131: Comprehensive Practice Arena for Free-Form Transformation

"Alright, where to now?"

Outwardly, it was the day after we'd finished watching the spaceship race and returned to the base colony.

The four of us stepped outside of 'Sexy Miizuma.'

According to Viridiana, we'd need to wait a while longer to resolve this matter. But considering everything we'd been through, simply staying cooped up on the ship and waiting passively would only make things worse—there was no doubt about that.

So, while we're saying we'll wait, we'll have to move to some extent... how we move, though, depends entirely on Virijianira.

"Today, we're heading to the fifth facility of the Free-Form Integration Exercise Field."

"Free-Form Integration... ah, right. It's about 30 kilometers from here, isn't it? That means we'll need to rent a vehicle, right?"

"No, we'll take the tram normally. There's no threat to worry about."

"Understood."

Responding to Virijianira's words, I checked the information terminal labeled "No. 5" in the Free-Form Comprehensive Exercise Facility.

Ah, I see. This colony was originally built as a base for the Imperial Army.

That's why even now, there remains an Imperial Army garrison within the colony, along with training grounds used by them.

Moreover, some of the training facilities are open to civilians, and with permission, one can host events, engage in sports, or even organize concerts.

Indeed, it seems an event is currently taking place at what appears to be the fifth comprehensive exercise field, the one we're heading toward.

"Satā-sama"

"No anomalies detected at the site. There's no disturbance along the route that my main body can sense."

"Based on the information from the memo, it's the same. No other dangerous signs have been detected."

But what exactly is this free-form transformation?

From what I can see, several buildings appear to have formed within the training grounds... but it's still unclear.

Well, I'll figure it out when I get there.

"Yesterday's fighter race was..."

"Today's event is at the Prime Colony..."

"The Nine Cubic tournament is taking place at the Sub-Colony..."

"It's the Base Colony Cross-Track Race, after all."

So, I boarded the tram near the dock and traveled while listening to the casual chatter of the people around me.

I got off at the station near my destination and walked the rest of the way.

Yeah, nothing at all happened—really.

It's good that things are peaceful.

"But this is huge... too big to use comfortably at human scale, isn't it?"

"The entire venue is one kilometer square. The practice field inside alone is said to be 800 meters square."

"Really that big?"

Arrived at Field 5 of the Free-Form Comprehensive Exercise Area.

Hmm, the event being held is... a battle royale tournament using mainly combat-grade blasters, involving multiple squads.

In other words, a survival game, I suppose.

But since professional soldiers—special forces or mercenary units, to be precise—can participate under the rules, it's basically like a real combat exercise.

"«««———!»»»"

"Looks like one match just ended."

"Looks like it."

As soon as we entered the building surrounding the training field, cheers echoed through the air.

Apparently, the first game of the day—between professionals—had just concluded.

But since they're playing multiple matches throughout the day, there's still plenty more to look forward to.

And regarding this building... it seems it's not just a waiting area for the players and a spectator stand—it appears to contain several strange spaces.

Then, as all the players who had been in the practice area stepped out and gathered near the window where we could see inside the practice area, it began.

"It looks like it's starting."

The building began to collapse.

No, it was melting.

The structure that had just been the battlefield was melting away, gradually turning into a smooth, white surface.

"……. I see. Free-form transformation."

"Just watching this is already impressive……"

Then, it began to rise up again, layer by layer.

Emerging from the ground.

A new battlefield structure was rising one by one from the rooftop, emerging from the ground, forming a colorful cluster of buildings.

It's a simplified construction technology achieved by combining millimeter-sized special blocks with various mods. As long as a structure meets two criteria—being small enough to fit within the training ground and not requiring any special mechanisms—it's said that nearly any building can be created.

"Holy wow, this is amazing"

"By the way, it's also possible to simulate the destruction of buildings by applying a certain amount of training beam exposure or using devices resembling demolition bombs, and surveillance camera-like hacking tools are set up at various locations."

"This is truly incredible."

"If excessive impact is detected, it can instantly become soft, acting as a cushion, ensuring ample safety considerations."

"That's truly remarkable."

What emerged was an entirely different complex of buildings compared to the one I had just seen as the main structure.

Several five-story buildings stood side by side, connected by walkways and zip lines stretched across their rooftops.

In addition, the buildings themselves are supposedly even taller—red striped patterns are clearly marked on the ground beneath them, as if to say touching the ground means immediate disqualification.

Honestly, I can't help but be impressed that this was built in just a few minutes.

"So, we're just spectators, right?"

"Yes, of course we're spectators."

"That goes without saying."

"Besides, the memo units have issues even before preparation even begins."

We headed toward the VIP spectator seats, which seemed to be isolated from the surrounding area, as indicated by the Vilijanira.

Incidentally, it appeared that the next game would involve twenty amateur squads, and right now they were conducting a lottery to determine starting points and moving to their assigned locations.

Well, what kind of game will this be?

In short, it's a massive training ground capable of roughly simulating most terrains.