Reincarnated as an Energy with a System

Chapter 2032: Daywatch

Ning stepped into position across from Naysha and raised his hands, matching the stance she had taken.

Lorna gave them the signal to begin, and Naysha moved first.

Unlike the man Ning had fought earlier, she did not rush forward expecting strength or aggression to solve everything. She closed the distance carefully, tested his reactions with a quick strike toward his shoulder, and immediately changed direction when Ning shifted away from it. Her second attack came low, aimed more at forcing him to move than actually landing.

Ning noticed the difference immediately.

She was much better.

He adjusted his own movements to match her skill rather than simply avoiding everything with ease. When she attacked, he blocked or retreated by small margins, allowing her to pressure him without ever making it seem as though he had complete control of the fight.

Naysha noticed that she was having more success than his previous opponent and became more aggressive.

She stepped inside his reach, struck toward his ribs, and immediately followed with an elbow aimed at his upper chest when he turned to avoid the first attack.

Ning caught the elbow against his forearm and pushed her away.

Naysha landed lightly and came forward again.

She attacked, forcing Ning to shift backward while blocking several quick strikes in succession.

They continued for several rounds.

Ning made sure to give her enough openings that the fight looked competitive without becoming obviously artificial. Sometimes he forced her back. Other times, she caught him in positions where he had to retreat, and whenever she made a particularly good decision, he allowed it to work.

That seemed to encourage her.

By the final round, Naysha was breathing hard enough that Ning could hear it clearly, but she was still moving with the same focus she had shown at the beginning.

She feinted high and immediately stepped to the side when Ning reacted.

Ning could have corrected before she followed through. Instead, he let himself be half a step late. Naysha hooked his leg, twisted her body, and used the opening to bring him down onto the training surface.

The moment his back touched the ground, she stepped away rather than trying to follow with another strike.

"Enough. That’s the end of the session."

Naysha remained standing over Ning for a moment, breathing heavily while sweat ran along the side of her face.

Ning sat up and smiled.

"Not bad."

Naysha gave him an exhausted glare. "You weren’t bad yourself."

She helped him get back up and walked away to get some water.

Ning stood without much sign of fatigue. Their partners changed a few times so they could train with more people than just one. The rest of the training session ended shortly afterward, and the cadets were given a short lunch period before the next part of their schedule began.

Ning ate quickly and checked the academy timetable through his helmet.

The next two hours were assigned to Daywatch.

He had already read enough about the program to understand what it involved.

Cadets were sent out into nearby sections of the city and expected to assist with anything that required minor military support. Most incidents were small enough that trained soldiers were unnecessary, which made them useful experience for students while also giving the academy a convenient way to provide manpower.

Ning was assigned a district several kilometers away.

Before sending the students out, Lorna gathered them near the academy entrance.

"Daywatch is not an excuse to wander around until your two hours are finished," she told them. "You are there to assist civilians when they require help, report anything that looks dangerous, and deal with problems within the limits of your training. If you encounter something beyond those limits, you call for assistance instead of trying to prove how brave you are."

Ning glanced around at the other cadets.

Several looked as though they had already heard the same speech many times.

Lorna continued, "Do not interfere with police operations, do not enter restricted property without permission, and do not start fights, even if the other person is someone you caught in the act of a crime. That’s not your job. Call the actual authorities. If nothing happens during your assignment, then you walk your route and return when the time is finished."

That sounded simple enough.

Ning left the academy with the others before separating toward his assigned section of the city.

For the next two hours, he wandered through the streets while keeping his senses focused on the surrounding area. He helped move a stalled transport that had partially blocked a road, directed an elderly man toward a nearby medical station, and spent several minutes helping workers recover equipment that had fallen from a damaged cargo carrier.

Nothing remotely dangerous happened.

Daywatch seemed less like combat training and more like a reminder that the military existed for reasons other than fighting the Mekharans.

When the two hours ended, Ning returned to the academy.

The next subject interested him considerably more.

Simulation Training.

The class took place inside one of the larger technical buildings near the training yards. Several enclosed simulation pods were arranged along the walls, while a much larger display occupied the center of the room.

Lorna stood before it as the students gathered.

"Today’s simulation continues our focus on basic Rank 1 Mecha operation."

That immediately drew more attention from the class.

Ning had already learned that Rank 1 Mechas were among the smallest military models used by Truimal, usually standing around five meters tall. They were simple enough for training while still allowing cadets to learn the fundamental balance, movement, targeting, and identification systems used by larger machines.

Lorna brought up an image of the model they would be piloting.

"The scenario is straightforward. You will enter a contested urban zone and move through a series of obstacles while identifying hostile Mekharans and engaging them without harming friendly human pilots."

A second display appeared beside the first. Several humanoid machines moved through a ruined city.

At a glance, some of them looked almost identical.

It was at that point that Ning realized this was closer to a video game than anything else.