CHAPTER 177: KEN’S MEMORY FRAGMENT [1]

It was the first time Gabriel had come across Memory Fragments, but as if he had prior knowledge, he instinctively wished to play it.

When he did, the world around him began to blur, and soon he was no longer in his room. He was no longer Gabriel.

...

Sunlight poured over a vast training ground enclosed by high stone walls. Rows of armored young men and women stood at laattention, the emblem of the Blackrose clearly displayed on their chests.

"Is this some kind of role-playing scenario?" Gabriel was quite confused. He was standing amidst the armored students but had no control of his body.

He tried a couple of times to move as he pleased, but everything felt as if it was programmed.

After a few more attempts, Gabriel decided to give up and simply go with the flow of the event.

’Blackrose Military Academy.’ Gabriel mumbled to himself. It was the most prestigious academy on the entire human continent and had ties with the Edgeburne Kingdom military.

In his past life, one of Gabriel’s goals had been to attend this academy. Players who attended it went on to become powerhouses even after the game merged with reality.

"Are you nervous?" Suddenly, Gabriel heard someone speak beside him. Turning, he found a beautiful red-haired girl wearing a blindfold.

’Lillith Valentine.’ He secretly thought. She was the current guild leader of Crimson Star.

Here, she appeared much younger and... naive.

"Just a bit," the words came out of Gabriel’s mouth instinctively. "Today is, after all, the final evaluation of the graduating class. I need to put on a good show—if not, grandfather would be very disappointed in me."

"Hahaha, stop being a worrywart. You’re one of the best students of Blackrose—you’ll do well." She encouraged with a warm smile.

"Thank you." Ken smiled back.

Afterward, no more words were exchanged between them as they shifted their attention forward. Gabriel looked down and found a practice sword in his hands.

Ken was a gunslinger, but according to his knowledge, the academy often tested students by making them fight with weapons outside their specialty. It was a challenge to see if they could adapt to anything.

His heart pounded—not from fear, but anticipation.

Not long after, all the cadets were moved into a stadium-like arena with dozens of stages where matches could take place.

All around, spectators filled the stands: instructors, proud families, and even a few high-ranking officers of the Edgeburne Kingdom’s army.

These evaluations were the perfect opportunity to scout powerful students, further strengthening the might of Edgeburne’s military!

Ken’s sharp eyes picked out a stern, broad-shouldered man in a decorated uniform seated in the front row. His heart skipped a beat.

That man had a steely gaze, and it alone seemed to exert the pressure of a mountain.

Ken stood on one of the fighting platforms.

Opposite him was his opponent: a veteran instructor brandishing a heavy wooden spear. The man’s stare was intense, calm, and collected.

’This is it,’ Ken thought, tightening his grip on the sword’s hilt. ’Father is watching. I can’t afford to slip up now.’

A loud crack from a starter pistol signaled the duel’s beginning. The instructor lunged without mercy, spear thrusting forward like lightning. Gasps rippled through the audience at the sheer speed and force of his opening attack.

FWOOOSH!

Ken’s body moved on instinct. He sidestepped with barely an inch to spare—the spearhead whooshed past his ear.

And then...

CLANG! His practice sword met the spear’s shaft, redirecting the attack. The instructor spun with the momentum, following up with a sweeping arc aimed at Ken’s legs.

Instead of retreating, Ken vaulted over the incoming strike with astonishing agility, flipping mid-air.

When this happened, stunned shouts from cadets and officers alike rippled through the crowd.

"He... he flipped over a spear sweep like it was nothing?"

"Impossible! That was Instructor Voren’s specialty move!"

"This boy... his instincts are sharp. He carries the bearing of a true swordsman despite being a gunslinger. The Maxwells truly live up to their name of being versatile."

Meanwhile, Ken brought his wooden blade down hard. The instructor barely got his weapon up in time.

THWACK! Wood cracked against wood, the impact sending the instructor staggering backward.

Gabriel gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath. ’I don’t have control of my body, yet I can feel pain... very fair.’

Right then, his body moved on its own once more. He pressed the assault with precise, relentless strikes—each executed with the discipline and ferocity drilled into him over years at the academy.

The two combatants became a blur of motion: the spear whirling in tight defensive circles, the sword flashing in calculated cuts.

FWOOOSH! FWOOOSH!

At one point, the instructor spotted an opening. He feinted left, then drove his spear straight at Ken’s chest with all his might—a decisive thrust that had broken many overconfident cadets before.

But Ken was anything but ordinary. He planted a foot back, braced himself, and at the last possible second twisted aside.

Whoosh! The spear grazed his uniform, missing flesh by a hair. In that split second, Ken’s eyes gleamed with determination. With a sharp kiai, he brought his sword slamming down onto the spear’s pole.

Crack! BANG! The wooden shaft splintered under the force, the spear knocked clean from the instructor’s hands. Before the man could even react, Ken’s sword tip was an inch from his throat.

A deafening silence fell over the arena.

The instructor blinked at the broken weapon at his feet, then raised both hands in surrender. "...I yield."

Cheers erupted all around. Cadets hollered and pumped their fists. A few officers exchanged impressed nods. Up in the stands, Ken’s father allowed himself a rare, proud smile.

Seeing the cheers of the crowd, Ken’s tense shoulders finally loosened, and a smile appeared on his face.

Ken slowly lowered his practice sword and stepped back, chest heaving with pride. He had done it—graduated top of the class.

As the instructor clapped him on the shoulder and announced the victory, his gaze drifted over the spectators. He saw his father rising from his seat, clapping firmly, his eyes gleaming with approval.

Beside the general stood several notable figures: a pair of colonels murmuring among themselves, and even Grand Marshal Ulrich, the legendary commander of Edgeburne’s armies. The Grand Marshal stroked his gray beard, regarding Ken with keen interest.

"Cadet Ken, exemplary performance," boomed the headmaster’s voice.

The headmaster was an elderly man with a chest full of medals. He stepped forward to address the assembly. "In all my years leading Blackrose Military Academy, rarely have I seen a student duel an instructor so flawlessly. Truly worthy of the highest honors."

Another round of applause followed. Ken snapped to attention and saluted, though inside he felt a swell of pure pride.

"Effective immediately," the headmaster continued, beaming, "Cadet Ken is hereby commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Edgeburne Kingdom’s military!"

Whistles and congratulatory shouts erupted from his fellow graduates. His father nodded in approval, arms crossed over his chest.

’Not bad.’ Gabriel thought in his mind.

Ken was no weakling by any means—it was just too unfortunate that he ran into Gabriel, who possessed a God-Tier skill in a world filled with mortals.