Chapter 353: Gossip Mid

———Lynda———

<11: 46 am>

“It was a very weird thing to wake up to.” Kroin remarked before taking a short sigh. “I suppose she doesn’t exactly need to worry about the consequences, but still.”

“...I don’t think she has ever talked about that stuff in earlier streams, right?” Trener asked.

“Based on your definition of ‘talking about it’.” I replied. She has her yap sessions, it’s hard to assume that she never talks about it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she alluded to this kind of criminal organization. “It’s still surprising that she is doing a crazy stunt like that. I know that dungeon diving is far from safe, but it’s an entirely different environment to the surface.”

“…What was the closest stunt compared to this that she pulled in the past?” Trener asked.

“I don’t think she did? At least not on camera.” I wouldn’t be surprised if she has done something on a similar level in the past, she is perfectly capable of doing so. I don’t think any of us can forget something like that, right?

“Definitely quite a confusing mess. Still, it does generate a lot of publicity for her, as one would expect.” Kroin remarked. It definitely got people talking. “It’s a case of vigilantism, which should normally be frowned on, except that…”

“Normal procedures have done jack shit.” Histon finished the sentence. “The level of incompetence is off the charts lately, it’s hard to think we were seriously wary of them.”

“It’s a complicated matter. I have looked into it, it seems that the influence from the top has caused stagnation in improving their forces outside of some rogue branches.” Kroin gave us a bit of info. “The lack of interest in magic is rather dire on their ends…”

“That is still so weird to think about.” Trener remarked. “Surely whatever paranoia they have about it would be secondary to actually being able to match the new age criminals?”

“No doubt there is a slightly more compelling excuse behind closed doors, but the result is not pretty regardless.” Kroin said before resting a hand on his chin, no doubt trying to look more sophisticated. “The pressure they felt from everything that has happened just last week alone is immense. There is no doubt that more drastic actions will take place.”

“Like nukes?” I blurted out since that’s one thing that felt like it’ll have any impact.

“Perhaps, but it’s already publicly known that they don’t have a lot to spare. A lot of reports on sabotage into their production doesn’t help matters. Even if they threatened it, actually wasting it on quelling rebellions would be wasteful.” Kroin speculated. “It’d be nice to get a clear answer from the officials, but with the scandal involving the acting president and other matters at the White House it means that there isn’t a prominent figure to question and point fingers at.”

“...Damn, that is kind of a big deal.” Trener pointed out. “That was a month ago, right? Something about the Wiina incident and stuff?”

“A lot of complicated political matters removed from even that. I’m sure none of you want to hear all the headache-inducing matters.” He explained, clearly hesitant to start yapping about this topic.

“Yeah, let’s skip that. We’re starting to get off-topic anyway.” I replied. “So, how did Karra even find that place? From what was said it’s very well-protected, right?”

“One thing she definitely won’t reveal. She will no doubt say that it’s due to diligent research and nothing more.” Kroin doesn’t seem to think we’ll ever get a concrete answer. With all the unanswered questions from other topics we keep talking about, that’s definitely him being realistic.

“You know… is this that much different from the mission room stuff?” Trener asked. “It’s not like we've never done something similar before. Is it that shocking?”

“There’s a safety net in place with the bracelet. I know none of us have failed a mission or were in danger so far, but they know they can’t just throw us to the wolves and not expect casualties even if they over-trained us.” Kroin spelled it out for him. “Not to mention unexpected factors. Even with whatever supercomputer they used to survey what looks like the entirety of the United States, there might be something hidden even from that.”

“…Why does everything we say seem to have a new can of worms to speak about?” Trener said in regards to said surveillance system that seems like something out of a dystopian novel.

“Stay on topic.” Histon firmly said.

“Ahem! As I said, she lacks the safety net we get from the mission room. It’s why what she did is fundamentally different from what we do.” Kroin said. “In fact, all of the fighting they have us do, be it optional or not, has some sort of fail-safe in place. It doesn’t look like it but we technically were never in danger.”

“That word is doing a lot of heavy lifting.” Trener remarked while shaking his head. It certainly can feel like we were actually risking a limb or two, but ultimately they won’t let us get that far… Speaking of which, I just remembered something I learned about that freak of a class.

“If we want to do anything that is risky, then I suppose we can take a page out of the Perfect Class’ book. I just remembered that there was a period of time when they actually terrorized other areas. As in terrorizing the nearby states on the weekend.” I don’t think that was talked about much, which is kinda weird. People always gossip about them with a tone of reverence and envy, and yet we know surprisingly little of their escapades.

“What? I hope that’s not literal.” Trener said, clearly a bit scared by my word choice.

“It shouldn’t be. I have heard about it as well.” Kroin, our local nerd, said. “I have looked into reports on incidents during those times, and nothing devastating has happened in the ‘close proximity’.”

“...So when was this? When they start wrecking havoc, I mean.” Trener asked.

“A month and a half is my speculation, could be a bit earlier as well, but I believe they stopped doing this by now. There are a lot of factors in the previous few weeks to stop trying anything reckless outside of the town” Kroin answered. Aside from the army mobilizing another factor certainly comes to mind, the increasing numbers of territories that began fighting each other and causing havoc certainly makes it hard for them to move around undetected. The paranoid bunch would no doubt attack them on sight and realistically, they will get blood on their hands that they weren’t intending on spilling.

Some of us have become alarmingly bold when it comes to using lethal force, but obviously none of us are heartless murderers, and nothing really pushes us to kill anything outside of those mindless monsters.

“Probably for the best that they stopped. I’m pretty sure that was before the mission room was established as well.” I remarked. “Though I do think that they will get bored of it quite quickly, as ridiculous as that sounds.”

“Why are they even like that?” Trener asked.

“Lack of challenge, mostly.” Kroin answered before I could. “You should know by now that they are not really lacking in any particular skill. Academically they are all set, and within the domain of this school none could match them in combat. There are not that many things that could keep them preoccupied.”

“A truly terrifying bunch.” Histon remarked. “Not wanting for anything and still looking out for trouble. That’s insane if somewhat respectable.”

“Is it?” Trener asked, certainly not seeing it the same way.

“It’s not as if everyone in that class is doing such a thing, or at least not in high frequency.” Kroin pointed out. “They are unified in their supposed perfection, not twisted personality. Otherwise they would have been stuck with a much more unflattering nickname.”

“Calling them perfect is already insane as is…” Histon said. It’s definitely not a completely accurate description, but them winning every school competition in the past and overall just being academically gifted and the envious schoolmates will start exaggerating until it stuck.

“It’s weird how that nickname felt more accurate than before…” I can’t help but to say that with the gap widened in a new field that appeared only less a year ago.

“At least you got that axe to close the gap a bit. We don’t have anything.” Trener complained.

“That’s a genuine skill issue, I’m afraid.” If he was more interesting or more formidable then he might have been picked to get a weapon like the others. It’s like the only worthy can wield it sorta deal, but packaged very weirdly. It’s between schoolmates of the same year which is so odd.

“Tch.” He clicked his tongue in response. Unfortunately hard work still matters, not that I think he is slacking in that regard, he simply hasn’t pushed himself to the same degree as I am. We still don’t even really know what the results of all these training and fighting will be in the future. There is no doubt that it’s going to take a long while until we get a definitive answer for that.

“Hey, Luik sure doesn’t complain like you do, and she’s not that far from me. I’m just saying.” I pointed out. Honestly if I didn’t get the axe and Emmie’s infrequent guidance then she probably would outpace me… Nah, she definitely would. There is always a chance that she could catch up, the gap isn’t that wide.

“She’s kind of a freak, should she really be counted?” He asked.

“I’d say it’s not worth arguing.” Histon chimed in. “You don’t get to complain if you’re not aiming to be the best. Stay on the side, also-ran.”

“Let’s not start a fight.” I said, not wanting the conversation to drag on for that much longer.

“...Where is Luik anyway?” Trener asked so we can quickly move on from that.

“Who knows? I don’t think the other classmates will know either.” Kroin remarked. We have been splitting up as of late. No idea why, maybe that’ll stop at some point?

“Yeah, she certainly is a loner.” I added.

———Useph———

<11: 54 am>

*Swing* *Evade* *Strike*

“Ugh!” She groaned out in pain after I struck her back after avoiding another sword swing. It’s just from the shield, but I guess I hit her a little bit too hard.

“Can you keep going?” I asked as I took a few steps back.

“...Plenty.” She muttered before standing back up. Certainly very feisty.

“Alright then. Let’s keep going!” I said with some excitement. It’s been a while since I got to spar like this.

**Dash** *Clash*

———Lynda———

<1: 59 pm>

“You spar one of them despite the upcoming class, are you crazy?” I asked, baffled by what was being said.

“Indeed. I am at… less than a third of my current energy.” She casually said as if our coach weren’t expecting us to have at least half.

“Dang. Well, hopefully today’s plan isn’t too hard.” I said despite not expecting it to be easy. I know that the Perfect Class got it the hardest, at least. As to be expected when that woman is the teacher. We still know so little about her.

———Karra———

<2: 02 pm>

“For today’s training… Let’s do another gravity chamber training, but you will also fight inside it.” Rico said as the chamber appeared out of the ground… Is it bigger than last time? I think it was. “Now then… Useph and Orrel, you go in first.”

“What? Why me?” Useph was quick to complain.

“Just go in already, we don’t get all day. Are you tired or something?” She dismissively said before motioning for them to get this over with.

Neither of them said anything as they walked into the chamber and waited for it to activate.

“We’ll do fifteen times gravity. Stay in there and fight for three minutes minimum.” Rico casually said as the door closed and the two realized how difficult today is going to be…