episode_0053

I somehow ended up here.

Gilbert was calmly calming his mind in a stadium full of cheers.

The original goal was to drop out with a reasonable rank, but considering the academy attack incident, it felt like they went a little too hard to motivate the cadets.

I was a little concerned that I may have acted too conspicuously in a situation where there might be an insider at Demeia Academy, but I did not regret it.

Although he was not an idealist who only pursued a great cause, he was also not a cold-blooded person who pretended not to notice when he clearly knew what was going to happen in front of him.

In the original world, he was a soldier, and a soldier was a shield that protected the country and its people. He was just like his comrades.

Turning a blind eye to what he could do was unacceptable to him.

After gathering his thoughts, he let out a long breath and looked at the giant god soldier on the screen. It was the titanic soldier of Ian, the playable character and protagonist of Tactical Combat.

I already knew that he had won all competitive matches with overwhelming skill without difficulty, deserving the title of protagonist. To be honest, I was really worried about the direction in which Ian, who moves of free will, would grow.

In the game world, his gaming skills and know-how combined to make him a legendary figure who wrote the legend of undefeated, but as he has repeatedly said, this was reality.

No matter how deceptive a skill Ian had, its effectiveness would vary depending on the target it was being used with.

Even with the same character, isn’t there a big difference between the play of newbies and old players? Unless he was a regressor with more than a few lives to live, the likelihood that Ian would show piloting skills better than that of Gilbert was significantly low.

Although there was no actual crash since the entrance mock battle, it was evident just by looking at the struggle against the Resistance in the comprehensive evaluation. Even if it was because of carelessness, nothing would change. Because Ian was as good as dead once in combat.

Since then, he may have worked hard to improve his skills, but his ability to move the giant soldier in this competitive match was unusual. Considering that the way he uses his characteristic skills has become more refined, it is easy to think that his skills have improved greatly.

But Gilbert wanted to experience Ian’s skills firsthand. When playing games, the only indicator of Ian’s skill was his own skill. When he was a newbie, his skills were poor, and like everyone else, he didn’t even get close to the ending in the first episode.

As time passed and he took off his newbie t-shirt and heard the sound, he became able to clear the game in all kinds of ways.

In other words, Ian’s skills in the game were the symbol of a genius that no one could match.

So what are Ian’s skills now that it has become a reality?

Could it be that the records of the games he played can have an impact on this world and show him even greater manipulation skills?

If not, will he show an extraordinary appearance that surpasses him?

My pounding heart could hardly calm down. As I was excitedly waiting for the game to start, I received a request for personal communication magic from Ian.

Does this mean we should do well before the finals?

I accepted the communication connection without much thought.

“Is it Ian? Good luck with the finals…”

[My destined rival.]

“What…?”

Gilbert asked back, taken aback by Ian’s sudden tone. What about fate?

[It was a long time. Even when you, your destined rival, Gilbert, made a name for yourself in the world, you were crouching down. That day will come someday. I was looking forward to the day when I could spread my wings and fly. And finally that day came. The best stage unfolded like this.]

Ian, who had a solemn expression, started saying strange things in a tone that matched his expression. Because the original character was the handsome Ian, I felt like I was watching a play.

Of course, considering the historical background of Tactical Combat, it was an understandable category. It is a world where there is magic and giant gods, but it is a place that represents the medieval era.

It was a strictly hierarchical society with royal authority and division into nobles and commoners. In short, if we consider the Republic of Korea where he lived, he was currently in the Joseon Dynasty. If you think about that era, it was normal to talk about historical dramas.

But there was something about Ian’s tone that went beyond that. It was a tone of voice that made me feel uncomfortable and difficult to pinpoint.

[You don’t look good. That probably means I’m making you nervous. Don’t be too nervous. You are a worthy rival to me.]

As the conversation progressed, I got goosebumps. It would have been nice to say it was a physiological feeling of rejection.

A tone of voice that feels like you’ve heard it somewhere before.

There was a memory that passed through Gilbert’s mind as he searched for his memories.

That’s… that’s the concept of the second year of middle school, right?

It felt like I was hit on the head. In Tactical Combat, the personality of the main character, Ian, is determined by the choices the player makes.

Like all other gamers, there were many people who played the game without paying attention, but what was popular at one time was to stick to that middle school student-like personality and push forward.

Even though this place was in the Middle Ages, the use of exaggerated vocabulary aroused resentment from other nobles. They spoke in a cultured tone, not in a theatrical tone.

Of course, Gilbert also played a game with that concept. The interesting thing is that since it is a tactical combat game that boasts high AI, people no longer look at it strangely or avoid it when it shows overwhelming skills.

Rather, the speaking style of the middle school soldier concept spread rapidly, as if spreading a trend among aristocratic social circles.

However, if you didn’t show a truly overwhelming performance, you were just treated as a weirdo. Even though the character Ian was from the Linebarrel family, there were limits.

There was no need to say anything, especially if it was a high-ranking family of count or higher. It was just a second-year middle school build that existed only for people to enjoy concept games.

[In that sense, what I have to say is…]

therefore. That guy’s personality comes from having that 2nd class build?

Gilbert felt dizzy. When I first saw him, I thought it was fortunate that he wasn’t just a coward, but it was never a good situation.

Not only was such an eccentric personality unsuitable for a commander, but if his abilities declined, he would immediately lose leadership. The only thing better than being a coward is simply not running away from a fight. That was the only thing.

[So you will have to fight against it with all your might. I am an unbreakable fortress. It must be a protective barrier.]

Along with laughter, Eosun also said something strange and cut off communication. It felt like a storm had swept over me.

It was so absurd that I didn’t even curse. All he could do was just burst out laughing.

Yes, if you’ve already taken the 2nd grade build, there’s nothing you can do. Because that guy is not the game character I was controlling.

I gave up completely. Just as he had given up on being colleagues with Lily, Gilbert had given up on correcting Ian’s character.

However, one thing that could not be given up was that Ian’s skills had to be above the passing grade he thought. Considering the main quest that would proceed in the future, such a personality was not very helpful.

Because the 2nd grade build always had to be played with the mindset that you were the main character, it was self-centered and always yearned for people’s attention.

Because he always moves to create situations where he needs to be noticed, he has to act unpredictable.

In other words, no matter how elaborate a plan was made, Ian could become an obstacle.

There was no need for Gilbert to take the risk of taking Ian, who did not have overwhelming skills.

So there is only one thing to do.

It was a matter of confirming Ian’s skills.

[We ask that Cadets Gilbert and Ian come out as soon as they are ready.]

As soon as the announcement was made, Gilbert erased all his complicated feelings and entered the stadium with a giant soldier. On the other side, Ian’s giant soldier could be seen coming in.

Somehow, the arrogant appearance of Ian that I saw in the communication magic was reflected in the giant recruit.

– Ian! Ian! Ian!

– Gilbert! Gilbert! Gilbert!

The audience chanted the names of the two finalists. The audience, who remembered the skills the two showed in this competitive match, looked forward to what kind of match the two would perform.

Ian was seen raising his hand in response to the cheers of the audience.

If I didn’t know that he was in the 2nd grade build through communication magic a little while ago, I would have thought it was just good fan service, but not now.

It was obvious that he was just doing this to draw people’s attention to himself.

The moment when the crowd’s cheers reach their peak.

The signal signaling the start of the final finals sounded.

As soon as Gilbert heard the beginning, he pulled out his iron sword and rushed towards Ian like a blizzard.