"You will have your first field lesson and finally face real combat!" Musk explained with a serious expression.
"Finally!"
"It was about time we fought something real!"
"But are we already going up against Orks?"
While some were excited about the chance to face a real enemy, others wondered how much they could actually contribute on the battlefield. It wasn't uncommon for incidents to happen inside the Academy. It has become so frequent that it is no longer a scandal when some students go missing during expeditions.
"Tomorrow, at 0800, you will head to the transport area. You will meet all the Weapon Rangers training groups for joint training." Musk continued the explanation.
The captain typed some information on his holographic keyboard, causing some images to be projected. The first was of a green planet that Oliver didn't recognize.
"You will be responsible for the reconnaissance mission of the exoplanet Aethra. This planet already contains a small settlement, and there are no signs of any monsters above [Knight] level. However, certain monsters can reproduce quickly and require extensive hunting occasionally for population control. This is the case with the Crabits."
After mentioning the animal's name, a few more holograms appeared. The four-legged creature resembled a rabbit; however, its front legs were strong and massive. Its teeth were sharp enough to rip carcasses apart.
As the students absorbed the group's first mission, more videos of the animals were projected. In each video, it was clear that although they were small animals, roughly the size of a dog, they were fast and fierce.
"Don't be fooled; although they are [Pawn]-level monsters, if you are not ready to face them, they can quickly kill or maim any of you."
In one of the videos, a Crabit grabbed what appeared to be a wardog and, with a fierce bite, ripped its head off in a quick, almost instantaneous motion. Several students were disgusted by the image, while others shivered at such brutality. Oliver did not feel as impacted; he was already accustomed to cleaning up Ork remains, so it wasn't so different.
'How does someone face something like this?' Oliver pondered.
"Professor, how can these Crabits be [Pawn] level?" one of the students from the Second Battalion asked, his trembling voice revealing the fear he tried to hide.
"Although fast and fierce, they are animals with little intelligence and defense. If you are able to attack them, you can quickly clear the entire horde." Musk answered.
Some more images appeared of hunters shooting at the animals and clearing the packs. Seeing the examples in the holograms, Oliver noticed that ranged weapons seemed more difficult as they allowed the animals to dodge the shots. At the same time, close combat could more easily approach the fierce animals and eliminate them quickly.
'These Crabits are going to be a headache. Will the Energy Pistol be enough to deal with them?' Oliver thought, trying to figure out if there was another option.
"Each kill will be recorded on your Gauntlets, where you can see the ranking among yourselves and the other classes. Your score will be connected to your positions within your battalions, allowing students from the First and Second Battalions to be moved between them." Musk explained.
Another level of competitiveness had been introduced. It was a clear sign that the Academy didn't want to maintain the status quo; they wanted the survival of the fittest, and for that, they needed to pit all the students against each other.
For the students of the Second Battalion, this was the motivation they needed: the opportunity to transfer to the First Battalion and increase their chances of becoming Rangers. For the First Battalion, it was a way to hold on to their laurels and maintain their position.
"Make the New Earth Army proud!" the captain shouted.
Musk must have given this speech hundreds of times. Still, it had the desired effect: igniting a sense of patriotism for the army and the Empire while increasing the competitiveness and rivalry between battalions. Only this way could they secure the best talents among the young recruits.
"Besides fighting, there's a chance to leave the Second Battalion," one of the recruits cheered.
"I'd do anything to get into the First Battalion. Just being able to take a hot shower would already make my life much better," said one of the girls from the Second Battalion to those nearby.
"Ah! I'd just rather not have to eat the Second Battalion's slop."
The students discussed among themselves all the possibilities of simply moving up a battalion. With their bodies exhausted, most of the time they didn't even think about the impact it would have on their careers at the NEA, but rather about the almost immediate improvement it would bring to their lives.
Many recruits gave the instructor a round of applause, especially those who had joined the Academy with an intense patriotism or had even been victims of the Waves. Most of them dreamed of being able to do something, of going to the front lines.
"In the meantime, we will have six more rounds of combat. Again, I will select those who stay in the ring and those who rotate out. But we will have a small change, so you can train in an environment closer to what you'll find in Aethra." Musk explained.
The combat format was not new to the students; each would have three minutes to face an opponent. Both sides would seek to learn as much as possible and force an evolution, although it was rare to happen. Oliver knew that the tougher the opponent, the greater the experience he could obtain.
However, the class was surprised to see what the trainer was doing; after typing on the keyboard, the ground of all the arenas changed. In some, there was grass; in others, there was sand, rocks, or water.
"Today, you will have to get used to fighting in a new setting for each match. This will force you to prepare for the most diverse environments you will encounter during your missions." The captain finished his explanation.
The following combats were not significantly different from those of the previous days. Although the terrain added a new difficulty level, both combatants had to learn. By the third round, it became apparent who had the upper hand in the arena.
The students who stayed on their stage did not have to relearn a new combat style. However, those who rotated between rings had a more challenging experience, but one that allowed them to learn more about adapting to different scenarios.
'Shit. I was finally getting the hang of it.' For Oliver, this was a great experience, except for the fact that he was being humiliated in every match.
In the first ones, he faced some colleagues from the First Battalion in sandy terrains, which made it difficult for him to dodge and move away quickly. This allowed his opponents to defeat him with little resistance.
Just when he was starting to adapt, he had to face Katherine in a water-filled environment up to his shins, making each step heavy. The fight lasted less than 30 seconds. The boy again left feeling annoyed for not having at least tried to start a conversation.
His last match was again against Astrid, who was still super excited. It was unclear whether it was because of the combat or the 'real action' they would face the next day. But in any case, it was another defeat. This time, the terrain was mountainous, featuring rocks and sand. It would have been great for Oliver if the arena had been larger, allowing him to act as a sniper from a distance. But the rocks only became an obstacle for him to dodge Astrid's attacks at a short distance.
Once more, Oliver ended the day feeling like he had learned a lot, but at the cost of several defeats.
The class was finally over; he wanted to get to the dorm as soon as possible. If he were lucky, there wouldn't be too many recruits, and he could test the evolution. But before he could leave, Astrid appeared in front of him.
"Are you going to make this a habit?" Oliver asked.
"What? Hey! You're friends with Isabela, right?" Astrid spoke fast, as always.
"Huh?" Oliver answered.
"I asked if you were friends with Isabela. Short girl, dark hair, always smiling like a distracted person, and obsessed with celebrity Rangers." Astrid explained.
"Oh! Yes, I am." For Oliver, the main description that led him to figure it out was her strange fascination with Rangers.
"She asked me to tell you and the other boy to activate the chat function on your Gauntlet and add her. Her username is BelaRedFanGirl." Astrid commented.
Oliver didn't know that the Gauntlet had a chat function. But as they had explained, they would discover more about its features as they used it over time. He was also surprised with himself for not being freaked out by Isabela's username.
"You could take the opportunity and add me too…" Astrid lowered her voice with each word.
"What?"
"I SAID YOU COULD TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY AND ADD ME TOO! SweetValhalla" Astrid's face was completely red, close to her hair color.
"You must be deaf." After her last words, she quickly turned and left the gym. Meanwhile, other students who had remained were whispering about what had just happened.
Oliver didn't know what had just occurred, but he didn't have much time to think about it. He ran out of the gym and went straight to the dormitory.
Although there were some students in the first bunks, his was near the end and appeared to have no other recruits. He got to his bed and sat while watching the button.
Click!