Choosing a Weapon, 'Cannon'

Jiang Mian raised her hand and knocked lightly on the door panel.

"Please, come in."

A steady, masculine voice sounded from behind the door.

She pushed open the heavy metal door as instructed.

The lounge was not lit, making it dimmer than the outside. The furnishings were quite simple, consisting only of a few tables and chairs, and a storage cabinet against the wall.

The moment she stepped inside, several gazes landed squarely on her.

The four people in the room possessed auras far more solid than those of the Awakened she had sensed outside.

Once she finished sensing them, Jiang Mian sealed off her perception and aura to prevent the "scent" of the Awakened from interfering with her roleplay.

The burly, middle-aged man in the lead exuded a faint sense of oppression.

She could be certain that he was definitely a Third-tier Awakened!

Perhaps because she carried the title of a "genius," even as an intern, the higher-ups had assigned her to an elite squad?

Jiang Mian lowered her head slightly, quickly putting on an expression of nervousness and unease.

"You must be the new intern, right? I am Qin Wu, the captain here."

Qin Wu's voice was resonant, yet his tone was quite easygoing, standing in stark contrast to the attitude of the Awakened outside.

"Hello."

She bowed slightly, but Qin Wu waved his hand and said:

"No need to be so formal. When we aren't on a mission, the atmosphere in our squad is usually pretty relaxed. You'll understand once you've spent some time with us."

After saying this, he turned his head to look at the remaining three people.

"Everyone, don't just stand there. Come over and meet our new teammate."

The young man who had been standing by the window looking outside was the first to turn around. He stepped forward and said:

"Li Huan, Sequence 100, War path, Charge."

Jiang Mian felt a jolt in her heart. Why did she feel... a sense of familiarity from this person? Was it just an illusion?

Before she could think it over, the older-looking man beside him followed Li Huan's lead and spoke with a smile:

"Gu An, Sequence 234, Radiance path, Explorer."

Immediately after, the only other woman in the squad stood up as well. She looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with gentle features, and spoke softly:

"Su Wanning, Sequence 186, Myriad Spirits path, Healing."

This team... it really is an elite squad.

She had a rough understanding that most squads wouldn't bring a healer from the Myriad Spirits path; if they were to face a Calamity, they would be the primary target.

Only a team with sufficient strength would allocate a dedicated position for one.

Once everyone had finished their introductions, Qin Wu spoke up again, his voice ringing out:

"I am Sequence 120, War path, Knight. We're a team now, so let's get to know each other slowly. If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask at any time."

Jiang Mian chose the right moment to reveal a slightly shy smile and introduced herself:

"Jiang Mian, Sequence 48, Element path, Eye of the Storm."

"How much?!"

No sooner had she finished speaking than Gu An's question blurted out.

He immediately realized he had overreacted, reined in his overly surprised expression, patted Qin Wu on the shoulder, and said:

"Nice, Old Qin. No wonder you were being so mysterious before; it turns out a genius has joined our team."

Qin Wu chuckled, neither confirming nor denying it.

He knew that with talent like Jiang Mian's, she was likely only here to gain some experience and wouldn't stay for long.

If you like this book, remember to add it to your Bookshelf so you don't lose it next time.

However, a Sequence Ability that ranks in the top fifty is vastly different in quality compared to those further down the list.

Even at the First Order, it is stronger than some ordinary Second-tier Awakened.

Su Wanning also covered her mouth slightly and sighed softly:

"Oh my god... Sequence 48..."

Standing to the side, Li Huan's expression shifted the moment he heard Jiang Mian's name.

The matter regarding his cousin was no secret within the family.

Although his second uncle hated that his cousin was a disappointment, he actually cared about him quite a bit.

He didn't know if it was just his imagination, but Li Huan always felt that since that incident, his second uncle had been acting a bit strange.

Come to think of it, it was his cousin who was at fault for causing that accident in the first place, so Li Huan didn't intend to do anything. After all, that matter had nothing to do with him, and even less to do with the squad.

He just needed to treat her like any other ordinary teammate.

Jiang Mian keenly captured the fleeting abnormality in Li Huan's expression. Although she felt a bit strange about it, her face remained calm, as if she hadn't noticed a thing.

"Alright!"

Qin Wu clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention back to him.

"That's enough, don't just stand there. Little Jiang is new here and isn't familiar with the place yet. Come on, let's take her around the training grounds and get her equipment sorted out while we're at it."

After saying this, he pushed open the door and strode outside. The others hurried to follow, while Su Wanning stayed behind in the lounge to remain on duty.

The group passed through the corridors inside the city wall and arrived at a spacious, brightly lit training ground.

Jiang Mian had originally assumed that the city wall was mostly solid, but she hadn't expected it to be a world of its own inside, equivalent to a large-scale military base.

According to Qin Wu, the wall was divided into several levels: the bottom was the logistics area, the middle was the living quarters, and the top was the true front line.

However... even with such strict defenses, some Calamities still managed to sneak in, whether through disguises or underground pipes, using every possible means.

"These are standard Two-star Standard Equipment. While they aren't top-tier, their performance is stable and reliable. You can pick whichever one feels comfortable to use for now."

Qin Wu pointed to the weapon racks at the edge of the training ground.

Jiang Mian followed his gaze and saw rows of weapons with various designs on the racks.

Most were cold weapons crafted from unknown metals, and some still retained the grotesque features of the Calamities' bodies, giving them a rather peculiar aesthetic.

However, she skipped over these cold weapons entirely. Under the slightly surprised gazes of her teammates, she walked straight toward a large-caliber sniper rifle with a rugged design.

"Captain, I choose... this one?"

Jiang Mian asked with an uncertain tone.

She tentatively picked it up. It was quite heavy; if she hadn't undergone enhancement, she probably wouldn't have been able to lift it, let alone use it.

Qin Wu raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised, and asked:

"'Cannon'? Are you sure you want this? Although the quality of this thing isn't bad, it's a single-shot weapon. Its effectiveness in actual combat might be... rather mediocre."

The one in Jiang Mian's hand was a rare type of Mutated Bone Weapon. Because it used special materials, the gun body was exceptionally hard; using it as a club to bash people wasn't entirely out of the question.

However, the matching ammunition was much more precious. Ordinary bullets would work, but their power would be significantly reduced.

"Yeah."

Gu An agreed.

"During missions outside the wall, Calamities and Mist Creatures usually appear in swarms. Using this... might be quite a struggle."

As everyone knew, even low-sequence, low-level Calamities possessed remarkably tenacious vitality.

Unless special ammunition is used, it is difficult to finish off a target with a single bullet.

The weapon in Jiang Mian's hand, though nicknamed "Cannon," was only called that due to its exaggerated design; the decisive factor for its output remained the special ammunition.

"I understand what everyone is saying."

She shook her head, not in a rush to refute them.

"But... my ability is actually quite compatible with it. Captain, can you let me try it first?"

After speaking, Jiang Mian looked up, gazing at Qin Wu with eager eyes.