Chapter 203

Jessica pulled the trigger grip to eject the dud cartridge, then fired again, with another crisp 'click'... the Etch Rounds failed to fire again.

Clearly, even Jessica, with her exceptional mental fortitude, was struggling to keep up. The ponytail-wearing cat narrowed her eyes slightly, Jessica, and then, puzzled, pulled one-third of the gun to check the feed status. She then reset it and tapped the charging handle... But when she pulled the trigger, this time the magazine fell out, leaving the onlookers dumbfounded.

Wu Yiqi said, "... Wow, that's amazing..."

"Really."

"... I meant Jessica... she's so patient."

"Really."

Amidst the banter between Rosemary and Liskarm, Jessica reinstalled the fallen magazine, chambered a round, and, to ensure the Etch Rounds were in place, tapped the gun handle... and fired.

This time it was a little better than before, triggering five shots.

Then, as expected, it jammed again... This time, Jessica simply replaced the magazine, pulled the bolt to eject the bullets to the bolt hold-open, and as an Etch Rounds round fell out of the bolt and magazine well, she loaded a new magazine... Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-click.

Pull the bolt, click.

Pull the bolt again, bang bang Liulin 2 (two) VIII sika.

Pull the bolt again, bang!

Pull the bolt again, bang!

At this stage of the test, Rosemary felt that firing one shot and then pulling back might improve shooting efficiency even further.

Jessica finally breathed a sigh of relief when the magazine was empty and the gun went flat...

Regardless, firing thirty bullets in sixty seconds is a result that even Jessica, who believes she still has much to improve upon, is somewhat speechless about.

She removed the magazine, reset the gun, and pulled the bolt twice more to confirm that no bullets remained in the chamber... Nana's teachings on bullet discipline had deeply penetrated Jessica's very being.

Finally, she pulled the trigger again, and with a click of the pin, Jessica put down Victoria's 'superb gun'.

Upon meeting Rosemary and Liskarm's gaze, the three of them simultaneously revealed similar smiles.

"That won't work."

"Not really."

"That definitely won't work."

After laughing for a while, Jessica's work was finally over.

Liskarm's next target was naturally Franka, who was openly slacking off, while Jessica packed her things and prepared to head to another location.

"Rosemary, would you like to go with me to see Medic's test?"

"... Nana's?"

"Yes, it's said they've been equipped with new gear... and it's also a demonstration for this year's Rhodes Island Elite Operator Assessment, so Medic will be the first to test the new equipment."

"All the field operations team members should have received invitations. Little Cat, do you have any unread text messages?"

Hearing Jessica's explanation, Rosemary belatedly took out the communication Terminal issued by Rhodes Island. Seeing the bright red '99+' unread notifications on Rosemary's communication software icon, Jessica, who always checked messages immediately, almost fainted.

"Rosemary, do you never read company news?!"

"I think... if I see anything about myself, I'll call them..."

"But you didn't click on it, right? In that case, the message won't show as read."

As she spoke, Jessica guided Rosemary step-by-step through the process of entering various work groups to delete unread messages.

But while helping Rosemary reply to chat messages, Jessica noticed that Little Cat didn't ignore all messages... at least she would reply to messages from 'Amiya' and 'Teacher Kal'tsit' as soon as possible.

So... this kid did this on purpose, accumulating so many unread messages on the chat app?

No, no, no, no, how could I possibly speculate about this child with such dark thoughts...? He's probably just simply uninterested in news that doesn't concern him.

After restoring Rosemary's communication software to a clean state with all messages read, Rosemary, having retrieved her phone, finally saw the notifications sent in the Elite Operator group and the Rhodes Island Field Staff Mission Group.

"... Permission to publicly observe the competency test?"

"Yes, Medic is the first one, the title is 'New Equipment Test for Senior Elite Operator'... and the simulation battles for the others can be watched from the sidelines."

"Those willing to participate in this simulation battle for assessment are all highly skilled Operations Department operators! Although we can watch the recordings later, observing in person will definitely be more rewarding... So, want to come along?"

Obviously, since Nana is involved, Rosemary will definitely be there.

Although the Little Cat was still a little worried that yesterday's events would be brought up separately, it was a public place after all, and Nana and Kal'tsit- sensei would probably give her some face.

As for Amiya, who was definitely present... well, Rosemary has absolutely no face in front of Amiya.

In short, accompanied by the Blacksteel Squad, Rosemary, who probably wouldn't have gone alone, was also led to the largest training ground.

The area originally intended for scenario simulation is now surrounded by a large number of people... Rosemary even spotted Officer Finn and Officer Kroos, whom she had met briefly in Ticarondo a few years ago...

The Little Cat didn't care how they got to Rhodes Island, or why they were wearing Rhodes Island trainee operator uniforms.

The moment Rosemary arrived, her tactical gear caught the eye of Medic, who was surrounded by items similar to her own tactical gear in the center of the field.

Closure and Weedy were both holding Terminal and connected to the four 'Tactical Unit' that were still emitting cold air via wired connection, but what attracted Rosemary's attention even more was Medic's current attire.

The Little Cat knew that Nana had a very strange one-piece black stocking outfit. She had seen Nana running around in just that outfit with whatever she could find on top.

Perhaps because Nana always wore oversized, heavy suit jackets or Rhodes Island uniforms, even though Little Cat often saw Nana's body lines, he had no idea what Nana's figure actually was.

The professional fashion designer seems to have broken Nana's curse of always being unremarkable; now, Medic is undoubtedly the focus of everyone's attention.

Her neat, short black hair swayed slightly in the breeze from the block's ventilation fan, and her cat ears, adorned with clip-on earpieces, trembled occasionally. A battlefield recorder, which she never parted with, hung on her side. A blue ribbon on her sideband held an enhanced communication repeater, the kind only Rhodes Island operation team captains would wear. Her heterochromatic eyes, emerald green and blue, were intently checking the equipment against two senior engineers.

The white fur-trimmed windbreaker features a multi-layered structure and blue tactical straps, while the seemingly ordinary Rhodes Island medical patch conceals the formidable Contingency Contract Catastrophe Messengers emblem. On the other shoulder, the 'Light of Ticarondo' medal is openly displayed.

The modified neckband-style bodysuit, with the external leather strap components removed, still had hot pants on her lower body... This seemed to be Nana's last act of defiance regarding her need for ventilation.

The glossy stockings with the word "Rhodes Island" printed on them accentuated the girl's slender figure, while the short boots with stiff ankle braces had a metallic blue matte finish... It was hard to tell whether those were decorations or if Medic was wearing heavy combat boots that could actually knock someone over if kicked.

The massive Tactical Unit, with its four sides red and white borders, is connected to Medic's back shoulder blades via mechanical arms, with several mechanical arms, each about the length of a girl's forearm, folded and connected together.

As the inspection concluded and Weedy and Closure left, the seemingly slender hollow robotic arm effortlessly lifted the massive Tactical Unit. Then, the robotic arm interface, which appeared to be fixed below the cervical spine, slid down, and the external device, which slightly bulged out of the clothing, finally came to rest on Medic's waist.

As four shields enveloped Medic, two on the left and two on the right, while the other two lined up side by side, obscuring the girl's back... Kal'tsit's calm voice echoed throughout the arena via broadcast:

[The testing of Medic's Heavy Tactical Unit will begin immediately. All operators, please remain within the designated safe zone and wait... Medic, are you ready?]

The short-haired girl extended her hand, giving a thumbs-up, and Kal'tsit nodded in response.

[Alright, the Tactical Unit power-on test... begins!]

PS: Waaaaaaah!

This chapter was supposed to be Jessica's chapter, so I should at least include a picture of Jessica, but it seems I'm out of Jessica pictures... So I'll just continue sending them in order. (Wu)

PSS: Highlights of this chapter: Victoria's amazing L85 gun, a cat with a truly feline personality, and... a certain assassin forced to become conspicuous, lol.

Wearing hot pants over a bodysuit—this is Nana's last act of defiance. 2333 Qi

Although I'd like Nana to wear something a bit more revealing... let her get used to it for now. Once she's comfortable with clothes that show off her figure, she can wear Skadi's outfit to the summer event. (laughs)

6th Patriot's Gun: 221 Simulation Battle

Actually, Medic didn't quite understand why Kal'tsit was making such a big fuss about demonstrating her new equipment.

Rhodes Island is not lacking in military strength, or rather, its Rhodes Island strength is more than sufficient for a pharmaceutical company... even excluding SWEEP, which is known to Medic but remains completely unknown to this day.

Among those Medic is familiar with, ACE and Huang's E3 Operations Team, and Yato and Durin's A4 Operations Team... they are all excellent field personnel.

The instructor team under the Human Resources Department is led by the Bolivar army, which has been battle-hardened in modern times. Besides the Rhodes Island Landship, Theresa's military legacy from the Babel era must also be substantial...

What terrible disaster could Kal'tsit be so anxiously seeking combat power to cope with, even at the cost of revealing her ability to equip such heavy equipment?

What she was worried about, what she was wary of, what she was threatening... Medic had no idea.

But I will do my best.

Whether this demonstration is meant to encourage internally or deter externally, Medic must first do its own job well. As for the rest... whether it's seeking to know how things will develop or questioning the meaning of the action, those questions can be answered gradually later.

At this moment, the black-haired girl stood in the center of the training field, carrying Tactical Unit that resembled four shields on her back.

Operating the robotic arm via neural signals, just like using her own limbs, was not difficult for Medic... In fact, the girl herself was surprised by her proficiency.

As Kal'tsit's voice came through the headphones, Medic reopened his eyes and looked at the observation tower hundreds of meters away.

[Medic... This is the final check before activation. How is the status?]

"I don't feel anything unusual; everything is normal."

[Your nerve signals just showed clear signs of contemplation and doubt... If there's anything you want to know, you can come to my office later, and I can explain it to you slowly... But right now, I need to confirm one thing, a test of whether you and your equipment can meet my tactical expectations.]

Listening to Kal'tsit's words—whether it was a spur-of-the-moment decision or something she had deliberately concealed until now—Medic's attitude remained unchanged... Although skirmishes were Medic's least favorite thing, skirmish-style tests were always easier to handle than sudden life-or-death situations. Medic almost reflexively entered combat mode:

"I understand... So who is my opponent?"

[... Specter Operator.]

As the training ground elevator was suddenly activated, and the orange warning lights flashed, Specter, wielding a circular saw and dressed in a nun's habit, was slowly transported by the elevator to the training ground a hundred meters away.

As the railing lowered, the nun, carrying a circular saw in one hand, waved and smiled, while slightly lifting her skirt with her right hand to bow to Medic, who had checked on her and changed her dressing the day before.

[Greetings, Miss Medic. I'm a little embarrassed, but Dr. Kal'tsit has asked me to give it my all, and I will prove my worth here.]

"... Are you alright? My previous treatment of you was quite conservative..."

"Please rest assured, although there's still no progress in memory recovery, thanks to your treatment, I haven't lost control again... Although Dr. Kal'tsit said my physical functions have deteriorated significantly, after sparring with others, I feel I'm still quite strong, so Miss Medic, please be careful and don't get hurt."

The nun's gentle concern left Medic speechless. He was actually being told by a patient to be careful not to get hurt—wasn't that supposed to be his line?

Although Medic wanted to question Kal'tsit about why she would make her own patient her opponent, Kal'tsit's tone was very serious, and that 'tactical expectation' also made Nana very concerned... It seemed that her equipment and what Kal'tsit was wary of were somewhat related to this nun.

In short, since Kal'tsit said that any questions could be asked her later, Medic's only concern now is how to maximize his combat effectiveness.

With a sigh, Medic turned slightly to face the Specter wielding a circular saw. The wired connections of the four Tactical Unit and the pipelines of the Liquid Originium Steam Engine simultaneously detached.

As the Originium fuel tank of the Tactical Unit hissed from its sealed opening due to the high-pressure Originium Steam, Medic, feeling the surging power returned by the cutting-edge industrial capabilities it possessed, sincerely urged:

"... You're the one who should be careful not to get hurt later."

Taking a step forward, Weedy, who had been monitoring Medic's condition, began to report the Tactical Unit data she had observed to the entire field:

[Tactical Unit activation confirmed! Originium Engine have started operating. Turbines one through Number Four are visibly activating. Originium Steam pressure is rising... 50%, 80%, 150%... Critical!]

Meanwhile, Closure, who was in charge of monitoring the Medic spell module, also spoke up nervously:

[Tactical Unit spell synchronization confirmed... Neural connection programs 1-3500 all passed, device synchronization rate 65%! Confirm startup!]

The turbocharger's fan whirred and pierced the air. With Medic's 'standby' command, an X-shaped wing flashing with red fluorescence popped out from the center of the four vehicle-level spellcasting units... Unlike Little Cat's Tactical Unit, which floated silently like Ghost, Medic's Tactical Unit were more like heavy drones the size of a person.

As the four 'shields' detached from the robotic arm, and crimson flames briefly and continuously erupted around the shields, Tactical Unit flashing red fluorescence surrounded Medic with eerie, sharp buzzing sounds, like guards protecting a queen.

"Is this considered ready?"

Specter kicked the Phosphate VIII Fin-shaped Circular Saw it was leaning on, then turned it on. The circular saw instantly sprang to its maximum speed, and with just a scrape, sparks flew as it dug a piece off the special metal training ground floor.

"Then, I'm going!"

The moment the words left his mouth, he vanished from his spot, and a cloud of dust suddenly rose up on the path the Specter was taking towards him... Medic instantly activated his reflexive Halo, and then, relying on his 'Self-Protection' instincts, Tactical Unit with the same Halo appearing at the 'vertical top' blocked his path. Then, accompanied by a tooth-grinding metallic cutting sound... the massive impact sent the Tactical Unit and Medic himself flying more than ten meters.

"Medical doctor? Are you alright?"

"... Thankfully... your strength seems to be significantly greater when you're conscious than when you're berserk..."

"Hehe, I meant I'm actually pretty strong, right?"

As they were talking, while the nun awkwardly twisted and turned with the circular saw handle, Medic glanced at the data recorded by his Tactical Unit during the attack... He had been about 100 meters away from the Specter, and there were only a brief 0.3 seconds between his reaction and being hit.

Although the Tactical Unit did not observe any sonic boom-like phenomena, the Specter just now was indeed very close to the speed of sound.

Despite being just a nun, her physical abilities have drastically declined, yet she can still unleash such a high level of attack... If Kal'tsit is worried about enemies like this, then her duel with Specter is indeed quite... valuable for reference.

And as Medic was once again surrounded by shields, Specter once again picked up his circular saw:

"Have you snapped out of it yet? The next two attacks are coming in quick succession!"

"Don't worry about me, just attack with all your might..."

Seeing the Halo of Medic take on a bluish hue, the Specter had once again attacked with terrifying force, undoubtedly hit a wall... The saw blade that had successfully embedded itself into the shield began to rapidly consume itself after taking on a thin blue glow on the shield's surface.

Compared to the first impact that embedded itself a full eight centimeters, the second strike only scratched the red paint on the shield's surface.

Despite Specter's efforts to press the circular saw against the shield marked '01', amidst the sparks flying, the saw blade itself visibly shrank.

"So hard?!"