The True Home

Valenti continued, "So, only Quicksilver Needles in 'bullet time' can fight monsters like the Chelated Beings. Based on the data, a patient with Chelation Disease experiences a power increase of 10 to 60 times their original strength after an episode, lasting for one to two weeks.

"Think about it, an adult can lift at most around 100 to 150 jin, but a Chelated Being, especially one transformed from a healthy adult, can easily lift up to 4 tons. A 100-meter track, which an ordinary person takes 12 to 16 seconds to complete, is just an instant for a Chelated Being. How can ordinary people handle such enemies?

"Humans need Quicksilver Needles, at least so that both sides can fight on a more equal footing," Valenti said gently. "This is also the meaning of our existence."

Hesta thought seriously for a moment, "How long does a Quicksilver Needle's 'bullet time' need to be to meet the criteria for going onto the battlefield?"

"4 hours," Valenti replied. "There will be strict timekeeping during operations, and everyone will undergo tactical rotations to ensure the safety of each Quicksilver Needle as much as possible."

Hesta finally understood. "Do you know how long Miss Chiba's bullet time is?"

"Haha, of course, almost everyone here knows her duration."

Hesta looked at Valenti with some curiosity.

"76 hours and 43 minutes," Valenti answered. "Masaki is a legend in this regard."

As they were talking, Valenti led her to the door of room 403.

Valenti handed Hesta a room card. "This is your dorm, you can swipe it yourself."

Hesta held the card near the recognition area by the handle. With a click like interlocking gears, the door sprang open inwards. Hesta pushed the door open and stepped inside. The gray floor looked like some kind of hard resin material. Her rubber-soled shoes made an uncomfortable sticking sound as she walked on it.

The living room was about twenty-four to twenty-five square meters. On the wall directly opposite the door was a large window, about two meters high. Outside, the sun was setting. The south side of the room was bathed in the evening sun's shadow, but the dozen or so large plane trees outside were swaying their newly sprouted crowns in the light and breeze. There were no tall buildings in the distance, and she could see the horizon where the forest met the sky.

In the center of the living room was a very large rectangular white table. The edges of the tabletop were scattered with various books, pen holders, and small items whose purpose Hesta couldn't ascertain. Some mirrors propped against the table legs were tilted askew, making one worry they would fall and shatter at any moment.

As she passed them, Hesta reached out and pushed the mirrors inward.

Below the window was a long, old cloth sofa. Hesta knelt on it, supporting herself with the backrest, and gently pushed open the window.

The evening breeze, as night approached, brought a hint of chill, but the picturesque scene outside momentarily soothed her anxiety and sorrow.

To her right was a protruding balcony, which had been converted into an open kitchen. Some cheese, ham, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes were also scattered on the cutting board. A pile of dirty bowls and plates stained with sauce sat in the sink nearby.

Hesta turned back. "Will I be living here from now on?"

"Yes, your basic luggage will be sent over shortly," Valenti said.

Hesta withdrew her gaze. There were five doors within her reach, but only three had nameplates. Two of the doors also had paper posters on them: one of a rock band, and the other a profile of an old man writing at a desk.

"Your room is the one by the window, on the west side."

Following Valenti's direction, Hesta gently pushed open the door to her single room.

The furnishings inside were very simple: a bed, a wardrobe, a wall cabinet, and a window that also faced south. Outside the window were the same dozen or so plane trees lined up.

"If you need anything else, just send an email to Mr. Weir in logistics, and he will do his best to meet your living needs."

Valenti placed a paper stating the residency rules on Hesta's bed.

"In addition, we have forwarded your basic information to Miss Fletcher, who lives next door. She will be officially transferring positions in the latter half of the year, and during this time, she will help you get familiar with daily training. Do you have any other questions, Miss Hesta?"

"...You can call me Jane," Hesta said, lowering her gaze. "I do have one question... If my bullet time is less than 4 hours, what can I do?"

"Oh, there are many things you can do," Valenti said with a smile, pointing to herself. "For example, you can do administrative work within the base, like me, or become an accompanying medic. But those are things you'll only need to consider after you turn 14."

Hesta wanted to ask for more details, but Valenti's phone rang. She answered it and waved goodbye to Hesta before leaving the room.

The golden sunset reflected in her eyes. She picked up the "Residency Guidelines" left by Valenti with her uninjured left hand, read for a moment, and then set it aside.

In the twilight, Hesta was alone in the small single room. She slowly sat down on the soft bed and reached out to gently stroke the duvet beneath her.

At 11 PM, Valenti finally finished organizing the season's data documents in her office. Her working hours were not common in District 3, but Valenti preferred to tackle things in one go during a complete block of time rather than making slow progress each day.

As she was about to shut down and leave for the day, she noticed a new email had appeared in her inbox. It was from Mr. Weir, who was in charge of logistics, detailing all the new items requested by the Quicksilver Needle newcomers to logistics as of today.

This information was shared by logistics with the Psychological Support Center, where Valenti worked.

Usually, in the first six months after entering the training base, newcomers rarely made material requests.

This was partly because AHgAs provided very detailed daily necessities that covered almost every aspect of life. Another reason was that most of the children had just survived various tragic accidents and were in a state of extreme anxiety and unease, barely able to focus on anything else.

Only when they gradually integrated into life here and began to develop some trust in the AHgAs organization would they start asking to purchase small items beyond basic necessities. This behavior, as well as the items themselves, were information that Valenti and her colleagues needed to pay attention to daily. It also served as a basis for evaluating the psychological state of the newcomers.

Valenti scanned everyone's shopping lists line by line as usual. However, when she scrolled to the bottom of the item table, she let out a faint "Oh."

In the last box was the name Jane Hesta – she had actually submitted her request today.

[Jane Hesta's Request Email]

Dear Mr. Weir, This is Lavette from the student dormitory. As the new trainee Jane Hesta does not know how to send emails, I am writing her first logistics request on her behalf.

Miss Hesta requires a small cast-iron chair (preferably dark green), a semicircular log side table (suitable for placing by the windowsill), a rug large enough to accommodate the side table and chair (preferably white with green patterns, either semicircular or square), some wire, red, green, and black cardstock, and a bell-shaped glass cover with a wooden base suitable for placing on the side table. Thank you.

Lavette

Sincerely,