Warfare Augmented Intelligent Frame Unit

Chapter 22 - Ideal Type

Chapter 22 – Ideal Type

Professor Chaldeas seemed unusually energetic today, practically buzzing with excitement as he dove into our lecture on Basic Terms. It was as if he'd downed a whole gallon of coffee, his enthusiasm cranked up to 200%. His voice carried across the room with fervor, animated hand gestures drawing lines in the air as he talked.

"Planet Xyraxis is located at the far edge of Lagrange 2, a point between the orbits of Earth and Mars," he said, pacing. "But unlike Earth, Xyraxis is always ahead by eight hours, orbiting faster. Its purpose is crucial—it shields Earth from the barrage of meteors and cosmic beasts that roam the galaxy. You could think of Xyraxis as Earth's artificial bulletproof vest, guarding us from the dangers of the universe."

Just as his excitement reached its peak, the school bell rang through the building, abruptly signaling the end of class.

"Whoops! Time's up already! Gotta go!" Professor Chaldeas exclaimed, his eyes widening in mock surprise. He darted out of the classroom with the speed of a dog rushing to greet its owner at the door, leaving behind a few chuckles and amused glances from the students.

Despite the professor's strange burst of energy, today's lecture had been informative, although it was clear that his mind was already on something else—perhaps eagerly awaiting something at home.

With the final subject of the day now over, I would have had the whole afternoon to myself. But, of course, I had agreed to join Myrrh's study group. As her partner, I had no choice but to help—my grades depended on it.

As I began to pack my things, Myrrh approached me, her voice low and secretive.

"Hey, Zaft. Did you manage to find any more info on the Machine God or the WMDs?" she whispered, her words tense.

"Nothing. How about you? Did your mom know anything?"

"I asked her about the Machine God and the WMDs," Myrrh said, her gaze drifting. "But she claimed to know nothing. I... left out the part where I died though. No point in worrying her with that." Her lips curved into a strained, hollow smile.

"Yeah, the whole thing was strange," I muttered, tapping at my smartwatch. A faint hum filled the air as the hologram for the [Weaponry Enhancement Engineering Bios] flickered to life above my wrist. I scanned through the menu, my brows furrowing in confusion. "I can't find it in the Bios right now, though. There's no mention of Weapons of Mass Destruction. It's like they were never there, just a one-time glitch."

"How about the blackout that knocked out the Archonlight Tower's power? And what about that mysterious WAIFU?" Myrrh's voice had an edge of curiosity, her eyes narrowing as she leaned in slightly.

I huffed in irritation. "Do I look like a search engine AI to you?" I shot back, frustration creeping into my tone. "I don't have any new info. All I've got are the same old conspiracy theories. Forget about that WAIFU—there's no way we'll figure it out unless she decides to target us directly." My words came out sharper than I intended, but the tension of it all was wearing me down.

"Figures," Myrrh sighed, rubbing her chin thoughtfully between two fingers. "We could report the WAIFU to the university and maybe get some answers. But doing that would expose us, too. Even if she's seen your face, it'll take her time to track down your full identity."

Her words hit me like a cold gust of wind. For a moment, I stood frozen, a knot forming in my stomach. I'd lived a strictly controlled life—school, dorm, repeat—barely venturing beyond the safety of Orbital Tech's campus. Here, I felt secure, shielded by the university's walls. But out there? In the sprawling metropolis? I wasn't so sure.