novelhk 033 Kassel College Crisis Exercise
033 Kassel College Crisis Exercise
"Stop fighting! Please stop fighting!"
The twelve members of the simulation team, who were playing the roles of the kings of the earth and mountains, ran away in terror, wailing in despair.
A cheer erupted on the playground as members of the student council and the Lionheart Society high-fived and hugged. Susie reluctantly put down her Viking battle axe, the enchantment "Armor Penetration +9" on the blade gleaming coldly.
Percy, a student council member standing before her, held up a shield simulating dragon scales, his face contorted in a defensive stance. He only dared to lower it upon hearing the word "over." "Using public office for personal revenge! This is absolutely using public office for personal revenge! Where's Chu Zihang? Control your men!"
"So moving!" Professor Guderian exclaimed, tears welling in his eyes. "This is youth! Passion, courage, teamwork! Look at these children, striving for the same goal, setting aside their club rivalries and personal pride! Manstein, can you see it?"
Professor Manstein nodded in agreement. He felt that this was much better than Freedom Day, as it not only preserved the turf, but the students had also figured out how to coordinate their play.
"Oh."
"Children playing house," Professor Schneider scoffed. "Look at what the equipment department sent."
He pointed to the simulated equipment scattered in the center of the arena. In addition to Susie's "armor penetration +9" battle axe and Percy's cartoon dragon head shield, there was even a greatsword that looked like Cloud's from Final Fantasy.
"A large-scale cosplay event," Schneider summarized. "Those guys in the equipment department treated the exercise like a toy show."
"This is just a full-scale simulation, a run-through of the exercise!" Guderian argued. "Tomorrow's live-fire exercise will be Frigga's bullets and the alchemical gravity simulation field; that's the real test!"
"Frigga won't die from a bullet, and the alchemical gravity field is just a simulation of gravity." Schneider's voice was completely flat. "As long as you know you won't really die, it's all just child's play."
Guderian wanted to refute, but couldn't find the right words.
At this moment, Nono walked over with a list of wounded soldiers: "Professor, the current battle casualty statistics are in."
"explain."
"The entire simulated Dragon King team was killed, two members of the assault team were seriously injured, and four members of the pincer team were slightly injured," Nono said. "In addition, there was one actual injury that occurred outside of the exercise."
"Oh?"
"The medical team dislocated the patient's left shoulder joint while dragging the injured person away."
"Dragging an injured person until they dislocate a shoulder?" Schneider frowned. "Who did it?"
Nono gestured towards the edge of the playground with her lip.
At the edge of the field, Zero's uniform was stained with mud and grass, and the cuff of his left sleeve was rolled up to his elbow, revealing a section of his fair forearm.
Lu Mingfei was standing on the sidelines, staring blankly at the cheering students, when Ling walked over to him.
"A boring game," she said.
Lu Mingfei was startled. He had always thought this girl was emotionless, but he didn't expect her to have a temper.
After some thought, Lu Mingfei offered some objective feedback: "Actually, the exercise was quite good. At least it improved communication, and the team learned how to cooperate. For newcomers who have never been on the battlefield, this is a great introductory lesson."
Chu Zihang happened to walk over. "But?"
"But none of this works against a true Dragon King."
"Why?" Chu Zihang asked. "We know how powerful the Dragon King is. In subsequent exercises, we will continue to improve the simulation mechanism of the Dragon King, making it stronger and stronger. Today's victory was actually an accident. According to the director's calculations, there shouldn't have been a victory."
"The physical mechanisms on the battlefield can be simulated," Lu Mingfei said, "but the sense of despair, helplessness, and fear that humans feel when faced with unimaginable natural disasters cannot be simulated."
He pointed to the cheering students.
"It is precisely because people lack a sense of crisis that this exercise has turned into a large-scale cosplay. Because they know that the other side is just like them, that they will get tired, exhausted, and surrender, and that they will not actually kill them. So people replace their fighting will with enthusiasm. But when facing an invincible enemy, the most important thing for humanity is willpower."
"This exercise cannot train this skill."
Caesar walked over and understood what Lu Mingfei meant: "This is the best solution at the moment. With limited resources, we can't really capture a dragon to train."
"Long-term training can develop muscle memory." Caesar's gaze sharpened. "Even if your mind goes blank when you first face the Dragon King, your body will remember how to react. That way, you can at least survive a few more seconds."
Lu Mingfei nodded; that was the truth.
"In that case," Caesar's eyes lit up, "I invite you to participate in the formal exercise, to join the Dragon King simulation group, to put more pressure on the current students."
Professor Schneider on the observation platform stopped arguing with Guderian and turned his gaze behind his mask toward them.
“Use the power you demonstrated on your day of freedom,” Caesar said, “to show us the despair you speak of.”
Lu Mingfei thought for a moment.
"Can."
A low murmur arose from the surroundings.
"But there is one condition."
Caesar raised an eyebrow: "What are your requirements?"
"I'm the only one who can use Word of Power on campus," Lu Mingfei said. "This gives me a natural advantage, allowing me to simulate the gap between the Dragon King and humans to the greatest extent possible. Therefore..."
"I'm simulating the Dragon King all by myself."
The entire audience erupted in uproar.
Schneider strode over and looked Lu Mingfei up and down.
"How strong is your Word of Power? How good is your control over it?"
He said, "It involves two questions: first, will it hurt you; second, will you hurt others?"
"You can go to the equipment department for testing."
Lu Mingfei didn't care at all: "After the test, the referee team will decide for themselves what data to provide to the participants so that they can formulate their own combat plans before the exercise."
For him, the formal exercises were just a side job; the most important thing was to figure out his own AT position performance.
Schneider stared at Lu Mingfei for a few seconds, then nodded.
"I agree."
He turned to the students who were still standing there in a daze: "Clean up the area! Hurry up!"
Then he beckoned to Guderian and Manstein: "To the underground weapons testing range of the Armaments Department."
"Zero," Lu Mingfei said, "let's go together."
Ling tilted her head slightly.
"I need a deputy during the exercise," Lu Mingfei said naturally. "You were very calm during the exercise, and you don't talk much, so you won't bother me."
Manstein glanced at Zero, who had walked up to Lu Mingfei, her expression still cold, then looked at Lu Mingfei and said, "I agree, she's your girlfriend anyway."
Guderian, standing nearby, was so excited he almost jumped up: "Lu Ming insists on testing the power of words! This will be one of the most significant tests of word power in the history of Kassel College! I'm going to record it! I'm going to record the whole thing!"