Chapter 206

"Captain Medic is my idol! She's the Light of Ticarondo!"

She covered her face helplessly again. Although Su Sulo had been prepared for Cardigan's fangirl reaction in the past, seeing Medic being clung to by Cardigan, even though it wasn't obvious, the Little Fox was still filled with mixed feelings.

Fortunately, Cardigan listened to Medic. After all, the head instructor of the Dobermann had been glaring at them for a while. At Medic's request, Cardigan was eventually persuaded by her two friends to return to her seat, and the two returned to normal social distancing.

Just as Cardigan was giving Medic a long-winded explanation of their professional training over the past few years and complaining about how difficult the assessments were after the new instructors were assigned, several other people Medic didn't recognize gathered around.

"Hello, you must be Medic? The Light of Ticarondo?!"

Medic didn't recognize the three visitors, so he could only offer a polite smile... If Little Cat or Amiya were here, they would know them well.

As Medic's identity was confirmed, the blue-haired Kuranta, the girl with glasses, led the way, followed by the blonde and red-haired girls, who gave a solemn salute... After the Columbia military salute, the rifleman named Finn grasped Medic's hand: Qi

"Thank you so much... really... thank you so much!"

Watching the girl holding his hand's expression shift from serious to excited, and then the three of them burst into tears, Medic remained silent for a moment.

Given the nature of her work, she rarely receives direct gratitude... Even Medic herself often convinces herself with the habitual notion that 'this is part of the role.'

Being thanked in public like this is a first for Nana, regardless of her role.

Seeing the girls crying for no apparent reason, Medic gently patted their backs and pulled them into his arms. "Let's..."

"Did I help you...? That's really great."

PS: Waaaaaaah!

PSS: By the way, I seem to have forgotten to mention in the main text that Nana actually wears a church insignia... This was originally one of the proofs of her good relationship with the Outcast, but since I forgot, I'll leave it at that. There are just too many insignia that Nana could wear; it feels like she can't even fit all the armbands on her body.

We need to quickly strengthen Nana's personal identity as a Medic... sobs

Furthermore, the term "Silver Dancer" is currently only used by the Susas side to refer to 'Medic'... I will strive to make it the universally accepted term for Medic in this volume.

Also, this volume spans a whole year, so be prepared to see time-traveling information at any time (facepalm).

6th Ai Ling's VIII Bartholomew's Spear: 224 Brilliant Elite Promotion

"Seriously... weren't you here to see me take the exam? Why are you hugging yourself and crying again...?"

Watching Huang take out the brand-new chainsaw casting unit, attach it to the long handle, and sling it over his shoulder with a sigh, ACE, as Huang's captain and also her examiner, glanced at the stands, which were now attracting even more attention than the arena itself.

"Medic is indeed like that... In the past few years at Rhodes Island, she's either on duty or working herself to the bone. Most importantly, she's not only significant to Rhodes Island, but also the people she brought back six months ago; everyone in Babel is very grateful to her..."

Shrugging, ACE swung the hammer in his hand to warm up:

"It's just that we old guys won't hug like those young people. It's a good thing that young people are full of emotions, and they should say what they want to say when they can... Don't try to communicate with your eyes like we do. Many times, we find out afterwards that we didn't understand what you meant at all."

"ACE, you're actually quite extroverted, aren't you...?"

As the spell was activated, steam rose, and the three layers of chainsaw teeth crisscrossed, a sight that inspired awe. With crimson magical flames erupting from the cooling grates, Huang completed his warm-up:

"As you said, Captain, I've replaced it with a larger and heavier chainsaw. The new spell units can also withstand my heat output..."

"Oh? So the thermal cushioning systems for jumping into the battlefield from deployment vehicles can also be used... Although I did say that Rhodes Island operations teams always keep their word... Well, going overboard isn't a bad thing..."

As he spoke, ACE tossed a thermal bag to Huang, then grinned mischievously and made a 'ding' sound.

This was a joke that the ACE team members played on Huang when he first joined the company. The insulated bag, made with tin foil, contained Bolivar burritos made by ACE themselves.

Back then, in order to keep up with the high-intensity combat of the E3 Action Group, Huang trained desperately every day, and often just ate whatever he could find... In order to let this big cat, whose mind was full of 'fighting for the rights of the Infected ', eat something normal, the other members of the ACE team, mainly Keg, Green Bean, and Seventeen, who were Huang's teammates at the time, put the burrito in an insulated bag into Huang's carrying gear.

As a result of Huang's magic, the burrito was still steaming hot when it was discovered.

Thus, after discovering that Huang also had this talent, having Huang carry the entire team's lunchboxes became a kind of team building activity for the ACE team.

The captain's homemade burritos, along with hot drinks from the vending machine, have saved the E3 Action Group countless times from missing the cafeteria.

"... So, you're going to use me as an oven again?"

Despite complaining, Huang still hung the bag on his belt and said:

"So, what are the rules this time?"

"Whoever wins treats everyone to today's bar share."

"Oh... it's the opposite of usual?"

"After all, if you win, you're guaranteed a raise, and if I win, I'll get an extra bonus... so it's reasonable for whoever wins to treat everyone."

"Really."

Seeing the two players on the field assume a fighting stance, Dobermann, the head instructor and referee, raised his referee flag after confirming the field conditions and the availability of emergency medical personnel in case of accidental injury.

"Alright! E3 Action Group Operator—Blazing, Senior Operator Assessment, Final Stage... Objective: Disarm ACE's combat capabilities! Both sides, take your positions, prepare--!"

With the starting command given, the training grounds, divided into multiple assessment areas, began assessing their respective teams one after another.

As a dangerous test involving the use of live weapons, Shining and Nearl from the Emergency Medical Department naturally stood by with first aid equipment, while many Elite Operator whom Medic didn't recognize acted as examiners, like ACE, or stood by the field ready to intervene at any time.

Medic looked around and, apart from some irrelevant spectators, felt that there were no obvious safety hazards at the Rhodes Island assessment site. So he focused his attention on the battles in the arena while talking to Finn and the others sitting in the row behind him.

Just now, the cat has found out why Fen and her friends were so emotional when they saw her...

"I see, you're all from the Ticarondo Infected District... But, the Black Edge Catastrophes has also appeared this year?"

"Yes, after all, the amount of Originium minerals that can be mined on the surface will visibly increase after Catastrophes, so the Ticarondo government still has no plans to change the flight path..."

At this point, Finn's mood became somewhat downcast, while Beagle, the red-haired country girl with glasses, said angrily:

"However, the main urban area has consistently refused to provide additional protection for the Infected blocks responsible for mining, citing insufficient budget as an excuse..."

"So we had a fight with our superiors in front of the reporters."

Finally, the Cautus girl, who had been squinting, gave the most concise summary of their professional resumes:

"The mayor later said that the basic protective facilities in the Infected area would be updated soon, but we were later asked to leave because we failed the police physical examination... We had no choice but to come to Rhodes Island to make a living."

"... So you're actually graduates of the Ticarondo Police Academy? No wonder you were directly recruited into the action team... In fact, if you follow Columbia rules, you have a very bright future..."

Hearing Medic's words, whether genuinely regrettable or merely polite, Finn paused for a moment, Beagle scratched his head with a silly grin, only Kroos maintained her usual squinty-eyed smile:

"Although some people in the police station said the same thing before I left, isn't Rhodes Island just an organization made up of people who don't want to follow those rules... an organization that believes the Infected are also 'human'?"

Listening to Kroos's rebuttal, Medic glanced at the least noticeable blonde, Cautus, in the trio, and then said thoughtfully:

"... I haven't paid attention to this kind of thing... removing the Infected group from the concept of humanity..."

"After all, it was you... Someone who pays attention to these things wouldn't have done something like that back then... However, before we left, our colleagues from the meteorological department said that the solid density of the Originium storm layer in the sky this year seems to be significantly higher than last year, and if this continues, the 'Black Edge' next winter or the year after will be more unsolvable... Hopefully, those people won't just treat Catastrophes as a mine falling from the sky..."

"Reminding people not to lose their fear of nature is also the job of the Catastrophe Messengers... and ultimately, Catastrophes, Originium, the Infected, Oripathy... these are all within Rhodes Island's scope of work."

With a smile, Medic comforted the three of them, then shook his little fist and said:

"If they let Ticarondo enter the danger again, I'll punch those guys hard, even if it means crossing the Catastrophes Zone again."

While Medic's remarks were encouraging to citizens like Finn and others in Ticarondo, Su Sulo, who had participated in similar events before, had a very complicated expression:

"If possible, I still hope to resolve the issue through telephone and government administrative oversight... Although the Light of Ticarondo an honorary title, it's better to weather the Catastrophes smoothly if possible."

Medic readily accepted Su Sulo's complaints. After all, to outsiders, he might seem like a mysterious symbol with a hero's Halo, but Medic knew his own motivation... If Little Cat hadn't happened to be in Ticarondo at the time, he might not have gotten involved in that mess.

As Cardigan and her friends discussed the increasingly destructive Black Edge Catastrophes with Finn's group, Medic noticed that the battle between Blaze and Ace had reached a visibly and literally 'white-hot' level.

As the three sets of saws relentlessly gripped ACE's seemingly ordinary Rhodes Island -style shield, after a period of tentative probing, Hoshiguma and ACE began a contest of overall strength, comparing their magical abilities and physical prowess.

One side consists of heavy weapons users trained as assault specialists, while the other side is considered the most versatile and strongest all-around ACE among Rhodes Island's Elite Operator... To be honest, Dobermann's behavior of standing still and "fighting" with his subordinates seems somewhat like he's holding back.

However, in order to complete the year-end assessments of all action groups as quickly as possible, dividing the originally spacious venue into scenarios where only head-on combat was the solution discussed by all the instructors and assessment teams... After all, this way everyone could officially start their vacation sooner, so Dobermann couldn't say anything.

Let's just say that ACE was set with the hard requirement of protecting the important personnel behind him... And although ACE's defensive capabilities are not the strongest among all Elite Operator, if you can break through ACE's defense, then Blaze does indeed possess the ability of an elite assault operator.

As Huang gritted his teeth and increased the power of the spell again, the extended chainsaw, enhanced by the 'Mechanist', was already igniting some dry dust as it swept across the ground with the hot air emitted from the heat dissipation grid of its spell unit... Its temperature was estimated to have exceeded 300 degrees Celsius, the ignition point of most common civilian materials.

Seeing Huang seemingly engulfed in flames, his long hair billowing in the heat, ACE sensed something was wrong. But if he tried to leave now, Huang's chainsaw would definitely not allow it.

Seeing Huang's wicked grin and the chainsaw's ever-increasing power and temperature, even Ace, the epitome of Rhodes Island's tough guys, couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his mouth.

"Hey, hey, hey, Huang, are you going to kill me?!"

"So you'd better watch out, Captain ACE!"

With a shockwave that seemed to boil the air, a massive explosion occurred between Hoshino and Ace, and crimson flames swept across the entire arena, even affecting other areas in the spell...

While the referees in other venues called for a timeout, Nearl and Shining from the Emergency Medical Department took the lead and rushed into the testing area for Huang and ACE.

But as the light dispelled the dust, everyone slowed down as they watched the two smiling figures in the arena... The teeth of the three-in-one chainsaw had completely pierced through ACE's shield, but the sharp teeth stopped rotating when they touched ACE's arm.

Hearing the high-pitched buzzing of the chainsaw spell unit spinning in the arena, Medic in the stands first stood up in surprise, then sat down with a satisfied smile.

"A dual emergency brake on both the magical and physical levels of the equipment..."

"... Is it to avoid inflicting excessive damage on the target when necessary...?"

Feeling the touch of the hairs on his arms being cut off and burning, ACE, who was covered in goosebumps, sighed with emotion. As the sunglasses man put down his standard sword and standard shield with conviction, he looked at Dobbin who ran towards him with the members of the emergency department:

"I think Blaze truly possesses the strength and mindset of Elite Operator. What do you all think?"

As he spoke, ACE used his shield-wielding hand—which had just appeared to be nearly severed—to lift Hoshiguma's arm, demonstrating to his colleagues Hoshiguma's effortless victory...

Only ACE knew that this was the result of Huang's years of continuous training, and he wanted to show everyone present the efforts of his subordinate, who was about to become his equal.

As Medic's applause rang out first, the spectators watching ACE's group assessment quickly joined in with cheers, whistles, and applause, supporting ACE's judgment.

Despite Huang's usual carefree and easygoing manner, the black-haired big cat was a little embarrassed after being tormented by ACE like he was on a street patrol, and withdrew his hand slightly shyly.

Then, Huang remembered the insulated bag ACE had given him.

Upon opening the package, Huang tossed one of the wrappers, still in its packaging, to ACE, who was indeed unharmed after the inspection. Then, as if fleeing, he ran towards the stands where Medic was located... ACE immediately shouted:

"Huh? You only gave me one?! Didn't I make four?"

"I'm giving it to Medic to try, so you only have one! This is punishment for touching a lady's wrist so casually!"

Ace was stunned when he saw Huang sticking his tongue out at him...

A lady? Who? You?

Stop joking, okay?!

But seeing Hoshiguma and the white-haired girl from Cautus who seemed to be teaching Hoshiguma magic techniques run off to meet up with Medic, ACE was reminded of the rumor in his team that 'Hoshiguma seems to be in a relationship'.

After carefully examining the contents and pondering for a moment, ACE chewed on his favorite cheese-flavored burrito, a smile playing on his lips.

"The person I like... well... you've become youthful too, Huang..."

With these thoughts in mind, ACE, after signing the various confirmation documents Dobermann handed him, strolled over to Medic, who was being held by Huang:

"Although the other groups haven't finished yet, I think our celebration can start now~ How about it? Medic, why don't you come this time? Perfect timing, let me introduce you to the others."

"Others?"

"Yes, the Elite Operator have been wanting to meet you for a long time... but we've all missed each other because of various things, and even when we meet, we can only nod as if we've met before. I don't think that's good."

Adjusting his sunglasses, ACE remarked with a sigh, "Cover up..."

"We're all colleagues, and it's the end of the year... so we should all get together."

PS: Waaaaa, my cat wife!

PSS: Hmm, trying to make Rhodes Island familiar to players... and there's still... half a year until the event in the volume title... (as mentioned in the text)

It should be around in a few more chapters, right?

PSS2: Yesterday, one of my M.2 drives suddenly fell out... After hesitating for a long time, I finally disassembled the computer and re-inserted the M.2... Then, none of the graphics card slots output video signals...

There was no other way but to call a professional repairman... So, after a series of tests involving voltage checks, disassembling the heatsink, and even completely removing the CPU from the cement heatsink... it finally managed to be back to normal, at least for now.

Extremely tired... resulting in a lower word count than usual today... I hope I won't die if I sleep any longer.

By the way, the oil lamp actually worked quite well for heating... I've decided not to use the air conditioner this year; every little bit helps.

6th Patriot's Gun: 225 Why are things always so bad in Ursus?

Afterwards, with the dual reasons of "passing the elite assessment of Huang" and "the year-end party for Elite Operator", Medic was pulled and pushed by ACE... After saying goodbye to the trainee operators who came to talk to him, Medic entered the bar in the Number Three canteen, which was said to be exclusively for Elite Operator.

As the most secluded corner of Rhodes Island's few small canteens with low foot traffic, Canteen Number Three is far from the public floors and the public elevators used by patients. In addition, it is located in the center of the Landship, which is not only lacking in light but was also a disaster area for pipeline damage in the past. Medic can imagine how this place gradually evolved from a place where a few operators could slack off to the exclusive bar that Elite Operator share today.

It seems that today is a special day for the operators' assessment. Regardless of whether they pass the assessment or not, regardless of whether they are promoted to the Rhodes Island Elite Operator group... With the arrival of the E3 Action Group ACE, the various operation teams of Rhodes Island gradually gathered in the following days.

Under Huang's warm hospitality, Medic not only reunited with Touch, with whom he had a good relationship and who had participated in his adaptive surgery, but also got to know many Elite Operator he had only met once before.

"Hey~ this is Scout. The Scout squad is Rhodes Island's dedicated forward operation team, with a full complement of twelve people. Generally speaking, they are the ones who conduct the preliminary reconnaissance for missions taken over by Rhodes Island's main operation team."