novelraw Chapter 76 : Chapter 76
Chapter 76 : Chapter 76
Chapter 76 : Strategy
A few minutes later, once all Cohorts had finished boarding the train, the train left the campus station and departed for the first tournament location.
Academy staff wearing white uniforms moved between the cars pushing carts.
Breakfast was not luxurious, but it was at an edible level.
Not long after departure, students began to blossom into conversations about the upcoming battles without having time to think about the quality of the meal.
Sal looked around the car and felt that there were many unfamiliar faces.
However, it was quickly noticeable who the team captains were in each team.
It was because they were the only ones among the five members properly equipped with gear.
Since everyone had selected their team members second to last by Cohort, most students in the train were surrounded by an atmosphere that was somewhat anxious and awkward.
Even in that atmosphere, Sal’s team was the only one showing a calm and confident appearance.
That appearance seemed to have caught the eyes of a few other teams as well.
Some teams even went as far as to ask if they had boarded the wrong car.
At those words, Sal’s team burst into a bout of laughter.
Sal felt pleased as he visually confirmed how much confidence his team members had built up over the past few weeks.
Among them, the most dramatic change was definitely Anthony.
He was originally a person of few words and passive, but since receiving the sword from Sal, his confidence had noticeably risen.
In strategy meetings, he had developed to the level of directly presenting opinions rather than just waiting for instructions.
Barry finished breakfast, pushed his tray to one side, and let out a big breath.
His gaze was fixed on the bracket on the tablet screen placed in the center of the table.
"Dominic's side seems like it'll be a headache because of his defensive abilities. How about we handle the rest while Anthony pushes that guy back with his sword? Then we wipe them out all at once."
When Barry said that and looked at Anthony, Anthony shook his head slightly.
Sal looked at him with interest.
While he was wondering what he was thinking, Anthony opened his mouth himself.
"By the time we face Dominic, he will have roughly figured out what style we fight in. Since I can induce Essence attacks, how about we intentionally deceive him? We pretend to target him on the outside, but then immediately eliminate other team members at the last moment. Dominic will be too busy defending himself to have time to protect his team members."
Barry’s eyes widened at Anthony’s suggestion, and he immediately added his own idea.
"Then how about dividing the Essence attacks into several ones? I'll make clones with illusions. Dominic won't be able to distinguish what is real. Let's isolate him in that opening."
Sal smiled with satisfaction.
Seeing his team members exchanging strategies and proactively planning tactics, he was happier than ever as a leader.
Even if he made the final decision, the fact that the team members were contemplating how to respond on the field themselves was more important than anything.
Other students had only taken a few classes about combat from Rust, but Sal’s team had been fighting through actual combat every day for the past two weeks.
Thanks to that, their overall understanding and practical sense were completely different.
Especially Blanid, despite being a production specialist specializing in tailoring, was a possessor of combat power that counted among the best in the team thanks to her quickness and agility.
Sal suddenly thought that she might have been a target for expulsion after the first semester.
Sal’s team refined their strategy by exchanging opinions in a direction that utilized each person's strengths and covered each other's weaknesses.
Like that, they scanned through all matchups in order for about 20 minutes and established the tactical direction for a total of nineteen matches.
On the other hand, other teams were still arguing over the strategy for the first match, or running around in confusion because the team leader couldn't control the team.
Just then, an announcement flowed out from the speaker.
-We have currently arrived at the third destination. Purple Cohort and Blue Cohort, please get off the train and move to the combat zone following the guidance of the guides. Thank you.
Sal watched the two teams getting off the car again.
One team among them was shouting at their team leader, protesting to “Stop doing stupid things,” and that scene provoked laughter from a few remaining teams.
However, rather than simply laughing it off, Sal became curious about how unprepared the other teams were.
Upgrade had once said that this tournament would be a mess, and that it would be ‘full of students who don't even know what they are doing.’
Sal thought she was being sarcastic back then, but the more he looked around now, the more he started to think her words might be true.
After the departed teams completely disappeared, Sal wondered inwardly when the Silver Cohort would be called.
The first to get off were the Red and Orange Cohorts.
Next were Green and Yellow, and the ones who just got off were Purple and Blue.
Now the remaining ones were Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Black.
Sal made up his mind that no matter how much time was left, he would absolutely not waste it.
Just because other teams were shaking, there was no reason for them to act complacently as well.
"Alright, since we might be the next stop, let's summarize the first five matches once again! Barry, can you bring up the mock battle?"
Sal said while pushing the tablet and trays to one side.
As Barry flicked his wrist, a combat scene of two teams made of illusions unfolded on the table.
Everyone sat gathered around the table, and Sal explained the strategy again, reflecting the team members' opinions one by one to finalize the plan.
This work continued until the next announcement was heard.
-We have currently arrived at the fourth destination. Silver Cohort and Gold Cohort, please get off the train and move to the combat zone following the guidance of the guides. Thank you.
Silver Team 2 organized their gear and stood up from their seats with bright smiles.
Other teams were looking at their organized gear as if in disbelief, but the Silver Team didn't look back even once.
Sal smiled toward his team members and took a step out of the car.
And the stadium came into view in the distance.
"Let's go! Let's show them properly!"
***
This stadium was originally a soccer stadium with a scale capable of accommodating about 50,000 spectators.
However, currently, fewer than 1 percent of that number were gathered, and only about dozens of people were sitting in the spectator seats.
Considering it was early Saturday morning, Sal could understand this situation.
Since a total of nineteen matches were scheduled all day, it was more likely that the main matches would start around the afternoon and spectators would flock in then.
At least, seeing the few people sitting as if sprawled out and looking at the stadium indifferently, Sal tried to convince himself like that.
The center of the stadium was once paved, but currently, it was divided into four identical rectangular zones.
Just like he had seen during Combat class, a giant rectangular parallelepiped structure was erected in the center of each zone.
This would become the individual field for the upcoming battles.
Sal was not surprised by this sight.
It was exactly the same as the foresight scene he had been seeing continuously for the past few days.
And only then did he realize why he had been expecting spectators.
There were spectators in the vision he saw.
-Silver Team 1 Team Leader Divinity Khan VS Silver Team 2 Team Leader Salvatore Argento
Silver Team 3 Team Leader Dominic Walters VS Silver Team 20 Team Leader Gerard Kilsey
Silver Team 4 Team Leader Lucia Hernandez VS Silver Team 19 Team Leader Harold Gunn
Silver Team 5 Team Leader Christopher Gage VS Silver Team 18 Team Leader Crypto Daniels
The battle begins in 5 minutes. We hope you each finish preparations, and good luck!
"Where are the rest of the teams fighting?"
Barry looked around and asked after confirming the appearance of other teams sitting in the spectator seats waiting.
Sal shrugged his shoulders.
He wasn't sure himself if only four matches were proceeding at a time.
Instead, he sent a hand gesture instructing his team members to wear their gear.
"Blanid, Jack, put on your gear. Barry, can you take this gear to Divinity's team?"
Sal lifted the bags containing the equipment he had crafted.
Anthony was standing to one side holding the case containing the sword.
Sal was already looking forward to what people's reactions would be when he swung that sword for the first time.
Barry lifted the other bag and grinned.
"Divinity won't necessarily need this, but still, I hope it helps her team raise their rank a bit."
The two quickly delivered the equipment to Divinity, and she welcomed them with a warm smile.
Receiving the bag from Barry and passing it to a team member, Divinity sent a meaningful look.
"You have to make it look cool, at least? It can't just look like we got smashed by you guys!"
Barry winked and said.
"Divinity, do you not trust me or what?"
He burst into laughter but soon continued with a serious expression.
"Really, don't worry. You guys will come out looking really cool. Just think of it as a highlight reel edited with only the best scenes from training. It's all saved in here!"
Barry tapped his head and smiled confidently.
Before Divinity could answer, a warning broadcast for 1 minute remaining rang out across the entire stadium.
-Participants, please move to your respective combat zones.
Barry shook his head in surprise.
"Oh, this is quite military style! Let's hurry in."
Sal gestured to Anthony, Jack, and Blanid, and they entered the Prism together.
The interior of the Prism was almost the exact same size as the practice room where they used to train, so everyone smiled in relief at the familiarity.
Although this match was not a contest where they actually fought but just a staged situation, both teams exchanged sincere cheers with each other.
Sal stood at the very back of the team and looked at Divinity, who was sharing last words with her team members on the opposite side.
Just then, the countdown timer started, and applause of courtesy burst out among the sparsely seated spectators.
-Until battle start…
3…
2…
1…
Start!
Neither team moved.
Both teams waited quietly and rather turned their gazes to look at other combat zones.
They were observing the movements of opposing teams to carefully analyze how organically each team cooperated.
At that moment, Sal turned his head at the sound coming from the spectator seats and was startled.
More than 12 people had risen from their seats and were shouting cheers while looking at the Prism.
When Sal glanced at Barry, his whole body was engraved with green runes as he performed a phantom performance for the audience.
Judging by the expressions of the audience mixed with excitement and shock, that scene seemed to be quite an extraordinary sight.
In the Prism to the side, Dominic Walters was taking a barrage of explosive attacks.
As lightning split the sky and struck the barrier, Dominic's body flinched for a moment.
There was a figure passing by his right side like a shadow.
It was Rogue.
Rogue knocked down Dominic's team member in a single blow, and the incapacitated team member was immediately eliminated from the battle.
Volt continued to fire lightning at Dominic, tying down his movements.
As Rogue knocked down another team member, Archer accurately sniped and eliminated the remaining one.
The last survivor tried to run to Dominic to ask for protection, but Gerard was already moving.
He struck the opponent's abdomen squarely.
Then, an explosion occurred as if Essence burst out, and he fainted as well.
Thus, in just a few seconds, Dominic became completely isolated and surrounded.
Sal watched while engulfed in shock.
Gerard's team struck Dominic's barrier from all directions simultaneously, and eventually, his barrier shattered into pieces.
And the final blow was finished as Gerard's fist lodged into Dominic's face.
Sal turned his head to the left and witnessed the final moments of Nova's match.
She stood intimidatingly over the opposing team in a state where her body had become gigantic.
Her opponent was a strangely combined team hastily gathered by Harold Gunn.
Their appearance, with neither organization nor leadership, was game over even from a distance.
Nova kicked one team member squarely in the chest.
That student flew up to the top corner of the Prism, hit the wall hard, and fell helplessly to the floor.
Next to him, there were three more sprawled out, already in a fainted state, appearing to have been dealt with while Sal was watching Dominic's battle.
There was only one person remaining, poor Harold.
He was kneeling, looking up at Nova with eyes stricken with fear.
However, Nova showed not a shred of sympathy for him.
She flicked Harold's torso with one finger as if flicking a bug, and Harold fainted and collapsed just like that.
The last stadium hadn't finished yet, but both teams were running around in confusion, not knowing how to start the attack.
Neither Crypto Daniels nor Christopher Gage were very impressive team leaders, and each team was also hesitating to step forward for an attack.
This place was a continuation of chaos with almost no use of abilities, just chasing, running away, and screaming rather than skills.
Sal watched that match for a few more seconds, then turned his head at Barry's voice.
"Let's shake hands to celebrate a cool victory! Good work, everyone!"
Sal burst into laughter, approached Divinity, and reached out his hand.
Both teams exchanged handshakes with each other and burst into laughter at this strange situation.
Dominic was completely exhausted, Gerard's team had consumed more than half of their Essence, and Nova had ended the match alone… it was much more chaotic than they had expected.
And, the situation only had things left to become more interesting.