285 Selections Part 1

"I said that you only stayed there for a minute... So what happened? Don't tell me that you actually failed to activate the simulation?"

"What? No... I completed the 30 minutes simulation... What are you saying?"

The player just got out of the Mech Frame and was suddenly approached by the other magicians present to ask about the simulation. 

However, he got confused by their questions...

'One minute? They're crazy...' 

The man could only shake his head as he ignored them.

The other four hatches were also opened as the other magicians went out of the cockpit. 

The people gathering around him immediately noticed this and decided to ask them as well. 

"Haha... Thirty minutes? Let's hear what they'll say... It seems that all five of you only lasted there for about a minute..."

One of the players who asked the first guy suddenly approached the others who just got out of their Steel Knights. 

It seems that he wanted to get as much information as he could so once it was his turn, he'll have an idea how to proceed. 

"Hey... What happened? Was the simulation truly just a minute-long? Well, is it that too difficult or just too easy?"

"What? It took me about half an hour..."

"Right... It's more or less half an hour... Even if you're terrible, you can last more than a minute in there..."

The five players were confused as people were asking them the same thing...

'We're telling you that it lasted for about thirty minutes! Why can't you believe us?!'

Unfortunately, no one believes them as the second batch of players opened the hatch of the Steel Knights in front of them and proceeded to take the simulation through Avalon's assistance. 

Ace smiled wryly at this as he didn't bother to explain to them about the time ratio once the simulation was activated. He simply wanted to give them a surprise.

In the meantime, he started to monitor the spaceship's travel as he needed to give some glimpse of the Excellence's successful endeavor in outer space.

He didn't want to show his plans of creating a base on the moon but he could at least show them the scenery in the outer space. 

Soon, he uploaded the videos for the world to see. 

As expected, it didn't take long before the news exploded. 

They have seen a full minute of the Excellence's stable flight towards the moon. 

The outer space was filled with stars and it looks so beautiful in their eyes. 

"Amazing!"

"This is beautiful... I wanted to go up there as well..."

"True! I hope that they would consider this as a business..."

"What?"

"I mean, Traceless Hands can consider setting up a passport for a back and forth trip to outer space."

"You wish... It isn't that easy to send in or out a huge spacecraft on the Earth's atmosphere..." 

These people commenting were those watching the event online. 

Apparently, the event isn't just focused on the Space Launch. It wasn't even the main course of the event as it was just a way for Ace to tell them that the virtual world and the real world wasn't that different any longer. 

His real aim was still to have those talented people learn some things about the future. It would be a waste if they were too underdeveloped when the Empire arrives. 

He didn't just want them to pilot or command a spaceship for him but he wanted them to have a choice. 

As a matter of fact, they can even refuse to work with him if they wanted to. 

***

"Yumi, Erza... The two of you have been observing this Steel Knight for a while now... What's there to see?"

"Senior Lacus... It's my first time seeing this design. Take a look... This Steel Knight is funny. There is no visible cannons, guns, or any other weapons aside from the large sword. I think that's very impractical." 

Erza commented as she approached the lady and started talking about the Steel Knight that Ace designed.

Her status allowed her to see several models of Steel Knights and there was one thing that she found similar to each of those machines, they all have several weapons in their arsenal. It was unlike this Steel Knight who only has a sword on it which doesn't make sense.

Lacus had noticed this as well but because of her unique method of detection, she could breathe the suffocating air coming out of the Steel Knight. 

It means that this thing has an unimaginable source of energy hidden somewhere within its framework.

It only proves that this Steel Knight may actually be capable of casting high-grade mana spells. Whatever that was, she was still unaware of it. 

Although she had seen others capable of doing such things, it wasn't to the point where she would suffocate just by getting near one.

Lacus looks at Yumi to hear her thoughts about this Steel Knight, however, she seems to be mesmerized by the machine as she keeps staring at it for some reason. 

The Grand Arcanist's first apprentice could only think that it was Yumi's method to analyze that humanoid machine in front of her. 

"Look... It seems that Wallace decided to show us what's up there..."

Manager Diana suddenly said as they saw Excellence's footage from the outer space. The recording was really short but the message was clear. Wallace succeeded and the joint clan's space launch project failed. 

Right now, Yumi was the only one aware that the Wallace here was actually just a part of him who calls himself as Ace. 

So deep inside, she was still worrying about the Wallace who was battling somewhere in the dangerous northern continent. 

She took a quick glance at the holographic images that were conveniently placed at the center of the cabin, it was indeed similar to some recordings or footage that can be found inside the game. 

Apparently, the current recordings that Wallace decided to show include a quick view of the Earth from outer space. Then there was also the moon itself which was getting closer and closer. It looks beautiful. 

'As expected, Wallace had too many secrets.'

Yumi and Lacus thought the same thing as there were just so many questionable things that Wallace did.

'The Vermont Clan and Skywalker Clan must be thinking of some ways to regain their reputation... I wonder how they'll work on this...'

The two girls were aware of what happened weeks ago when a group of Lucent Force tried to barge in within Wallace's property because of the two clan's influence. It means that they wouldn't just take this lying down. 

They could only sigh and try to plan Wallace's protection from the background so he can focus on building things. 

***

As the second batch of players came out after a minute, they were asked by the same questions but they answered the same thing...

The simulation lasted for about 30 minutes.

"This... I can only think of one reason..." Ray muttered softly after realizing the situation. Actually, most of the players here have already reached the same thought. 

"But how did he managed to do that?" Hilda could only ask helplessly.

She couldn't think of a way for it to happen. There was no magic that could affect time and there was brain-boosting magic but it wasn't to the point that you could compress such a long span of time to just a bit more than 3% of the original. 

It was such an absurd thought. 

"This is revolutionary magic..."

As they realized this, they looked at Wallace who was now grinning while observing them at the plaza.