I Became a Genius Mechanic at the Academy

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Fury Potion.

This potion of madness was prevalent during the Great War seven years ago.

The more a user is wounded and infuriated, the more formidable power this potion grants, enabling them to overcome overwhelming adversity.

However, the Fury Potion ultimately became classified as a forbidden potion that must never be consumed, whether by allies or enemies.

In exchange for the immense strength it provides, the side effects were simply too great.

One of the most notorious side effects was the loss of reason as the power increased.

In the end, it left users in a state not unlike that of zombies.

Especially upon reaching the fourth stage, where “madness” manifests, users would consume their own life force and fight until they perish.

They would devolve into raging monsters, attacking everyone around them, regardless of ally or foe.

“Reminds me of the old days. Fury Potion, huh?”

Alerina, the Legion Commander of the Empire.

As a hero of the Great War, she knew more about the Fury Potion than anyone else.

That was because she herself was the “Madness Hunter,” tasked with exterminating allies who had fallen into the ‘madman’ stage.

“Shouldn’t we stop it now?”

Her long-serving subordinate asked with a worried expression.

Because as things stood, both Max and Edgar could be in danger.

“Don’t worry, it’s Gracia’s lesson. If I step in, they’ll just be annoyed.”

“……”

“And as long as we don’t reach the fourth stage, we should be fine. Gracia will likely subdue them before that.”

Swordmaster Gracia.

Upon mentioning that he was the overseer of this duel, her subordinate nodded in understanding.

He believed that if one of the Empire’s swordmasters was overseeing it, Gracia would notice immediately if the Fury Potion was used once they reached the third stage.

The changes in the user would become conspicuously evident from that point on.

“Hey, hey! Look at that!”

Just then.

Alerina shook her lost-in-thought subordinate and pointed straight ahead.

The main attraction of this duel, the ‘suit installation scene’, was playing on the massive screen.

[Crackle—!]

As all the students and observers in the classroom held their breath, focusing on the screen.

A yellow portable suit case tore through the void, appearing out of thin air.

Fix, transformed into a suit case, rolled quickly on its wheels and approached Edgar, opening up to reveal a sleek steel suit.

White steam erupted as a pair of boots made of smooth steel material emerged.

[Clang!]

Edgar stepped onto the boots and spread his arms wide.

As the rear of the opened boots closed, tightening screws, Fix’s mechanical arms began attaching various components to Edgar’s knees, thighs, chest, back, shoulders, forearms, and wrists.

[Zzzz! Clang! Vroom! Clang! Ching!]

The pleasing sounds generated by the interlocking of the metal connections.

The low-frequency sounds of electric drills, along with the white steam released by the engines of each part, painted the process of Edgar donning the suit as a sublime rite.

It stirred an indescribable catharsis.

With each piece of the suit being completed on his body, he seemed to transcend humanity into some other being.

Especially now, with Max, who had consumed the Fury Potion, charging in to kill him.

Edgar maintained a calm expression as he faced Max, which made the sight itself stunning.

[Clang·· clang··· Vroom···]

But Edgar wasn’t simply enjoying himself without reason.

He had drastically increased the speed at which he donned the suit.

He knew all too well that donning the suit was his only vulnerable moment, and he aimed to minimize that through focused efforts.

[Graaaaw!]

However, Max’s speed was not to be underestimated.

He had already consumed the Fury Potion.

Adrenaline coursed through his veins far more than usual, and the circulation of mana had accelerated.

Thus, the initial phase of the duel became a competition: would Edgar get to wear the suit first, or would Max strike him down before that could happen?

“I have a bad feeling about this.”

Max’s speed was unreasonably fast.

At this rate, Edgar might be hit before he even managed to put on the suit.

As everyone held their breaths, a crack appeared in the air, revealing a bracelet.

It was Edgar’s Plasma Titanium Alloy Gauntlet.

“Whoa!!”

“It’s here!”

“It’s that gauntlet!”

“Super cool!”

The students in the classroom filled with excitement and began to cheer, their eager eyes fixated on the spectacle.

As the bracelet wrapped around Edgar’s wrist and transformed into the gauntlet, even the Legion Commander Alerina bore a child-like look of awe.

“Damn. Wow. Look at that. It’s awesome.”

“……”

Alerina’s subordinate shook his head in disbelief at her reaction.

Nevertheless, it was undeniable that the process of Edgar donning the suit was impressive.

Even he, a soldier from the veteran Beta troop, had never witnessed such a sight before, gulping with anticipation at Edgar’s actions.

[Ki—iiing!]

Soon, the large screen in the front began to emit pre-heating sounds from the now-completed gauntlet.

A beautiful high-frequency sound resonated, with the charging plasma beam growing brighter.

[Whoosh!]

And in a split second, the light shot forth.

But Edgar didn’t stop there and fired several more plasma beams at the charging Max.

[Ki-iiing! Whoosh! Ki-iiing! Whoosh! Ki-iiing! Whoosh!]

The speed of Max’s charge began to slow down.

He rolled to the side to avoid the plasma beam, jumped high, and attempted to block it with his sword, clearly losing his acceleration.

[Ugh!]

Seemingly reconsidering his speed, Max leaned forward in a straight line and began to charge again.

The easiest way to defeat Edgar was to take him down before he donned the suit, and so he rushed forward even while getting hit by plasma beams.

Considering he was already using mana for defense and had consumed the Fury Potion, he believed he could withstand a few plasma beams.

[Thwack!]

As a hair-raising time battle began.

Now that Max had jumped to stab Edgar with his sword.

It felt like Max’s blade would reach Edgar first, or perhaps Edgar’s suit would be completed in time.

[This is my victory!]

But Max was confident of his victory.

Edgar’s suit was still incomplete.

Surely, the sword he wielded would reach Edgar’s heart before the suit could be completed, and with a grin that stretched from ear to ear, he thrust his black obsidian blade toward Edgar’s heart.

[Woooosh!]

However, at the same moment, the massive mana stone embedded in Edgar’s chest began to glow brightly.

And just as Max’s obsidian blade was about to reach Edgar’s heart, the ‘Plasma Mana Shield’ technique activated, stretching a massive barrier around Edgar with a radius of 2 meters.

[Graaaak!]

As a result, right before reaching Edgar’s heart, Max’s obsidian blade failed to penetrate the shield and bounced away.

Along with that, Max, who was burned by the plasma barrier, screamed and was sent flying back.

[Ugh!]

But Max quickly regained his senses.

He reached out and retrieved his obsidian blade that had flown far away.

[Thwack! Thwack!]

Yet Edgar was equally quick.

Having completed the suit, Edgar seized the opportunity and fired two shots of black liquid at Max’s feet.

[Wha-what!?]

In an instant, Max found his movements restricted.

The black liquid that had just been shot from Edgar’s improved web shooter was a special weapon with strong elasticity and adhesive properties meant to immobilize fast-moving enemies like Max.

[Thwack!]

Seizing the moment while Max was flustered, Edgar fired one more shot of the venom-like liquid.

What flew towards Max stuck to his face, completely blocking his vision.

[Aaaah! You bastard!]

In response, Max wildly swung his obsidian blade.

The dark magic that emanated from the obsidian took sharp, needle-like forms, stabbing wildly in all directions.

“It’s over.”

However, just like Alerina had muttered a moment ago, the dark magic from the obsidian was not a threat to Edgar.

With his vision blocked and his movements restricted, no matter how powerful the dark magic of the obsidian was, it merely appeared like a child’s tantrum.

Unable to target properly, it simply flailed around in a frenzy.

[Ki—iiing!]

And so Edgar loaded a plasma beam with an expressionless face.

Using the same method that had won him against Max during the previous evaluation, he maximized the plasma charge.

[Whoosh—!]

Then, a flash shot forth.

It pierced Max’s abdomen, sending him flying 2 meters to crash against the ground.

Having witnessed the entire process, Edgar immediately turned his back.

Everyone in the classroom gasped, remarking on the spectacle.

“Wow… just overwhelming.”

“Max is done. No coming back from this.”

“That’s really freaking cool.”

Edgar’s Plasma Shield sent Max flying, and the time taken to subdue him was merely 10 seconds.

It was a clean and precise combat style as if it had been sliced smoothly with a ruler.

He ended it with three shots from the web shooter and a maximum-charged plasma beam.

“Pfft… No, this is just the beginning.”

However, Alerina knew.

That one could not easily defeat someone who had consumed the Fury Potion.

To illustrate the point, just as Gracia was about to declare the winner, Max’s roar echoed loudly.

[Not yet—Aaaaaah!!!!!]

Max’s booming voice resonated.

Gracia turned her head towards him with a look of surprise.

[It’s not over yet… ….]

Max said as he rose to his feet.

His heavily injured abdomen was now completely healed.

Edgar, who had turned his back, shifted his gaze back to Max.

[You’re up?]

Yet Edgar was smiling.

The combat power gauge had been knocked out too early, so he hadn’t even been able to fully assess the suit’s capabilities; he was thankful that Max stood back up.

Edgar waved his hand.

[Come in.]

With a cheeky smile, he beckoned.

Max’s eyes were bloodshot with veins bulging.

[Whoosh!]

As Max extended his hand, the obsidian on the ground was drawn into his grasp.

Edgar warmed up, preparing his three-dimensional maneuvering device.

[Attack!]

Thus, now in the second stage of fury, Max charged forward again.

A blue light spread from Edgar’s gauntlet, and the plasma beam began to heat up.

Seeing this, Alerina wore an ear-to-ear grin.

‘That pretty little guy… is incredibly cool!’