Retreat

Despite his reservations about riding a metal Monster, Jack Reacher climbed on anyway. The sound of police cars was getting closer and closer, and there wasn't much time to think.

Only after mounting it did he realize how this metal leopard had appeared, and how he was going to leave.

He hadn't heard a sound or noticed any signs when the metal leopard appeared; it was as if it had appeared out of nowhere.

Then came a series of aerial maneuvers that almost made him scream like a little girl—maneuvers unimaginable to most people—as he flew away from the dark alley in a running motion.

What started as a casual straddle turned into a precarious position as Jack Reacher almost lay prone, his feet on the pedals and his hands gripping the handles, securing himself firmly to the metal panther's back as the mechanical Monster hurtled vertically upwards toward the building's wall.

Because he hadn't tested what would happen to an ordinary person riding unprotected on the outside of the armor under the Hyper-Acceleration Ejection System, Henry didn't use this movement system, which was almost like teleportation, lest he kill Jack Reacher.

Even so, the gravity-assisted catapult movement of the Duck Leopard armor, with its aerial movement reaching speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour, still took a toll on Jack Reacher, who was riding it.

Although this method of movement is much slower than that of an airplane, an airplane is a vehicle that moves at a constant speed, while the Duck Leopard armor, with Kitty as its main body, does not have such an ingenious way of moving.

Just like animals that run on all fours, they are only given a forward force when their feet touch the ground and push forward. Then they alternate between their left and right legs.

That is, the acceleration is fastest at the moment of pushing off the ground, and then it gradually slows down until the other one or two feet push off the ground to accelerate.

However, the reason why ordinary animals' running speed appears uniform is because, through millions of years of evolution, their stride length and stride frequency have been perfectly coordinated, achieving the most harmonious state.

However, Kitty, who was "running" in the air using the Duck Leopard armor Gravity Ejection Device, still used the cadence that Tiger are used to, but her stride was much longer than before.

This allows Tiger that can sprint at speeds up to 65 kilometers per hour over short distances to be able to run at a sustained speed of 200 kilometers per hour. For Kitty, this action is not running, but simply walking.

The scientific explanation is that Kitty, wearing the Duck Leopard armor, could reach speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour by increasing her stride length while maintaining a low stride frequency.

The claim of a speed of 200 kilometers per hour is, of course, based on calculations of running distance and time. However, looking at the speed at each point in time, Kitty's speed is like that of Rabbit Armor, hopping and skipping, sometimes fast and sometimes slow.

Even with a consistent pace of change, it's hardly a comfortable experience for the rider, especially considering they have to endure this for over an hour to reach their destination.

When the Duck Leopard armor landed, Jack Reacher almost couldn't stand. The fact that he didn't kneel down and vomit like a woman was already a testament to his toughness. And one must have excellent physical fitness to have endured that ordeal.

The Support Mech, Little Duck, detached from the armor's back mounting slot and reactivated its levitation function. Kitty immediately ducked into the dressing tunnel, where she could also remove her armor.

Taking a few deep breaths, Jack Reacher complained, "I thought once I joined the Army, I wouldn't have to do with that damn flying. It's a leopard! Leopards don't fly!"

"Uh, I heard the Army also uses helicopters to transport troops," Henry said through the Little Duck.

"Therefore, I am a military policeman, not a ranger, and certainly not Delta Force!"

Okay. Henry is starting to understand why this guy has only traveled by bus since leaving the army and starting his nomadic life. Besides not having to register his name when buying bus tickets, he also doesn't like flying!

"Where am I?" Jack Reacher asked casually after complaining.

"All I can say is that this is my secret base. Please don't try to find out where this is. And if you do figure it out, don't tell me. Otherwise, I'll be caught in a dilemma about whether to kill you to silence you."

The thought flashed through his mind, and Jack Reacher readily agreed, saying, "Sure." He didn't want to go against the person who could control that metal panther.

At the same time, the small door beneath the container opened. Jack Reacher didn't see the expected figure, but rather a robot that barely reached his calves, carrying a tray, rolled out.

It's two spherical structures stacked on top of each other, with the lower body moving by rolling like a sphere. So saying "rolled out" isn't an expression of anger, but rather a statement of fact.

On the tray was an unopened bottle of water, the kind you see in supermarkets.

The Little Duck emitted an electronic voice, saying, "After an hour of high-speed movement and exposure to the elements, you are showing signs of mild dehydration. You can drink some water to replenish your fluids."

"Thanks." Jack Reacher took the bottled water, unscrewed the cap, and drank the 600ml bottle in one gulp.

What may seem like a careless act was actually a result of his prior inspection of the bottled water.

There was no strange water spraying after squeezing, indicating that it hadn't undergone syringe processing. The bottle cap remained in its factory condition, untouched. This is why he dared to drink it directly.

During this short break, he saw the metal mechanical leopard that had entered the container terminal's aisle transform into a Tiger and emerge...

It's clearly Tiger, but it's dressed as a leopard. Jack Reacher couldn't quite grasp this twisted sense of humor, but he was speechless.

Kitty didn't approach the only human present, nor the Support Mech floating in the air. Instead, she went to lie down in her usual bed. She hadn't forgotten that it was nighttime, time to rest.

Although Tiger can be active at night, they are not truly nocturnal animals. So, once the time comes, they are almost sleepy.

Henry certainly didn't intend for Jack Reacher to camp out in the open. Putting aside the fact that there was a Tiger nearby, the poor big guy had been thoroughly tormented by the Vampires and deserved a good rest, not to sleep under the open sky.

The Support Mech near the container door, under the dim incandescent light, used its versatile robotic arm to unlock the simple lock hanging on the door.

As the simple door opened, the lights inside the container room came on. This secret base, which had undergone several renovations, was no longer just a laboratory used to produce chemicals. It had been given many more functions.

The Little Duck said to Jack Reacher, who was standing outside, "Strong man, come in and rest. I'm sure you don't want to sleep in the wilderness with a Tiger, do you?"

Although he felt unfamiliar and unsafe with his surroundings and everything happening around him, Jack Reacher had to admit that having a roof over his head was much better than sleeping in the wilderness.

At least it seems to have an air of civilization inside.