Chapter 103: Perfect Student

Andrés took a sip of juice and looked at his surroundings.

He was in the courtyard of Aurora’s building and in this place; the others were chatting and having fun with each other.

Soft music relaxed the atmosphere, while the enthusiastic Akira cheered, catching her companions to ask them to dance.

Aeko sighed to her captain and Shao Ya smiled warmly at the atmosphere.

Santiago was helping with the meat that was being grilled and Oscar was talking to Henrik, who had been invited today with his entire group.

Yesterday or it would be better to say a few hours ago in the early morning, they carried out an important mission.

They stopped the Somali Terror and defeated General Kavuri, bringing stability to Kenya and saving hundreds of lives.

However, Andrés did not feel fulfilled or gratified.

That mission was important not only for saving innocents, but it made them question their lives and led them to follow their own path.

One example was Clémentine, who rose through the ranks and, even though she went through a tough time, she was talking to Laila with eyes full of brightness, looking for advice on how to improve.

A strong desire to follow her goal and overcome it completely.

It was the same for Nicole, who was more excited than ever to become stronger, and Leslie, who had been talking to Niko, trying to find a way to improve.

In that sense, Andrés was like Érica, who also looked disoriented.

He on the mission had almost ended up dead.

No, Aurora had prepared an escape for them in case of emergency, but Andrés, for the first time in his life, felt death up close and it scared him.

A fear that made him wonder about what he wanted to do and what he wanted to accomplish.

He was weak; he had to admit.

A mechanic of his type relied heavily on drones, and the more power a drone had, the more power it would show.

Andrés was weak, even though he had the support of Liam, whose drones he created.

He reacted late and the reason he could defend himself was his AI that supported him and reacted for him.

That situation made him realize that he was not good at fieldwork.

“Bored?” Liam asked suddenly, getting Andrés to wake up from his thoughts.

“No, just...” Andrés replied, but paused, not knowing what to say.

When he first arrived a month ago to this small group of mercenaries, he thought he wouldn’t get much work done.

However, Liam fully supported him to show his abilities and potential.

Andrés did not want to tell him that he did not want to do fieldwork when they supported him so decisively and without question.

How many millions did he spend to produce his drones?

Andrés had stopped questioning the value of each drone Liam gave him.

“Follow me,” Liam urged with a smile.

Andrés followed him, leaving the small party behind.

They both entered the building and went to the operating room where Liam usually worked.

When they got there, Andrés noticed how the screens let dozens of various pictures show in just an instant.

“What’s the target now?” Andrés asked curiously.

He could tell he was hacking into someone else’s computer network.

“A small guild in Kenya, which seems to have some relations with demons. It’s an army job. Looks like it came from the Lord of Mombasa,” Liam replied calmly.

At that level was an S-Rank mechanic with his strong computer talent.

Liam could be at a party while still focusing on his work by supporting his AI.

Andrés nodded.

The best way to stabilize an area that anyone had not controlled for a long time was to root out all those individuals who might become a problem in the future.

It sounded excessive, but there were guilds or mercenary groups that worked with demons committing crimes.

It was even common to come across guilds that were local tyrants in some towns.

Taking care of those individuals now who could create problems in the future when their privileges were taken away was a wise decision by the Lord of Mombasa.

Sighing calmly as he watched all those screens whose images changed in an instant, Andrés felt more relaxed.

“This is what I want,” Andrés said, and noticing that Liam was watching him, he added. “I want to do this kind of work behind a desk.”

He was a virtual warrior, not someone who fought head-on.

He got into the hero academy on a scholarship and he didn’t have high values, wanting to help all strangers.

If he had the opportunity to lend a hand, he would do so as long as it didn’t affect him in some way. However, his goal was not to help.

The reason he entered the academy was because it represented a possibility of improving himself and a way to earn money, developing his skills.

Por tal razón que si tenía la oportunidad para dedicarse a trabajar en un escritorio le gustaría hacerlo en vez de arriesgar su vida luchando en el frente de batalla.

“Is it fear?” Liam asked suddenly and, looking at Andrés subtly trembling, he added. “I heard what happened. It must have been hard to be taken by the head by a powerful fighter. I guess in that situation your mind must have gone blank.”

Hearing those words, Andrés stopped avoiding it and nodded.

He was afraid when he faced that fighter.

Unlike the other members of his group, Andrés found himself in a tough position.

And at that moment, instead of using his drones to make an attack, he blanked, unable to resist that fighter.

“It’s okay to be afraid. I’m afraid every time I fight,” Liam commented and, taking a drink, he added with a half-smile. “It’s impossible not to be afraid. Only ‘freaks’ like Alice who can face the worst situation and eat her chips, or Aurora, who can stand up and charge forward in the same situation, can say they’re not afraid.”

Faced with such pairs of ‘bosses’, it was impossible not to call them ‘freaks’ and they certainly were.

Aurora faced an abomination and was never afraid, always acting with dazzling calm.

Not to mention Alice, who could eat chips in any kind of situation.

Among those individuals was Liam, who, despite having a great level of combat, liked to sit somewhere to act as an information center.

Andrés smiled upon hearing those words.

Liam was sincere, which helped that they served as comfort.

“So you want to take the job on the Atlantis City information network?” Liam asked curiously.

He had been talking to him about recommending him for an information network in Atlantis City and had been probing him to take a position.

“Yes. I’d like that,” Andrés replied, nodding more encouragingly.

It was a job Andrés had wanted to take on since before the assault mission, which was why he could now say he didn’t enjoy doing fieldwork and preferred sitting behind a desk.

“Serena’s a good boss, even though she’s a lousy player,” Liam commented with a half-smile and, giving Andrés a serious look, he added. “But don’t get overconfident. Sometimes working at a desk can be more dangerous than fieldwork.”

Those words took aback Andrés, and Liam continued.

“It’s common to mess with the wrong people. In fact, I did it,” Liam commented and seeing that Andrés was curious, he explained. “I hacked into something I shouldn’t touch. Then they chased me without letting me breathe, preventing me from hiding. That’s why you have to be aware of that possibility. Sometimes an ‘easy’ job can lead you into trouble you can never imagine.”

Accepting an assignment and having that assignment end up having classified information that dozens of individuals wanted was a possibility when one was in this kind of job.

In this world where networks were important, mechanics of their type were enemies to those who wished to keep secrets.

And no matter how good a mechanic was, one could not always remain hidden in the face of magical or psionic methods of finding certain people.

Andrés nodded, taking that advice, but unable to contain his curiosity, he asked. “And then what happened?”

What happened after being chased?

“Since they found me, I joined this group,” Liam replied with a smile.

******

In a room, Aurora met Nicole’s expectant gaze.

“So, will you help me?” Nicole asked curiously and expectantly.

“Sure. You can come train with me anytime, but don’t focus on fighting just one type of person. I recommend you ask Alice and even Liam. Different opponents will give you different perspectives,” Aurora recommended with a soft smile.

“Thank you,” Nicole replied with a shy expression very common for her.

However, her eyes shone with a great strength that let it be seen that she had a deep desire to improve.

With that attitude, she was likely to rise through the ranks.

Aurora had been with her for about half a year and knew that Nicole had talent.

She was someone who learned fast and adapted even faster, overcoming her flaws and weaknesses.

Still, she had lacked the driving force that would push her to become an A-Rank, and that force was what she had gained on this last mission.

While the talent was important for skill users, a goal was needed, one that would push them beyond the limits.

That goal and those reasons would allow skill users to reach A-Rank more easily and at the same time give them a chance to overcome the next abyss, known as S-Rank.

Now Nicole was heading down that path.

Watching as Nicole retreated with a smile, Aurora shook her head.

It was possible that all the students were close to moving up in rank.

Each of them had gained considerable experience in the missions and, more than anything, Aurora hoped they would gain the driving force that would push them to improve.

While Clémentine was the first to be promoted, the other students would not take too long if they kept up the effort they had made during this month.

In a sense, Aurora had gotten some excellent talents to help.

—They happened a lot. That experience they gained would become the fuel to push their limits.

Aurora agreed with her system’s words.

She might not be someone extremely knowledgeable, but as someone who had been training since quite young, she had a reasonable amount of experience in personal development.

She had taken students who she believed, coming to this place, would have a high chance of improvement and then had tempered them by performing daily missions for them to hone their skills.

Aurora did not take students because she wanted cheap labor, she had taken them to expand their perspectives and seek to teach them more than they could learn on their own.

This was an Academy Practice and Aurora had taken her job seriously.

Constantly training was the simple part, the hard part was finding a reason that pushed them to their limits and such reasons could not be ‘trained’.

That the students had a similar mindset to the group was one condition that made the Ark and Assault missions so effective on them.

“They’ve already withdrawn,” Alice reported, who was arriving with Akira and Shao Ya.

She had gone to see Henrik off and thank him for his support.

The Apicius Company paid them, but that did not mean that for money people would accept any mission and, even more, someone like Henrik, whose guild they well developed.

“Let’s start the meeting,” Aurora said, giving a signal for them to follow her.

Heading to her office, she also invited Liam to come along.

The office was medium-sized and there was plenty of seating for everyone, the security to keep them from being overheard being what stood out.

Today they would not talk about what was happening in Kenya or the consequences of their actions. That issue was being handled by the Zerzura authorities.

The purpose of this small meeting was...

“How are the students doing?” Aurora asked curiously.

Bringing in students who were inexperienced and taking them on these types of missions could be beneficial, but also counterproductive.

What happened on the assault mission could become a pushing force or a stone in their path.

Not just because they were about to die, but because of Érica and Clémentine, who ended up killing for the first time.

While today’s society was not like before where anyone’s lives were ‘important’ and even inhuman criminals, killing for the first time was still a matter that could change a person.

While it was true that the old players who entered Terra nova had usually killed before and sometimes could become indifferent to life.

The older ones protected the new generation from making the mistakes that they did.

The mass suicides after the discovery that Terra nova was real and that led to thousands not being able to resist the idea that they killed real people, was one reason to protect the new generation.

Although some parents raised their children differently, all the students were heroes and had a strong sense of justice sometimes.

“Andrés was affected by what happened to that fighter and it led him to follow his main idea of accepting the job in the information network in Atlantis City. However, his fear is a normal thing for anyone, and I don’t think he has any sequelae,” Liam reported with a casual nod.

This was not a casual meeting where they talked about other people’s problems.

This was a professional meeting as professionals who agreed to educate student trainees and, although it was temporary, it was their duty to take care of them both physically and mentally.

Aurora and all the members, as the students’ superiors, had the obligation to avoid sequels for them.

That was why Aurora always had her eye on the students and the other members of the group as well... And that included Akira and Shao Ya herself, who were very good at getting the students to express all their emotions.

“He may not want to accept fieldwork, but come under the circumstances, he will surely overcome all fear,” Liam added with a smile.

Aurora agreed.

At the Academy’s commencement test, Andrés had locked himself in the bathroom and, when he gained confidence, he went outside.

“Try to help him in any way you can. I think he has great potential,” Aurora advised.

“Sure. I’ll do that,” Liam replied with an even brighter smile.

Aurora wasn’t an expert with technology-related talents and in that sense, she wasn’t much help, unlike with the other professions.

Liam, who was an S-Rank, would surely know how to advise Andrés for him to develop.

“Leslie, more than anything, is frustrated because of her performance on the mission. It’s hard for us to do anything. Her development goes hand in hand with her weapons and her style. Although I think she has set her sights on becoming a sniper-like Niko from Henrik’s group,” Shao Ya commented when it was his turn.

“That’s a good idea,” Alice replied with a soft nod.

Aurora agreed.

Leslie’s attacks with her pistols or shotgun were quite strong, but when she used her rifle... She was a real killing machine.

On most of the Ark mission, she used her sniper rifle, and everyone had admired the power of her weapon and the accuracy of her shooting.

If she had acted like Niko, who stayed away from his group supporting them from a distance, then the outcome might have been different.

As for her, there weren’t too many ways to help her.

Her frustration was becoming a force that was pushing her to do better so that she would never find herself in the same position.

The eagerness to engage in conversation with the silent Niko let a little of that desire show.

“As for Clementine... I have nothing to say, she’s the perfect student.” Akira stated with a sincere tone.

No one could deny it.

Clémentine was a B-Rank when they started the academy and her performance was always ‘perfect’.

Like any individual, she had her flaws and weaknesses, but the perfection she spoke of was that she could fix those flaws and strengthen those weaknesses on her own.

Her performance in the assault mission was the perfect proof of her high capabilities.

When attacked by her enemies, Clémentine protected Nicole and supported Érica, all while preparing her attack.

That she rose through the ranks before all the other students showed the young woman’s potential and her perfectionism.

“Even though she ended up killing for the first time. She has no doubts about it and now she still wants to improve even more.” Akira added with an impressed smile.

That she had no doubts didn’t mean she was indifferent, it was about her having great strength of conviction for her actions and not regretting them.

Clémentine was someone who could solve her own problems.

“Nicole is the same. She wants to become stronger to protect her teammates and to make sure the same situation doesn’t happen again. I guess that feeling will be the force that pushes her to new heights.” Aurora commented on her part.

Those present nodded slightly in encouragement, all but Akira, who hesitated.

“Then the only problem is...” Akira muttered and looking at Alice, muttered. “Erica.”

Erica was the only one who had been in a state that everyone noticed.

It was as if she didn’t feel comfortable and still had dozens of questions roaming around in her head.

That state could become a big problem if it wasn’t dealt with right away.

Maybe some problems took time to solve, but Aurora thought the most opportune time to intervene was moments after it happened.

That moment was when people had the most doubts and the right moment for a few words to completely change the perspective.

That was why the group was worried about Érica, all except...

“I haven’t talked to her,” Alice commented with a shrug, and ignoring the stares, she pulled out some chips and explained. “She is at a turning point in her development. It’s to the point where she may be the next one to move up in rank.”

Her words surprised those present.

Érica seemed slightly affected by what happened on the assault mission. While the cause could be predicted, they could not know what her doubts were, and more so when she did not speak on the subject.

Unlike the others who were accessible to communicate their fears and apprehensions, Érica had remained on the sidelines as if she herself did not feel safe with her own self-doubt.

“Her magical energy has been unstable since morning. She has moments where it is emanated involuntarily, as if all her magical energy wants to break that vessel it is in. Once she succeeds, her magical energy source will expand to reach an A-ranked mage,” Alice detailed in a simple tone.

Aurora nodded.

She remembered that Érica always had a vast source of magical energy since the beginning of the academy.

That it would expand first was normal, then she would have to learn the different spells of an A-rank mage and, of course, improve her elemental affinity.

However, this was the first step for her to move up in rank, and no one had felt it until now.

It was difficult to pick up on minor changes in magical energy, as the entire building usually had a strong concentration of magical or psionic energy.

That Alice could have felt it before everyone else made it clear that she was not as indifferent as she seemed and was paying attention to the care of the students.

“Just let Érica express her doubt and answer it,” Alice commented with a shrug.

As for the rest... She had to figure it out herself.