First MS Piloting

Athrun and the others snapped out of their thoughts upon hearing the voice and turned their gazes in its direction. Even Diakka, who was usually all smiles, couldn't help but focus.

They were eager to see what made someone so valued by a person in a white uniform so special.

Soon, under everyone's watchful eyes, Noer walked across the field and stood on the lift platform with the MS Training Instructor.

As the lift platform ascended, the two arrived in front of the cockpit, located in the MS's chest.

Open the cockpit~

Enter the cockpit~

"Do you know the specific operating procedure?" the instructor in charge of MS Piloting asked Noer, who had just settled into the seat, from outside the cockpit.

"I know... a little bit." Noer looked at the buttons and various components around the seat, feeling a bit panicked.

"Do you know how to start the MS?" the instructor continued to ask.

This batch of trainees had just enrolled, so he wasn't surprised by Noer's answer; in fact, it was the expected response.

After all, if a student from the Mecha Maintenance Class could just jump in and pilot an MS right away, that would be truly bizarre.

"I know." Noer quickly nodded. He figured he could at least find the switches.

"How do you move the legs?"

"I know... a little bit."

"Arm movement?"

"I know... a little bit."

"Can you understand this stabilizer?"

"I can understand it!"

"Then that's fine."

"Okay... Huh? That's it?"

Noer reflexively prepared to nod, but he was startled by the unreliable teacher's words. It felt too perfunctory!

"What else?" the instructor retorted.

Most students in the Mecha Maintenance Class were for logistics and didn't need to personally engage in combat.

The main purpose of piloting an MS this time wasn't really for the mecha class students to learn how to use them. It was just to let them understand the normal operating conditions of an MS and experience it firsthand.

Did they really think every Coordinator could take on a hundred enemies just by getting into an MS?

Noer was stunned. No wonder the best performance from the dozen or so maintenance class students who had used this mecha was only managing a few steps around the field before returning.

So, this was also your contribution, old man!

"Try it yourself first. I'm heading down. If you encounter any problems or lose control midway, there's an emergency stop here that can forcibly halt the MS. However, don't leave your practice area, and try to stay away from crowds and other MS units," the instructor said, stepping onto a nearby lift.

He wasn't being overly cautious; this was an MS, after all. Even a training model weighed nearly seventy tons.

If it accidentally fell over...

It would be bad enough if it landed on other MS units, but what if it fell face-first onto the students watching below...

"No, you..."

Noer was about to speak when he saw the instructor descending on the lift.

"This... it's all up to me now?"

Noer looked at the various buttons and instruments around the seat, completely bewildered.

He truly only knew a little bit. As a transfer student, he had only been here for a few days. Even though he had been reading the MS piloting manual during this time, he had only read it.

This was his first time actually touching an MS unit.

[Beep~ Scanning student ID!]

[ID scan complete~ Noer Cassia, belonging class~ Mecha Maintenance Class.]

[Setting student usage permissions...]

[Setting propulsion power, setting mecha component usage permissions, setting mecha...]

[Partial training-grade usage permissions unlocked! Student body real-time monitoring system activated...]

[Student can use basic functions of MS unit!]

Whirr~

As the mechanical electronic prompt sounded, the cockpit slowly closed.

In the darkness, Noer took a deep breath and reached out to press the start button. Since he was already sitting here, he might as well try starting it up and experiencing it.

Soon, with the roar of the MS engine, points of light flickered around Noer's seat, and the previously dark instrument panel began to come alive.

Ding~

As two beams of light flashed from the MS's head, the external view was projected into the cockpit via front sensors. Through this, Noer could clearly see everything in front of him, with no sense of confinement.

The human eye's field of vision is typically 124 degrees, with a maximum horizontal field of view of 156 degrees for one eye and 188 degrees for both eyes.

The visual limit of the human eye is approximately 150 degrees vertically and 230 degrees horizontally. If the entire field of vision within this range is a screen, it creates a sense of immersion.

The screen before me was designed with this in mind.

"Hoo~"

Noer looked down at the small humans below, taking a deep breath to calm his racing heart.

He slowly applied pressure downwards with his legs, which rested on what felt like brake pedals.

"Wuuu~"

"Boom~"

With a roar, the mobile suit lifted its right leg and slowly brought it down.

As the machine vibrated, Noer felt as if it had come alive, a strange sensation washing over him.

At the same time.

Cruze, who had been on the outskirts of the crowd, walked through it with two attendants, heading towards the area where the MS instructors gathered.

Two instructors, who had been observing the students' physical examination system, noticed Cruze's arrival and quickly stood up to salute.

"If you don't mind, could you do me a favor?" Cruze asked, taking out something resembling a USB drive from his pocket and handing it over.

"What is this?" The instructor responsible for monitoring the students was taken aback.

"For some reason, I need to collect some student data. I hope you can cooperate," Cruze explained with a smile.

"Yes!" The instructor glanced at the medal on Cruze's chest, took the item, and plugged it into the equipment.

The Nebula Medal was the best pass.

Cruze looked at the feedback on various physical characteristics on the monitor, then reached into his pocket and fumbled, saying, "Noer Cassia, let me see what you're capable of now."

Athrun and the others also arrived beside Cruze under the gaze of the students.

"Boom~"

"Boom~"

Ahead, Noer began various maneuvers in the MS training unit.

Unexpectedly, even though Noer was piloting an MS for the first time, and even though he was only a Pseudo-Coordinator, he could still make the MS move normally.

Although the MS's movements were a bit clumsy, it was still very good compared to the other students.

"This..."

Diakka, standing nearby, frowned slightly as he watched the MS taking its first steps in the distance. His gaze flickered between Cruze and the MS, his expression very confused.

Yzak and the others felt the same.

Of course, for a Mecha Maintenance Class student, Noer's ability to make the MS move normally on his first try, with minimal clumsiness, was indeed a good result.

But this was only relative to the Mecha Maintenance Class. Compared to the freshmen in the MS Training Class, this result could only be described as... ordinary, extremely ordinary.

Any new student who could get into the MS Training Class could achieve this.

Not to mention geniuses like Athrun; they were on completely different levels.

Cruze showed no reaction to the confusion of Athrun and the others. He simply watched the MS and the student physical examination system with focused attention.

Soon, three minutes later~

Cruze looked at the data on the physical examination system and silently nodded to the attendant beside him.

The attendant in green, sensing the cue, nodded to Cruze and quietly withdrew.

Of course, no one noticed any of this. At that moment, everyone's attention was focused on the MS and Cruze's group.

"Hoo! Ha!"

Inside the MS, Noer was completely unaware of what was happening outside, or if he knew, he couldn't afford to pay attention.

He was already drenched in sweat.

Piloting the mobile suit was more difficult than he had imagined, especially with his body not yet fully recovered. In just a few minutes, he felt like he had run a marathon, his face flushed and sweat pouring down his back.

"Beep beep~!"

"What are you doing!"

"Entering other MS training grounds is prohibited during MS training! Training MS with serial number C-147E36, please return immediately!"

After much thought, I decided to give the protagonist a boost, otherwise, he really wouldn't be able to play.

However, it's only a limited improvement, not the kind that can destroy everything.