Chapter 287

"Oh! This is... the newly released STRIKE WARRIOR Strike Warrior 1911 on the Columbia market! And it's not even the pneumatic-assisted version... it's a pure replica of the Laterano Gun!! I knew I wasn't wrong, you are actually our... compatriot... that's right..."

Listening to Exusiai's muttering, Texas, who was zipping up the package, looked at Nana with a puzzled expression:

"Speaking of which... when the boss scared Medic before, you seemed to have Halo above your head. Was it because you were the 'Angel' the boss was talking about?"

Seeing the curious expressions on Penguin Logistics' and even Rope, Nana, while loading bullets, helplessly showed off her Halo, which was completely different from Exusiai's, flowing like mercury and moonlight:

"Yes, but I hope this matter won't be spread outside anymore... After all, you all saw the little penguin's reaction, and my identity should actually be kept secret..."

Seeing Nana make eye contact with everyone, when it was Sora's turn, this blond kid, who was dressed as a Lupo but smelled exactly like Cautus, curiously came over:

"Of course, we've always kept things very secret... But how do you manage to embody characteristics of two races so vividly and dynamically...?"

As she spoke, Sora cautiously approached Nana and asked hesitantly:

"... Could you teach me this makeup technique?"

"Oh... this isn't actually makeup... but if you want to learn disguise magic, I can teach you."

As she spoke, Nana glanced at the Lupo ears on Sora's head, which were pulsating with intense magical energy... While this level of disguise was sufficient for most situations, it couldn't be as vivid and flexible as real ears, and there was also the possibility of its true form being exposed by strange magical interference... Nana certainly had a better method.

Since she was about to join the Penguin Logistics team in the upcoming battle, Nana certainly wouldn't miss any opportunity to build a good relationship with them.

Exusiai, Firearms Operator is in the same profession as me, is the easiest to deal with.

After she had her fill of the 1911, Nana took out the Silver Dancer, a pair of exquisitely handcrafted pistols, which immediately made the young red-haired Sankta drool with envy once again... Exusiai didn't even notice that Nana hadn't loaded any magazines into the Silver Dancer.

After all, there's no need to stuff rubber bullets all over your body.

As for Sora, who is said to possess the ability to aid in battle with his singing voice, Nana quickly closed the distance with him using her makeup skills, which she hadn't used much lately... Although Sora complained that Nana's way of using makeup was like those old-fashioned actors, Nana still managed to have a pleasant conversation with Sora.

As for the Croissant, the Forte lady... since the bullets Nana bought seem to have originally been intended for Exusiai, and Croissant from Croissant's smiling face, her relationship with Nana is already at a friendly stage... This type of person can be friendly from the start, but to take the relationship further, it requires long-term interaction to achieve understanding and resonance...

Nana wasn't sure if she'd stayed in Lungmen long enough to build a sufficient mutual understanding, but if it was just about cooperating on missions, their current friendly relationship was enough.

The Penguin Logistics operators had become somewhat familiar to Nana, but the one Nana found a little unapproachable was the captain of the Penguin Logistics operations team, Miss Texas, who had been quietly preparing supplies for the operation.

Looking at this guy who only speaks when directly asked a question and is mostly silent... Nana suddenly felt like she was seeing her past self who had always been silent.

But compared to himself ten years ago, when his voice was so hoarse from not speaking for so long that he could communicate without a voice changer, Texas is at least a normal person who can communicate normally...

"When you spoke with the Boss before, you said you wanted 'all' of those suggestions... Where do we even begin?"

Perhaps she just seems indifferent to things outside of work? Looking at Texas, who was bringing up work again, Nana checked the safety on the 1911 and holstered it back into her thigh holster.

"The Emperor has already contacted that merchant who supposedly sells everything... Because time is of the essence and the target is extremely dangerous, we'll go find the person who can customize weapons for me at noon..."

Watching Nana take the silver pistol back from Exusiai and tuck it into her armpit holster, Texas subconsciously adjusted the Originium Sword storage pouch on her thigh and continued to ask:

"Do you know that person's exact location? Lungmen is an international metropolis, and Sichuan-Chongqing hot pot is a very diverse style... There are hundreds, even thousands, of similar restaurants in Lungmen city... Do we need to search separately?"

"There's probably no need for that..."

Hearing the text message notification tone on her phone, Nana Cat trembled as she glanced at the PRTS Rhodes Island vehicle location icon that overlapped with her own, as well as the 'We've arrived' text message from Lungmen Chen.

As the sound of hurried footsteps echoed up the stairs, Nana waved to Texas, who immediately went on high alert; the reinforcements she had called had arrived.

Upon opening the door, the expressions of both Penguin Logistics and the Guard Bureau superintendents were quite interesting. Following Chen and Hoshiguma, Amiya and the Doctor entered.

"Nana!"

"Medic--!!"

Just as Nana reached out to respond to Amiya's greeting, the hooded girl behind the Little Bunny screamed "Medic!" as if she were about to die and pounced on Nana... This also resolved the awkward atmosphere of Penguin Logistics and the Guard Bureau staring at each other.

"Waaaaa, Medic, I miss you so much! That Kal'tsit guy keeps saying you spoil me too much and won't let me see you no matter what, waaaaaah--!"

Watching the Doctor's rapid, seemingly punctuation-free narration, and Medic's helpless yet utterly unrestrained expression as he allowed the other to ride on top of him, everyone present, including Amiya, broke out in a cold sweat... Perhaps Kal'tsit's words about spoiling him were indeed true?

Just as Amiya was helplessly pulling Doctor. Shasha off Nana, Ch'en Hui-chieh looked at Exusiai in cold sweat, and smiled slightly:

"So that's how it is, this is the headquarters of Penguin Logistics... You've hidden it quite well. No wonder I couldn't find your hideout in the port area where gangs gather; it turns out you've set it up in the commercial district."

"Haha... Well, Chen, we should have paid the traffic violation fines properly..."

"And my driver's license probably hasn't reached twelve points yet."

Seeing Texas insert Exusiai and Ch'en Hui-chieh, Hoshiguma chuckled and tugged at Ch'en:

"Indeed, don't worry, we're not here to cause you trouble... But since you're with Miss Medic from Rhodes Island, that means..."

"The boss has told us to follow the orders of that Rhodes Island guy... Indeed, with the Guard Bureau's help, finding our target should be much easier."

"Find a target? Wasn't Rhodes Island supposed to be responsible for searching this area of the shantytowns?"

Seeing Ch'en frown slightly as he looked at her, Nana shrugged, gesturing to the rubber bullets in her spare magazine:

"The original plan remains unchanged, except... I can't use rubber bullets against Seaborn and the Demons... The latter is manageable, but to deal with the former, I need some... higher quality weapons."

At this point, Nana glanced at the red longsword on Ch'en Hui-chieh's waist, but as Nana had said before, taking Chi Xiao was just robbing Peter to pay Paul... so Nana didn't mention borrowing weapons from Chen.

As Nana gestured for everyone to sit down, and then reiterated the Emperor's suggestion to Amiya, the Doctor, and the superintendents of the Guard Bureau, Ch'en Hui-chieh showed an expression of sudden realization:

"A dragon horn that looks somewhat like one, and it likes to hang out in Sichuan-Shu -style hot pot restaurants... Hoshiguma..."

"Hmm, that should be her... However, she's definitely not an easy target to approach; she's being monitored by the red-cloaked figures."

Hearing the superintendents' mysterious explanation, Sora, whose relationship with the Guard Bureau wasn't as strained as that with Exusiai and Texas, took the initiative to ask:

"The red cloak is..."

"'Sui's Office'... I only know they belong to this department, I don't know any more details... It's a classified department."

Looking at Nana, Ch'en Hui-chieh went straight to the point:

"To see that target, dealing with Sui's Office is essential... or rather, it's easier to find Sui's Office's colleagues directly than the target whose location is unknown... Since the safety of four million people in Lungmen is at stake, the Guard Bureau will clear the way and lead you to the other party..."

"In addition, we have also completed a cooperation agreement with Lungmen. Nana, you can now call in Etch Rounds supplies from the Rhodes Island main ship... Although its use is limited to fighting against Demons and Seaborn, I think you will handle it well."

Nana gently rubbed Amiya's head, and seeing the brown Little Bunny's slightly shy expression, the Doctor then grabbed her hand.

"Also, because there are so many people involved in the battle, Kal'tsit said that I will provide you with command-level support, so that you can focus on combat, Nana!"

As the Doctor spoke, and faced with the curious glances from Penguin Logistics and the Guard Bureau personnel, Nana had no choice but to introduce the Doctor... the highest-ranking battlefield commander on Rhodes Island.

"So, Rhodes Island's communication with external reinforcements has been handed over to Kal'tsit, right...?"

"That's what she said, something about 'Closure and Warfarin being powerless against a war of this magnitude'... It seems she's personally handling the Rhodes Island central command. PRTS personnel mobilization permissions have been granted, Nana, you can now assemble combat units from Rhodes Island."

Watching the Doctor wave the tablet in his hand, Nana looked around the room at the 'war' being prepared step by step, and couldn't help but take a deep breath... Although it was only the beginning, the air was already thick with tension.

The 'Angel,' who hadn't yet switched to battle mode, suppressed the slightly provoked fighting spirit she felt, and looked at Ch'en Hui-chieh with a smile still on her face:

"Well then, let's begin... Doctor, please access the PRTS operational entries regarding Seaborn and the Demons for our new allies. Superintendent Chen and I will go with them to meet the people from the security department over there."

"Now that the cooperation with Lungmen has been approved, I will inform Nagisa that my logistics team will assist you, Doctor, in establishing a forward command center here and ensuring the safety of the command post... Amiya, please also stay here to coordinate the communication between the combat personnel and Rhodes Island. At that time, our cooperation with the Guard Bureau will probably also require your and Doctor's coordination."

"Let's proceed with battle preparations step by step..."

As she spoke, Nana shook her head with a smile:

"No, if the enemy is that kind of thing, then we need to prepare for more than just fighting... this is [war]."

With a Croissant that soothed Sora and Croissant who was muttering "Isn't this a bit too much?", Nana exchanged a glance with Ch'en Hui-chieh and Hoshiguma, reached out and took the car keys that Amiya tossed to her, and Nana and the superintendents left the "frontline command center".

Although she was still preparing, Nana knew that the real show was about to begin.

PS: Waaaaaaah!

Although it doesn't quite fit Nana's character design, she does have Halo... so the Dragon Lady is also a cat! ↑

PSS: I suddenly realized there are so many characters in this volume... As expected of Lungmen, the character relationship chart is so complicated... But Nana is just a hero who is clearing a stage; the moment is coming for the hero to obtain her hero's sword.

9th Lungmen Seafood: 327 Years of Intent-Forged Sword

Leading a senior superintendent from the inspection team to ambush someone at a hot pot restaurant—even Nana found it difficult to describe what she was doing... From her own duties to the role the Lungmen Guard Department played, and the logic behind everyone's actions. What should have been a righteous alliance to save the world seemed incredibly abstract to Nana.

A medical company assassin with the identity of a foreign agent, led by a local police officer, negotiates with a local secret organization to find a weapon to defeat the enemy of civilization from another being who is suspected to be of the same level as an 'Angel'... No matter how you look at it, this scene seems extremely sinister.

Not to mention Nana felt something was off about being called Sui's Office... even Lin Qingyan, who emphasized that her side was from the Dali Temple Investigation Office, thought Ch'en Hui-chieh was talking nonsense. So, after Ch'en Hui-chieh very briefly stated Lungmen's request, the other side replied as follows:

"What kind of nonsense is this...?"

"Perhaps we spoke somewhat incoherently due to the urgency of the situation, but I have obtained full authorization from Governor Wei of Lungmen regarding current affairs. We need to contact your department's target; it's that simple."

Seeing Ch'en Hui-chieh, holding the badge of a senior superintendent of the Guard Bureau, and another official from the Yan, dressed in a bright red robe and clearly of high rank, standing in a standoff at the entrance of a hot pot restaurant, neither side willing to give an inch... and noticing that the surrounding traffic was about to become congested, Nana tried to give Hoshiguma a look, suggesting that the two of them at least go inside to continue their staring contest.

After all, it's a small matter if it amuses ordinary people, but if our group wanders around and gets seen by the Church of the Deep... I feel like that would cause even more trouble.

Even such a reasonable suggestion was sternly rejected by the blond-haired, red-robed Lin Qingyan... And because of the commotion at the door, the white-haired, red-horned girl with elf ears, wearing only a bright red sports bra under a white coat and looking quite revealing, about 1.65 meters tall, had been dragged out by the hot pot restaurant owner, who hoped she could persuade her companion:

"What's going on? What happened? Why are you arguing among yourselves?"

At first, she spoke with a strange accent, but as the white-haired girl saw how serious they were, she gradually switched to the official language of the Great Yan:

"Aren't we all from the same court? Why do you all act like you're more difficult to get along with than my own siblings?"

"Please do not leave the premises unnecessarily. Even if you have travel and stay permits, please be mindful of your identity..."

"What kind of status could I possibly have... And isn't she supposed to be fully represented by the local governor? This doesn't seem like some minor repair request from those other city-states... Anyway, come in, can't we just sit down and talk? Come in, come in~"

Seeing the Dragon Lady, who occasionally still stumbled over her words in dialect, bypassing her to beckon the two Lungmen police superintendents and the unidentified person into the shop, the woman from the red-robed Inspection Office sighed helplessly and then followed the others into the shop.

Even after they sat down, the woman in the red robe and Ch'en Hui-chieh were still arguing about procedures, authority, and departmental handover... They might not have noticed, but Nana did. After the other party had the restaurant move them to a private room where they could talk more privately, this unnamed Dragon Lady immediately called over a waiter, secretly asked for the menu, and then quietly drew something on it: g

"No yin-yang or clear broth hot pot, I want the most Sichuan-Shu spicy broth, and no sweet broth, everything else is fine..."

Watching the argument between the Prosecution Office and Ch'en Hui-chieh reach its climax, the woman in the red robe had already removed her hat and outer robe, while Ch'en Hui-chieh, unmoved by the other's stubbornness, wore a ferocious expression. The two were arguing until their faces were red... If it weren't for Hoshiguma occasionally intervening to mediate, this scene—one holding a staff, the other a sword hilt—would have easily escalated into a full-blown fight, leaving Nana shaking her head in disbelief.

Let's take a look at the Dragon Lady girl secretly adding food to her plate on the other side: (Also...)

"Hello, I'm Nana, a member of the Rhodes Island Medical Department's Emergency Medical Department, codename Medic... I've come specifically to visit you." (Dove)

"Hello, hello~ It's been a long time since anyone has been able to approach me so seemingly invisible, bypassing official personnel. That move to reduce my presence was beautifully executed, without any magical fluctuations, purely a physical gesture? Okay! I am 'Nian,' just call me that."

Although she was outwardly praising him, Nian's words once again drew a glare from the Prosecution Office. However, Nana had never shown any respect for officials, and the ICA's Silent Assassin wouldn't stop her actions just because of a sorcerer's glare... Even though she had already labeled the other party as 'dangerous' in her perception, Nana tentatively assumed that this red-robed woman's combat strength was at the top tier of the Great Yan Combat Masters.

But Nana isn't here to kill; she's here to save people. Her purpose is upright and honorable—to fight against the Demons and Seaborn— and not a single word she utters is shameful.

Seeing that the cat remained unfazed despite the oppressive aura of a Thunder God, the 'Dragon Lady' named Nian raised an eyebrow. She suddenly became interested in Nana: "King..."

"As you can see, my identity is somewhat complicated. In the Great Yan, I'm not as free as ordinary people... So, get to the point. Don't mind Qingyan's overly businesslike demeanor; actually, she's... what do modern people say, oh, arrogant!"

Seeing the electric sparks crackling in Miss Lin's blonde hair, Nana knew that the person involved might have a different opinion on this statement. However, since Ch'en Hui-chieh was still holding Lin Qingyan back, Nana decided to hurry up and say it:

"Of course we don't blame Inspector Lin, but the situation is urgent, and the Emperor said you could help me through this difficult time..."

As she spoke, she took out her PRTS tablet, brought up the description page of Demons and Seaborn, and placed it in front of the other person. Because Kal'tsit believed in the Emperor, and out of trust in Kal'tsit, Nana also believed this girl who called herself 'Nian'... who seemed to be a dragon.

"With these two as hostile targets, I need a weapon that is strong enough to withstand prolonged operation at Mach 1.7 or higher, can withstand prolonged exposure to temperatures above 800 degrees Celsius, remains sharp even in a near -Collapse state, and does not trigger the target's adaptive capabilities... As Superintendent Chen said before, Lungmen and Rhodes Island have entered a state of special preparedness regarding this matter, and we will try our best to meet any requests or demands... I wonder... what do you think?"

Taking the tablet from Nana, Nian, who had been grinning, gave a 'heh' and then his expression turned serious.

As Nian handed the tablet to the puzzled Lin Qingyan, the latter frowned as he looked at the tablet's contents and began dialing a number, seemingly out of nowhere. Nian then pulled out a metal rod from somewhere; as sparks flew from the metal's surface, a smile gradually spread across his lips.

"Interesting~"

"Nian... don't do anything reckless."

In response to Lin Qingyan's warning, Nian tossed the metal rod in his hand, and another burst of bright red flames shot out, but the surrounding area did not feel any high temperature at all.

If it's not some kind of illusion, then Nana has to think even more highly of the opponent's control over this spell.

"Hey, I'm not just messing around... Even if you're not familiar with those two targets, Qingyan, you've been handling missions related to 'us' all along, so you should know something about the enemies of civilization on this land. I have to help you out for the sake of all living beings."

"After all, Miss Medic's requirements for weapons are quite high, so it's clear that relying on Lungmen for procurement is unrealistic... No wonder that rapper sent you to me; it seems you really don't have many other options besides me."

As the metal block in Nian's hand gradually sparked and merged with the surrounding space, Lin Qingyan, though no longer trying to stop him, frowned and looked at Ch'en Hui-chieh beside her while frantically texting.

"... But if you take action, there will be a lot of procedures... Superintendent Chen, if I submit a report with my signature and that shares the same opinion as Lungmen, it can minimize the chances of the Sui's Office investigating the matter... I might also be investigated later, so I really hate these kinds of urgent matters that don't follow procedures."

"After all, accidents happen all the time."

As they spoke, a... no, it should be said that a 'sword' that shimmered like mica was tossed to Nana.

Calling it a 'sword' might not be quite right. If you were to replace its dazzling, mica-like color with the black iron hue that a weapon should have, then this sword would not be a sword at all; it would simply be a 'block of iron'.

But the mica-colored sheen and the crimson markings that flow across its surface like lightning, resembling molten iron in the process of forging, make it seem like a volcano, as if it could burst forth with lava and flames at any moment.

This half-finished product, somewhere between beautiful and rough, was getting heavier as flames emanated from its dangerous cracks... Fortunately, it was Nana who was holding it. Although the chair creaked, Nana adjusted her posture slightly to put the weight on herself, preventing the chair back from collapsing.

Nian exclaimed "Whoa!" at Nana's action, and then explained:

"Because your requirements are quite outrageous, ordinary weapons don't seem to meet your needs... I'll give you something that you can use immediately by creating an artifact... But as you can see, it's still a rough draft, not even a semi-finished product, just a 'shadow' between projection and reality... Coincidentally, you require the ability to resist Target 1, and a shadow is the most suitable state."

"Originally, I wouldn't have been able to give you something so crude, but since you're in such a hurry, I'll leave the forging to you."