Through the "Magnetic Ring," Ronan and Sergeant Major Le Zuo entered the vessel one after the other.
The latter had initially been worried, but while still in midair, he watched the "Segmenter" buzz out from Ronan's body. Like Flying Ants, they suddenly spread out and closed again, quickly gathering away cleanly. He could not help muttering,
"Suspected... rule violation."
Ronan glanced back at him. Unoffended, he merely smiled.
Le Zuo snorted and kept a hand on Ronan's shoulder as they headed deeper into the vessel—the "Magnetic Ring" was still in effect, effectively restraining them as it pushed them forward. Otherwise, they would likely have been flung around by the vessel's frequent sharp maneuvers like metal balls bouncing off the walls.
Along the way, they sensed that the vessel had gained some altitude. Its sharp maneuvers became less frequent, its flight steadier, and the structural creaks from the metal inner walls quieter.
"That also counts as suspected... rule violation," Le Zuo continued to grumble.
This H-shaped multipurpose vessel was officially designated the "Short Bridge" model. Divided into left and right sections, it had a typical dual-core configuration. The two sides could work together like the left and right hemispheres of a brain, or operate independently. To ensure versatility and flexibility, however, some structural strength had inevitably been sacrificed.
It was one of the Tian Yuan Army's most popular low-altitude aircraft.
Taking one to the front lines required a little extra courage.
Still, Ronan recalled the intelligence he knew about Field Officer Fang Shu and did not think the man was the type to take meaningless risks.
They had seen almost no one aboard the vessel. Even upon reaching the bridge's Central District, there were only a scattered few, most of them operators tensely controlling the vessel as it flew at ultra-low