Chapter 131…
On that day, the underachiever became the top student.
Of course, the real top student—the one who had entered as valedictorian—
Leo Martis was completely pushed into the background.
“Damn it! Because of that bastard!”
The test itself had ended successfully for him as well.
As proof, the Gaia System had been installed at the back of his neck.
“Yes? Sure. I mean… it’s possible.”
Calmly. Casually.
The existence known as Lee Jihan—an underachiever who showed monster-like ability—kept sticking in his throat like a thorn.
“L-Leo. Calm down.”
“He’s just an underachiever, right? There has to be something wrong with him!”
“There’s still the synchronization test and the sparring match. That’ll knock the arrogance right out of that underachiever!”
His followers whispered beside him.
“Yeah. There’s still that left.”
The corner of his mouth twisted upward.
And Lee Jihan—
[LOL they’re seriously showing this outright as a cinematic.]
[It’s a cutscene, just enjoy it.]
[This game has tons of cinematic direction like this lol.]
[Look at Jihan’s cam—he’s completely dumbfounded lol.]
[This game’s trademark is openly saying, ‘We’re plotting against you~.’]
[You get what kind of game this is, right? That’s why subculture fans love it lol.]
…was watching his flailing struggle(?).
“But isn’t it kind of strange? If they show everything like this, isn’t there no twist?”
[In the end, Mecha Academy: Liberty is a game where Jihan is the protagonist.]
[The protagonist’s not gonna be in real danger, right?]
[The devs’ true intention is: see everything and respond as-is.]
[That’s why players actually find it fun.]
[The mecha teachers are all fired up and gathering lol—hey, control them.]
[But it’s a niche game, right?]
[Shut up! Shut up! Don’t say the word ‘niche’!]
[This isn’t a room full of otaku.]
[LOL you guys are the worst.]
[LOL what’s wrong with otaku! What’s so bad about it!]
[Well… it’s not actually bad.]
“Oh, I see. So you want me to make the story after watching all this?”
[Correct! Lee Jihan!]
[Exactly lol—making the story however you want.]
[LOL that’s it.]
[Just go and enjoy it as-is.]
[Take off! Take off!]
[There is a main story, so you can follow it, or play sandbox-style.]
[You don’t even have to follow chapters strictly.]
“…That underachiever. I’ll make him kneel at my feet.”
Leo Martis.
After forcibly smoothing his curly blond hair, he stared out the window with piercing blue eyes.
And so, the cutscene ended there.
“Ah, so that’s how it works.”
Lee Jihan opened his eyes in his dorm room.
Now he had to think about the interference Leo Martis would attempt.
“Well, they say it’s a tutorial, so there probably won’t be any serious interference.”
[Yeah yeah, just crush it comfortably.]
[By the way, Jihan—have you ever piloted a robot before?]
[LOL who’s ever piloted a robot, seriously?]
[Full-auto Gaia System is the standard for beginners.]
[It’s not the stage to enjoy manual controls yet—no need to go hardcore.]
The viewers’ affectionate(?) advice.
It felt like floating above the deepest water imaginable,
with someone saying, “It’s shallow here. Come in and play with us.”
A chilling kindness.
But Lee Jihan simply smiled faintly and nodded at their concern.
<Attention. All cadets, please assemble at the training grounds after your break.>
At the same time, the instructor’s voice rang out.
Lee Jihan stood up.
[Looks like it’s time.]
[The sync test and sparring basically happen together.]
[Just go in with the mindset of going wild.]
[The training unit—the LT series—is pretty standard. Should be fine.]
[LOL even if you say it’s standard…]
[The mecha teachers are scary as hell lol.]
[Jihan looks like he’s crossing a river he shouldn’t lol.]
Leaving behind this sticky attempt to drag him into their world,
Lee Jihan confidently walked toward the training grounds.
Synchronization Test
The one who began was the “official top student.”
Leo Martis stepped forward and boarded the training mech, LT-001.
A steel giant.
As he entered the cockpit, the machine let out a rough engine roar, as if recognizing its master.
[Guess it’s a training can—super ordinary.]
[That’s mass-production units for you.]
[You guys into that stuff too? Like hidden ancient units…]
[Or ego-bearing machines only the protagonist can pilot? Of course we are lol.]
[You know what I mean, right?]
[Veterans mostly use custom models, but for story runs, those are the best lol.]
[Still, isn’t there charm in mass-produced units?]
[For sure. They’re stable. Another word for mass-produced is “maximum efficiency with proven stability.”]
Ignoring whether this was brilliant commentary or just rambling,
the gauge projected on the translucent blue screen shot upward.
“As expected of the top student. Synchronization jumps to 70% instantly.”
The instructor looked quite satisfied.
“Good. You can come down now, Leo.”
“Instructor. I’d like to make a suggestion.”
“Hm?”
A brief silence passed over the comms.
“I’d like to see Cadet Lee Jihan’s synchronization. And while we’re at it, proceed with a sparring match.”
Now Jihan finally understood what the viewers meant.
[LOL oh, that’s why?]
[That’s why sync test and sparring happen together.]
[LOL that’s super convenient.]
[It’s a bit contrived, but it gives players a clear stage to cause chaos.]
[That’s why this part gets good reviews lol.]
The mecha teachers desperately insisting that Mecha Academy: Liberty wasn’t a trash game.
Even viewers and Jihan were dumbfounded by this approach—but the instructor said:
“What do you think, excellent cadet? Care to try?”
Not “underachiever,” but “excellent cadet.”
He was deliberately pulling Jihan onto the stage.
“Yes. I’ll give it a try.”
Calmly, Jihan stood up and prepared to board the LT-001 opposite him.
[LOL Jihan never backs down.]
[He’s totally ready to have fun right now lol.]
Whiiiiiing!
As he rode the escalator mechanism into the cockpit, Jihan felt a moment of dizziness.
“Guys… there are so many controls in here.”
[LOL this is why full-auto is standard.]
[But wow, it’s really complicated…]
[Veterans actually control all of this?]
[They’re the kind who think they’re real Belum Dorm cadets.]
[Alright. We’ll guide you through the tutorial, Jihan.]
Countless subculture otaku—mecha teachers—began offering sweet(?) advice.
[First, grab the cable behind you and connect it to the slot at the back of your neck.]
Click!
As the locking sound rang out, slowly—
the mech’s camera view filled Jihan’s vision.
[Now, prepare to start.]
Wooooooong!
Kugugugugu!
The violent vibration of the giant’s heart.
An artificial thing called an engine—yet it synced with Jihan’s body, forming a strange unity.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
His vision narrowed slightly.
His breathing quickened.
This was excitement—overconcentration.
“W-What!? The value—!”
Noisy commotion erupted outside.
“Instructor, isn’t this dangerous!?”
“Wait. I’ve never seen numbers like this either.”
[LOL it’s climbing.]
[But it’s higher than other streamers, isn’t it?]
[What’s the average?]
[Around 80? But this is—]
“9—93 percent!?”
“This is… unprecedented. An absurd, overwhelming talent…”
The highest synchronization in history.
As if to confirm it, the instructor spoke.
The noise outside fell silent.
“Then why the hell was that an underachiever!?”
“Did he take the entrance exam as a joke?”
“Crazy—did he intentionally tank his scores? Why!?”
Lee Jihan’s performance was pure chaos incarnate.
[LOL what’s it supposed to be normally?]
[People just admire it and move on lol.]
[But since this value is so off the charts, the setting’s breaking.]
[The main AI is twisting itself trying to create a ‘plausible narrative’ lol.]
[He’s suddenly a guy who took the entrance exam as a joke.]
[LOL otherwise the story logic collapses, apparently.]
Ignoring the outside and the chat’s uproar, Jihan checked the control panel.
Full-auto. Semi-auto. Manual.
Click. Click. Click.
The settings changed with each movement.
Recalling what he’d seen in the pre-game video—
[Huh? Semi-auto?]
[Isn’t that kind of awkward?]
[Wouldn’t full-auto be better at that point?]
Ignoring everyone’s expectations, he set it to semi-auto.
Slowly, he raised the control stick.
Kugugugugu!
“It’s moving! Everyone, keep a safe distance!”
And his LT-001—
stood on the training ground on its own two feet for the first time.
“H-He’s moving the unit on his first ride without even hearing the explanation!?”
The instructor’s shocked voice rang out.
A tutorial.
Yes, the sync test and sparring were essentially the tutorial of the game.
But Lee Jihan—the mysterious underachiever—
was already moving the machine himself.
“That crazy bastard…!”
And not just any machine.
The very one that even the top student, Leo Martis, hadn’t managed to stand up yet.
Kugugugugu!
He had literally made it stand.
[LT stands upon the earth!]
[H-Hey! That’s dangerous, you idiot!]
[LOL what era is that catchphrase from!?]
[That’s not a boomer—that’s a relic.]
[How old are these mecha teachers…?]
[LOL anyway, it stood up. Cheers.]
Amid the viewers’ delighted screams,
Jihan smiled and said to the rapidly scrolling chat:
“I just did what I saw in the video, and… it actually moves?”
[LOL no! Jihan!!!]
[???: How do you make it stand?]
[???: I just stood it up and it stood.]
[LOL what even is this!?]
[But his sense really is good.]
[Semi-auto might’ve been the god-tier choice.]
“If you can do it, then I can too!”
The top student, Leo Martis.
He too stood his unit up.
By background, he’d ridden these mechs at home,
and his siblings and parents were pilots as well.
Kugugugugu!
For him, standing a unit was easy.
But—
“Damn it… damn it!”
Having the order stolen from him—
that alone crushed his pride.
“Instructor.”
Watching this, Lee Jihan spoke quietly over the connected channel.
“Then… can we fight now?”
[???]
[LOL]
[Why is he so aggressive? lol]
[Jihan just being excited to ride a robot gets my upvote.]
[This is insanely ridiculous lol.]
[He just wants to drive it already lol.]
That single sentence—
“Uh… yeah. Let’s prepare for the sparring match.”
—became an uncontrollable ripple,
filling the training grounds of Liberty Academy.
