Chapter 4 – Just a Basic Skill

For our next subject, we were divided into batches that consist of ten pairs of WAIFUs and support units.

We stepped into a vast underground facility, the air heavy with the weight of its sheer emptiness. The room stretched out endlessly, tens of square kilometers of desolate space, the only sign of life being the green circuits snaking up the walls. Their eerie glow cast unsettling shadows, like something out of a cyberpunk nightmare. We students in the first batch huddled together, dwarfed by the overwhelming size of the room.

A woman, no older than her early thirties, stepped forward. Her white doctor’s coat swayed slightly as she moved, the fabric crisp against the sterile environment. Oval-framed glasses perched on her nose, catching the green light as she introduced herself with a calm but authoritative tone.

“I’m Professor Bao. I’ll be overseeing your practical tests in this Weapons Tutorial Subject.”

Without warning, the barren room shifted. The cold, lifeless atmosphere gave way to a sprawling grassy plain. Blue skies stretched above them, dotted with fluffy clouds and birds soaring in the distance. The students gasped in unison, eyes wide with amazement.

“This simulation field is limited only by your imagination,” Professor Bao explained, her voice steady. “Here, you’ll engage in mock battles. But first, let’s start with a tutorial.”

The field darkened once more, returning to its original, unnerving form. Lights flickered on above them, and a sharp red line appeared on the ground, cutting through the darkness like a warning.

"All WAIFUs, step onto the red line. Support units, stay still," Professor Bao's voice echoed through the vast room, commanding attention.

Without hesitation, the female students moved forward, their steps synchronized as they lined up along the glowing red line. Myrrh joined them, her expression unreadable, her eyes never meeting mine as if I didn’t exist.

“Now, WAIFUs, prepare your morphers and activate them,” Professor Bao continued, her tone calm but firm. “The activation code is: Frame Unit, Awaken.”

One by one, the female students pulled out their morphers, each one unique in shape and color. The room buzzed with anticipation as they raised their devices high, their voices uniting in the chant, “Frame Unit, Awaken!”

In an instant, pillars of light shot up around them, engulfing their figures. The light intensified, casting long shadows across the room before fading to reveal ten towering mechs. The black mech’s massive arms hung like a gorilla’s, poised with raw power. Another mech, pink and delicate, bristled with eight glowing green eyes that flickered with eerie intelligence. An orange mech, all muscle and bulk, stood like a fortress.

The support students gasped, awe filling their eyes.

The pink mech flexed its hand experimentally, fingers curling and uncurling with newfound dexterity. “So this is our Frame Unit?” her voice was soft, almost disbelieving. “It feels... like it’s part of me.”

My breath caught in my throat when Myrrh's mech form materialized before us. Towering at twenty meters, her white armor gleamed under the harsh lights, adorned with golden plates and blue circuits that pulsed with energy. Her eyes, glowing an intense blue, radiated an aura of raw power that was impossible to ignore.

“She even looks like her mother’s mech,” I whispered, the words slipping out before I could stop them. Realizing I was admiring my enemy, I quickly shook my head, trying to dispel the thought. “She’s nothing like her mother,” I muttered, frustrated with myself. “What am I thinking? I should rinse my mouth out for even saying that.”

A sudden flash of light drew my attention back to the room. A blue line shimmered into existence, stretching out five hundred meters from the red line.

“Now, Frame Units,” Professor Bao’s voice cut through the tension as she adjusted her glasses with a precise flick of her finger. “Sprint to the blue line. Go!”

The mechs sprang into action, the ground shaking beneath their immense weight. Myrrh’s white mech surged ahead, her movements fluid and powerful, as if she’d been in this form her entire life. She crossed the finish line effortlessly, leaving the others far behind, her stride as natural as any seasoned sprinter’s.

Professor Bao wasted no time. “Now, WAIFUs, I will spawn dummies. Take down these dummies using whatever method you choose.”

She tapped something on her tablet, and in an instant, the simulation ground shifted again. A twenty-meter-tall mannequin materialized before the mechs, standing ominously still.

“Start!”

The mechs sprang into action, each pilot improvising with the tools at hand.

The black, gorilla-like mech roared as she swung her massive right arm, crushing the training dummy with a thunderous impact.

Nearby, the pink, flimsy mech approached her dummy with a huff, slapping its face with a dramatic flair, like a Karen berating a hapless manager.

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The orange mech, all bulk and muscle, charged forward with a determined grunt, slamming into the dummy like a seasoned football player executing a perfect tackle.

It was clear they were still getting the hang of combat, their movements rough and unrefined. But I wasn’t exactly in a position to judge. Then, Myrrh Alicent caught everyone’s attention, as usual.

Her mech moved with precision, executing a flawless roundhouse kick that sent the dummy’s head flying off in one swift motion. The spectators burst into applause, admiration buzzing through the room.

“Wow! That was an awesome move, Miss Alicent.” Even Professor Bao couldn’t hide her praise, her voice tinged with genuine admiration.

“It’s just a basic skill,” Myrrh replied, her voice dripping with arrogance, dismissing the compliment as if it were nothing.

Professor Bao quickly turned her attention to the boys in the support course, her tone shifting to one of instruction. “Now, for the support unit. Activate your WEEB in the device.”

I tapped on my device, the screen flashing to life with the [Weaponry Enhancement Engineering Bios] display.

“Tap on the Weapons option. Since you have Level 3 Clearances, you should see three starting weapons in your systems,” Professor Bao instructed, her voice calm and steady.

Obediently, I tapped my smartwatch again, and a holographic screen hovered before me, displaying the available weapons.

[Weaponry Enhancement Engineering Bios]

[Clearance – Level 3]

[Level 1 - Laser Sword]

[Level 2 - Beam Rifle]

[Level 3 - Light Shield]

“Now, use these weapons to assist your partner WAIFUs,” Professor Bao continued, her fingers gliding over her tablet. “I’ll spawn five dummies at close range, and make sure to eliminate them with an appropriate weapon.”

With a tap, five dummies materialized in front of each mech, including Myrrh’s.

“Laser Sword, Equip!” one support unit student called out, his voice ringing clear as he pointed his hand glowing with blue circuits to his partner WAIFU.

A cybernetic circle formed, and in an instant, a laser sword materialized in his partner’s mech hand, slicing effortlessly through the dummies.

I knew the routine—I should’ve pressed the Laser Sword option for Myrrh, the obvious choice for close-range combat. But the memory of her arrogance from earlier fueled a spark of rebellion inside me. Today wasn’t going to be another easy win for her, not if I could help it.

I selected the [Beam Rifle] option instead.

“Beam Rifle, Equip!” I called out, feeling a twinge of satisfaction as blue circuits flared to life, coursing through my left hand. I pointed it toward Myrrh, and a cybernetic circle spun into existence around her mech’s hand. Instead of the expected sword, a beam rifle materialized, clearly out of place for close combat.

The rifle felt heavy and awkward in her grip, not at all suited for the task at hand. But as she hesitated, a small, defiant grin tugged at my lips. Let’s see how she handles this.

“What the hell are you doing, Zaft!?” Myrrh's voice crackled through the comms, frustration laced in every word. “You’re supposed to spawn me a short-range weapon!”

“Shut up and shoot the dummies!” I snapped back, my tone sharp.

With a huff, Myrrh raised the beam rifle, her mech's movements swift and precise. She took aim at the dummies' heads, firing off shots like a seasoned action star, each one hitting its mark with deadly accuracy.

“Good job, students,” Professor Bao commended, her voice calm. “Now I’ll spawn dummies far from your position. Try to destroy them with weapon support.”

In an instant, five more dummies appeared in the distance, about three hundred meters away from Myrrh. She adjusted her stance, ready to take aim with her beam rifle—until I pressed the [Cancel] button on the Bios.

The beam rifle disintegrated in her hands, vanishing into thin air.

“Eh?” Myrrh’s confusion was evident in the single, bewildered word.

“Light Shield, Equip!” I called out, a smirk tugging at my lips. Within seconds, a diamond-shaped steel shield materialized on Myrrh’s left hand, its polished surface gleaming.

“What the hell, Zaft! That beam rifle was what I needed! What am I supposed to do with this shield?” Myrrh’s voice was seething with anger.

“If you’re really as good as your mother, you should be able to improvise, adapt, and overcome,” I teased, unable to hide the satisfaction in my voice.

“Hnnnngh!” Myrrh’s mech visibly trembled with rage, her mechanical head practically steaming. She glanced around, seeing the other mechs easily picking off the distant dummies with their long-range weapons, while she was left holding a shield, her frustration boiling over.

Myrrh’s eyes narrowed as she assessed the situation. With a sudden, decisive movement, she bent her left arm and launched the light steel shield like a boomerang. The shield flew through the air with impressive speed, striking the first dummy before ricocheting off to the second, then the third, and the fourth, and finally the fifth. Each hit was precise, toppling each target in its path. The shield curved back to Myrrh, who caught it effortlessly as it returned, completing the stunning display.

The crowd erupted in cheers. “Wooow! That was awesome!”

Professor Bao clapped, clearly impressed. “Good work, Miss Alicent. Now for the final test. I’ll spawn training dummies that fire paintball bullets. Defend against their attacks for thirty seconds.”

With a flick of her wrist, Professor Bao summoned five new dummies, each now armed with paintball rifles. The dummies leveled their rifles, lasers targeting the mechs, ready to fire.

“Start!” Professor Bao announced.

As the dummies prepared to fire, I quickly hit the [Cancel] button, watching as Myrrh’s shield vanished just as she was about to use it for protection.

“I swear to god, Zaft! You’re dead after this!” Myrrh’s voice crackled with fury.

“Here’s a weapon for you!” I laughed, tapping the hologram screen. “Laser Sword, Equip!”

The Laser Sword materialized in Myrrh’s hand just as she scowled at me. “Your choice of weapons is as disorganized as your mental maturity, Zaft!” she snapped, struggling to adapt to the sudden change.

“Shut up and shield yourself with that sword, you dumb bitch!” I shouted, my voice cutting through the room.

I was certain this would be the perfect way to embarrass Myrrh. The paintball bullets, traveling at 375 fps—faster than typical airsoft—would be nearly impossible to deflect with a sword… or so I thought.

As the dummies opened fire, the other mechs scrambled behind their shields, paintball splattering harmlessly against their defenses. Meanwhile, Myrrh took a samurai-like stance, her laser sword held with an unwavering grip. With fluid precision, she sliced through the incoming paintball bullets, each one disintegrating in a burst of light before it could touch her.

The students watched in stunned silence, whispers of awe spreading through the crowd. “Wooow! That’s awesome!”

Professor Bao’s voice rang out, full of genuine admiration. “That was amazing, Miss Alicent!”

"Hmph! That was just a basic skill." Myrrh declared, striking a pose with her hands on her hips, her gaze sweeping over the crowd with an air of superiority.

My heart sank as I realized my plan had backfired spectacularly. Instead of stumbling, Myrrh had turned the situation into a showcase of skill, making her even more impressive in the eyes of my classmates.