Chapter 72

With Kate speaking casually, Nana opened the WA2000's weapon case and gave the weapon, which had been gathering dust in the case for three years, a brief inspection.

Although its condition is fairly good due to its sealed storage, this does not mean that Nana's weapon problem has been solved... The main issue is that Closure does not sell Originium Etch Rounds of caliber 300.

The two boxes of bullets that were casually stuffed into the box are now the only things Nana has at hand, and most of the assassin's spells that can unleash her full potential require the use of Firearms Arts... which is quite torturous.

You can't just use the same old urban assassination methods to deal with the Imperial Strikers and army groups in Ursus, whose logistics are better than yours.

Although... it's not impossible.

After checking the spring status of the rifle magazine, Nana then unpacked the ammunition... Although the ICA employees had different opinions, the quality of the ammunition was unquestionable because it came from the Security Bureau.

Even after three years, Nana didn't see any obvious Originium or damage to the anti-radiation coating... This was one of the few Nana things about the pile of bad news.

"So, does Folinic know about 'Doctor'?"

"... Never heard of him, maybe he's not a member of Rhodes Island... Wasn't he supposed to be in Kazdel right now?"

As Folinic spoke, she adjusted the draw weight of her longbow. On the table in front of her were two things that looked like launchers... Folinic used them to launch medicine to support her teammates, and she could also use them to launch armor-piercing cones to attack. Of course, if she was forced to, she could also launch poison at the enemy.

Because it also comes with a sterile mixing chamber, it is also a portable drug preparation station that can prepare liquid, solid, and even nebulized drugs... Folinic simply omits the troublesome process of drug storage.

Nana had clearly noticed this as well; rather than rescuing people, Folinic seemed to be more adept at eliminating the enemy, thus minimizing casualties among her own forces.

In the unspoken silence between the two, Nana pondered whether Kazdel had any organizations connected to Rhodes Island.

If we include information that Medic shouldn't know, then it probably only leaves the White Emperor Faction, which is closely related to Kal'tsit... This is obviously classified.

Nana remembered that organization; it seemed to be called the Babel.

He slightly adjusted the distribution of the liquid material from his pantyhose on his body, then tucked his pistol and spare magazine into the holster on his lower back.

Rhodes Island's uniform jackets don't require ties, and once the waterproof zipper is zipped up, the pistol hidden on the lower back is basically invisible... As an essential prop, Nana's D32 Steel-Wire Paracord is still usable, but the poison has all deteriorated after three years.

Nana easily replenished all the commonly used medications under the guise of the Emergency Department...

With the support of Rhodes Island Pharmacy, Nana's non-lethal poisons for driving away crowds were easily replenished... but lethal poisons... Nana's usual Novichok Agent could not be replenished, while cyanide, which was faster-acting, could be prepared at the manufacturing station... but that stuff was too conspicuous; it would be obvious at a glance that it was murder, Nana didn't want to use it.

Rhodes Island, being a medical institution, certainly has similar items... it's just unclear where they are located.

Based on her past mission experience Nana instinctively wanted to investigate and sneak out without a trace... But upon closer reflection, Kal'tsit knew perfectly well what her job was. If she wanted to replenish her poison, wouldn't it be easier to just go to Kal'tsit?

"... Folinic, I need to meet with Kal'tsit later. If I'm not there by the time training starts, you can train with Liskarm and the others..."

"I understand. It's mainly about the coordination between the contact powder and Rosemary, right?"

"It's to let Rosemary get to know us... In the past, she's always been led by Elite Operator on independent missions, making a big show of things and never considering having someone close to her... Although this was mentioned during the exam, but..."

At this point, both the cat and the bear gave a wry smile, and Nana slung her rifle over her shoulder, ready to set off...

From today onwards, she will be an operator who carries a rifle but primarily uses a pistol.

"I'll be leaving for a bit, okay? When you pick up Little Cat after school, please explain this to her for me."

"Okay, senior, if you need any help, just contact me through PRTS."

She waved goodbye and left the Human Resources Department. Nana lightly weighed her belongings... Even though she only brought weapons and ammunition, without any off-road gear, the weight was still noticeable for everyday activities...

I have indeed become genuinely weaker, and I don't know when I will be able to fully recover.

Fortunately, there was still the Teekaz Witchcraft to strengthen her physique... As a warm current spread throughout her body from her heart, Nana sighed, then took out her phone to contact Kal'tsit as she walked.

"Poison?"

"Hmm... Highly lethal, ideally it should kill through skin or mucous membranes, or through a very small wound... If the body can be preserved, it should ideally be disguised as a natural death from illness. Of course... a highly corrosive poison that doesn't leave a complete corpse shouldn't leave too many obvious traces..."

Hearing Nana's demand for both, the office fell into a brief silence.

As Kal'tsit pondered, she organized the documents in front of her... On the light screen behind her, there were many Originium Infection X-ray films of people and animals. Judging from their spotless condition, these X-ray films must have been changed frequently, probably related to Kal'tsit's long-term research.

"If the goal is simply to inflict 'kill'... Rhodes Island does indeed have that kind of poison."

What is it?

"A... natural secretion... when mixed with different reagents, it can indeed achieve the effects you desire, whether it's a silent, seemingly lifeless death, or even dissolving the bones along with it... it can do it all... but..."

"What is it? Is it a price issue? If it's too expensive... I'll just stick with tetrodotoxin or rat poison..."

"The Zalak have always opposed the use of drugs to harm their animal relatives. Although it is now common knowledge that rodents carry deadly pathogens, you'd better not make such statements publicly outside... especially in a place like Yan where a large number of Zalak live..."

As she spoke, she opened a safe with a lock that required three combination locks. Kal'tsit took a tube from a test tube rack, inside which a viscous, pale blue liquid sloshed about.

"You're a public figure on Rhodes Island now, you should have some self-awareness."

"... Given the nature of my job, rather than worrying about what might happen if I say something wrong, I should be more concerned about what will happen if I fail to complete the mission... Hopefully, this time we won't all die if we fail to complete the mission, right?"

As she spoke, Nana took the test tube marked with the highly toxic symbol and gently shook it:

"Also, what is this?"

"Purified Annura Venom... These are samples placed here with me... the result of a country I don't know how to evaluate attempting to weaponize the Anura..."

"Annura?"

"A race from the vast rainforests of Sargon. Because they've been isolated from the outside world for so long, it's understandable that you don't know them... The venom secreted from the venom glands in their necks, once collected, looks like what you have in your hand. When used alone, it's a steroidal toxin, specifically targeting the nervous system..."

"When diluted with water, it can produce an effect similar to death from an epileptic seizure; a small wound is all it takes to kill silently. However, if you want something that melts even the bones, you'll probably have to wait a while... The person who provided these samples hasn't come to Rhodes Island yet."

She picked up her water glass and took a sip of her now-cold coffee. Three years had passed... Even after Rhodes Island expanded its ranks, Kal'tsit still had faint dark circles under her eyes.

"As for your mission, I don't know the specific reasons... After all, Rhodes Island's intelligence network in Ursus has only started to expand in recent years... And if you insist on saying there's any the Infected organization that deserves the Emperor's Blades's attention... I think you need to investigate whether those people have any political motives."

"... The way medical organizations question people like they're taking a census is bound to cause a rift with them."

Seeing that Nana still had that expression of wanting to handle everything herself, Kal'tsit's eyes, which had been sipping her coffee, suddenly turned into dead fish eyes:

"Where's the ICA behind you? Inform them of the details, and have your agent organize the information... Eternal Constant is best at piecing together the truth from fragmented information... Just remember to also record the intelligence with PRTS... Any other questions?"

Seeing that Kal'tsit put down her coffee cup and seemed about to continue working, Nana looked around to make sure no one else was in the room. Then, under the questioning gaze of the emerald-green cat, she drew a circle above her head:

"The last question is probably this... Kal'tsit, do you know what happened to my aura...? Has it completely disappeared? Am I no longer... Chimera?"

"... Always say yes or no first, then ask why... The file that person gave me didn't mention anything about your racial change... She has no reason to lie to me or hide anything, she has no need to... So I personally tend to think that you have just temporarily lost your Sankta abilities."

"But that's too hasty a statement. Without any evidence, you probably wouldn't feel at ease. Anyway, we're about to see the Doctor, so let's be patient for a bit..."

As she spoke, Kal'tsit suddenly fell silent for a moment, then quickly wrote down the precautions for the Anura poison as she spoke:

"Speaking of which, have you met with any other Sankta operators since you woke up? I mean, in a way that's close to 'social distancing'."

"I did see the welcome party a few days ago at the bar with Outcast, but Warfarin kept pulling me along... so we didn't go to the bar."

"Well... let's try socializing with Operator Sankta first..."

She waved her hand dismissively Nana medical-style instruction manual... After all, Nana had considerable experience in toxicology, Kal'tsit knew she would use the 'medicine' properly.

As for the Halo that has always been a source of some trouble for Kitty Killer...

"Through the Doctor's surgery, your Halo will only become stronger in my opinion; there's no way it will disappear or become unusable on its own... As for why, you'll understand when you meet the Doctor."

3rd This Land: 072 Team Building

Kal'tsit's guesswork-based answer was basically useless to Nana... However, Kal'tsit's guarantee was still quite valuable, so Nana stopped worrying about her Halo and devoted the rest of her time to training and improving her team's synergy.

"Unlike Catastrophes relief, which only requires each team to utilize their initiative and training results, engaging in brutal military confrontation with another combat team as a combat unit tests much more than just individual bravery..."

"Understanding teammates' abilities, considering each other's positions, deploying battle plans, and adapting tactics based on the battlefield situation... This will be an incredibly comprehensive and complex system-on-system confrontation... Perhaps I've digressed a bit, but given our current situation, I think that even setting aside teamwork, simply being able to perfectly utilize each individual's strength when acting together would already be considered good teamwork."

As she spoke, Nana looked at the members of her team:

One heavy-armored operator: Liskarm.

Two Guard Operators: Franka and Blaze.

Sniper Operator: Jessica.

Caster Operator: Rosemary

Two medical operators: Su Sulo and Folinic.

Finally, considering I can do a little bit of everything, if I had to assign myself, I'd probably be classified as a Special Agent... but actually I'm registered as a 'Vanguard'.

Judging by professional skills, this is a standard eight-person field team... which is about the limit of what Nana can command. Although with the number of people in Nana's directly managed team in the Human Resources Department, this team could expand to fourteen, but more people are not always better for an operation...

Unless there is another person of Nana's caliber leading the team, Nana feels that those who are not being taken care of are likely to become cannon fodder at any time.

However, it's not to say that everyone needs to go to the front lines with me... Perhaps we could find some more people to handle logistics?

But if we think about it this way, the logistics personnel must have a reliable base of operations.

"Speaking of which, didn't we break off an Exploration Vehicle from TDD three years ago? Is that vehicle still around?"

"A car? Ah, that Base Walker? I seem to remember Jessica drove that car onto the Blacksteel Landship in the end?"

"... Yes, I ended up using that vehicle to transport refugees..."

Jessica twitched her ears slightly, and seeing Nana's expression as if she were contemplating the Istina, she shakily took out her phone: Qi

"Is that car really that important? Should I just buy a new one?"

"... Huh? No, no, no... I was just thinking, I still have seven man slots left for operations, could I make a whole logistics team... an eight-man frontline team plus six people with large vehicles for support? That should make our subsequent missions much easier..."

At this point, Nana frowned slightly, her gaze towards Jessica sharpening: Ling

"What kind of car can be privately purchased? How much does it cost?"

Seeing Nana's seemingly serious expression, Jessica, who was very familiar with online shopping, seemed to have found a kindred spirit and activated her personal AI customer service: Jiu.

"Let me see... If we buy a customized version from Raythean Industries, it would only cost 33 million to get a high-end version with an automatic flushing toilet and an AI-powered electronic butler..." Qi

While the Little Cat's little mouth was slightly open and it began counting zeros on its fingers, Nana decided to temporarily set aside the question of what Jessica meant by "only".

"... How much?" Si

"Thirty-three million..."

"Higashi Yuan? Or is he from Ursus...?"

"Uh, Lungmen Dollar."

"... Excuse me, let's talk about where that car went."

Seeing Nana's ears droop instantly, Jessica quickly pressed the calculator on her phone and calculated a discounted price:

"Thirty-three million isn't so bad, I have a premium membership, so I should be able to get rid of that small change..."

"The problem is, I don't need the small change, I need the full thirty million..."

"I have thirty million..."

Seeing Jessica's expectant eyes, Nana's mouth dropped open, her expression mirroring that of Little Cat. While everyone else remained silent, Nana stammered for a long time before finally patting Jessica's shoulder forcefully with a look of tenderness.

"Jessica, it's not easy for people to save money. Don't just take out your dowry or anything like that... People like us might die out there any day now, and then no one will pay you back."

"Jessica, you're rich!"

Seeing the Little Cat's eyes light up as it realized what it had done after counting the zeros, Nana grabbed the little thing that showed signs of overspending:

"Wait until you get your salary next month and pay Amiya back the money..."

As Cole and Kate joined in scolding the Little Cat, Nana didn't hear Jessica's quiet grumbling behind her.

"... Actually, thirty million is just a small amount of money... it's not a dowry..."

Not to mention Nana, everyone else turned their heads away as if they hadn't heard.

Even if Jessica dared to buy it, they wouldn't dare use Jessica private car as a public vehicle. A private car worth 30 million, if driven recklessly in the Ursus Snowfield, even a scratch would be heartbreaking for everyone.

Compared to that, it's definitely less of a guilt to use the free stuff from TDD... After all, it's sponsored by the Columbia government, and the country's funds can be spent however they want.

Seeing that everyone tacitly avoided discussing Jessica's sensitive attempt to acquire Rhodes Island's Human Resources Department, Franka shifted uncomfortably in the leg ring on her thigh—a device that detected Originium infection status.

"So, the question is, where is that car now...? How about asking Jennifer?"

Seeing Nana's confused look, Liskarm added:

"Doctor. Jenny Franlo ...the director of Blacksteel Worldwide BPRS, and also our superior, is currently responsible for handling our affairs... However, to contact Blacksteel right now, we need to use the Intercity Network ... Rhodes Island has so many patients that everyone wants to use Intercity Network data, so there's a queue for cross-city communications... By the time our number is called, we'll probably already be on our way."

"... Is that so? But it's alright, I have independent access to the Intercity Network, I'll take you there to use it."

Seeing everyone gathered at the training ground preparing to move to another location, Folinic was already warmed up and wearing all her gear, tilted her head. Beside her, Su Sulo had already completed the first stage of equipment training, and Huang's spell training had even completed two stages.

"Medic, aren't we here for training?"

"Hmm, but preparation for the mission is equally important... Here's what we'll do, send someone from Blacksteel... Franka, you and I will go see Doctor. Franlo and see if we can get the car back... Blaze, as an Elite Operator, you've been on missions with Little Cat before, right...? Liskarm is the future core of the team, she needs to be most familiar with the feeling of Little Cat's attacks brushing past you, you two exchange experiences, we'll talk about more specifics when I get back..."

Seeing Nana pick up her rifle again and prepare to leave, Franka, who had taken off her jacket while warming up, also put away her weapon, put on her Blacksteel Worldwide jacket, and made a face at Liskarm: