SCOM - Chapter 86
Chapter 86
During the Skeletal Mech training, the two hundred selected military cadets were joined by students from the weapons department. They were responsible for recording the cadets' training data and ultimately fitting them with weapons based on their individual strengths.
Zuo Luohuan was a subject of intense focus. She often completed her training ahead of the other cadets, and the remaining time would be spent with a group of weapons department students swarming around her, asking all sorts of questions. However, Qian Mao was the most outstanding among them, and when he asked his questions, the others naturally dispersed.
"What kind of weapon do you want?" Qian Mao understood Zuo Luohuan better than the others. There wasn't a weapon she couldn't use, only ones she liked and disliked.
Zuo Luohuan's gaze fell on Ji Yuezhi, who had just finished his training. Hearing Qian Mao's question, she answered casually, "A scimitar."
"Huh?" Qian Mao was stunned. "You want to use a scimitar?"
The Gashiro were most skilled with scimitars. Because of this, many in the Federation subconsciously avoided this type of weapon.
"Since they use scimitars, I'll use a scimitar too." Zuo Luohuan withdrew her gaze and said coolly, "Use the enemy's own preferred weapon against them."
Hearing her say that, Qian Mao suddenly found it a bit thrilling. "Then I'll make you a scimitar just like theirs. That's simple. Aren't you ambidextrous? For your other hand, how about a light gun? Though current light guns can't be compressed, that still needs more research."
"That's fine." Zuo Luohuan had no objections.
After asking his questions, Qian Mao squatted in a corner to study light guns and scimitars. Although the scimitar had to be made like the ones the Gashiro used, he still needed to add some other functions.
Zuo Luohuan, on the other hand, walked toward Ji Yuezhi. "You were faster today than before."
"I don't feel much abnormality wearing the skeletal mech now," Ji Yuezhi said, turning to look at her. "I should be fully adapted in a little while."
Although the skeletal mech was heavy, it fit the user's body perfectly. For someone like Zuo Luohuan, who was already accustomed to its weight, it felt at most like an extra layer of metal clothing.
Seeing the sweat on Ji Yuezhi's temples, Zuo Luohuan felt an impulse to ask him if he had any regrets.
Alphas and Omegas were different in physical strength, after all. If he had differentiated into an Alpha, his progress would likely be even faster than it was now.
"Why can't we have cannons?" Guan Xue walked over to them, complaining with a frustrated look. "I just want to blast those Gashiro people with one shot."
"Light cannons are fixed on specialized warships and vehicles. The mobile ones are all artillery cannons, which can't be used on the border," Jiang Hong said as he approached. "Don't get your hopes up. Maybe you can ask them to develop a light assault rifle."
"Can they really make that?" Guan Xue was a bit skeptical.
"You just make the suggestion. Whether they can make it or not is the weapons department's problem," Jiang Hong said nonchalantly. "Anyway, everyone is still in the exploratory phase right now."
The group had only exchanged a few words when Kang Guang had everyone assemble.
"I see the second-years and third-years don't seem to be convinced of each other's abilities," Kang Guang said with a wide grin. "Today, I'll give you a chance. We'll have a 100-person mock battle. As for the guns... the weapons department students have brought them. They're at the library entrance. You have two hours. The objective is to occupy the large bronze clock on the library's top floor."
Before the crowd could react, Kang Guang blew his whistle.
"Go." Zuo Luohuan turned her head and pulled Ji Yuezhi along. They immediately put on their skeletal mechs and ran toward the library.
The moment the third-years saw Zuo Luohuan and her group take off, they immediately followed suit.
Kang Guang shouted a warning from behind, "Those of you who started running without putting on your skeletal mechs, stop running. You're eliminated!"
A mighty contingent of over a hundred people in skeletal mechs sprinted toward the library, astonishing many onlookers by the roadside.
These two hundred people were an elite class selected by the school for experimentation. Of course, it wasn't just this class; there were also fourth-years, and outstanding students were currently being selected from the first-years as well.
The military cadets had all been exposed to skeletal mechs to some extent, but it was the first time they had seen so many people running wildly in them on campus. They all craned their necks to watch the show.
Zuo Luohuan ran at the very front, one hand still pulling Ji Yuezhi. He had already begun relaying the plan for entering the library to those behind them. On the other side, the third-years weren't having as smooth a time. Guan Yuan was domineering, shouting out a plan, but many among them had more faith in Xiang Chengping. The group of just one hundred people had already split into two factions.
Xiang Chengping felt this was not good and ultimately handed command over to Guan Yuan. He didn't care about it; as long as they could win, it was fine.
As expected, two large baskets of guns were placed at the library entrance, labeled "Second-Year" and "Third-Year" respectively.
Zuo Luohuan was the first to grab a gun, which she handed to Ji Yuezhi behind her. Then she grabbed one for herself and charged straight in.
"Stop her!" Guan Yuan shouted.
Guan Yuan wanted Xiang Chengping and the others to protect him as he went in to chase Zuo Luohuan.
Ji Yuezhi, however, led the sharpshooters of his team in first to seize the high ground. The moment any third-years entered, they would be sniped immediately.
Although the skeletal mechs were all the same color, the guns they held were different. The second-years' were red, and the third-years' were blue, making them extremely easy to distinguish.
"Ji Yuezhi is inside," Xiang Chengping reminded him.
"I know, that's why you all need to protect us as we go in," Guan Yuan said impatiently.
Before they even got inside, the two teams started fighting each other at the library entrance. Jiang Hong directly confronted Xiang Chengping at the doorway.
The guns wouldn't damage the skeletal mechs when hit; they just left a large splotch of paint.
Only after entering did Zuo Luohuan realize that the library had not been cleared of personnel. Many military cadets were still inside reading.
This couldn't be just a simple 100-person mock battle. Zuo Luohuan's thoughts turned. Instead of heading upstairs immediately, she leaped onto a table. "Enemy attack! Everyone, head upstairs!"
Sure enough, right after she spoke, people immediately stood up, pulled out paint guns from under the tables, and started firing wildly at the people in the library, with some shots aimed at her.
From four directions.
Zuo Luohuan jumped down sideways while simultaneously raising her gun and firing, dealing with the people near the stairs. She shouted to the crowd, "Everyone, upstairs!"
By this time, Ji Yuezhi had already rushed in. He left three people behind to help Zuo Luohuan deal with the blue-gun holders on the first floor, while he hurried upstairs.
At that moment, gunshots rang out on every floor. It was clear this was not just a 100-person mock battle, but a test for everyone in the library.
As Ji Yuezhi went upstairs, he saw some people starting to fight back, even attempting to snatch guns with their bare hands.
"There are guns in the corridors on every floor of the library," Ji Yuezhi said, reminding the others as he hit a member of the blue team.
Ever since the Gashiro night raid, the First Military Academy had set up weapon distribution points in all major buildings. However, since this was a test, the guns inside had been replaced beforehand.
Guan Yuan had already entered and was firing up the stairwell.
Zuo Luohuan ducked to avoid the shots and glanced back at Guan Yuan. He was certainly playing the part of a savage Gashiro to the hilt.
The library had nine floors and was enormous. It wouldn't be a problem for them to reach the top within two hours. The problem was that every floor had blue team members blocking the way, firing their guns everywhere.
Fortunately, after many military cadets realized what was happening, they started looking for guns, or the bolder ones teamed up to snatch them, but this often led to friendly fire.
"Is Jiang Hong still downstairs?" Zuo Luohuan asked as she caught up with Ji Yuezhi.
"He probably can't make it up. Xiang Chengping stayed behind," Ji Yuezhi said, not surprised. In fact, the group Jiang Hong was leading was destined to be 'sacrificed' on the first floor.
Guan Xue had already led her people to the fifth floor and set up an ambush at the stairwell entrance to block the blue team from advancing.
"The first floor can't hold everyone from the library," Ji Yuezhi said, glancing back. "Floors one through four will converge on the fifth floor. Don't go any higher. If Guan Xue can't hold back the blue team, let them come up. The rest of you, avoid the stairs. We'll continue upward. We just need to be the first to reach the large bronze clock."
Zuo Luohuan acted as the vanguard, charging straight up. In truth, for the military cadets in skeletal mechs, including the skilled snipers, their firing accuracy was terribly low. The reason was that the skeletal mech encased their fingers. Despite the metal material being as thin as possible, it still lacked that tactile feel.
The ones to be wary of were those not wearing skeletal mechs who had been lying in ambush in the library beforehand. But no matter how dense their fire, they couldn't truly harm Zuo Luohuan. By the time she, under the cover of Ji Yuezhi and the others, charged all the way to the ninth floor, only her arm had been hit by a single paint pellet.
A gong stood in front of the large bronze clock. Zuo Luohuan struck it once with the butt of her gun.
At that moment, a voice came over the library's broadcast system: "The First Military Academy has successfully defended its position."
The blue team members on every floor stopped fighting. Only on the seventh floor did Guan Yuan, right in front of Ji Yuezhi, smash his gun on the ground. "You got lucky."
Ji Yuezhi retracted his skeletal mech and glanced at him coolly. "If Xiang Chengping had been in command, perhaps you could have reached the eighth floor."
Guan Yuan: "...You only won one match, don't be so smug."
Everyone walked out of the library. Kang Guang and the weapons department students were waiting outside.
"I'm embarrassed for you third-years," Kang Guang said with a few clicks of his tongue.
The people who had suddenly launched the attack in the library were also third-year students. Hearing this, they all lowered their heads.
"Every single one of you has a full year of training more than them, and you've even gone out on missions. Is this the best you can do? You should have at least dragged it out for the full two hours, yet you just let the second-years win like that?" Kang Guang's tone shifted, and he turned his spearhead on Xiang Chengping. "Did a Gashiro dog kick you in the head? Why would you yield at a critical moment? Trying to be the nice guy? If you thought Guan Yuan's plan was flawed, you either seize command or take your people and find another path. Don't treat the competition like it's nothing."
Xiang Chengping lowered his head. "...Yes, sir."
Guan Yuan, however, had an unconvinced look on his face, clearly dissatisfied with what Kang Guang had said, but he didn't dare to say it to his face.
But Kang Guang saw it and immediately walked up to him. "You think I'm wrong? Which one of them, Zuo Luohuan or Ji Yuezhi, isn't stronger than you? Showing off for nothing. Is this how you'll act when you face the Gashiro in the future?"
After scolding everyone, Kang Guang finally announced their dismissal and turned to leave.
It was only then that someone discovered the paint pellets couldn't be washed off.
Not just on the people in the library, but also on the skeletal mechs, the paint was indelible.
"It's a special paint. It will only disappear naturally after at least ten days," Qian Mao said with a chuckle.
Jiang Hong's skeletal mech was covered in blue, which was one thing. But many of the military cadets in the library who had been subjected to the surprise test had splotches of paint on their faces, turning them into blue-faced people.
"The instructor said this is to keep you on your toes, so you don't get your heads blown off so easily," Qian Mao kindly told the students covered in paint.
The entire library was in chaos, even more lively than during the surprise attack test earlier.
Zuo Luohuan found Ji Yuezhi in the crowd. "Where were you hit?"
"Only the shoulder." Ji Yuezhi looked up at her. "We'll leave the school tomorrow after my class is over?"
"Alright." Zuo Luohuan thought of his Friday afternoon class, and a flicker of gloom passed swiftly between her brows.
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