As everyone knew, Sequence Abilities usually had very concise names that directly pointed to their Core Ability.
The [Knight] stood at Sequence 120, and its strength was no small thing.
At First Order, those who awakened this ability gained basic adaptability to all vehicles. As they advanced, they could further enhance a vehicle's performance in every respect.
In other words, as long as the battlefield was spacious enough, a [Knight] could put up a formidable fight. With their maneuverability pushed to the limit, they might even challenge Sequences ranked higher than theirs.
So when Jiang Mian raised the question, the atmosphere inside the vehicle turned rather peculiar.
"Well, uh..."
Qin Wu's old face reddened, and his eyes darted around.
"Pfft..."
Gu An, in the passenger seat, tried to press down the corners of his mouth, but couldn't quite keep it together. Even Li Huan, who was usually silent, let the corners of his mouth twitch upward almost imperceptibly.
Qin Wu raised a hand to rub his brow and sighed.
"In theory, that's how it works. My ability can indeed enhance vehicles.
"But once I start driving, if I get out halfway through, ordinary vehicles can't withstand the enhancement. At best, some parts malfunction; at worst, the whole thing falls apart..."
That was all Jiang Mian needed to hear. She blinked. So he was a vehicle killer, and once his ability kicked in, he was basically welded to the car?
It seemed the official information only gave a general introduction. It hadn't mentioned any of the finer details.
It was hard for Qin Wu to find suitable Mutated Bone Weapons.
Research and development currently focused on cold weapons. As for things like firearms and vehicles, they were rare and complicated to manufacture, so they were incredibly expensive.
Su Wanning changed the subject with a smile.
"Besides, Gu An needs to use his ability to clear a path, and Huan... likes driving fast. All things considered, I'm still the best choice."
Qin Wu spread his hands, wearing an expression that said, "That's just how it is. What can I do?"
Jiang Mian nodded in understanding.
The little diversion quickly passed, and the off-road vehicle continued toward the base. Before long, they were back Inside the Wall.
The vehicle came to a stop. Jiang Mian climbed out and looked in surprise at the brightly lit corridor Inside the Wall.
No wonder there were hardly any streetlights in the city. They'd put them all here.
Qin Wu and the others had already taken the team's equipment back to the lounge. They said they needed to perform routine maintenance, and that the two of them could go get some rest.
Su Wanning closed the car door, checked the time on her terminal, then looked at Jiang Mian, who seemed to be lost in thought beside her. She spoke gently.
"Jiang Mian, we got back late today, and it'd be inconvenient to go back into the city. Why don't you stay in the dormitory tonight?"
During the day, they had nearly finished preparing the vacant bed, and they'd also picked up a full set of new supplies. It would be perfectly fine to make do.
"Okay."
Jiang Mian didn't think much of it and nodded.
"Then head back to the dormitory first. I'll go get some supplies and be right back."
When Jiang Mian stayed where she was, Su Wanning looked puzzled. "Aren't you coming?"
"Um... Sister Su..."
Jiang Mian lowered her head and clasped her hands together.
"I might... not remember the way to the dormitory. Could I come with you to get the supplies, then go back together?"
Su Wanning froze for a moment, then let out an amused laugh. So that was the problem.
The corridors Inside the Wall were like a maze. It was easy for newcomers to get lost.
"My fault. I was in such a hurry this morning that I forgot to show you the way properly."
She wasn't the least bit reproachful. Instead, she spoke softly.
"Let's go together. After a few trips, you'll get the hang of it."
A little while later, Jiang Mian followed Su Wanning, carrying several toiletry kits.
As a heavy iron door swung open, the two of them officially entered the Dormitory Area.
Unlike the cold, austere corridors outside, the atmosphere in the Dormitory Area was much more relaxed.
The way City Defense managed Awakened people was completely different from the military as Jiang Mian knew it. Their schedules were strictly regulated, but they had considerably more freedom in other respects.
Now was already time to rest. The corridor was mostly filled with female Awakened who had just finished washing up, and they were generally quite young—almost all under thirty.
Since the Dormitory Area was relatively enclosed and separate, many people dressed quite casually.
Most had spent long periods training for missions, or had bodies enhanced by their abilities, so their figures were especially well-proportioned. Looking around, hardly anyone was out of shape.
For more than twenty years in her Previous Life, Jiang Mian had lived as a man. She was sure that her sexual orientation had been perfectly normal back then.
The scene before her—their stretching limbs, casual clothes, and complete lack of wariness—might ordinarily have made her sneak a few extra glances or stirred up a few ripples of masculine feeling in her heart.
But nothing happened.
Maybe it was because she didn't have the equipment anymore?
Jiang Mian felt remarkably calm about it. At most, she thought they had great figures.
She even instinctively compared herself to them... Yeah, she wasn't as big as they were. She won, hands down.
Wait, Bu Dui!
Jiang Mian froze from head to toe. What had she just been thinking?!
A rare flicker of panic rose in her heart.
Why had she started making this kind of inexplicable comparison? That made no sense at all!
Jiang Mian suddenly realized that her way of thinking seemed to have been changing imperceptibly.
Before, she had only been playing the role of "Jiang Mian." Her way of thinking and understanding of the world had still belonged to the original "her." But now...
"We're here."
"Huh? Oh, right."
Jiang Mian hurriedly came back to herself, nearly bumping into Su Wanning's back.
Jiang Mian had visited the dormitory once during the day, but she hadn't looked around carefully.
Now that she saw it, it seemed pretty spacious. Each person had the standard setup of a bed and a desk.
She'd heard she had two other roommates, but she hadn't met them during the day because they were out on duty.
From the things on their desks, she could get a rough idea of their personalities.
On the desk to the left, a row of books sat neatly arranged. From the titles, they looked like collections of stories or novels.
The desk on the right, though, had a much wider variety of things—and was, to put it mildly, a bit of a mess. Besides all kinds of little snacks she'd never seen before, there were also cushions printed with strange patterns.
"They should both be back by now."
As she spoke, Su Wanning called into the room.
"Qiuyu? Xiaoyue?"
"Right here, Sister Su!"
A bright voice called from outside.
A moment later, a girl with a high ponytail, a loose T-shirt, and shorts opened the balcony door and poked her head in.
When she spotted Jiang Mian behind Su Wanning, her eyes lit up, and she darted inside.
"You must be the new girl! Hi, hi! I'm Lin Xiaoyue, Sequence 84, on the Radiance Path, with Myriad Rainbows. We're roommates from now on. Let's get along!"
Jiang Mian had never met someone so enthusiastic before. She was momentarily dazed, and even without trying to control it, her voice came out soft and gentle.
"...Hi, I'm Jiang Mian, Sequence 48, on the Elemental Path, with the Eye of the Storm."
"Wow! Another High-tier Sequence!"
Lin Xiaoyue exclaimed, her expression exaggerated with excitement.
Jiang Mian was a little confused. Did that mean her other roommate was also...
"Xiaoyue, don't scare her."
A calm female voice came from behind her.
Jiang Mian turned around. A tall girl had just walked in.
Her features were delicate, and her eyes carried a hint of distant coolness. Her hair was still damp, and she exuded an indescribable elegance.
She was...
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