Tender Enough to Squeeze Water From

Several months had passed since the large-scale Honkai outbreak in Changkong City. The camp had been built atop the original structures, with further additions constructed afterward.

The battleship landed steadily at the camp's harbor, a port specially built for airships.

Himeko led the students off the battleship, where the personnel responsible for receiving them were already waiting.

Han Jiang observed that the airship harbor was far larger than an ordinary airport.

Although Floating Battleships could take off and land vertically, they still needed to slow down and buffer their descent.

Quite a few small battleships were parked in one corner of the harbor, yet an enormous amount of space remained.

Schicksal would not build anything useless. That meant the air harbor had once accommodated either an exceptionally massive battleship or a great number of small and medium-sized ones.

From this alone, it was clear that Schicksal had deployed a large number of Valkyrie squads to eliminate the Honkai in Changkong City.

The camp's exit was on one side of the harbor. From the outside, one wall of the camp appeared to stretch about the length of four standard football fields.

A five-meter-high wall surrounded the camp, topped with a ring of barbed wire. Watchtowers and large searchlights stood every few dozen meters.

Up close, the walls were covered in pockmarked scars.

On closer inspection, silicon-based chunks of flesh left behind by Honkai Beasts could still be seen stuck to them.

Himeko led the students into the camp behind their guide, and an intense military atmosphere washed over them.

Several lifting platforms stood along the inner side of the walls, each mounted with heavy weapons intended to defend against large Honkai Beasts.

After everyone followed the guide to their assigned area, the receptionist gave Himeko a few brief instructions before hurrying away.

"Do you all see this? These are merely the traces left behind after the Honkai. They are also what you will face in the future." Himeko spoke to them with a solemn expression.

Some of the students at St. Freya High School came from prestigious families, while a considerable number were survivors who had suffered through Honkai attacks.

When Han Jiang had first crossed into this world, he had encountered a Honkai incident.

At the time, Han Jiang had thought the Honkai was not as frightening as he had imagined. At the very least, every region possessed considerable defensive forces.

Only after seeing Changkong Camp did Han Jiang realize just how shallow his understanding had been.

This was a world that truly existed, while the game had shown only a tiny fraction of it, one that appeared beautiful.

From the small details, one could infer the whole picture. Just from the camp walls, one could roughly imagine how brutal the offensive and defensive battles between the Valkyries and the Honkai had been.

The students fell silent, feeling the atmosphere within the camp.

Himeko let out a long breath, clenched her fist, and said, "This is only a small part of what remained after the Honkai in Changkong City. The disaster brought by the Third Honkai was far heavier than any of you can imagine."

"But!" Himeko abruptly shifted her tone. "The reason we Valkyries exist is to prevent disasters from happening, to stop similar tragedies from occurring elsewhere. That is the meaning of our existence."

"Do not think yourselves insignificant in the face of such disasters. Every one of you has the potential to grow. Face danger bravely, overcome difficulties, and become even stronger Valkyries. Schicksal's next S-rank Valkyrie might be one of you."

"I'll be the next S-rank Valkyrie!" Kiana shouted. "I'll become the Valkyrie who completely eradicates the Honkai and ushers in a new era!"

Although Kiana was a somewhat airheaded girl, she possessed an unyielding spirit and the determination never to give up easily.

When Kiana and the other two had fled Changkong City, the Honkai had already broken out, and they had faced danger once before.

Now that they had returned to such a dangerous place, the three of them were not panicked. Instead, they were calmer than the other students.

There were twenty-four people in the class. Aside from Han Jiang, they were all flowers in the rainy season, at the height of their bloom.

Brilliant sunlight spread selflessly across the earth. The girls' skin seemed to faintly glow, so tender that sunlight appeared able to pass through it, as though a gentle pinch could squeeze water from it.

Beautiful girls who looked so delicate would be cherished and admired by those around them no matter where they were.

Yet they still faced the Honkai without hesitation, protecting this beautiful world.

Han Jiang did not know what the others thought, but he felt deeply moved. Since he had been given a system and had come to this world, he had an obligation to share the burdens resting upon those seemingly slender shoulders.

With Kiana taking the lead, the girls' enthusiasm was stirred, and the camp's tense atmosphere eased somewhat.

Himeko looked at these girls, so much like her own younger self, and revealed a gratified smile.

"Bringing you here for practical training does not mean you are expected to eliminate every Deadwalker and Honkai Beast here. It is meant to train your awareness of danger and your practical combat ability. Learn to distinguish priorities."

"Only after you yourselves become strong can you quell greater Honkai outbreaks. Do not sacrifice the greater for the lesser. I have said enough aboard the battleship and at the school, so I will not repeat myself."

"Your task today is to familiarize yourselves with the nearby terrain. The practical training will last for one month. Do not be too aggressive or venture too deeply into Honkai-infested areas."

"The communication system has already been linked with the camp. Make good use of your Battlegear's support systems. That is all."

Himeko rattled off a series of instructions. It was already afternoon, so she made no further arrangements.

After they were dismissed, students close to one another left in groups of two or three, most beginning by familiarizing themselves with the camp.

They could not exactly go out to eliminate Deadwalkers and Honkai Beasts, then return without knowing what facilities their accommodations had or what they were like.

"Mei, Bronya, let's go!" Kiana waved her fist and headed toward the camp gate.

Mei grabbed Kiana's arm and said, "Kiana, you're too impatient. We should familiarize ourselves with the camp first, then check out where we'll be staying, and only after that should we set out to eliminate Deadwalkers."

"Sharpening the knife does not delay the chopping of wood." Fu Hua, who had not yet left, nodded in agreement from nearby.

Han Jiang smiled. "When we went to St. Freya for school, shouldn't we have first found out where our dormitory and classroom were before going to class?"

"Idiot Kiana." Bronya remained expressionless.

Seeing everyone's reactions, Kiana scratched her head, realizing she had been rash. Still unwilling to concede, she said, "I saw Deadwalkers wandering around when we were on the battleship. I was worried they might hurt civilians, so I got anxious."

"Teacher Himeko already said that Schicksal had safely evacuated Changkong City's ordinary civilians. Did you fall asleep again while the teacher was talking?" Mei said helplessly.

"Uh, I didn't. I just forgot, that's all." Kiana stuck out her tongue.

"What are your plans?" Han Jiang asked, looking at them.

Mei considered it and said, "We'll check out the accommodations first, then familiarize ourselves with the camp."

Han Jiang nodded. That was more or less his plan as well.

But Han Jiang, as a God of War, was male, so his destination was completely different from the girls'.

As a camp dedicated to the long-term elimination of Honkai, Changkong Camp housed a large number of Schicksal Valkyries, as well as quite a few logistics support personnel.

Given how rare male "Valkyries" were, Han Jiang was, unsurprisingly, assigned to stay in the Logistics Department.