Novels2Search
The Pilot of Wrath
Chapter 25 – Solo and Classroom

Chapter 25 – Solo and Classroom

Chapter 25 – Solo and Classroom

The second phase was much like the first except for this one, Matt was moving, or the platform was. Once he stepped onto it, the square lifted off the ground and began moving in a figure 8 pattern giving interesting shots on some targets. He again completed the test with a perfect score due to the reduced range of the last segment. Had that gone out to 1000 meters again, he might have had some more trouble.

Matt stepped off the platform and another system message popped up informing him that the ranged combat portion of the trial was complete. He then left the chamber and returned to the main hall as he was thinking of it. After crossing the threshold, the doorway disappeared back into the wall. He returned to the center and waited for the next message.

Your second challenge will begin as soon as you are ready. Ready? Yes/No

Not needing any rest and having generated 2 replacement magazines Matt accepted and another door opened, this time to his other side. He walked to the archway and read the pop-up message from the System.

Combined Combat Trial.

Participant will engage targets in varying conditions simulating combat. Score will be determined on number of targets successfully engaged and amount of damage taken. Step through the doorway to begin.

Alright, now we’re talking. The range was kinda fun, but this seems more like what I expected. Matt thought to himself as he stepped through the doorway and into the second trial chamber. Instead of a scene shown before him like a stage, he was now standing in the middle of the forest from before. The countdown began and he readied himself for whatever was about to happen.

The first “target” appeared from behind a tree nearly 200 meters away. Instead of a diamond shaped target, this one was shaped like a wolf, just made of the same crystal material. Matt snapped his rifle up and waited, the wolf in a full run straight at him. He could hear the movements, pounding feet, rustling grass and breathing as it closed. What he was looking for finally showed as the wolf crossed the limit of his threat detection field, and it showed in a red outline.

One shot to the face dropped the wolf, causing the target to shatter with the ringing noise of the previous trial. Instantly after the target broke, Matt saw 2 wolves pop up in his rear-view camera, this time much closer. He spun, firing a short burst while they were still close and breaking both targets. The next target wasn’t wolves, it was some sort of bull creature. He tried to identify it, but the skill didn’t return any information.

Matt squared himself to the bull creature and it lowered its head before charging at him. He probably could have guessed this would happen but still fired a couple rounds at its lowered head, the third one seemed to break through, and the target shattered. The next targets appeared right away, this time consisting of a bear and 2 wolves. Matt was beginning to see how this trial would go as he took down the faster wolves before dealing with the bear.

Ten rounds of seemingly randomly sorted enemies had been thrown at Matt. 10 rounds had been successfully beaten back, well 9 rounds had but the last one was a mix of 5 wolves, 2 bears and a boar looking creature with 6 legs. The last round had forced Matt to abandon his position, not being able to stay put once the heavy hitters closed in on him. Through the usage of his teleporting ability and a flash bang grenade, he had managed.

A System message popped up along with another glowing square, telling him to step into it for the next segment. He did as asked, after regenerating the used magazines and topping off before the next trial. After stepping onto the square, everything faded away only to be replaced by what looked like the inside of a castle. A castle might be the wrong term, but he was standing in an open space with battlements all around him. There were stairs leading up and down, along with several doorways leading out of the area. From wall to wall was 200 meters by his first estimate but he didn’t get much time before his first target appeared.

Stepping from inside the doorway was a humanoid shape dressed in armor and holding one of the single shot weapons that the people in the city had. It didn’t pause as it turned and began aiming at Matt. He didn’t let the target fully draw a bead on him before he put a double tap into its center of mass. The target broke and disappeared but just as quickly was replaced by another on the battlements.

Matt was beset from all sides, one target at a time. Each one popping up from a random location until he had taken down all 10. The second part started and instead of only riflemen, some armed with sabers and revolvers started showing up and actually moving to engage him. This brought a new dynamic to the trial as Matt started moving around the inner walls of the keep. Some of the targets managed to get a shot off but seemed to have accuracy issues as all the rounds zipped by and impacted the walls behind him.

After playing a game of ballistic tag with one of the sword wielding targets, the next phase began. Groups of 2 or 3 targets started appearing all over the courtyard, immediately moving to try and shoot Matt. For this part, he started using more of the cover provided by doorways and small side rooms. This turned out to be a bit of a mess since while he was safe from fire coming from the courtyard, he was now unable to see approaching swordsmen.

On 2 occasions he was surprised by pairs of the sword and revolver wielding targets rushing from a blind spot. Matt’s sensor field not showing them until they were just outside the room in one instance. The second problem was that this part of the trial was not ending after the first 10 groups. More and more of the targets kept appearing around the area, forcing him to relocate several times.

After 15 minutes of some intense close quarters fighting, Matt finally took a hit. One of the revolvers got a shot off as he crossed a window and took him in the leg armor. The shot glanced off, but he still registered the hit and returned fire, shattering the offending target. He cleared the room and hallway quickly before changing to a fresh magazine.

Matt was getting worn down, the endless numbers starting to overwhelm him and not letting him get a break for more than a few seconds. As he took his moment to rest, he could hear the clomp of booted feet in the hallway next to him. His field showed a group of 5 entering from the exterior landing that connected the hall to the battlements. Sighing heavily, he pulled a frag grenade from his pouch, primed it and tossed it through the open doorway. The grenade clattered dully on the stone wall and floor before exploding a couple seconds later, just as the group passed its resting spot.

Explosions and scattered rifle fire became the norm for another 10 minutes. Matt began racking up more hits to his armor from the targets coming up from behind him while he was busy with crowds in front. The pistol shots didn’t do much, but the rifles had a much greater impact, denting his armor in some places. He began using mana blast and teleporting around to stay moving and clear targets. This section of the trial became a trial of attrition as he burned through more and more of his resources.

After Matt turned the corner of a hallway and shot the 4 targets within, he began moving down its length. At the halfway point a squad of 5 riflemen materialized behind him and immediately fired a volley of the large bore rounds into his back, knocking him to the ground. He managed to sweep the hall with a long burst of rifle fire, breaking all of them before they could reload. As the last target broke, a chime sounded, and he was instantly teleported out of the simulation.

Matt reappeared in the main hall, still in the fetal position. The pain faded instantly as his body was enveloped in a green glow. He stretched out on the floor and groaned as the bruises were instantly healed. He wasn’t quite sure how long the 2nd phase had lasted but it was an exhausting ordeal to constantly fight endless waves of enemies, regardless of the power difference. Matt estimated them to be around level 5-10 based on their physical ability and speed. Only a few moments had passed before a message popped up.

Your final challenge will begin as soon as you are ready. Ready? Yes/No

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“No.” Matt groaned. He needed to take a break after that last trial. While his injuries had been healed, his resources were still dangerously low. He had used all his stamina and mana between teleporting and generating more munitions. He had used a frightening amount of grenades and they were not as cheap to make as new magazines. He was happy that he finally got to use a smoke grenade instead of just flash and frag. “Heh, Thermals for the win.” He laughed at the memory of targets bumping into walls and doorways while he could see them perfectly.

After a couple hours of him just laying on the floor, Matt sat up with another groan before stretching and getting to his feet. Just as he started to wonder about how he would get the message back, it popped up and he accepted. The final doorway opened, and he stepped up, getting the system message once again as he reached the threshold.

Leadership Trial

You will be assigned 5 students and must instruct them on topics pertaining to combat. Your score will be based on the effectiveness of your teaching and guidance.

Matt was certainly not expecting that. Perhaps a defensive action or maybe something involving larger enemies but not teaching. Still, he stepped through the doorway and into a room with 5 of the humanoid analogs. Each one was holding a rifle at port arms and there was a table before them with another one of the rifles. As he approached, all the rifles changed to mimic his exactly and a screen appeared.

Marksmanship Instruction.

Using the available teaching aids, instruct the students on the use of the rifle. After a 2-hour period, a practical test will be given, and your score will be based on performance.

“Well shit, time to break out those hip pocket classes.” Matt said and laughed. He surveyed the group and the table with a replica of his rifle on it. There was a lot of nuances to the use of attachments, but at the same time, it was all basic in function. Whiteboards had appeared behind him after he stepped forward easing his plan significantly.

“Can you all understand me?” Matt asked the group and got 5 nodding heads in return. “Can you talk to me?” 5 shaking heads this time. “Right, this might be a little rough. Do your best to ask questions if you need. We don’t have much time and a lot to cover.” With that, Matt launched into his impromptu class.

Matt started with the basics, not of the rifle but basic concepts of ballistics and marksmanship. He covered how the guns worked, how bullets traveled through the air and how that related to the shooter. The next part was the actual physical marksmanship. Firing positions and how the body was supposed to be held, the concepts of breathing and sight picture before covering trigger control.

The actual function of the weapon was a down and dirty version of what Matt actually knew. He gave them enough to operate the guns and use the optics that were attached. They wouldn’t use the lights and lasers since they didn’t have the required helmets.

Finally, Matt had them do some dry fire practice. He watched closely as each “student” took aim at a mark on a whiteboard and pulled the trigger. The twitch of a muzzle was enough to tell him something wasn’t right or there was sympathetic motion happening and he corrected as he went. This all ended with him explaining that they would have to use best judgement for firing position and use of fundamentals to balance speed and accuracy.

Before Matt knew it, the time was up. The back wall of the pseudo classroom opened up to reveal a 500-meter-long range. There were 5 positions clearly marked and the students automatically moved to take their positions. A single magazine appeared before each of them, and they loaded up, chambering a round just as he had shown.

“Start in the kneeling position, it gives the best balance of stability and flexibility. Move to prone if the targets are only stationary.” Matt called out to the group. They all obeyed, and a system prompt appeared in his vision asking if he wanted to start the practical test. Matt accepted and watched with bated breath as the first targets were summoned into existence.

The range started like the end of his first trial. 10 of them popping up at regular intervals and extending in straight lines directly away from the firing point. Like clockwork, all 5 of the students fired at the first target before moving to the next. By the 4th target, they shots were a little more staggered, not a volley like it had been at the start.

Matt was pleased to see that all the targets had been hit, even the ones at 500. Then the second part came, and targets started popping up at various ranges, one after another. There were a few misses in this part, shots being rushed and going low or flat out missing at longer ranges. 30 targets were shown for each and of the 150 total shots, he counted 12 misses. Matt thought that was pretty good for only 2 hours of teaching.

The last 10 targets turned out to be all movers. Each one having a random path like Matt had in the first trial. He shouted encouragement and last-minute guidance to the shooters, hoping they could hear him. It seemed to work since there were a total of 8 misses on some of the harder, long-range movers. After the last round was fired, he ran up to the line and congratulated the expressionless soldiers, telling them they all did a great job. Again, he wasn’t sure it mattered but he was going to act like it did.

The trial grounds phased away, but the students remained, now standing after moving away from their firing points. Matt was wondering what the next challenge would be when a message conveniently sprang to life. A new classroom was presented along with the text of what he had to do.

Using the available teaching aids, instruct the students on how to attack an enemy position. After a 2-hour period, a practical test will be given, and your score will be based on performance.

“Oof, squad attack with only 6 of us.” Matt said after reading the system message. “Tough, generally inadvisable really, but doable.” Matt turned to the whiteboard before glancing over his shoulder. “Alright lads, gather round. We are doing movement to contact and squad attack.”

Matt once again started drawing on the whiteboards. The detailed explanation of movement and then attacking a fixed position made his earlier work with ballistics look like a kids finger painting. For this part, he kept the actual drawing and instruction light, preferring to do practical applications and walk throughs.

Matt outlined how the squad would move toward an expected enemy position, detailing the layout of the 2 teams in the wedge formations. He then covered some basic hand signals and some details on how to spot an enemy using target indicators.

For the attack part Matt was not only highlighting positions, suppression, and the shifting of fires but also the use of terrain. How the assault team would have to use their best judgement on the route to take and how to approach. After a few walk throughs to get the motions down he had just enough time to cover what he thought they should do if the enemy was a beast or large monster.

Before long, Matt’s time was up, he really wished he had more since this topic was part of a much more nuanced nature than marksmanship ever could be. The application was where things went wrong, not the theory. He sighed and turned to face the wall that was fading away to reveal a wooded expanse stretching out before them.

“Alright guys, its time. Remember the teams and who does what job. If you suspect something or see something strange, halt the movement and we can assess from there.” Matt said and looked at the 5 blank faces before him. “Got it? Ok, lets go.” The group of 6 stepped off into the woods, moving in the only direction possible for the test.

As fate would have it, the test didn’t take long, only 20 minutes before something changed. Matt received a hand signal from the point man to stop and the entire squad crouched down into the tall grass so only their heads showed. Matt moved up to the point man and was directed to a group of 5 similar humanoids guarding a flag of all things.

Matt pulled the rear team up a little and had a quick but hushed conversation, outlining the plan and delegating responsibilities. He set up his team on a small rise with rock and brush cover that had good line of sight through the trees. His assault element was sent on a looping route using a small dip in the terrain they had passed to pull up at a 90-degree angle.

Seeing the assault element in position by one of them standing up while in cover of a large tree, Matt kicked off the attack. Him and his 2 students started firing at the enemy from around 400 meters out. To his surprise, they actually dropped one of the defenders right off the bat, but the rest were quick to get into cover and begin return fire.

Matt kept up the suppression, making sure to alternate which of his 2 students were shooting so they never had both reloading at the same time. Like clockwork, the assault element arrived and hit the defenders hard, like a train hitting a moped. One of the enemies on the far side of the assault element was able to pivot and return fire, striking one of his and causing him to shatter before the other 2 put him down.

The assault element pushed through the objective and set up as best they could with only 2 people while Matt and his team pushed up and to the other side of the objective. Once the area had been secured, he walked up and yanked the flag out of the ground and the simulation ended, woods, and his students fading away. “Thanks guys, you did great.” Matt said somberly as the scene faded to black.

Matt returned to the main hall, with his fist clenched around nothing as the flag had also dematerialized. He knew the attack was a success, but it still sucked that he lost one. He wondered if he had more time to teach if it would have made a difference. He sighed as he remembered the fragile nature of the humanoid targets. A hit that a normal person could survive would instantly down and shatter on of them. He would have to think about that later because the System interrupted his thoughts with a well-timed message.

All challenges complete. Trial complete.

Rewards being calculated. Rewards Granted

Well, I guess its time to see if this was worth it or not. Other than the last part, I had a good time… mostly. Matt thought as he watched the chest materialize.