’s passionate lecture.

Today, he was having trouble absorbing the lecture. It wasn’t because he already knew the content.

The reason he couldn’t concentrate on the class was because of a sub-scenario that was troubling his mind.

Just yesterday, while lying on his dormitory bed, Gilbert had received an unexpected system message.

Two sub-scenarios he hadn’t even known about—’Seeker of the Sword’ and ‘Twisted Possession’—had developed a singularity, creating a linked scenario that combined both.

A linked scenario was a system he’d occasionally seen while grinding for achievement clears, occurring when specific conditions were met. Some achievements could only be obtained by clearing these linked scenarios, so it was actually a familiar system.

But even Gilbert had never seen two scenarios developing a singularity and creating a linked scenario before.

How could two separate sub-scenarios merge into one in the first place?

The situation was abnormal from the start. Compared to previous scenarios that revealed nothing, this strangely named sub-scenario “Seekers of Twisted Possession” at least had a few lines of explanation.

< Sub-Scenario – Seekers of Twisted Possession >

Type: Sub

Clear Condition: ?

Reward: Grade determined by progress (F~S)

– ???

Progress:

– The seekers have realized their twisted hearts and lost their way.

This is absolute nonsense.

Gilbert wanted to curse out loud.

He was speechless at the scenario description in the mission window. He couldn’t know the clear conditions, and even the progress wasn’t clearly indicated.

Even the most important part—the reward—was unknown.

It made no sense to ask someone to clear a sub-scenario like this.

Even that vicious Tactical Combat at least showed some direction, but this real-world system didn’t even offer that.

It was like being told to bang your head against a wall without giving even the slightest hint.

Gilbert irritably closed the mission window. Staring at something unhelpful wouldn’t provide any answers anyway.

Instead, he decided to view the situation as objectively as possible.

First, he began analyzing how the original scenario, “Seeker of the Sword,” had appeared before the merger.

“Seeker of the Sword” was a sub-scenario that had been forcibly accepted quite a while ago—if his memory served him correctly, it was when he had gone on a date-not-date with Brianna.

So emotionally, he thought “Seeker of the Sword” was connected to her.

He had also hypothesized that the reason he hadn’t seen it in Tactical Combat was because she definitely died during the Lion King’s Birthday event.

There hadn’t been much progress after that, so he had shelved it in the back of his mind, but then another scenario he knew nothing about was unlocked and forcibly accepted.

Twisted Possession.

From the moment he first saw it, he couldn’t tell who had triggered this chilling scenario. It had appeared right after he completed the Hundred-Person Slash, and there had been too many people present to pinpoint anyone specific.

But he did have a suspicion. The person who had appeared immediately after the Hundred-Person Slash ended.

That person was Imperial Princess Seraphina.

From the perspective of possession, Gilbert concluded that no one matched her. As someone known as the embodiment of talent-hunger, she would undoubtedly drool at the sight of Gilbert himself, a premium commodity.

If that talent-hunger had somehow twisted into possessiveness, such a scenario could emerge.

But another problem arose here.

What exactly had caused the inflection point in these two sub-scenarios that led to them merging into a linked scenario?

When they were separate, he could at least make rough guesses based on their names.

“Seekers of Twisted Possession”?

Setting aside whether the grammar was even correct, he couldn’t even begin to understand what it meant.

After going in circles, Gilbert’s conclusion was that he had no idea. He couldn’t even figure out how to clear the original separate scenarios, let alone this merged one.

Gilbert sighed deeply and gave up on his analysis again. The comforting thought that things would work out somehow was just a bonus.

“Cadet Gilbert. It seems my lecture is boring you?”

“Not at all, sir.”

Gilbert calmly answered Professor Alexander’s question. It was true that he found it boring, but he wasn’t foolish enough to say so directly.

“Then can you summarize what I just said in one sentence?”

“Consider your choices carefully, but don’t hesitate. The moment you hesitate, all you’ll see is the enemy’s gun barrel.”

“Excellent. You’ve captured the essence.”

*Clap clap*

The cadets listening to the lecture applauded Gilbert’s response. Considering how things were at the beginning of the semester, such a reaction would have been unimaginable—he could physically feel how much progress he’d made.

Gilbert looked around at the applauding cadets and noticed Ian diligently taking notes.

Come to think of it, how much had Ian grown while being neglected?

He had been ignoring Ian until now, but he became curious. Given Ian’s talent, he would certainly have become stronger than the average cadet if he hadn’t done anything strange, but Gilbert couldn’t be certain without checking directly.

It seemed Ian had joined the student council, so he must have reached a certain level, but Gilbert, with his high standards, found it difficult to give a passing grade based on that alone.

Although Ian had taken the chuunibyou route, his potential would clearly be a great help in the upcoming main scenarios.

Of course, Gilbert had absolutely no intention of bringing him in as a comrade, but he needed to check Ian’s abilities soon.

Gilbert’s goal was ultimately to return home. Living a life of luxury here was never part of his plan.

Clearing all main scenarios and going back—that was the only driving force behind Gilbert’s actions.

The question was whether he could do it.

Gilbert wore a dispassionate expression.

His plan was full of uncertainties.

For one, he didn’t even know why he had awakened here. All he knew was that he had opened his eyes in this place the moment he created his character, without any warning.

Naturally, he had no way of knowing how to return. If he knew the purpose of coming here, he might be able to deduce a way back, but this unfriendly system didn’t even tell him why he was here in the first place.

Nevertheless, the reason he was focused on the main scenarios, believing that completing them all and seeing the ending would allow him to return, was because that was all he could do.

It was a blind action based solely on conjecture, but he had no other viable options. That’s why he had no choice but to focus on clearing the main scenarios given to him.

Still, his actions weren’t entirely meaningless. He had been able to save Brianna, who should have been impossible to save, and her survival had helped resolve an incident that could have caused many casualties.

Even in the war with the Sigurd clan, if he hadn’t participated, there might have been numerous casualties. Even the Hart County couldn’t have stopped the Sigurd clan without any damage.

In that sense, clearing the main scenarios was a task Gilbert absolutely had to accomplish.

By the way, what is that guy muttering about?

Gilbert tilted his head quizzically as he looked at Ian while renewing his determination.

Ian had been muttering something to himself for a while. At first, Gilbert thought he still hadn’t overcome his chuunibyou phase, but seeing him mutter with a consistent pattern and rhythm, he now realized that wasn’t the only reason.

Gilbert adjusted his posture and focused his attention on Ian. Professor Alexander was lecturing loudly, but the current Gilbert was capable of hearing only what he wanted to hear.

“Is that so? Thank you. Thanks to you, I understand now.”

Gilbert’s eyebrow raised.

Ian’s words weren’t just muttering to himself. It looked as if he was having a conversation with someone.

Gilbert habitually stroked his chin.

Then suddenly, a possibility occurred to him.

What if Ian had obtained what Gilbert was thinking of…?

“I got it. But it’s better to say it this way. Still, thanks for worrying, Fresia.”

That’s it!

Gilbert realized his guess was correct.

Ian had apparently obtained Fresia, Tactical Combat’s official top artificial spirit.