Chapter 47:

Chapter 47:

Everyone who had been sleeping opened their eyes to the vibration of the ground. Their nerves must have been sharpened by their continuous battles, so even if they were resting in a safe base, they still wouldnt have been able to sleep peacefully. It hadnt been long since they had fallen asleep, so Abel checked the time.

Its been about 10 minutes.

There is still quite a bit of time left. Abel briefly gathered his thoughts and opened his mouth.

Now that everyone is awake. I have a suggestion.

Huh, suddenly?

Daniel, who was the first to wake up, asked puzzledly. Abel nodded his head.

Yes. I thought about it after coming to this base.

What is it? Lying down with his eyes open, Kalian slowly raised his upper body and asked.

Abel answered briefly, How about collaborating with another group?

Collaborate? With another group?

Yes. As we approached, I noticed the base was too wide for just one group to stay in. So I thought that several groups could stay in it at once.

Abel continued with his words.

So, after thinking that another group might come here, I suddenly wondered what cooperating would be like.

Its a bit unexpected, Kalian spoke in an uneasy tone, but Abel didnt mind.

Honestly, it wasnt that easy to get here, was it?

There was no denying it. Although no one was fatally injured, there were dangerous moments.

Still, I dont see any reason why we need to cooperate with other groups,

Kalian replied, still sounding displeased. Instead of replying with an equally sulky tone, Abel spoke calmly.

Then why dont we cooperate for a day or so? If there are many people, we can have a lot of rest, plus it would be less dangerous. Although we can only get two hours rest here right now.

At the mention of the physical aspect, Kalian didnt say anything.

As everyone gains experience, it would be much easier, but its not something we should discuss right now.

Abel thought and waited quietly for a response. After a while, Kalian spoke up.

Okay. One day, then.

Alright. Im in.

Me too.

Then, Im in.

After Kalian spoke in favor, the others chimed in. The vote was unanimous.

Well, Im going to go out now.

Now?

Yeah. That vibration you heard earlier sounded like a gigant moving.

Oh, right. Do you want me to come with you?

Thats okay. Its not like Im sure of it anyway.

Abel dismissed Daniels offer and rose from his bead. He arranged his collar and stepped outside where he could see the gigants standing not far away. There were five of them in total. All of them were of the Milles class.

Just as Abel expected, another group arrived. The battle must have been fierce because all the gigants were in bad shape.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))

Judging by their condition, they should be heading to the workshop,

Abel thought and headed for that direction. It wasnt long before he reached the workshop, where he found the group disembarking from their gigants. Some of them were familiar to him. One of them had flaming red hair. It was Hannah.

Hannah!

Huh, Abel?

Hannah turned to Abels call, and her eyes widened in surprise.

Why are you here?

Why are we here? We came here to rest.

Oh, its kind of spacious.



They talked briefly, and Abel headed back inside since theyd be seeing each other again when theyll be leaving anyway. Abel told Daniel and the others that Hannah had accepted the offer, and within ten minutes, they were ready and out of the barracks, where they ran into Hannah and her group trying to get on their gigant. They were not in a hurry, so they exchanged a quick greeting and boarded their gigants. Abel and Hannahs group left the base and traveled together.

- -

I thought there would be more of an organized system.

Hannah said not long after they left the base. It was just a light complaint, but everyone added a word to see if they could relate.

I know. I didnt think itd be like this, telling us to survive and all.

I agree. To be honest, it was a little disappointing.

Those were the words of Daniel and Kalian. And honestly, it was understandable.

No one knew the details of the practice until they got here. At least, since it is conducted by the academy, they would have thought of doing something according to the schedule. However, in Abels view, the practice program itself was effective enough.

This exercise is strictly focused on practical experience.

During the practice, cadets have to operate a gigant for a long period of time under tension. In addition, it is common to fight one battle after another without proper rest.

Thats why your group or your own Gigant may break down or get lost. Or you may not be able to operate the gigant due to exhaustion of physical and mental strength, and this practice is to help you learn such an experience in advance.

Thats right. Whatever we can learn is normally included in the academy curriculum anyway.

So, the practice itself is fine. The problem is that during this practice, an accident could occur outside the scope of the academys system. Abels purpose was to stop it, and he couldnt say anything out loud. He couldnt tell them to endure it and work hard because it would help them with the practice.

I know.

Abel replied moderately and continued on his way. Surprisingly, they did not encounter any fragments for about three or four hours after they left the base. Although they didnt say it openly, Kalian and others secretly expressed dissatisfaction.

We decided to move together because it was dangerous, but nothing dangerous happened. However, Kalian didnt complain in the end. The moment they tried to rest, they were attacked on a large scale.

Whoo!

With a roar, dust scattered in all directions. Even Darin, who has good eyesight, couldnt see this coming, for the attack came from beneath the ground.

The attacker was a fragment of a gigant named Razorclaw. It is oval in shape and covered in silver skin, with three sharp, elongated claws on its forepaws. They actually looked more like weapons than claws.

Dont get too close. Keep your distance!

Abel shouted as soon as he realized what it was. Its sharp claws may have been the most dangerous thing about it, but there was something even more dangerous.

Kijin!

One of the Razorclaw grabbed the unresponsive Gigant tightly, and in an instant, the ground beneath it gave way.

Crrrrrrr!

Ahhh!

The nameless cadet struggled in terror. But the Razorclaw didnt budge, and their bodies gradually sank into the ground. As soon as Abel saw it, he lunged for the gigant, pulling it before it was completely sucked in.

This was the most terrifying thing about the Razorclaw. They travel by building burrows beneath the ground, and when they hunt, they habitually drag their prey down those burrows. The Razorclaw wasnt a small beast, nearly the size of a two-story building. You cant let your guard down even if youre riding a gigant.

Theres also a story about an entire village being wiped out overnight because of it,

Abel thought, replaying the danger in his mind as he was about to begin the battle. The battlefield was confusing. No one was exceptionally skilled against a Razorclaw that could burrow in and out of the ground at will. Most of them were out-skilled and panicking.

Whoa.

Abel took a deep breath. At this rate, the damage was going to be way worse. It wasnt enough to simply fight hard, so Abel opened his mouth.

Everyone!

His gravelly voice boomed and got everyones attention.

Dont get too close, keep your distance! And as long as you dont get clawed and grabbed, theyre not too hard to deal with!

The voice continued.

If anyone else gets caught, slash its sharp claws immediately, or pull the captured person out, and dont panic because youre on a Gigant, so you wont die immediately if you get sucked in!

Bluntly, It wasnt much of a comfort, but surprisingly, those who heard it gradually regained their composure. The situation gradually stabilized as Abel frantically swung his sword to kill the Razorclaws. When the number of Razorclaws was reduced from a dozen to three, Abel could catch his breath. But then.

Thump-

Suddenly, the pattern on Abels chest heated up, and his heart began to pound furiously. Abel instinctively turned his head to one side, and in the distance, he saw a human figure. It looked at him and disappeared instantly, and his heart stopped pounding viciously.

Abel, are you alright?

Daniels voice snapped Abel out of his panicked state. Abel answered, slowly turning his gaze.

Yes.

But his expression remained unchanged.

[To be continued.]