AI for Simulated Combat

Just as Draco had said.

This "study material" dealt them a massive blow.

"Well?"

Draco watched the two men, who remained stunned even after the recording finished, and asked coldly.

"I have to admit, I reckon one of him could take ten of us..."

Even Moody, usually so confident, could only offer a wry smile as he continued.

"My intuition tells me that if I run into this man, I probably won't survive."

"But how did he do it?"

"It's clearly a Ginn, yet he was so fast."

As elites, they had thoroughly studied the Ginn's manual, whether for the sake of knowing their enemy or for their own piloting.

No matter how one looked at it, Le Creuset's speed exceeded the limit of a standard Ginn.

Even his thruster flare was several times larger than anyone else's.

"He must have disabled the limiters."

Xu De said, his heart—which had been slightly buoyed by his realization of the Ambidextrous Combat technique—sinking back to where it belonged.

If he were to truly face Le Creuset.

Even if he used both hands to fire simultaneously, it would only be a matter of dying sooner or later.

The gap between the two sides was still too vast.

"Then how does he control it?"

Moody spoke instinctively before realizing he had asked a foolish question.

"Ah, the Coordinator superman..."

The desire for revenge in Moody's heart quietly faded away.

The way the opponent fought, going up against him wasn't revenge; it was suicide.

"One more year..."

Xu De, however, had thoughts different from Moody's.

Unless he gave up the Gundam, there was still a possibility he would run into the man.

Although he would certainly try to find a way to avoid a head-on collision when the time came.

But who could say for sure?

Xu De did not fight battles he wasn't certain of winning.

Taking the worst-case scenario into account and creating a contingency plan was the most reliable approach.

The position of a Gundam pilot allowed him to enjoy elite treatment, and this risk was the price that came with it.

He already knew their approximate time of invasion; next, he just needed to exploit the time difference and secure the Gundam early.

With targeted training and the performance gap of the machine, it wasn't impossible.

Even if they were Red-uniform elites, even if they were bosses, their combat capability would surely be greatly diminished if they were stuck in a Ginn or a CGUE.

"Alright, let's call it a day. My girlfriend is waiting for me to come over."

After analyzing for another half-day, Moody checked his watch and waved his hand.

"Girlfriend?"

Still lost in his own thoughts, Xu De instinctively repeated the word upon hearing it.

"Yeah, didn't I mention it~?"

"I have a girlfriend, you know~ She's a cute communications officer, beautiful and sweet-voiced."

Moody laughed, the smile on his face looking incredibly punchable.

"Nobody asked you."

Draco let out his usual cold snort.

Moody didn't care about Draco's attitude in the slightest, simply continuing to smile at Xu De.

"So, what do you say? Want me to introduce a few to you?"

"Phoenix is not someone to be trifled with."

Responding to what was clearly Moody having received the news, Xu De continued.

"No thanks."

"Fine, but your time is too short. When you have a chance, I'll give you some special training."

"?"

With an expression that suggested he wanted to throw a punch, Xu De was playfully shooed out by Moody along with the other person.

On the other side, Draco, who had walked out alongside Xu De, still wore his usual cold expression as he spoke.

"Moody makes a fair point; you'll have to gauge things for yourself."

"Duration?"

Xu De asked in return.

"Phoenix..."

Hearing Xu De's nonsense, the noble-like expression on Draco's face crumbled for a split second.

After saying that, he also quickened his pace and left.

Watching Draco's retreating figure, Xu De quickly withdrew his gaze.

He had to keep getting stronger.

Information and his own sphere of influence were both indispensable.

He could not give up on Phoenix.

He possessed no golden finger or system.

If he followed the conventional path, the time required to climb to the top would be agonizingly long.

Therefore, power, money, and strength were all essential.

Thinking of this, Xu De looked once again at the copies of Le Creuset's combat footage he held in his hands.

If he could have Le Creuset provide targeted training right in front of him, he would be much more confident about facing Le Creuset in the future.

No matter how sharp his mind was, it was difficult to run simulations.

After all, if he could already simulate Le Creuset's actions in his head, why would he even be afraid of Le Creuset?

"Where am I supposed to find a sparring partner with strength comparable to Le Creuset?"

Xu De began to ponder deeply.

First, there was Mu, but Mu's strength while piloting a Ginn probably wouldn't be anything special; compared to a half-baked Ginn, the Zero could better bring out the pilot's full potential.

At least, that was what the data suggested.

Moreover, Mu was an elite of the upper echelons; it was basically impossible for him to ask the man to be his sparring partner.

Just watch the videos?

Xu De kept thinking to himself.

"The intelligence of the simulator alone is still too..."

Thinking this, Xu De's train of thought suddenly paused.

Come to think of it, the AI in this simulator wasn't half bad.

At the very least, it felt like a standard Coordinator soldier.

Furthermore, its various judgment functions were quite comprehensive.

It wouldn't even fall for the same move twice in a single battle.

In other words, it possessed basic learning capabilities.

Even if it wasn't a true AI, it was close enough; it was certainly much more flexible than an ordinary computer.

"Can it simulate Le Creuset's combat patterns?"

Xu De muttered to himself.

However, although he was keen to give it a try, he was unfortunately no expert, so he felt rather helpless looking at the simulator in front of him.

"Call for help? But who to call?"

Xu De thought for a moment and quickly pulled out Revil's contact information.

Things he didn't know, others should.

He had already asked Bella for too many favors, and she seemed busy communicating with her family lately; as for his two teammates, they also seemed to have things to attend to.

Coincidentally, he hadn't spoken to Revil since the man went to the Eighth Fleet, and now that he had money, he should repay the favor he owed the man.

Having made up his mind, Xu De dialed the number.

Of course, this communication channel could only be used by officers within the Moon Base; it was a small privilege for a commissioned officer.

"Xu, why are you calling me all of a sudden?"

Revil's voice quickly came through the communication device.

"I'd like to treat you to a meal."

Xu De replied with a laugh.

"So, you've got money now, kid."

Hearing this, Revil laughed and scolded him before speaking again.

"I'm free tonight, you pick the place."

"Fine."

A simple dinner date was settled just like that.

"I never expected you to have such a taste for fine dining, kid."

Looking at the Chinese-style private room before him, Revil sighed before adding a word of caution, "But even if you have money now, you shouldn't spend it recklessly."

"Otherwise, when the time comes to retire..."

This place was exactly where Bella had treated Xu De to a meal before.

A single sitting would easily cost tens of thousands, and it was safe to say that even with Revil's salary, he wouldn't come here unless there was a special occasion.

Revil didn't finish his sentence, though the underlying jab at the Atlantic's retirement benefits was clear.

Of course, judging by the smile on Revil's face, he was still quite satisfied.