Chapter 247: First Battle!
"I see, so Luke, you have your eyes on Nene's ability, not her body, right?"
"...Do I look that thirsty?"
Hearing Director Kurono's summary, Luke sighed helplessly.
However, he still nodded and said:
"Although Nene-sensei doesn't teach classes, she is still technically a registered teacher at Hagun Academy, right?"
"Then theoretically, if I apply for personal tutoring from a teacher, I should be able to designate Nene-sensei."
"Well, that is indeed what the rules say."
After confirming Luke's intentions, Kurono kept sizing him up with a strange gaze.
"However, there isn't a rule stating that teachers must cooperate with students a hundred percent, so if you want Nene to use her ability on you, you still need her personal consent."
"But to be honest, I don't approve of this kind of..."
"I say, boy, do you really understand the meaning of gravity training?!"
Kurono's words were cut off by Nene beside her before she could finish.
After understanding the boy's thoughts, her notion that he was a 'pervert' not only didn't diminish, but grew even firmer.
The only difference was that he had gone from a perverted gentleman to a perverted monster.
As a user of 'gravity', Nene knew the destructive power of this terrifying force better than anyone else.
"Without using magic power, a human in motion can at most withstand about four times normal gravity."
"Once this value is exceeded, the body will instantly experience extensive crushing damage."
"Even when completely motionless, this value can at most increase to about nine times."
"This is the limit of humanity; it's a bottleneck brought about by our biological structure."
"I know your physical constitution far exceeds that of ordinary people, even reaching the level of 'abnormal', but 'gravity' is no child's play."
"Once it exceeds your body's tolerance limit by even the slightest bit during training, you will be torn to shreds in an instant by this power."
It wasn't just Nene; even Kurono was looking at Luke with a strange gaze because of this very point.
This kind of training was simply not something normal humans could dabble in.
The so-called gravity training was not an advanced version of weight-bearing training; it was truly a whole other realm.
At least in the eyes of Nene and Kurono, who understood just how terrifying this power was, gravity training was literally a death-seeking behavior.
"That 'abnormal' physical constitution of yours might indeed allow you to break through the limits of ordinary humans, but how can you confirm what your own limit is?"
"If you are holding onto thoughts like 'just giving it a try, if I can't bear it, I'll just get injured and stop', then I advise you to give up on this idea early on."
"You will die."
The moment Nene said those last three words, a hair-raising sensation swept through the entire space.
The terrifying aura flashed and faded, but in that split-second interval, Luke caught sight of a certain object faintly flashing above Nene's head.
It was a pair of incomparably massive 'twin horns' swaying like black flames.
Feeling the continuous warnings from deep within his heart and the battle intent that gradually began to stir, Luke smiled somewhat excitedly.
However, in the end, he regretfully calmed his emotions.
No matter what angle he considered it from, the current situation was not suitable to challenge the other party.
Although Luke was belligerent, he wasn't so much so that he would lose his reason over it.
Looking at the two teachers who were united in their opposition against him, he temporarily opted for a compromise.
"Then it should be fine to train according to the standards of a normal person, right?"
"At the very least, judging from my physical constitution, I can still withstand the four-times and nine-times the gravity."
"If it's like that, there shouldn't be any problem, right?"
Luke's concession caused Kurono to fall into thought.
If they didn't consider 'ten times or a hundred times' gravity, and solely trained under conditions that a human body could withstand...
"Let's leave this topic here for now."
Ultimately, Kurono still didn't agree.
However, she didn't directly refuse either.
"Let's discuss it after you formally submit an application through the student handbook."
This matter still required further consideration from Kurono, the Director, and Nene, the person in question.
As teachers, they had to be responsible for the safety of every student.
Without a truly safe premise for this kind of reckless training method, it was impossible for Kurono to agree.
"We've chatted long enough. Your selection match is about to start soon, go to your match first."
After saying that, Kurono turned and left, taking Nene with her.
And Luke could only helplessly shake his head, turning to walk towards the competition venue.
...
The competition venues for the representative selection matches were the various training grounds located inside the campus.
And at this moment, the audience gathered at the Seventh Training Ground was several times larger than at the other training grounds.
However, this couldn't be helped.
After all, what was taking place here was the first battle of this year's top first-year freshman.
Luke, who had defeated the genius knight 'Crimson Princess', attracted much more attention than any other student knight.
"The highly anticipated rising star, contestant Luke Ashburn's first-battle opponent is the 'Heavy Tank' ranked in the school's top ten, contestant Momotani Takeshi!"
"His rare armor-type Device 'Goliath' has sent countless knights flying over the past year. Will we be able to witness contestant Momotani's signature technique today as well?!"
Standing in the arena facing Momotani, Luke felt a bit conflicted listening to the announcer's introduction meant to hype up the atmosphere.
For no other reason than the name of his opponent's Device.
'Goliath... huh...'
'To think I'd actually hear an 'old friend's' name in this world.'
'This really... feels a bit surreal.'
Back in the dungeon world, the name of the Floor Boss on the 17th floor was 'Goliath'.
For Luke, who had dealt with it for nine consecutive years, calling it an 'old friend' was not entirely wrong.
'But then again, to actually encounter it... this kind of strange name-sharing...'
However, unlike Luke who had the leisure to let his mind wander, the pressure Momotani felt at this moment was something only he himself knew.
Luke just had his battle intent provoked by Nene, and although he tried his best to calm his emotions, a trace of excitement inevitably remained.
It might not have been that noticeable to others, but for Momotani, who was facing the boy directly, it was a completely different story.
'You've got to be kidding... This kind of monster... H-how could I possibly win...'
Momotani's eyes, hidden inside his helmet, stared fixedly at Luke.
The opponent hadn't even made a move, hadn't even unsheathed his sword, yet Momotani already felt as if he were being pierced by countless sharp blades.
Emotions of fear, cowardice, trembling, and so on all surged into his heart.
However, he was still a powerhouse ranked in the top ten of the school.
After hesitating for a few seconds, Momotani finally mustered his courage.
"It's not like I don't have a chance of winning!"
"As long as my 'Goliath' can block his sword, I can seize victory!"
Momotani roared.
He cheered himself up through this method, using his forcefully squeezed-out courage to drive his body.
"Watch this! Heavy Armored Charge!!!"
BOOM—!
A massive booming sound rang out!
Initiating his charge, Momotani was like a real armored tank, crashing towards his opponent with an unstoppable momentum!
However...
BOOM—!
Armor and fist collided, erupting with a violent roar!
Accompanied by a gale that swept the surroundings, Momotani's entire body was sent flying!
The winner was, of course, Luke!