I Became a Genius Mechanic at the Academy

---

The sky was dyed with gray clouds.

Tap. Drip.
Raindrops began to tap on the ground.

Ants hurried back to their anthills, and bugs that chewed on leaves hid beneath large leaves.
Their heightened senses, far more developed than those of humans, sensed the impending downpour.

– Shwaaaaa…
And soon, cool streams of water began to soak the earth.

Mammal monsters sensitive to temperature hid in their habitats, their unique scents scattering.
The areas marked by their scents were now dispersed.

“Now’s the time.”
Jack had been waiting for this moment.

The tightly woven ecosystem’s food chain structure was taking a break now.
This was exactly when it was time to move.

It was the only golden time that could maximize their survival rate.

– Tat! Tat! Tat! Tat!
Jack took Adela’s hand and slipped out of the cave.

They passed by a nearby valley and moved into an open field.
This place, full of the scent of grass, was the most suitable space to hide a human’s unique odor.

Moreover, it was a good spot to conceal themselves among the tall bush.

– Sapprok… sapprok…
Adela gazed at Jack’s back.
The back of the man she trusted the most and loved dearly.
He was dying of an unknown illness.

He pretended to be fine in front of her, but Adela instinctively knew.
She understood that Jack didn’t have much time left.

That’s why Adela wasn’t anxious about this life-and-death escape.
Instead, every second with him was precious.

She burned his dependable back into her retinas.
She etched the sight of his loveable figure moving closely to protect her into her mind.

‘As long as we survive… once we survive…’
Yet love muddles reason.

Despite having witnessed him spit up crimson blood several times, Adela was dreaming of a future with him.
Imagining days where they would hold hands like this ten or twenty years from now.

“Good job. We’ve successfully reached Point A.”
Fortunately, everything had gone according to plan so far.

The final destination to escape this monster-infested place was Point D.
They had safely reached Point A, the first stop on their route to that destination.

“We…”
Perhaps it was the hopeful green light that gave her courage.
Suddenly, Adela grabbed Jack’s collar and spoke.

Blushing as Jack looked back at her, she said,
“If we get out of here… let’s get married.”

“…?”
Jack gazed at her blankly.

Adela scratched the back of her head and continued,
“Well, even if you’re a commoner… you’re definitely skilled, right? You can use Mana! You must be from a fallen noble family! If you talk to Dad, and you get your status restored… then you’ll have the conditions to marry me.”

Adela suggested a future together as if it were a given that they would escape from this place.
Jack stared at her silently for a moment before breaking into a faint smile.

He caressed her cheek and pushed her wet hair back.
It was the moment he nodded, saying, ‘Sure.’

– Shwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…
The rain intensified.

They held each other tight, unconcerned.
Sharing a kiss like it was the last, they felt each other’s warmth.

In this place, filled with cold mist, their body temperatures felt even more pronounced.
“Let’s go.”

Promising each other a future, they resumed walking.
They employed all their training in footwork and spells to dodge the enclosing ecosystem’s surveillance as they made their way to Point B.

As a result, they succeeded in arriving at Point B.
– Kururururu!
Lightning struck.

However, it was a green light for the two.
The heavy sound of thunder, striking the air, was perfect for masking their presence.

“Now it’s Point C.”
But Point C wouldn’t be easy.

It was a route twice as challenging as the one they had traversed so far.
Jack reminded Adela of this and relayed their training details.

Adela nodded, her expression tense, focusing on Jack’s words.
“Let’s go.”

Finally, they moved.
They plunged into the dense, swampy wetlands crawling with monsters.

Dense broadleaf trees blocked the light, casting shadows.
Their body temperatures dropped, sending chills down their spines.

Nonetheless, they didn’t raise their temperatures using Mana.
The monsters inhabiting this area were sensitive to heat.

These swamp monsters easily responded to artificial heat adjustments.
– Kurururukk… Kurururukk…
– Shisshit… Shiiiii… Shisshit…

Strange sounds stimulated their auditory senses.
This kind of resonance, something they had never heard before, easily provoked fear.

Various noises echoed in the darkness, devoid of even a single beam of light.
Monsters lurked in the dark, their eyes glinting.

If they were to be attacked by the monsters, the chilling thought of becoming their prey filled her mind.
– Gulp.
Yet, at that moment, she felt Jack’s hand gripping her.

Her panicked breaths returned to normal.
Recalling what Jack had taught her, she worked to stabilize her heart rate.

The approaching monster noises gradually began to cease.
‘Well done.’

Jack mouthed those words with a smile.
Seeing that smile, all of Adela’s fear evaporated.

Just being here in the swamp with Jack felt like a memory to cherish.
Even in the alien landscape provoking fear, if he were with her, everything changed.

‘Let’s go.’
As the noise quieted down, they moved again.

Utilizing the characteristics of the monsters in this dark area, they maintained the lowest body temperature possible and navigated the swamp deftly.
Before long, the light of the exit from the swamp came into view.

They stepped forward, walking calmly towards it with each footfall,
Even with their goal so close, they didn’t get excited and maintained steady strides and heart rates as they had trained.

As a result, they managed to arrive at Point C, having escaped the swamp.
“Huuh… Now, we can raise our body temperature.”

Having spent a long time lowering their body temperatures while traversing the swamp, the moment they emerged from the heat-sensitive ecosystem, they raised their temperatures back to normal condition.
The pale hue returned to their skin, and they began to recover.

“Now it’s the final point.”
Having regained some strength, Jack smiled and spoke to Adela.

Adela smiled back and held Jack’s hand.
But at that moment.

– Cough.
With a cough, crimson blood sprayed out.

The reason was the long passage through the swamp, suffering from low body temperature damage.
Jack forced a smile, as if it were nothing, and said,

“It’s okay. We can definitely make it. Just rest a little… *cough!*”
However, contrary to his words, his cough grew worse.

Dark circles appeared under his eyes, and his breathing became irregular.
The time to extend his life with his powers was running out.

“It’s okay. We just need to reach Point D, and then it’ll be over.”
Yet Jack smiled.

Even while knowing his time was ending, he didn’t let it show.
His first mission was to save Adela.

“Shall we go now?”
Jack put on a relaxed smile, as if to showcase he was still fine.

He exaggeratedly stretched out and moved forward.
Adela followed him, trying hard to ignore the rising anxiety in her heart.

Just one last barrier to pass, and she thought she’d treat him and keep him by her side for a lifetime.
– Shwaaaaaaa…

The finish line was now near.
In the blessings of the rain that concealed their presence, Adela could smell the fragrant earth and grass.

The sounds of frogs and crickets echoed around, a sign that they were gradually escaping the monsters’ habitat.
Now, as expected, if there were monsters waiting at Point D—

“…?”
However, Adela’s thoughts froze.

A mass of monsters swarmed at Point D.
Lizardmen, known for hunting when it rains, hadn’t left their nests.

Even with the pouring rain, they were huddled inside.
“…Jack.”
Adela clutched Jack’s collar.

Jack nodded and turned back.
Yet he simply smiled, as if nothing was wrong, and said, “Let’s break through.”

“… Huh?”
“We can break through. That’s nothing.”
Adela’s heart trembled uneasily.

Lizardmen are high-risk monsters even sword experts have to be cautious of.
Moreover, they were intelligent monsters forming social groups.

To break through that gathering of seventeen adult Lizardmen would require at least a Swordmaster in full condition.
“Adela.”
“…”

But in Jack’s eyes, there was a certainty.
He grabbed Adela’s trembling shoulders and said,

“I swear on everything I have. We will definitely make it out of here alive.”
With that, Jack drew the sword from his waist.

Heating the Mana he had kept subdued to conceal his presence, he continued,
“Let’s fight. This is the last.”