RC 1201-1225 (Patreon)

Chapter 1201: It's so uncomfortable!

"Let me out!"

"Where am I?!"

"Ughhhh!"

Hearing the Dolls’ muffled cries around her, BM59 scratched her head in exasperation and asked M1919A4, who was also clinging to the vehicle, with a hint of helplessness.

"Why does it sound like some people can't speak? Did you gag them?"

"Huh? Of course not! Why would we gag them?"

M1919A4 immediately shook her head. While tying people up was indeed fun, it was only to keep them in place and prevent them from swinging around; it wasn't necessary to go that far.

"Hold on tight! Hold on tight! I'm about to accelerate!" the Noise Tank driver, a Dragoon, shouted excitedly. Clearly, driving was much more exciting than the bipedal mech of Sangvis Ferri.

The four Dolls in the drummer seats on the truck were really into it. Taking advantage of being strapped into their seatbelts, they took their hands off the handles and started pounding the drums in front of them, creating a deafening roar.

That was what Stechkin saw when she woke up: four Dolls who looked like Sangvis Ferri Rippers, pounding the drums like madwomen, with the sound of an electric guitar blaring in the background, and all that could be heard was the whooshing wind!

When she sat up and looked around, she found herself on a truck, which was currently traveling on an overpass at a considerable speed, or rather, gradually accelerating!

And ahead of the truck…

was the broken section of the overpass!

"Stop! Stop! Stop! We're going to fall—ahhh!" Stechkin screamed, trying to stand up, only to find herself also securely strapped to the truck!

"Let me go! Let me down! I want to get off!"

Stechkin's screams were barely audible among the other awakened Dolls. BM59 and the Rippers didn't pay any attention; it was normal for them to scream.

As for why they were now slamming on the gas toward the broken viaduct, it was obviously to get back to the spaceship.

This was in the city. Getting off the spaceship was easy; they could just find a spot without too many tall buildings. Whether it was a siege tank or power armor, this height wouldn't be a problem.

The noise tanks had also just attached two parachutes and driven down, landing smoothly without any issues.

But getting back was another matter. They either needed to find a flat spot, at least one where the spaceship could lower its cargo door, or they had to do it like this.

The spaceship descended, opened the cargo door, and then the vehicles drove directly across the broken viaduct.

Stechkin's scream was abruptly cut off as the spaceship slowly descended from the sky. The cry stuck in her throat, leaving her unsure whether to continue.

"Whoosh!"

Under the Dragoon's control, the Noise Tank accelerated again! It then shot directly off the broken section of the overpass!

The massive Noise Tank, after soaring several meters into the air, began to plummet!

However, under Wz.29's precise control, the Dolls on board barely felt the impact, and the truck landed smoothly on the massive cargo door.

Stechkin, who had been holding her breath, let out a long sigh of relief.

"Phew—"

Only then did Stechkin have the mind to carefully observe her surroundings.

"Hmm? M3? PK? And Shorty? What are you guys doing here? I remember you weren't..."

Although they were G&K headquarters T-Dolls, they had served under Gentiane for a time, and she recognized the Dolls clinging to the truck.

But if she remembered correctly, these Dolls had already switched jobs long ago, right? What were they doing here?

“Yeah, yeah, we've already switched sides. If we hadn’t, how would you be able to see us now?” Seeing the surprised look on Stechkin’s face, M3 was clearly very satisfied and nodded in response.

“That’s right. Commander Gentiane’s Dolls are barely able to defend themselves; they don’t have the spare capacity to search for you.” Shorty nodded. If it weren’t for the external command module M16 brought, a large number of Gentiane’s Dolls would have already fallen.

Moreover, searching for Dolls is something Gentiane’s Dolls simply don’t have the capability to do. If it weren’t for the newly installed detection equipment on the noise tanks, even finding the already disabled Stechkin and her team in this city wouldn’t be easy, let alone the Griffin T-Dolls, who could be attacked by Isomers and infected every few steps.

"Huh? So you guys...? You're not trying to force us to switch sides, are you!?"

"Force? No, no, no, how could it be forced? It was just a minor accident during maintenance." BM59 turned around and explained to Stechkin with a smile.

Maintenance?

Hearing this, Stechkin looked down at her current state. Indeed, although she had woken up, her physical body definitely needed further repair. The damage caused by water entering her body was far more serious than the damage from being shot.

If she didn't undergo major repairs, she might suddenly collapse in battle due to a short circuit in her body.

But if it's maintenance... what could that "minor accident" BM59 mentioned be?

I'm so curious! Can't you just be more direct!?

However, BM59 didn't continue explaining, because they had arrived; the Noise Tank was now steadily parked in the ship's cargo hold.

The first to swarm around were naturally M1897's cleaning crew.

"Don't move, everyone! Stand still! I'm talking to you! C96! How many more steps do you think you're going to take! There's a trail of footprints here!"

A group of Sangvis Ferri Dolls from the cleaning crew carried various cleaning tools and makeshift decontamination tents and rushed up, surrounding C96, who was trying to run away at once, and setting up the tents right around the noise tank.

Stuck in the middle, C96 looked at the cleaning spray nozzles pointed at her and sighed helplessly.

"I should have changed my clothes before coming out."

They didn't need any Doll-specific cleaning agents; those were for the Griffin Dolls they'd brought back.

But the Sangvis Ferri cleaning crew obviously wouldn't allow them to wander around the ship in dirty clothes all the way back to the dormitory area, where they could just be washed up together!

And afterward, they wouldn't have to clean the corridors separately!

A Doll's special cleaning solution wouldn't cause any problems if it got on their skin, but the problem was their clothes...

Clothes soaked in a Doll's cleaning solution and then dried in those guys' dryers... would mostly become as hard as rocks...

Wearing them would be incredibly uncomfortable...

---

---

Chapter 1202: The Curious 'Babies'

"Make way! Make way! Lunch's served!" a Dragoon, driving a forklift, yelled as it sped past BM59 and the others.

The truck was carrying freshly cooked meals from the kitchen, but not in large rice and vegetable buckets; instead, they were portioned into individual lunchboxes.

With so much radioactive dust outside, they wouldn't bother bringing their meals out there.

"Hey! Wait! Wait! Where's our portion?" C96 shouted as the forklift roared past. She hadn't eaten yet!

"Go to the kitchen! There's still some left!"

"Come on! Hurry to the kitchen! We can't let those Sangvis Ferri eat it all!"

There weren't any Dolls left in the house; it was all the Sangvis Ferri who were handling the food. Besides the portions Renault had reserved for those scheduled to return, the Sangvis Ferri helping in the kitchen would definitely leave some for themselves!

This isn't the era when Sangvis Ferri couldn't eat anymore! Those guys had all had bionic modules installed long ago!

While they're not eating as much as SPAS-12, it's definitely not something that can be satisfied with just a few bites!

"Do you guys still need to fight for food here?" Seeing C96 about to run away after hearing this, Stechkin asked M3 beside her with a strange expression.

"Hmm? Of course not. It's just that Commander Renault probably made today's food, and the quantity is limited. If you want more, you'll have to run fast. But don't worry, I've already asked someone to save some for me. Giving you an extra portion is no problem!" M3 gave a thumbs-up, acting like she knew someone.

M3 usually helped out everywhere like the other Sangvis Ferri, so she had a good relationship with the Sangvis Ferri Dolls. Asking someone to save some food for her was no problem.

"Okay, well… no! That's not right! How did you guys drag me here to eat?! Didn't we agree to change clothes first?"

Stechkin said, suddenly snapping back to reality, and tapped her now stiff coat.

Thump! Thump!

The crisp tapping sound made Stechkin want to cry. She'd had this coat for a long time, and it had survived so many missions, but this time it was completely ruined by Doll Cleaner.

"Hey, no rush, clothes are a minor issue, and you might not even need them later."

Yeah, after all, whether lying in the repair chamber or entering the incubation tank, clothes weren't necessary.

Click!?

The moment Shorty uttered those words, Stechkin felt as if a thunderclap had exploded in her ears!

Did that mean she was about to die?! Her last meal?!

At this thought, Stechkin's first step froze in mid-air. M3 was olivious to Stechkin's wild imagination and ignoring her expression, she grabbed her arm and darted forward!

...

"That's all? I thought there would be plenty."

Scarecrow took the Neural Cores from SpectreM4, stored in her preservation devices, and sighed in disappointment upon discovering there were only fifteen.

The commander of Griffin Headquarters only had fifty-odd Dolls under his command?

The Griffin reconnaissance team brought back by the noise tanks, the number of these Neural Cores, and the T-Dolls merging with Gentiane below—the total number came to only fifty-one.

Of course, it's possible that some Dolls' Neural Cores were damaged beyond recovery by the rebel armored train's fire, but the mere fifteen Neural Cores on hand were half of Scarecrow's initial estimate of around thirty.

While the armored train's fire was indeed intense, if the Dolls had been even slightly wary, they likely wouldn't have been directly hit. Survival would have been difficult, but it's unlikely they'd be reduced to nothing, with not even their Neural Cores remaining.

Otherwise, how did the commander of Griffin headquarters and his Dolls survive? Those Dolls didn't suffer many injuries; their bodies were intact, and their clothing was only slightly torn—they weren't seriously injured at all.

"Be content with this. We still don't know what kind of Dolls are inside these cores. What if they're all troublemakers like C96? That'll be a real headache."

"You're right."

Hearing this, Scarecrow sighed and facepalmed. If it really was as SpectreM4 said, and all fifteen cores were troublemakers… Ha! Fifteen picky, mischievous kids who just jumped out of the incubation tanks...

Just thinking about it made her blood pressure spike!

"Have we been captured by Sangvis Ferri?"

"So many Sangvis Ferri! Is this Sangvis Ferri's headquarters?!"

Just as SpectreM4 subconsciously activated her optical camouflage cloak and disappeared, one of the other Griffin Dolls anxiously whispered to her companion.

Hearing these words, Scarecrow immediately regretted it, slapping her forehead. She'd been careless; she should have called BM59 and the others over to explain the situation to the Griffin Dolls.

Compared to Sangvis Ferri, who were vastly different from the T-Dolls, it was clearly more convincing for the Griffin Dolls to have BM59 and the others explain.

But now that they were gone, there was nothing she could do. However, not all of them had left; M1897 was still there, but could she really handle it alone?

The Noise Tank had brought back twenty-four Dolls. M3 and the others had taken Stechkin away. Of the remaining twenty-three Dolls, seven had woken up, and eight were still being cleaned in the decontamination room…

Clap clap!

Even with a headache, she couldn't just stand there. Scarecrow called for Ripper to help push the stretcher over, clapping her hands to get the attention of the seven Griffin Dolls.

"Look here, everyone. Don't overthink it, or rather, stop overthinking it. You're not prisoners, we just picked you up. This isn't Sangvis Ferri's headquarters. And you over there, put away your grenades."

Seriously, why didn't BM59 and the others think to take these Griffin Doll weapons off?

"So where is this place?"

"Renault Security Contracting Firm. If you feel fine and don't need any checks or repairs, you can follow the gunship delivering food down. Your Griffin commander is on the intercontinental train below."

"Down?"

"So we're in the sky?"

"Food delivery?"

"Food delivery to whom?"

Before Scarecrow could continue, a barrage of questions had already spilled from the Griffin Dolls' mouths.

---

Chapter 1203: I Can Take on a Hundred!

"Lunch is served!"

With a shout from the Ripper delivering the food, the group of Dolls who had already climbed onto the roof of the intercontinental train sprang into action.

Only a few Dolls wearing power armor sighed helplessly. Their power armor was quite heavy, and running back and forth on the roof of the intercontinental train could potentially damage the train's structure.

So they could only wait where they were for the others to bring them their meals.

Luckily, today's meal consisted of boxed lunches. They didn't have to choose from a variety of dishes like the ones Commander Renault usually had G36 prepare.

However, it didn't take long for the group of Dolls to realize that eating on the roof of the intercontinental train was somewhat impractical.

Not only was it windy, but because of the radioactive dust left behind by the Collapse, they would soon be covered in a layer of dust and haze.

They wanted boxed lunches, not windblown sand.

So...

After a knock on the train's doors, Gentiane watched Renault's Dolls file into the carriage one after another.

This normally wouldn't have been a problem. The intercontinental train was spacious enough that the Dolls shouldn't have been crowded together.

The real issue was the lunchboxes they were carrying.

"Hey, Commander, do we have any plans for meals?"

"Huh? You're the logistics officer. Shouldn't I be asking you that?!" Gentiane looked at Kalina incredulously, wondering what had gotten into her to make her ask such a question.

Kalina managed all the supplies on the train. Whether to serve meals—or rather, distribute emergency rations—was clearly a decision she could make herself.

"Yes, yes... emergency rations..." Kalina nodded weakly before biting the finger of her glove resentfully. "But these compressed biscuits are awful..."

"Yeah... awful..." Gentiane echoed absentmindedly, blinking as she watched AR15 carrying several large lunchboxes.

Rolling her eyes at the pair, AR15 split one stack of lunchboxes in two and handed half to Gentiane.

"Remember to put the empty lunchboxes in that box over there after you're done eating."

"There's soup in the aisle over there. Help yourself if you want some."

Turning around, AR15 saw M4 hesitantly staring at the lunchbox in her hands, which was larger than her face.

"AR15... I don't think I can eat this much..."

"Just eat as much as you can. If you can't finish it, SOP2 and OGAS will."

Calling her a glutton wouldn't be accurate, but her appetite was definitely bigger than hers. AR15 was certain of that. One was still growing, while the other simply ate as much as she possibly could.

While AR15 urged M4 to start eating, Gentiane and Kalina happily pulled over two chairs after receiving their lunches and placed them directly on the holographic display table in the operations command center.

Well, there weren't any other tables in the carriage. Where else were they supposed to put them?

The moment the lunchbox lids were opened, a rich aroma of braised pork mixed with sweet caramelized sauce rose with a burst of steam, followed by the fresh fragrance of vegetables and the comforting scent of rice.

Having survived on compressed biscuits for days without a proper hot meal, Gentiane and Kalina couldn't hold back any longer. They grabbed the utensils tucked into the lids and stuffed the braised pork into their mouths like starving ghosts.

The two were so engrossed in eating that they failed to notice their subordinates staring fixedly at the lunchboxes in AR15's and the others' hands.

Their bionic modules were running at full speed. Their eyes were practically bulging from their sockets as they twitched their noses, desperately trying to catch every bit of the delicious aroma.

Fortunately, UMP9 and the others weren't stingy enough to leave everyone else hungry. They had even brought extra lunches. After all, M16 and Simonov had already set up a small table and were drinking together.

While Gentiane and Renault's Dolls enjoyed their lunch, the Griffin Dolls who had arrived aboard the food delivery gunship were suffering miserably under the watchful eyes of HK21 and the others as they maintained their weapons.

The aroma of food drifted through the gaps in the door from time to time, filling those who had nothing to do except tend to their Imprint Weapons with overwhelming regret.

After all, they had just ridden down in a gunship packed with lunchboxes, only to miss the feast...

What a mistake...

If they had known rushing down would only leave them sitting here cleaning their guns, they would have stayed aboard the ship and shared a meal with Stechkin instead!

...

"Hiss! What is this?! Why is it so spicy?!"

"Oh, that's a nutritious spicy cube—something to eat after the body swap. It was probably made for Hawke and Narcissus... Wait, Commander! Those two ran away again! Your chili oil is way too spicy!"

M3 stopped mid-sentence after noticing the untouched food. Clearly, Hawke and Narcissus had slipped away again.

There weren't many Dolls left aboard the ship, and no one was watching them force themselves to eat it.

"Ah, just leave it there and treat it as a side dish. G36 has already figured out how to turn the nutrient blocks into desserts. You'll be able to try them tomorrow—or maybe tonight." Renault waved a hand while rinsing the large spatula. After all, soaked in chili oil, the nutrient blocks wouldn't spoil.

Glug!

After gulping down a large mouthful of juice, Stechkin recovered before asking.

"Phew... What exactly are these nutrient blocks? Is it okay for a Doll to eat them? And what did you mean earlier about changing bodies?"

"A nutrient block is just that—a block packed with nutrients. If you want the technical details, ask Leone. As for the body... see for yourself."

M3 said, raising her chin so Stechkin could examine her neck before brushing aside her bangs to reveal her living biological body.

"Huh?!"

There were no seams! No pre-existing interfaces! Judging from the condition of the skin... was this really a Doll body?

Was the person sitting beside her actually an M3 Doll disguised as a human?

"See? My body's super strong now! I wouldn't be afraid of taking on a hundred of them!" M3 declared proudly, raising her arm as though showing off her muscles.

Unfortunately, she was wearing a long-sleeved jacket, so no matter how tightly the sleeve stretched, nothing was visible.

---

Chapter 1204: Is It Okay to Take Off the Helmet?

"Angelia, this ammunition is ten years past its expiration date."

Click!

Angelia showed little reaction as she swiftly used a crowbar to pry open another wooden ammunition crate filled with rounds.

"It's good enough that we have any at all. Besides, this ammunition depot has been well preserved, and the storage conditions meet the required standards. Being ten years past the expiration date isn't much of a concern. Before World War III, before the environment was devastated by the Collapse radiation, ammunition naturally had a shelf life of twenty years."

"So, Angelia, you're saying these bullets are still usable?" RPK16 asked as she loaded what looked like brand-new rounds into magazines.

"What else would I mean? It looks like you still have plenty of free time. Maybe I should give you more work. Or you could help AK15 and me load the rest of the magazines."

Angelia slammed another ammunition crate onto the table irritably.

The depot also stored several weapons, but only a few AK-15 rifles were still usable. They were pre-World War III stockpiles. The rest either lacked ammunition or no longer had working power systems. Pistols weren't what Angelia needed.

She wanted something with more firepower, like an RPG or a grenade launcher, but unfortunately, the depot had neither.

There were grenades, but unlike the ammunition, they had been stored for over twenty years. Even under proper storage conditions, Angelia didn't dare use them.

At best, one grenade might function properly. At worst, it would simply explode into dangerous shrapnel. Angelia had no intention of gambling her life on faulty explosives.

She did take a few tear gas grenades and stun grenades, though only a handful. Paradeus combat units were obviously immune to both, but they might still prove useful against the rebels if they had to fight human soldiers later.

Well... that was assuming those people voluntarily removed their protective suits and helmets.

Unlikely—but not impossible.

Heavy protective suits certainly offered excellent protection, but they also had drawbacks. They were cumbersome and interfered with accurate shooting. It wasn't impossible that soldiers would voluntarily remove those fishbowl-like helmets after entering the base.

"Angelia, these magazines are ready."

AN94 carried over two boxes of loaded magazines and placed them between Angelia and RPK16. The 5.45 mm and 7.62 mm magazines were evenly divided into neat stacks, causing RPK16's eye to twitch involuntarily.

Each box contained at least eighty or ninety magazines. AK12 and AN94 were already carrying twenty or thirty spare magazines each...

"No... Angelia... You're not planning to destroy our weapons, are you?"

Each of them normally carried only eight or nine magazines, and once emptied, they certainly weren't disposable. If they couldn't recover them or find replacements, they'd be helpless even if their rifles remained intact.

They couldn't exactly hand-load individual rounds into the chamber and fire them like bolt-action rifles.

"What time do you think it is? If breaking our weapons would complete the mission, I'd gladly do it. Otherwise, why do you think I'm carrying two AK-15s?" Angelia replied as she lifted two large ammunition bags.

AK12, who was helping carry ammunition, sighed helplessly.

"Angelia, why don't you just take that Kord heavy machine gun by the door too? You..."

AK12 had been about to say Angelia was overreacting when she saw Angelia's eyes light up in agreement.

The heavy machine gun beside the door was covered with a tarpaulin. Ever since entering the depot, Angelia had focused entirely on the ammunition crates and storage cabinets, never even glancing toward the entrance.

Now that she'd noticed it, there was no reason to leave it behind.

She weighed it in her hands, pulled back the charging handle to inspect the chamber, confirmed everything was in working order, and immediately picked up the weapon.

Watching Angelia excitedly search through the ammunition crates for the correct rounds, AK12 and RPK16 exchanged helpless glances.

Their commander's preferences were becoming increasingly unusual.

Angelia had once been renowned for her tactical brilliance and meticulous battle planning. Charging straight into battle was completely unlike her.

But ever since the modification surgery at Renault's...

...

"Oh? Hey, Kalina, this guy's awake."

With chopsticks still in hand, Gentiane nudged Kalina and gestured toward Splinter, who was lying on the other side of the operations room.

"Oh, he's awake. Ugh! This braised pork smells so good! What am I going to do if I can't eat it again?" the logistics officer replied nonchalantly, clearly unconcerned about the headquarters commander's condition.

Gentiane felt much the same way.

She had already received Splinter, and no further orders had arrived. As long as he didn't cause trouble aboard her train, she couldn't care less whether he lived or died. He wasn't someone she knew.

Besides, it was obvious why he had been sent here—to replace her.

Why should she welcome him? When Havier finally got through on the communications channel, not calling him "Old Man" would already be polite.

Splinter slowly opened his eyes after regaining consciousness.

His chin and neck were sticky, probably from a mixture of blood and vomit that gave off a foul smell.

His entire body ached. Even something as simple as turning his head made every muscle feel as though it were creaking.

As he turned, Splinter spotted Gentiane and Kalina sitting not far away, staring at him expressionlessly while eating from their lunchboxes and enthusiastically slurping down their meal.

He vaguely remembered hearing voices earlier. So it really had been these two—Gentiane and her logistics officer, Kalina.

Why were they here?

He had clearly ordered his subordinate Doll to remain by his side!

Splinter naturally recognized Gentiane and Kalina. After all, he was a commander at Griffin headquarters and had reviewed the mission briefing before departing. More importantly, how could he fail to recognize the very target of the mission?

Judging by how calmly the two were eating, this carriage was probably safe.

So... could he finally take off his heavy protective helmet?

---

Chapter 1205: Awaiting Your Good News

"What?! What do you mean by 'pocket money'? Do you think your Commander would just give you money for nothing?!"

Stechkin planted her hands on the table and practically leaned into M3's face, exclaiming incredulously with gleaming eyes.

Back at Griffin, she received a fixed monthly salary. It wasn't much, with an additional mission allowance, but even then, it still wasn't much. After all, she was a Doll.

If Dolls demanded the same pay as human employees, Griffin probably would have gone out of business long ago. How else could it have become the leading security contractor?

"Well, it's not exactly free. There's quite a bit to do, like moving things, cleaning, and other odd jobs. But when there are serious missions, I also get a share of the commission. Hmm... it depends."

For smaller missions, Dolls usually get a cut. Things aren't like they used to be. Renault and Helian don't care about such small payments, even though they haven't received many minor missions yet.

"That's it? How does your pay compare to what you got at Griffin?"

"Hmm... about five times what I got at Griffin." M3 pondered for a moment, searching through her memories. Although Commander Gentiane treated them well, unfortunately, a Doll's salary wasn't something Gentiane could control.

Of course, in terms of the actual amount, the difference wasn't enormous. However, with Kalina—that shrewd businesswoman—at Griffin, all she thought about after finishing her own work was how to reclaim the Dolls' salaries.

She always managed to procure the things the Dolls wanted through Griffin's logistics channels, and as a result, M3's actual savings had shrunk considerably.

Besides Gentiane's team, according to casual conversations with MP5 and the others who had voluntarily transferred, there had even been cases where salaries were withheld for several months.

"What about electricity? What about food expenses? And equipment maintenance costs...?" Stechkin continued pressing, only to be interrupted by M3 raising a hand.

"There aren't any of those expenses. After changing bodies, we don't need to recharge anymore. Meals at home are free, and equipment maintenance is also free. Of course, if it's just your personal collection, you'll have to take care of that yourself. Using the ship's tools and materials is free, though."

"It's... it's just..." Hearing M3's explanation, Stechkin's eyes widened. She was at a complete loss for words to describe Renault's extravagant spending.

"It's heaven! No! It's utopia! It's a paradise! No, no, no! M3! You have to be joking, right?! Hey! You're joking, right!?" MP7 suddenly crawled out from under the table, dragging a clearly malfunctioning arm behind her.

The lollipop stick in her mouth had been unconsciously flattened. Still in disbelief, MP7 cautiously glanced toward Renault, only to see Helian grabbing two little Nytos by the collars and dragging them out of the kitchen.

"So, M3, you don't just have Griffin's Dolls and Sangvis Ferri's Dolls here—you even have Paradeus's Nytos?"

"Yeah. It's been like this for quite a while now. They're much better behaved than the IDWs were back then."

While Stechkin and MP7 continued gathering information about Renault from M3, Helian looked at the assembled Dolls with some concern.

"Aren't you worried about these Dolls sending intelligence back to Griffin?"

"What's there to worry about? This is the Red Zone, and don't forget, signals from inside the ship can't be transmitted outside. Even the Dolls' Neural Clouds can't penetrate the ship's signal shield."

After saying that, Renault resumed eating from his bowl, prompting Helian to roll her eyes in annoyance before swatting away the Nyotos' hands as they tried to imitate him.

Since everything was so clear, Helian naturally didn't dwell on such irrelevant concerns. Besides, even if intelligence really were leaked through these Dolls, Griffin would be the one in trouble.

While the root protocols ensured that Griffin's T-Dolls would faithfully carry out the operations commander's orders, they could never completely erase the Dolls' individual thoughts and desires.

Otherwise, Griffin wouldn't have any Problem Dolls.

"Alright, but why are there only two? Didn't BM59 say they brought back twenty-four Dolls and fifteen Neural Cores?"

"Stechkin and MP7 probably came along for the meal. Some of the others woke up earlier and went down with the Gunship. The rest still haven't woken up yet. I'll go check on them after I finish eating."

"I see. It seems the remaining Dolls won't have a chance to choose whether to stay or leave."

Helian's voice wasn't loud, but even from a distance, Stechkin and MP7 immediately pricked up their ears.

Both Scarecrow and BM59 had mentioned this before but hadn't explained it in detail. Helian was saying the same thing—no chance to choose whether to stay or leave?

But M3 and the others seemed perfectly fine now.

How could they not have a choice...?

"Hey, M3, Commander Renault said he's going to check on the Dolls after lunch. Is he going to repair them himself?"

"Yeah. You two are definitely going as well. You'll find out then."

Wait a minute! Can you stop keeping us in suspense?

Of course, Renault ate incredibly fast. Before the two of them could even finish speaking or voice the questions on their minds, Renault had already set down his empty bowl, picked up a cooler containing several lunchboxes from the counter, and headed toward the workshop.

"Eh!? He's already leaving! I wanted to..."

Renault's swift movements stunned MP7. She quickly grabbed a piece of cheesecake, stuffed it into her mouth, and hurried after him, with Stechkin close behind.

This time, however, M3 didn't follow. What was there to see about the Commander repairing Dolls? She hadn't even finished eating yet. Not everyone was like her Commander, who always seemed able to finish meals in the blink of an eye.

"Well, I'll wait here for your good news. By the way, are you two planning to join me in the General Services Department afterward?"

"Huh? Ah? Ahh?"

What did M3 mean by that?

---

Chapter 1206: Next

"Seriously! Why do I have to wait here for these idiots to wake up one by one?!" S-ACR grumbled, fidgeting with her skirt as she tried to flatten the voluminous dress that had puffed up into the shape of an upside-down bowl.

At least it wouldn't get stuck in the doorway when she went through it...

OTs-12 had been placed on a chair beside Scarecrow and was now conscious but only able to move her eyes. She rolled her eyes upon hearing the complaint. Her darting gaze wanted to express something indescribable, but her subtle movements were wasted.

No one was watching.

Scarecrow merely shrugged at S-ACR's complaints. This self-proclaimed young lady had been rambling for quite a while. Aside from complaining, however, she showed no intention of leaving, even when the Gunship was about to depart.

"The remaining Dolls who haven't woken up fall into two groups. Some have minor physical problems, like OTs-12, while others have Mental Model damage. The data flow within the city's mental network affected their Mental Models to varying degrees."

Of course, those with Cloud damage mainly suffered varying degrees of wear to their Neural Cores. They could recover on their own, but waiting for the Dolls to complete their self-diagnostics and restart would probably take several days.

By then, it was uncertain whether the energy cores inside their bodies would still have any power remaining.

Naturally, Scarecrow wasn't about to explain all of that. Now that the Dolls were already in the workshop, there was no way she would let them escape again.

After all, in the hands of Griffin's new Commander, the Dolls were nothing more than expendable resources. It was better to keep them on the ship than end up like HK416 and AR-15, who had gone to the Doll Reemployment Center to recruit replacements, only to find a single volunteer—and only because her body had been damaged.

"Mental problems!? How could that happen!? I'm perfectly fine!" Although Scarecrow spoke casually, S-ACR regarded it as a serious matter. Mental problems were never minor issues for a Doll.

"I bet you were completely unprepared, weren't you? You suddenly fell into a baby-like sleep. The other Dolls with Neural Cloud damage all instinctively used their processing power to resist, at least for a moment."

"Then they... they won't... they won't never wake up again, will they!?"

Just as S-ACR was about to ask more questions, the workshop door suddenly opened.

Swoosh—

Renault walked in through the corridor carrying an insulated container, followed by MP7 and Stechkin, whose cheeks were stuffed full, under the dangerous stares of the Rippers.

Once the three entered the workshop, the hatch behind them automatically closed, and MP7 finally let out a sigh of relief.

Gurgle!

She tried to swallow the cheesecake in her mouth, but unfortunately, the oversized piece refused to go down easily.

Fortunately, someone handed her a cup of black tea.

Although it was completely cold, it solved her immediate problem, preventing the bizarre spectacle of a "Doll choking on cake" from happening in front of everyone.

Of course, a Doll couldn't actually choke to death. It was merely a stress response from her bionic systems.

"Phew! Saved! Thank you! I'm alive! But why were those Rippers in the hallway staring at me like that? They weren't doing that when I came in. Eek! Scarecrow!?"

Only then did MP7 realize who had handed her the cup. After all, Griffin Dolls certainly didn't walk around carrying mugs.

"You're welcome. I was just wondering where I'd end up pouring this ice-cold tea. Those Rippers were staring at you because your mouth was so full that you looked ready to spit cake all over the floor. They were worried you'd make a mess."

Huh?

MP7's eyes widened in anger, but she had no way to vent it.

"How's everything going?" Renault handed the lunchbox to Scarecrow No. 2 beside her before looking at Scarecrow.

"The fifteen Neural Cores have already been processed and are currently undergoing mind transfer. These few are next." Scarecrow pointed toward Stechkin and the others.

Renault nodded.

Stechkin and the others, however, tilted their heads in confusion.

Next?

Unlike the bewildered Stechkin, OTs-12, who had been silently observing the two Scarecrows working in the workshop, suddenly had a bad feeling.

Although she couldn't move, she remembered everything the two Scarecrows had said.

Mind transfer...

That didn't sound like an ordinary repair procedure.

From the moment they had entered the workshop, the two Scarecrows, aside from clearing space for the stretchers carrying the Griffin Dolls, hadn't shown any intention of repairing them.

If that was the case, then why had they allowed Stechkin and MP7—the two with the lightest injuries—to leave? They should have been the easiest to repair. A few minutes inside a repair pod would have restored them completely.

Thinking of that, OTs-12 looked toward the repair chambers in the corner of the workshop, their surfaces covered with a thin layer of dust from long disuse.

There are Repair pods... yet they weren't being used.

Renault glanced at the four conscious Griffin Dolls.

"Never mind the ones lying down. Let's start with you."

With that, he walked straight over to the motionless OTs-12, picked her up, and placed her on the workbench.

Was he about to perform manual repairs?

Renault's movements appeared unhurried, but before Stechkin and the others could even ask a question, he picked up a tool, made a precise incision, and opened OTs-12's body.

Then, with one smooth motion, he pulled out a still-warm Neural Core.

"He... he removed the Neural Core!?"

This was nothing like the repair procedure they had imagined!

Their screams did nothing to slow Renault's hands. He had performed this operation countless times and knew it by heart.

Within seconds, OTs-12's freshly removed Neural Core was secured inside a Neural Core protection device and connected to the display.

"Huh? Eh? Am I dead?"

OTs-12's voice came from the speaker beneath the monitor, leaving Stechkin, MP7, and S-ACR even more bewildered.

Wait... what was going on?

Couldn't this Commander at least explain something before getting started?

"Next."

As the three Dolls and one Mind were still overwhelmed with questions, Renault tapped the workbench, pushed OTs-12's original body aside, and looked at Stechkin, MP7, and S-ACR.

"Eek!"

---

Chapter 1207: It's Definitely Going to Be Like This!

"Hey, keep your helmet on if you don't want to die. If you take off that fishbowl helmet, you'll become ELID-infected in a heartbeat."

Seeing Splinter reach for his helmet, Gentiane held down the lunchbox lid and warned her.

Of course, reality might not be quite as dramatic as Gentiane described, but it wasn't far from the truth. The Collapse radiation purification system on this intercontinental train wasn't activated, and neither was the detection system inside the carriages.

The main reason was simply to conserve energy.

After all, neither she, Kalina, nor the Dolls on the train had much reason to worry about Collapse radiation. The Dolls could open and close doors and get on and off the train themselves, so the amount of Collapse radiation dust they brought inside was minimal—far too little to affect anyone onboard.

However, if the train's Collapse radiation detection system were activated, the alarms would scream nonstop, and the noise alone would probably cost Gentiane a significant number of brain cells.

So, to prevent Splinter from becoming an ELID-infected victim after inhaling contaminated radioactive dust, Gentiane had to stop her.

More importantly, though, Gentiane had seen the inside of Splinter's fishbowl helmet.

There was a considerable amount of vomit residue inside, and the smell...

Gentiane definitely didn't want to smell it while she was eating.

"What do you mean?" Noticing Gentiane's unfriendly gaze, Splinter paused with his fingers already resting on the helmet's safety latch and asked suspiciously.

"Look at the detector in your hand."

The portable detector hung from Splinter's protective suit, transmitting data through a cable to the display module he was holding.

Gentiane had used one before during her onboarding training at Griffin. After joining the company, she never saw one again. It was expensive, and there was no way she could afford one—not even using the branch's reserve funds.

Besides, they had managed just fine without one before, so they certainly didn't need one now.

Seeing Splinter glance at the displayed Collapse radiation level, Gentiane finally opened her lunchbox and gave Kalina a meaningful look.

Eat quickly! Once this idiot figures things out, we won't be able to enjoy our meal in peace!

Splinter looked at the detector's reading. The Collapse radiation level was far above the normal concentration, and the display had shifted to a brighter yellow.

That meant the Collapse radiation inside the carriage had at least reached Yellow Zone standards.

Removing the helmet in an environment like this wouldn't guarantee ELID infection, but the chances were alarmingly high. At the very least, Splinter wasn't willing to take that risk.

Everyone's immune system and physical condition were different. Some people spent their entire lives in the Yellow Zone, occasionally entering the Red Zone, and remained perfectly healthy without showing any symptoms of ELID.

Others, however, only needed brief exposure to the edge of the Yellow Zone before ELID took hold like a stubborn, incurable disease, eventually forcing them to undergo expensive treatment at a sanatorium.

Splinter wasn't willing to gamble that he belonged to the former group.

But with the Collapse radiation level inside the carriage this high, why were these two women sitting there without any protective gear?

And eating?

Didn't they realize that everything they ate was contaminated with radioactive Collapse dust?

Unfortunately, Splinter wasn't a mind reader, and Gentiane and Kalina couldn't hear his thoughts. Even if they could, neither of them would have stopped eating.

What a joke. They were enjoying their meal just fine—why should they listen to this nonsense?

Watching the two of them eat heartily, Splinter became increasingly curious about what they were eating.

At the same time, he was even more puzzled by how completely unconcerned they seemed about the Collapse radiation around them...

Just like Dolls.

Why?

As Splinter struggled to sit upright, he carefully considered everything he had seen. Gradually, a seemingly absurd conclusion began to take shape.

Eliminate the impossible, and whatever remains, however unbelievable, must be the truth!

The two people sitting across from her!

Griffin operations commander Gentiane!

And logistics officer Kalina!

Neither of them was human!

They were Dolls disguised as humans!

It wasn't impossible for Dolls to imitate humans. However, to avoid the uncanny valley effect, Doll manufacturers intentionally left obvious imperfections in their appearance so they could be distinguished from real humans at a glance.

Research institutions, however, sometimes commissioned specialized Dolls that didn't follow this rule.

Since they were intended for scientific research, there was no need to worry about the uncanny valley effect. They also weren't expected to interact with large numbers of ordinary people, so making them completely lifelike wasn't considered a problem.

If Gentiane and Kalina were both Dolls, then everything made sense!

No wonder Sir Griffin had sent him!

The so-called mission to assist Gentiane was actually meant to put him in charge!

Gentiane, Griffin's former ace commander, must have already died!

If nothing unexpected had happened, it must have occurred during the previous mission in Belgrade!

The two Dolls before him were merely temporary replacements to prevent Griffin's reputation from collapsing completely!

The more Splinter thought about it, the brighter his eyes became.

Finally, he struggled to his feet, dragged his heavy body toward the operations room communicator, and painstakingly dialed Havier's number.

Gentiane and Kalina watched his actions but made no attempt to stop her.

He was only contacting Havier, and he wasn't even using an encrypted channel.

This man was strange.

He had clearly been sent by Havier, yet he didn't even know how to use an encrypted channel.

As for stopping him?

Why would they?

They had planned to contact Havier after finishing dinner anyway.

Before long, they would break through another Quarantine Wall in Tallinn and continue toward Paldiski. Reporting their location and requesting updated intelligence along the route was perfectly normal.

Not long afterward, Havier's holographic image appeared on the command console in front of Gentiane and Kalina.

"Didn't I tell you to contact me through an encrypted channel? That's why I came over... What are you eating?"

---

Chapter 1208: Mutual Destruction!

"A bento box. Renault's special edition."

Gentiane swallowed her food while waving her chopsticks before immediately picking up the lunchbox and shoveling the remaining perfectly shaped, beautifully glazed pieces of braised pork into her mouth.

Mmm!

Seeing the satisfied expression on Gentiane's face and her puffed-up cheeks, not only was Havier stunned by the holographic projection, but even Kalina was caught off guard. She glanced regretfully at the last mouthful of rice and the two remaining pieces of potato in her own lunchbox.

She had been wondering why Gentiane had left those delicious-looking pieces of braised pork untouched...

So this was her plan—to save the very best bite for last!

What a mistake!

Watching Kalina angrily shovel the remaining rice and potatoes into her mouth, Havier's face twitched.

Although he was still somewhat confused, he had to interrupt them. Unlike these two, he wasn't relaxed enough to leisurely watch them eat lunch.

"Alright, ladies, tell me what happened that made you contact me through an unencrypted channel again. Keep it brief. Although the rebels aren't focusing on this area right now, a prolonged transmission could still be intercepted."

"This time it wasn't us. The one who wanted to contact you is over there. Come on, Kalina, I remember AR-15 brought some soup!"

Ignoring Havier's strange expression in the holographic projection, Gentiane's thoughts were now completely occupied by the thermos flasks AR-15 and SOP II had been carrying.

"Alright, Commander Splinter. I didn't expect you to successfully rendezvous with Commander Gentiane. Even so, there's really no need to contact me through an unencrypted channel at a time like this."

Watching Gentiane and Kalina walk away, Havier sighed almost imperceptibly before turning to Splinter, who was struggling to move behind them.

This unfortunate man wasn't just unlucky—he wasn't particularly competent either.

Why would Sir Griffin recruit someone like this into Griffin?

Kryuger probably didn't know. Otherwise, after this man managed to destroy an intercontinental train on his very first mission, Kryuger would have kicked him out immediately.

Although Havier agreed with Sir Griffin's decision to send someone to help clean up the situation, he had never imagined that someone like Splinter could become an operations commander at Griffin headquarters.

Given the current circumstances, it was difficult to say who would end up cleaning up whose mess.

The original idea had been that if Gentiane acted impulsively and ruined everything, they would have a backup commander ready to take over.

Instead, Gentiane—the one supposedly most likely to cause problems—was doing perfectly well. Her intercontinental train was intact, and all of her Dolls were alive.

Meanwhile, the backup commander was practically finished.

Without an intercontinental train serving as a frontline command center, Havier considered Splinter's remaining force effectively removed from the order of battle.

As for borrowing Gentiane's command center...

That was absurd.

One command center.

Two commanders.

Two different sets of orders.

Would the Dolls obey them or not?

Without a dedicated operations command center to relay commands, a commander could only rely on another Doll to pass along orders or issue them personally over voice communications.

The former risked delays or losing contact if the relay Doll encountered the enemy.

The latter?

Impossible.

Nowadays, aside from well-equipped and highly trained military personnel, very few people were willing to fight alongside Dolls in life-and-death battles.

Splinter clearly wasn't one of them.

Besides, his current condition made it obvious he had been injured during the armored train explosion. Simply wearing a protective suit already made moving difficult.

Were they supposed to assign an entire squad of Dolls just to carry her around?

As it happened, Havier was absolutely correct.

Splinter really was being carried around by Dolls.

...

In sharp contrast to Havier's headache, Renault casually grabbed S-ACR by the neck and slammed her onto the workbench.

The two Scarecrows, equally practiced, set down their meals and stood up, one restraining her arms while the other held down her legs.

Completely immobilized, S-ACR could do nothing except shake her head desperately in futile resistance.

"Let me go! No! No! My skirt! Ah—!"

As S-ACR's scream abruptly ended, her Neural Core was removed and placed beside OTs-12's Neural Core, causing her Mental Model to appear on the display.

When S-ACR watched her own body being tossed on top of OTs-12's body like a discarded object by the two Scarecrows, she grabbed her skirt, bit down on it, and repeatedly muttered, "My skirt..." in a bitter voice.

Compared to S-ACR, who had been subdued and dismantled by Renault within minutes, Stechkin and MP7 were terrified.

Clutching their Imprint Weapons, they stared nervously at Renault as he turned toward them.

"What do we do?! What do we do?!"

"I don't know! I've never been in a situation like this before!"

"Think of something!"

"I can't!"

MP7 cried out as tears welled up in her eyes.

She wanted to fight back, but her underlying protocols prohibited attacking humans without explicit orders.

Their current location also wasn't within an area where they were authorized to exercise their right to self-defense under the Griffin Contract.

Stechkin's eyes suddenly landed on the incendiary grenade hanging from MP7's back.

No matter where it had come from, rather than let this man destroy her Neural Core, she would rather die quickly.

If she burned herself up now, perhaps she could regenerate sooner at Griffin headquarters.

Moving with lightning speed, Stechkin snatched the incendiary grenade, turned toward the workshop door, shut her eyes, pulled the pin with grim determination, and released the safety lever.

Clang!

The crisp metallic sound of the safety lever flying off echoed through the workshop as Stechkin silently apologized to MP7.

Crunch.

Unfortunately, before Stechkin could even imagine the explosion, an unpleasant crunch sounded.

The incendiary grenade was snatched from her hand by someone else.

Damn it!

All hope was gone.

----

Chapter 1209: We're the Real Professionals!

"You'd better not be like Vector, always wanting to play with fire, or I'll have to put you in the rice cooker to calm down."

Stechkin opened her eyes upon hearing this, only to see Renault's hand gripping the incendiary bomb. His thumb was like a bayonet piercing through the bomb's body, seemingly wedged precisely at the point where the ignition device and the incendiary agent were about to make contact.

As Renault withdrew his hand, two fingers of his other hand twisted the incendiary bomb in half as easily as unscrewing a bottle cap, separating the propellant charge from the ignition device.

A rice cooker? No, no, no! A rice cooker? There's no way it could fit in there!

Unlike Stechkin, who hadn't closed her eyes and resigned herself to death, MP7 nodded frantically upon hearing Renault's words, inwardly scoffing.

Trying to stuff a Doll into a rice cooker was simply impossible!

Dven if she were chopped up, it wouldn't fit… but if it was just the head… Ugh!

Unlike MP7 who was too scared to move except to nod, Stechkin awkwardly stared at the incendiary bomb now split in two in Renault's hand. She was beginning to doubt whether Commander Renault was even human…

“Since you’re mentally prepared, you can go first. Don’t worry, it’ll only be a moment. Your bionic module might not even have time to relay the pain to your Neural Core.”

Scarecrow and Scarecrow II exchanged a glance, shrugged, and decided that Stechkin had quite a temper, but unfortunately, it was completely useless. Executioner had already demonstrated this with her actions after switching to the first-generation alloy steel body.

As for the later Dolls that joined, most of them didn’t even have the intention to resist, but today’s incident added a bit of fun to their otherwise mundane lives.

“I’ve recorded it. When MDR gets back, I’ll have her put this in the highlights.” Scarecrow II said, pointing to the anti-gravity drone on the mini-fridge.

Ha! MDR, when it comes to intelligence gathering, she’s a complete novice. Covert filming—that’s Scarecrows’ specialty!

Stechkin and MP7, frozen in fear and clinging tightly to each other, paid no heed to the conversation between the two scarecrows.

However, S-ACR and OTs-12, already in the mind space and temporarily out of danger, heard Scarecrows' exchange perfectly.

"Highlights? What highlights?"

"It's just MDR's perverse hobby. She collects Dolls' embarrassing histories and stuff. At first, she planned to use them to manipulate other Dolls, but she collected so much that the family got used to it. Now it's just used for entertainment. If you want to see it, just ask MDR when she gets back."

Scarecrow Number Two explained, unlocking the cabinet and taking out a brand-new, unused Neural Core, placing it on the data receiver of the Neural Core transfer device.

"Dark...dark history...could it be that our appearance just now was all..." Hearing this, OTs-12 was shocked and looked at Scarecrow with some fear, confirming that her immobility just now could...

"Hmm, it was all recorded, including your eyeballs rolling around trying to signal to S-ACR. Here, look at this."

Scarecrow picked up a tablet and showed them a video.

However, whether it was due to the shooting angle or just bad luck, the video was paused at a rather subtle moment...

"Pfft, hahaha! How can you make such an expression! Can a Doll's eyes do something like this!? Ahahaha! As expected of you, OTs-12!"

On the screen, OTs-12's face was expressionless, but her star-shaped eyes were rolling in opposite directions—outwards—which, combined with her expressionless face due to a short circuit in her body's circuitry, perfectly tickled S-ACR's funny bone.

"Click!?! Such a pathetic expression! I'm doomed! As a secret weapon, how can I possibly continue to live?! Goodbye! No! Never again!"

OTs-12, trapped in the mental space, cried out in grief and indignation. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she pulled a small blanket from behind her, quickly wrapped it around her head, and curled up into a ball, looking as if she had no intention of ever leaving the blanket.

Seeing OTs-12's attempt to escape reality, S-ACR's laughter hadn't subsided when OTs-12's actions provoked her again.

"Hahahaha, hiccup!"

But just as she was laughing heartily, two pale-faced Dolls suddenly walked in one after the other from a door not far away. Their pinkish-white faces made them look like ghosts at first glance.

It was Stechkin and MP7, both with grim expressions.

One was worrying about her future, while the other had witnessed a Doll's Neural Core being removed. Both were preoccupied with their own thoughts and completely oblivious to their surroundings, startling S-ACR into silence.

"No need for such a somber expression. You're not dead yet, and this is a free body replacement opportunity. You won't find such generous treatment anywhere else," Scarecrow said, putting away her tablet and offering a token consolation, as it was indeed the truth.

"Free!" Stechkin, who had been worried about her future financial prospects, instantly recovered from her despair upon hearing the word "free." "Free" was the best medicine for her!

"Wait? Free body replacement? Does that mean a basic civilian Doll body? My original fire control core was worth a fortune!"

"Worth? Perhaps, but unfortunately, fire control cores are worthless here. Even the Dinergates that roam the streets don't need them."

"How could that be! Besides, Dinergates don't even have fire control cores!"

Those Sangvis Ferri Dinergates only carry a particle weapon usable at close range, firing only when they're right in front of the enemy. In that situation, they don't need a fire control core!

“Look over there, all those dismantled fire control cores, covered in dust. Nobody uses them, okay?”

Stechkin turned her head and immediately saw the transparent storage box labeled 'Fire Control Cores.' Doll fire control cores, worth a fortune on the black market, were piled up inside like trash.

Stechkin's eyes widened instantly. She was about to ask if she could sell them for money when Renault's somewhat exasperated voice rang out first.

“Can’t we wait until we’ve dismantled all these guys’ Neural Cores before chatting? Are you two trying to emulate Intruder?”

---

Chapter 1210: What's on Their Minds?

Slurp—!

"Ha—"

Gentiane and Kalina, holding their thermos flasks, both breathed a sigh of relief.

Perfect!

After a hearty meal, a sip of sweet and mellow soup was the perfect comfort on this resource-rich intercontinental train, especially for someone who had been eating compressed biscuits and consuming overly sweet instant juice for days!

Of course, the thermos flasks didn't just contain rib soup; there were also plenty of ribs and a small piece of plump, golden corn.

SOP2 and UMP9 were happily feeding OGAS, who was sitting in her chair, seemingly lost in thought.

Even while she was running rampant in the mind space, it didn't affect her eating at all. After all, SOP2 and UMP9 were feeding her spoonful by spoonful. But the most outrageous thing was that she could still gnaw on ribs in this state. A rib would go into her mouth, and she'd spit the bone out in less than half a second.

At first glance, she looked like a heartless rib-gnawing machine!

No wonder SOP2 and UMP9 were willing to feed her. Wasn't this more fun than teasing those Isomers hanging on the intercontinental trains outside?

"Commander, um, is it really okay for us to be so relaxed right now?"

Ultimately, unlike AR15 and SOP2, although the relaxed atmosphere did make her feel much more at ease, M4 couldn't help but worry about the upcoming operation.

She had already heard about the situation on the other Griffin intercontinental train from AR15 and the others. Renault hadn't asked the Dolls to suppress the news, so after BM59 and the others returned, MDR and Carol received the information as well.

Having gotten the information, these two couldn't contain themselves and immediately started posting on the anonymous forum.

Posting during a meal wasn't a big deal to Renault's Dolls; it wasn't the first time. However, the keypad phones these two were using were all modified by them.

The keys had a crisp click and clear tactile feedback. In MDR and Carol's own words, "These keys are as satisfying as triggers!"

While they themselves enjoyed it, everyone around them had to endure these two typing at an APM of at least 1000. The worst part was the incessant clicking of the keypad!

While it wasn't quite like a thousand flies buzzing around your ears, it was pretty much the same.

In the end, the two were naturally kicked out of the private room by the others. The Griffin Dolls who saw this were all somewhat curious and couldn't help but ask a few questions. And so it went...

Although no one liked the posts by MDR and Carol, most of Gentiane's Dolls had their external communication interfaces turned off, so the anonymous forum was naturally inaccessible.

However, the news that the intercontinental train commanded by headquarters was directly overtaken by the rebel armored train was leaked by MDR and M4. After all, they still had photos sent by BM59 and C96 on their phones—pictures don't lie.

Back to M4's side, M4 already felt that there was something strange about this mission, although she knew that Commander Gentiane was preventing them from acting alone and being ambushed by the Isomers.

But sitting leisurely on the intercontinental train like this, they didn't feel like they were on a mission at all. How could they, like Dolls on Renault's side, have come all this way just for a spring outing?

The weather right now was anything but spring.

Located at a high latitude, with collapsing radioactive dust filling the sky, Tallinn's temperature was below double digits, and in some darker areas, it even dropped below zero.

“Alright, just listen to me. It would be best to just drive out of Tallinn. You see, this city isn't just full of Isomers. We haven't encountered the real trouble yet, and of course, it's best to avoid it.”

The trouble Gentiane was referring to was naturally the large ELID infected deliberately cultivated in experiments within the city, and the war machines abandoned there by Paradeus.

When AR15 first arrived, Gentiane had already seen the general situation of the entire city through AR15's phone: the laboratories left behind by Paradeus, and the various military facilities under Paradeus's control.

What troubled Gentiane the most were those large infected, and those things from Paradeus called Gladiators.

Although they were abandoned in the city by Paradeus, calling them abandoned Gladiators would be more accurate, but in Gentiane's view, whether they were abandoned or not didn't affect their combat effectiveness in the slightest.

Because these things are actually no different from those large ELID infected; their internal structures are the same—they're all oversized, non-human infected. Their armor and thick silicified skin are enough to stump most of her Dolls.

Other smaller units and fixed turrets are relatively easy to deal with; their armor is either too thin or they lack mobility, making it easy to find weaknesses.

Only those Gladiators…

The only useful thing she has is the small Jupiter cannon on M16. Oh, she forgot about the grenade launchers on M4 and RO.

Even though AR15 brought ammunition supplies for M4 and RO, Gentiane didn't want to waste ammunition on those mindless Gladiators.

There was no benefit whatsoever. Literally, there was no benefit after the attack. Clearing out those guys wouldn't help her mission at all; in fact, it would just deplete a large portion of her ammunition reserves.

A major battle awaited her at the base later. If she wasted ammunition here, what would she do if she ran out of ammo later? Was she really going to be like Renault and personally charge into battle with an axe?

Impossible. That wouldn't happen. Her body had only undergone some enhancements; she wasn't truly invulnerable, and she was far from the miraculous state of a steel body.

So, playing it safe was best.

Thinking this, Gentiane comforted M4 a few more times before happily continuing to munch on her corn.

In stark contrast to Gentiane's situation, in another carriage, M1887 had just finished charging. She opened her eyes to see several T-Dolls before her.

"What...what were you thinking? Why did you come down with the Gunship? Wouldn't it have been better to stay on Commander Renault's ship?"

---

Chapter 1211: Finding a Way to Infiltrate

“Listen, you guys, if you get a chance, infiltrate with Renault’s Dolls back to the gunship. Don’t worry about the mission.”

M1887 sighed, picking up her imprint weapon and checking it as she instructed FAL and the others.

“I still want to know the specific reason. Otherwise, I have no reason to abandon the mission.”

Hearing M1887’s words, FAL pursed her lips, glancing around and then at the other carriages.

“Right, right, M1918 is with Commander Gentiane right now. We were planning to meet up with her, although that old veteran seems a little unmotivated.” FN-57 chimed in.

NTW-20, standing not far behind FAL, also frowned at M1887.

“Normally, it wouldn't be a problem for you to stick to your opinions. After all, it's all for the mission. But things are different now. Even Commander Gentiane's side isn't entirely stable. And, most importantly… after you fell, you were brought back by Renault's Dolls in a car.”

This point is both important and unimportant.

Without Renault's Dolls searching for and rescuing them, FAL and the other Dolls would undoubtedly have missed the intercontinental train.

Unable to board the train, they would have to stay in the city, but what's the difference between staying in the city and dying in action?

Are they expecting Paradeus to have a change of heart and pack up all these Griffin T-Dolls, then send them back to Griffin headquarters in a special car or plane?

As for having Griffin send people to find the twenty-odd T-Dolls that went missing in Tallinn city?

Let's not daydream. Even if Gentiane is currently relying on Renault's Dolls to protect the intercontinental train, and even after this incident, why would Griffin possibly board another intercontinental train for a mere twenty-odd T-Dolls?

Do they really think the military and Paradeus are just sitting around doing nothing?

If there were even one or two Paradeus command units in Tallinn, a large number of abandoned combat units could be mobilized instantly. Even if the military wanted to take the city, they would have to bring out their armored trains.

Otherwise, they would have no choice but to use their trump card: indiscriminate bombing of the city.

“But this…” FAL was about to offer some explanation when M1887 raised her hand, stopping her.

“Don't tell me you're still in good enough shape for the upcoming battle. It's not that simple. In the command system, you're now considered out of contact. Unless new orders are issued, you're effectively discharged. Understand?”

The intercontinental train that served as the command terminal had been destroyed. If FAL and the others wanted to rejoin their unit, they needed to find a legitimate Griffin command terminal. As FAL had said before, this would mean they were essentially reunited with M1918 under Gentiane's command.

But that wasn't the problem. Besides Gentiane, there was also a watchful Splinter commander on board. That commander wouldn't willingly let his Dolls work for Gentiane.

Of course, besides finding the command terminal to rejoin the team, verbal verification was also possible, but only if the commander clearly stated the corresponding identification code for each Doll.

That long string of identification codes—and for every single one of the twenty-odd Dolls—M1887 didn't believe the commander, who couldn't even remember all the Dolls' codenames, had the ability to do so, unless he had violated regulations by writing all those codes down in a notebook.

Hearing M1887 say this, not only FAL's expression changed, but even FN-57, who had been somewhat cheerful just moments before, frowned.

“Is it really necessary to go this far?”

“You saw what that commander did before; he's certainly not a qualified combat commander. If you think it doesn't matter if you fall here, then pretend I didn't say anything. Anyway, it won't be long before a brand-new FAL or a brand-new FN-57 appears before a new commander at Griffin headquarters.”

As she said this, M1887 glanced at NTW-20, who hadn't spoken until now. If she remembered correctly, the T-Dolls who had been assigned to the same squad as NTW-20 didn't return this time alive.

Judging from her expression, the T-Dolls were clearly still lying unconscious on Renault's ship.

“What about the mission?”

Just as FAL and the others fell silent in thought, another voice sounded from behind them, but something was off.

At first glance, it sounded weak, but upon closer listening, there was a trembling, almost hysterical quality to it.

“The mission... is to be a defender. Your reconnaissance mission is complete. Now you can rest well. Your next mission is to stay close to FAL and the others and make sure they can infiltrate the Renault Security Contractors' doll team as soon as possible.”

Upon seeing this speaking Doll, M1887 scratched her head in exasperation, then abruptly gave the defender a command that wasn't quite an order.

“Hey... you bastard... how am I supposed to explain this to her after you lied to her like that?!”

Seeing the defender obediently nod and stand still after hearing M1887's “command,” FAL lowered her voice, annoyed, and pressed M1887 for an explanation.

And how was she so sure! She would definitely agree to forgo going to Gentiane and choose Renault's ship instead!

“There's no other way. What if she starts causing trouble if the defender doesn't give orders? Are you going to suppress her?”

Although there is no direct connection between a Doll's Imprint Weapon and her original body, the prerequisite for a shotgun Doll is that the base body must be strong enough and sturdy enough.

Otherwise, the base body will creak and groan with every shot. What if you ruin your base body during training before even engaging in combat?

Upon hearing this, FAL turned to look behind her.

Indeed, among the Dolls that returned with her, only the Defender herself was a shotgun Doll. The other Dolls… it would probably take two or three of them together… Oh, NTW-20 could definitely do it, but she probably wouldn't want to do that, right?

Thinking this, FAL sighed. M1887 had already put it this way, what could she do?

But is it really M1887?

These Dolls with her are now sitting like rocks, seemingly charging up, completely devoid of self-awareness, while only M1887 herself is able to maintain normalcy…

What kind of orders did that damned Splinter give HK21 and Suomi?

---

Chapter 1212: It'll Turn into a Zoo Sooner or Later

Just as Renault was preparing to deal with the remaining dozen or so Dolls, he noticed a travel bag that a Doll was clutching tightly to her chest.

“Didn't you take this off when you were cleaning up earlier?” Renault raised an eyebrow. It was a travel bag over a box, at first glance looking like an ordinary carrying bag—many Dolls used these kinds of bags to carry ammunition and equipment, so it didn't seem unusual.

However, Renault noticed that this Doll had stuffed almost all her ammunition and magazines into her coat pockets and waist pouch. The box didn't contain any weapon spare parts.

It contained a honey badger.

“No, this girl's holding on really tight. I can't pull it off. I was busy dealing with those Neural Cores and forgot for a moment,” Scarecrow said, stepping forward and trying again to pull the box from the Doll's grasp.

Unfortunately, the Doll's joints seemed to have deliberately locked themselves before losing consciousness; unless you break her finger joints, it wouldn't be easy to remove the bag…

However, Scarecrow #2 took out a pair of scissors and quickly cut the travel bag in half, revealing the box inside.

“This is… a pet life support box? Why would she bring something like this? Is she going to take her pet to war?” Scarecrow raised an eyebrow in surprise. This thing had once appeared on their shopping list.

However, after the cats had all eaten a lot of the family's homemade food, these expensive pet life support boxes were just gathering dust in the storeroom.

She really hadn't expected Griffin's Doll to be willing to spend so much money on this, just to be able to carry the little guy in the box with her… And this thing isn't bulletproof, isn't she afraid of being hit by stray bullets or shrapnel?

“Open it, the little thing inside is suffocating.” The life support box is supposed to be breathable, with an air filter to ensure the pet inside can survive.

However, the cleaning staff at Sangvis Ferri had sprayed these Dolls with a layer of doll cleaner and then hastily dried them with a drying machine, making the travel bag outside the box completely unbreathable.

If the box isn't opened soon, even a honey badger, known for its resilience, wouldn't survive.

“Oh! This is… a honey badger?”

As soon as the life support box was opened, the honey badger, which had been waiting impatiently inside, tried to leap out. Unfortunately, the little guy was in bad shape; it immediately slammed its head against the ground, rolled forward, and then lay sprawled on the ground, panting heavily and making hoarse noises to try and scare away the Scarecrow in front of it.

Seeing the little guy, Renault couldn't help but rub his forehead with a headache. M500 had gone out with the others, and there were no professionals to help look after the little creature.

However, more than looking after the little guy, Renault was actually worried that the honey badger would bite everything in the workshop.

Just as Renault hesitated for a moment, the honey badger, after catching its breath, had almost recovered. It rolled over on the ground and charged straight at Renault, who was currently closest to it!

This little guy, barely half a meter long, took a bite out of Renault's boot.

Crunch!

“What was that sound?” Scarecrow Number Two tilted her head, puzzled.

“Commander, did it bite off your toe?”

Rolling his eyes at the creature, Renault shook his boots and shoved the honey badger aside. “Of course not, it just bit into a steel plate.”

“Commander—!”

Just as she was about to clean the ventilation vents of the pet life support box, a Ripper shouted and began banging on the hatch outside the work area.

After the hatch opened, a Ripper, holding something in her hands, held it up to Renault's face and excitedly shouted.

“Commander! We caught this! This looks like a pheasant from an animal encyclopedia! Can we use this as a treat?”

“Oh ho, this... could it be another one of the Griffin Doll's pets?” Scarecrow leaned over for a look, then shook her head helplessly. A pheasant was out of the question; it was impossible for the Rippers to mistake it for one.

This was clearly a Kestrel, and it even had protective gear specifically designed for birds on its beak. This… even birds have special radiation protection gear!

Are all these companies that make radiation protection gear so idle?

“Huh? A pet? Can't I eat it?” Ripper was stunned, her disappointment obvious.

But in that brief moment of surprise, the Kestrel suddenly struggled, flapping its wings twice against Ripper's face before breaking free and flying straight toward the Neural Core transfer device operating in the workshop.

“Huh!?”

Seeing the Kestrel land in front of one of the Neural Cores, Renault's face darkened.

These Dolls, one after another, all seemed to have pets. UMP40 and Jaeger keeping cats was one thing, but now there were two more, even though they'd just recently resolved the major problem of their cats having kittens.

Of course, his dark expression wasn't just due to the Kestrel; the honey badger at his feet was also gnawing on his leather boots like a snack. Made of genuine cowhide, they could easily be boiled and eaten in a crisis.

“Extra treats are out of the question, but fried chicken for dinner is fine, right? Go to the kitchen now, fill a lunchbox with honey or syrup, and grab a few sausages while you're at it.” Renault patted Ripper's head, sending the girl who hadn't gotten her extra treat away.

Of course, this was also to get rid of the troublesome little devil eating his boots.

After saying that, Renault activated his psionic energy, which he hadn't used in a long time, and yanked the honey badger that had chewed his boots so badly that the inner steel plates were exposed, lifting it into the air.

“At this rate, my ship will eventually become a zoo...”

“Well, I think it's about time now. After all, the animal farm already has quite a few different kinds of animals. By the way, M500 mentioned before that she wanted to find some help; she's having trouble handling those cats by herself.”

Scarecrow Number Two said with a chuckle, but her eyes were fixed on Kestrel, who was standing obediently in front of the mind transfer device.

“Then what are you waiting for? Aren't these manpower? The sooner we transfer their minds, the sooner we can get rid of the manpower shortage problem, right?”

“Yes, Commander.”

-----

Chapter 1213: Don't Lie to Yourself

"Hey, Gentiane, aren't you curious about what Splinter and Havier were talking about?"

Kalina placed her thermos and chopsticks into the dish recycling bin in front of UMP9. She then took a tissue from G36, wiped her hands, and asked Gentiane, who was standing beside her.

"What's there to be curious about? It's not like I can't hear them." Gentiane clapped her hands. If Kalina could hear the conversation in the next carriage, how could she not?

"Uh... yeah..." Kalina awkwardly scratched her cheek. After all, it was true. In fact, Gentiane's hearing was probably even better than hers.

The conversation between Splinter and Havier was completely pointless. Splinter simply reported his current situation before asking Havier for support.

She really don't know how this guy has the nerve to ask. He's already ruined one intercontinental train, and now he wants a second one?

What does he think an intercontinental train and all its command terminals and equipment are? Toy cars from some rich man's collection?

Compared to an intercontinental train specially modified to serve as a T-Doll command vehicle, the losses suffered by the Griffin headquarters Dolls were negligible. The entire command system aboard that train was worth the equivalent of twenty top-of-the-line T-Doll squadrons.

And that didn't even include the Doll maintenance equipment on board, the Dummy Dolls, or all the spare weapons and ammunition stored there.

Of course, Havier wasn't a fool. He didn't agree to a single one of Splinter's requests for support.

"What exactly did headquarters send this guy here for? Was it just to wreak havoc on Griffin's resources?" Kalina whispered into Gentiane's ear, her mind filled with doubt. She truly couldn't understand Splinter's purpose.

If he had been sent to support Gentiane, judging by his abilities, it certainly didn't seem that way. As for replacing Gentiane or cleaning up her mistakes, that was even less likely. That guy simply didn't have the ability.

"Tsk, they probably wanted to use him to remind me that there are plenty of people who could replace me as G&K's operations commander. Unfortunately, that plan backfired. I doubt the gentleman who sent Splinter expected him to be so 'capable.'"

"Ugh... I wonder where the boss has been taken. Ever since Miss Helian changed jobs, things at Griffin headquarters have been getting stranger and stranger. Persica's practically refusing to leave our base."

"Well, he'll probably be released after this mission is over. The boss is just unlucky. He's been made the scapegoat." Gentiane scoffed. She had absolutely no respect for the slogan she had heard when she first joined the company.

Griffin did all the work, yet Kryuger, the man responsible for carrying it out, was the one who got arrested and interrogated. She couldn't understand how he could remain so good-natured.

Hmm, if it were the old me, before I met Renault, I might have gritted my teeth and endured it. But now? Ha. The escape route is right there. I can leave whenever I want!

Seeing the disdain on Gentiane's face, Kalina scratched her head. She had once firmly believed in that slogan as well, but after everything that had happened following Sangvis Ferri's rebellion, she realized Sir Griffin's methods were far removed from that ideal.

More importantly... what did the phrase "the edge of the new world" have to do with the T-Dolls constantly fighting under Griffin?

Had anything truly changed for them after all this time?

No.

The Dolls' treatment remained abysmal, and their living conditions had hardly improved. The newer, less mature Dolls could still stir up trouble from time to time, but the seasoned veterans were simply taking life one day at a time.

Sir Griffin's attitude toward the Dolls had never changed. He viewed them merely as outstanding combat units capable of replacing human soldiers. Whether they were destroyed or killed meant little to him, because their Mind Clouds ensured they could always return to the battlefield with all their accumulated combat experience.

Unfortunately, after spending so much time with the Dolls, neither Kalina nor Gentiane could continue seeing these usually innocent girls as nothing more than expendable combat units.

Especially those under Persica's command, such as M4 and AR15. They had a general understanding of how Persica created emotionally capable Dolls like M4.

But what fundamental difference was there between third-generation Dolls and second-generation Dolls? That was still open to debate.

While Kalina remained somewhat confused, Gentiane had become much more resolute.

After witnessing the many Dolls under Renault's command, each possessing nearly identical memories, she had gained a basic understanding of the principles behind mind mapping.

What "Dolls that can be resurrected"... it's clearly just the Dolls lying to themselves...

But now that she knew the truth, she couldn't deceive herself anymore! If Dolls were truly resurrected in the fullest sense, then humanity would have long since conquered life and death!

There wouldn't be a world where everyone constantly feared that those around them might suddenly turn against them again!

While Kalina and Gentiane were lost in thought, HK416 and UMP9 finished resealing the boxes, bringing their pleasant meal to an end.

M16 and Simonov's group returned arm in arm, their faces flushed from drinking quite a bit of wine with their braised pork.

Although A-91 was obviously drunk, she was always like that—steady on her feet, so it wouldn't affect her in combat. SVD, on the other hand, was clearly having trouble. Her steps were unsteady, and she nearly crashed into the carriage window while walking down the corridor.

"I mean... what if we end up fighting later? You guys are in this state?" Gentiane complained, rubbing her forehead as she looked at SVD, who was still clutching a bottle of alcohol.

"Hugs... sorry... squeak, squeak, squeak..."

"Never mind. Where's Papasha? Have her sober you up before you accidentally shoot yourself before the fight even begins." Gentiane sighed helplessly at SVD's incoherent speech.

Fortunately, Dolls could be forcibly sobered up. They simply needed to drag her to the repair bay and replace some of her internal fluids. It wouldn't even take a few minutes.

"Um... Commander... Papasha... she's passed out..."

---

Chapter 1214: Different Consequences

"Well, Simonov finally got a rare break from piloting the Gunship, so she was probably just too excited. She definitely won't do it again."

HK416 spread her hands as she looked at Gentiane's charcoal-dark expression, but while speaking, she kept glancing at M16's swaying gait with a smirk on her face.

A next time? And that expression... you're clearly enjoying yourself! Don't think I can't tell you're trying to get M16 completely drunk!

"Hey, AR15, a lot of the Isomers hanging outside the carriage are gone." SOP2, who had helped carry the cutlery box to the roof, returned and leaned halfway through the carriage doorway as she called to AR15 inside.

"A lot fewer? Then OGAS should be back to normal soon, right?" AR15 also looked outside. The Isomers were dropping off at a remarkable rate.

It was obvious that the Isomers had gone completely silent before the crash. It was unclear how OGAS had managed it, but since she was still eating despite her dazed state, she clearly wasn't in any real danger. She was probably just processing the Isomers' mental data within her mental space.

When OGAS first began showing signs of abnormality, AR15 had also entered the mental plane to check on her.

However, she was quickly forced back into reality by the endless chatter of the Isomers.

At first, there had been at least several hundred Isomers clinging to the train. Even if each of them spoke only a single sentence, the noise would have been louder than a flock of ducks, not to mention they kept repeating the same words over and over.

"By the way, what's wrong with OGAS? Has this happened before?" Gentiane asked curiously, given OGAS's rather complicated relationship with M4.

"No, this is the first time we've encountered anything like this. Commander Renault already checked on her. It won't affect OGAS. The Isomers' consciousnesses are simply merging together, and OGAS hasn't been able to process that much information all at once, which is why she's a little sluggish."

"Consciousnesses merging?" Gentiane frowned. That didn't sound like a good thing. Would OGAS suddenly develop a different personality after waking up?

"Yes. The Isomers are simply merging automatically. OGAS is just absorbing the data they're sending her—memories, experiences, personality data, and things like that. The Isomers themselves have practically nothing left."

These Isomers had endured countless inhumane experiments conducted by Paradeus, transforming them from living people into the half-dead beings they were now. The suffering they had endured was beyond description.

In their current state, these Isomers had practically lost all sense of self. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been so desperately searching for M4, hoping she would merge with them, and then...

Who knew what would happen afterward? AR15 certainly didn't. Renault had only mentioned it in passing without explaining it in detail, but judging from his attitude, it didn't seem like a major issue.

As a result, AR15 wasn't particularly worried.

"Tsk, Paradeus has committed so many atrocities! It would be a travesty if the people behind Paradeus weren't exposed and punished!" Gentiane muttered indignantly after hearing AR15's explanation.

If she hadn't wanted to uncover the people behind Paradeus herself, she might already have defected with her T-Dolls.

She was certain that if Renault handled the matter personally, the problem would probably be resolved quickly. However, Paradeus was clearly no ordinary organization that could be crushed so easily.

Getting Renault involved, considering his methods, could easily trigger serious consequences.

If Paradeus targeted only Renault, that wouldn't be much of a problem. After all, Renault possessed a spaceship and was effectively immune to any threat.

The real concern was that Paradeus might have deep ties to major organizations and corporations.

If Renault acted rashly with his usual aggressive methods, it would undoubtedly cause massive upheaval. Renault himself would probably remain unharmed, but ordinary people would become the real victims.

If Statesec could use this operation to eliminate the radical elements within the military while also exposing the mastermind behind Paradeus, then her month of eating compressed rations would have been well worth it.

Of course, that was only if the safety of the Dolls under her command could be guaranteed.

It might be possible, but certainly not through a suicidal approach.

Come to think of it, it had been quite a while since she'd received a call from Angelia. Maybe she should find some time later to call her and see how things were going.

Statesec had even asked her to locate Angelia... Tsk, what a joke. She could find out where Angelia was with a single phone call. Besides, judging by Statesec's previous actions...

Angelia's movements had always been under Statesec's surveillance. Searching for Angelia was probably nothing more than a pretext.

While searching for traitors within Statesec, G&K had heroically protected Chairwoman Ulrich's safety and decisively defeated an unidentified force attempting to seize the contents of the Relics Department's sealed research institute.

Finally, Statesec dispatched personnel to legally and officially reseal the relic weapons stored inside the Belgrade Relics Research Institute.

However, whether this "resealing" was truly meant to seal them away or merely served as a prelude to putting those relics to use remained unknown.

Statesec most likely had similar intentions for this mission. She still didn't know what was hidden inside the Paldiski submarine base, but she was certain it was far more important than whatever had been stored inside the Belgrade Relics Research Institute.

Something important enough to make the rebels commit all their forces and armored units, even crossing Tallinn—a city that could practically be considered a Paradeus research base.

It could only be one of the relics sealed away by the Relics Department and strictly forbidden from ever being reopened.

Just then, M1887 opened the maintenance compartment door, followed by FAL and the others who had returned aboard the Gunship. Desert Eagle came with them as well, since she had been one of the Dolls previously considered missing.

Fortunately, there was no need to continue following Splinter's disastrous plan to the bitter end, since Splinter was still unconscious and had no idea that Desert Eagle had already returned on her own while he was out.

---

---

Chapter 1215: The Atmosphere Was Awkward

As Splinter's current adjutant, M1887 greeted Gentiane after getting off the train.

Then, in front of Gentiane and Kalina, she gestured directly at FAL and Desert Eagle behind her, and pointed to HK416 and her group, who hadn't yet left the carriage.

The meaning was obvious: she was urging FAL and the others to find good positions outside before Renault's Gunship arrived, so they could slip away as soon as it did.

Gentiane was initially confused by M1887's blatant gestures, but she quickly understood and scratched her cheek in exasperation.

However, since M1887 had already resorted to hand gestures to speak, she didn't need to repeat what everyone already knew.

Frankly, she was a little worried that Splinter might do something unnecessary. Fortunately, Splinter only had M1887 and a few other Dolls under his control.

If FAL and the others were also returned to Splinter's command, she was concerned about just how far Splinter could go, as his thought process was probably a bit unusual.

Currently, almost all of her Dolls were equipped with the external command modules she'd received from Renault. With the external communication interfaces disabled, they could only receive her verbal commands for the time being; the intercontinental train's command terminal was temporarily inactive.

"I was just wondering why you guys came down in the Gunship. Hurry up, P226's already finished eating, and Gunship'll be here soon. Otherwise, you'll be running around with MG42 and the others."

HK416 understood immediately and waved, urging them on as if they were old friends.

Of course, it was impossible for FAL and the others to run alongside the intercontinental train. MG42 and the others could only do it because they were wearing power armor; otherwise, even with their extraordinary physiques, running alongside a relatively fast intercontinental train would be exhausting.

After all, who would be foolish enough to run when they could ride in a car?

Well, besides MG42, who had nowhere to expend her energy, there was also MG34, the unfortunate soul who was forcibly dragged along.

HK416's urging startled FAL for a moment, but FAL wasn't stupid. She immediately nodded in agreement and obediently led her people out of the carriage with UMP9 to the roof of the intercontinental train to wait for the Gunship that had brought them down earlier.

And just as HK416 had said, the Gunship, piloted by P226, quickly flew down from the spaceship, stopped above the intercontinental train, and opened its rear hatch.

FAL and the others hadn't felt anything when they got off, since the intercontinental train had just restarted and wasn't going very fast.

But now…

The intercontinental train was speeding at over 100 kilometers per hour, and the howling wind from the roof made them a little nervous.

Moving on the roof of the intercontinental train under these conditions was definitely a high-risk activity, even for T-Dolls.

On the other hand, UMP9, who was carrying a box of cutlery…

was walking on solid ground.

The airflow from the roof had no effect on her at all. Her feet were firmly planted on the roof, and she even jogged and jumped onto the Gunship…

"Hurry up! Get on! This is the only straight section; the train will be going around a curve soon."

Although the curve the intercontinental train would be going around wouldn't be too sharp, at the current speed of the intercontinental train, it would be no problem to throw the Dolls standing on the roof off.

FAL and the others didn't hesitate any longer and climbed into the Gunship's cabin... Well, once they were up, the cargo door was still about a meter from the roof. Unlike UMP9, they weren't particularly skilled or daring, so they naturally wanted to be careful.

After pulling the last, somewhat sluggish M1895 up, UMP9 then patted the cargo door and called out.

"P226, everyone's here! You can close the door now. I'm going down first!"

With that, UMP9 flipped down again. The real fun was yet to come! Why would she go back to the ship now? That would mean missing out on the good stuff! That wouldn't do! They'd come out all this way just to stretch their limbs and, incidentally, test their adaptation to their new bodies.

FAL and the others, already seated in the Gunship's cabin, felt a strange sense of security as they rested on the stable Gunship beneath them and admired its seemingly sturdy hull.

After all, the intercontinental train's hull... was essentially a converted passenger car, with virtually no reinforcement around the sides. It offered no protection against bullets, let alone artillery shells. Being on the intercontinental train meant constantly worrying about being blown to bits by an armored train.

Although they weren't on Splinter's intercontinental train when it was bombed by armored trains, just imagining it was enough to picture it: shells designed to attack large armored units easily tearing through the intercontinental train's hull and landing on their heads...

FAL and the others breathed a sigh of relief, but some still wore dark expressions. NTW-20 was somewhat annoyed; their actions, to put it nicely, could be called a voluntary decision to stay or leave, but to put it bluntly... well, it could probably be considered desertion?

Desert Eagle who was standing nearby looked somewhat uneasy. Leaving Griffin and joining another security contractor was, to put it bluntly, a rather unconventional move.

Compared to the two of them, the others were more relaxed. M1895, feeling grounded, visibly breathed a sigh of relief; given her weight, she probably couldn't have held on to the roof for long.

"MK46, what are your thoughts on this sudden job change?"  Seemingly noticing the awkward atmosphere in the cabin, FN-57 suddenly turned to the Doll whom she wasn't very familiar with and asked.

"Hmm? No, anyway, I was just doing nothing at headquarters. That new commander couldn't even remember everyone, so I figured I might as well switch jobs. He probably doesn't even remember how many Dolls he had anyway."

Although her tone sounded a bit flippant, FN-57 could still tell that MK46 was genuinely resentful of that Splinter.

Of course, after saying that, FN-57 didn't know how to respond. She herself was a bit flustered, and trying to lighten the mood in this situation was quite difficult.

FAL, meanwhile, was surveying the Gunship's furnishings and noticed the Doll sitting in the pilot's seat. She looked strangely familiar.

"You? You're P226, right? I remember you used to fly transport planes in the logistics department at Griffin headquarters, didn't you?"

---

Chapter 1216: What G&K?! I'm Not Familiar With It!

"Oh? That was a long time ago. I was unlucky enough to get shot down by Architect during a mission, so..."

"So you switched jobs?" FN-57 suddenly chimed in.

"Uh, well, it's not exactly a job change, since after the transport plane crash, I only had a Neural Core left." P226 said, releasing her hands from the control stick and scratching her head.

"Just... ugh!"

FN-57 was about to complain about P226's tragic fate when she suddenly realized that the pilot had taken her hands off the control stick!

What about the Gunship?! Were they going to crash?!

However, before FN-57 could say anything, P226 had already pressed the hatch opening button and simultaneously opened the hatch located behind the pilot's seat.

"Hey! Why is the hatch open?!"

"We're here. Um, if you want to go anywhere, just ask the Rippers over there. I'm heading back to the bridge. The Commander should be in the work area right now; the Rippers all know where that is."

Because the decision to come to Renault's ship was made in a rush, HK416 and UMP9 hadn't thought to inform them. After all, returning to the ship in a Gunship takes less than a minute.

So this time, there wasn't a cleaning crew waiting to greet and decontaminate them. Entering and exiting in a short time wouldn't bring in too much collapse radioactive dust. Even if their clothes and bodies inevitably got some, the air circulation system would remove most of the dust after it passed through two airlocks.

However, FAL and the others first faced an incredibly empty ship corridor and a completely unfamiliar interior layout.

Fortunately, aside from Desert Eagle, FAL and the others had dealt with the Rippers before, so asking for directions wasn't difficult.

"Wait, wait, wait! What's wrong with you? Didn't you go into the decontamination room with the others?"

Just as FAL finished asking for directions and hadn't even taken a step, Desert Eagle, who had been standing still after getting off the Gunship, was stopped by a Ripper.

While FAL and the others looked a bit disheveled, at least they had been cleaned up. Desert Eagle, however, was a different story.

Having missed the unified decontamination, her clothes were covered in dried mud, and her shoes were full of mud from the operation.

"Uh, this is my first time here..."

Hearing the Ripper's words, Desert Eagle looked at her feet somewhat embarrassedly. She was the only one with several conspicuous footprints on her soles...

"Oh, is that so? Then let me take you to change your clothes. This way! It's not far, very close. But put on these shoe covers first, otherwise, the others will definitely follow your footprints."

"Eh? Wait, um, can we come with you?"

Seeing the Ripper put shoe covers on Desert Eagle, FAL quickly asked.

Although the Rippers were generally friendly, her preconceived notions about Sangvis Ferri Dolls still made her somewhat worried about Desert Eagle's safety.

That was the Ripper's dorm. Wouldn't they encounter a huge group of Sangvis Ferri Dolls there?

Wouldn't they take advantage of the situation and attack her?

As it turned out, FAL was indeed overthinking it. When they followed the Ripper to Sangvis Ferri's dorm, apart from a few Dinergates wandering around, there was no one else in sight.

Some Sangvis Ferri Dolls were inspecting other parts of the ship with Cleaning Department Chief M1897, some were huddled in the cargo hold waiting for orders, and others were in the factory producing new ammunition to fill the gaps left by the Dolls.

With so many Sangvis Ferri Dolls scattered around, it was normal to see few left in the Doll quarters.

FN-57 had come with Desert Eagle to the Sangvis Ferri Doll quarters, so she was genuinely taken aback by their size.

"Wow! This size! Double rooms! Even individual Doll bathrooms!" FAL, standing nearby, was also surprised, immediately recalling the corridor they had just passed through.

The passageway, while not narrow, was almost entirely lined with identical doors along the side of the ship!

"This? All the dorm rooms have viewing windows?"

"Of course! They're usually open, only closed when the ship enters alert mode or accelerates."

While they don't have the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows of the upper deck lounges, the windows in the dorm rooms are still quite large.

They are over a meter, almost two meters high, and taller than most Sangvis Ferri Dolls—aside from not being floor-to-ceiling windows, they have absolutely no drawbacks!

"Ah..." NTW-20 stood by the window, gazing at the expansive view outside. The abandoned city below and the striking flower field within it were laid out before her. Although it looked rather desolate, the open view somewhat dispelled the gloom in her heart.

She now understood why all these Sangvis Ferri Dolls were so cheerful. Even ordinary people living in the Green Zone might not be able to afford dormitories of this standard.

Of course, the wealthy were no exception either. Ordinary people lived in newly built apartment buildings, some of which were mostly underground, with windows practically nonexistent, since building height couldn't exceed the Quarantine Wall surrounding the city.

She'd heard that many cities were planning to build sunken urban areas, as sunken cities would be easier to deal with during collapse storms.

Although these Sangvis Ferri Dolls on Renault's ship were living on a ship, their living conditions were clearly far superior to those of most ordinary people in this era.

"Would you like some snacks?"

After leading Desert Eagle into the bathroom, Ripper brought out a box of snacks, some made by G3 herself, and others by the Dolls who were learning to bake from G3.

SPAS-12 was strictly forbidden from bringing food out of the dining hall; as long as the others weren't eating while walking around and leaving crumbs everywhere inside the ship, G36 and G3 naturally wouldn't refuse this help in using up the inventory.

"Ah, thank you." FAL, somewhat embarrassed, sat down, finding it difficult to maintain her expressionless demeanor, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

Just comparing her treatment to that of the Sangvis Ferri Doll on Renault's ship was enough to make her feel quite resentful; she could only imagine the treatment of the other Dolls on the ship…

What G&K! We don't know them! It's all thanks to Sister M1887's idea!

Wait! No way! How could they leave M1887 and the other Dolls from headquarters down there! They should have been brought up together!

----

Chapter 1217: It's good that they're fighting!

"The intercontinental train is currently moving at full speed toward Quarantine Wall, northwest of Tallinn. If all goes well, we'll enter the firing range of Quarantine Wall's automated defense system in half an hour."

Glancing at the holographic map on the combat command terminal, Gentiane estimated the approximate time and spoke to Splinter with a stern, expressionless face.

After all, this guy had previously tried to take command of the intercontinental train from Havier—what a pipe dream!

Even if Havier were truly suffering from dementia, he wouldn't entrust the command of this only remaining intercontinental train to Splinter, a guy who had just scrapped an intercontinental train.

Gentiane's initial attitude toward this guy was simply to ignore him, but after reporting the situation, he actually deliberately lowered his voice and demanded command from Havier?

It was only because Havier was sensible enough not to agree to this outrageous request that Gentiane was forced to re-employ on the spot.

Even if she did switch jobs, she still needed to check on Angelia. After all, Angelia's goal was to fight Paradeus and, ideally, expose the mastermind behind it. She was willing to pay out of her own pocket to help!

At worst, she could just sell herself to Renault for the rest of her life! Anyway, Agent Helian was with Renault, and besides, she and Renault had known each other for quite some time. He couldn't just keep harassing her until she was bald, could he?

While Gentiane was daydreaming about the wonderful life after switching jobs, Splinter's face was ashen. That old man Havier had dismissed him with just a few words, without mentioning any support whatsoever.

And now Gentiane was actually giving him a hard time?

Kalina ignored Splinter's expression, nodded immediately, and went out to call the T-Dolls to prepare the necessary supplies and equipment for departure.

Gentiane didn't say much; after working together for so long, they understood each other this well.

While Kalina was preparing the supplies, Gentiane naturally wouldn't be idle. Taking advantage of this time, she put the equipment she had taken off during lunch back on. Although Renault's Dolls were right outside the intercontinental train, she couldn't just sit around doing nothing and wait to be served.

Even without any equipment advantage, Renault, who could potentially be her future boss, was watching from inside the spaceship. She couldn't just give up and slack off; she had to at least demonstrate her capabilities to her future boss!

However, just as Gentiane was about to head out to the ammunition depot to fetch her usual machine gun, Splinter finally couldn't hold back any longer and called out to her.

"Wait! Gentiane! What's with all those guys in power armor outside!? And next to the intercontinental train... are those tanks!? Where did you get all that?!"

"Huh? I didn't get them. Next time you ask a question like that, you'd better look around and see what situation you're in, otherwise you won't even know how you died. Oh, and by the way, those Dolls outside aren't my men. You'd better be polite, or don't blame me if someone smashes your fishbowl head."

With that, Gentiane walked out of the operations room. Who had time to deal with Splinter, this clueless man?

Besides the automatic defense system turrets that needed M4 and RO to shut down, a considerable number of Paradeus combat units were already gathering in this direction toward Quarantine Wall within Tallinn.

The distant sound of artillery fire was proof of that.

It wasn't the city's defense system attacking Paradeus; rather, it was coordinating with Paradeus combat units to attack the rebel armored trains and armored echelons that were rapidly approaching Quarantine Wall.

Confirming this, Gentiane nodded in satisfaction. The purpose of their earlier slowing down was largely achieved.

Let the rebel armored trains and armored echelons lead the charge, testing the fighting strength of the remaining Paradeus forces in the city.

If Quarantine Wall crumbled as easily as it had when they entered, their exit would be equally smooth.

Another possibility was that, as it was now, Paradeus was busy repelling the heavily armed rebels, diverting most of their combat units toward the conflict with the rebels.

In this way, although they might have to take a longer route, as long as they didn't encounter any newly arrived Paradeus combat units along the way, the speed of the intercontinental train could be increased, and it was hard to say who would arrive at Paldiski first.

"Was this your initial plan?" HK416 asked Gentiane with some surprise. Through the intelligence data from the ship's detection system, she had a general understanding of the battle situation between the rebels and the remnants of Paradeus.

It was quite a stalemate. One side had the automated defensive turrets on the Quarantine Wall providing support, while the other had the large artillery of armored trains.

In terms of heavy armor units, Paradeus had their dilapidated, abandoned gladiators, but the military had a greater number of unmanned mechs.

However, the rebels obviously couldn't be as indifferent to damage as Paradeus' gladiators. Their manned mechs clearly couldn't charge forward under fire like the gladiators could.

While the two sides were not exactly evenly matched, the rebels were being manipulated to some extent, but this situation clearly couldn't last long.

The rebels' large-scale operation was well supplied with ammunition. In contrast, Tallinn's automated defense system, while far from dilapidated, still required resupply.

Even with complete control of the city, Paradeus couldn't openly procure and transport ammunition for their automated defense systems.

Furthermore, Tallinn's defense system was pre-World War III, while other cities had already upgraded their weapons and ammunition several times over.

This kind of situation couldn't withstand scrutiny, and Tallinn's condition clearly showed that Paradeus had no intention of developing the city, using it merely as an experimental base for the Isomers.

Therefore, considering these factors, it was uncertain how long the city's automated defense system could last, but the rebels… their railway lines were functioning normally, and as long as their supplies weren't intercepted, they could fight Paradeus for a week.

---

Chapter 1218: The Literal Meaning

Gentiane was planning to showcase her skills to Renault, but Renault had no time for that.

He was busy distracting the Dolls; he had no time to pay attention to the battle unfolding below.

With UMP45 and UMP40 on the bridge, if any unforeseen circumstances arose that the Dolls couldn't handle, they could simply use the ship's cannons for suppression.

His ship wasn't just for show.

In a densely populated urban area, he might have considered the feelings of his Dolls and Helian, but right now?

Besides Paradeus's combat units and the half-dead infected, there were only the rebels who had caused him so much trouble before. He hadn't immediately fired the main cannons to wipe them out simply because he was in a good mood!

The fifteen Neural Cores BM59 and her team retrieved, plus the eighteen Dolls currently present, suddenly gave them a significant boost in manpower. The days of only two or three people handling multiple roles in each area were long gone!

Of course, most importantly, fewer of these Dolls were impulsive or unruly; most were mature and composed. It seemed Griffin had indeed gathered all the reliable Dolls at headquarters.

These were almost all Elite Dolls, their bodies and Neural Cores specially modified by IOP.

If Gentiane's Dolls also possessed Neural Cores and bodies of this caliber, Gentiane might not have been so cautious from the start, fearing that her Dolls might disappear without a trace, becoming mere decorations adorning this ruined city.

"Wait, why? Why did you have to dismantle all our Neural Cores right away? Wouldn't it have been better to just repair the bodies?" Stechkin was still indignant, seeing Renault and the two scarecrows looking so happy, as if they'd gotten a great deal.

Her bodies weren't even broken beyond repair! Why replace them?!

Hearing this, the Scarecrows calmly took a sip of the hot soup they'd just poured from their thermos.

"Well, of course, your bodies are useless to us."

Whether in strength or defense, the bodies Griffin used were completely incomparable to their current bio-material bodies and, in fact, even inferior to the first-generation alloy steel bodies Renault had created.

The most important issue, actually, is the Doll's bionic skin. The most valuable part of a Doll's body isn't actually its Neural Core, its skeleton, or its energy core. Even the essential fire control core and weapon branding system for T-Dolls aren't the most valuable.

The real reason Renault and Scarecrow decided to immediately replace Stechkin's bodies was the bionic skin on these Dolls!

The raw materials for this bionic skin are incredibly expensive, and they're used up incredibly quickly. If the Dolls at home don't have their bodies replaced, the daily bumps and knocks will consume an entire tub of bionic skin material.

Scarecrow is certain that even if Griffin's T-Dolls weren't exactly well-behaved under Griffin's care, they certainly wouldn't have been as mischievous as they were under Renault's.

Of course, the main reason might be related to IOP, the Doll supplier. When IOP did repairs, they appeared to use a new type of bionic skin material for Griffin's T-Dolls.

While the realism might be slightly lower, its defense and wear resistance were definitely superior to the bionic skin material Renault sourced from the black market.

Furthermore, Griffin always buys in bulk, which already makes their prices cheaper than normal. Combined with Renault's black market sourcing, the price difference became outrageous.

If Stechkin and the others still on the ship don't have their bodies replaced, they're bound to experience bumps and knocks from time to time. Wouldn't that cause the bionic skin consumables to be consumed at an alarming rate?

Strangely enough, even though the Dolls and the Sangvis Ferri Dolls use the same bionic skin material, the Sangvis Ferri Dolls, despite having more members, consume bionic skin consumables at only about one-tenth the rate of the Dolls.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. Just look at the Sangvis Ferri Dolls' attire. Compared to the little skirts the Dolls prefer, the Sangvis Ferri Dolls are clearly more used to wearing thick work clothes. M1897 even had the entire cleaning department's Rippers dressed in full protective gear.

They were practically wearing complete protective suits for the Rippers.

They've probably encountered many mishaps at work, so they subconsciously take the best possible self-protection measures.

But all in all, bio-body forms are still much more convenient. Any bumps or scrapes are nothing to worry about. After all, bio-body forms have excellent recovery capabilities. These minor injuries might heal on their own before the Dolls even have to run to the infirmary.

“Uh, wait a minute! Let's leave my body aside for now! But S-ACR and AUG's bodies are all genuine high-end products! Over 50% are military-grade parts! How could they be unusable!?”

Upon hearing Scarecrow's response, Stechkin was immediately exasperated, but then she realized that while her own body was indeed from a regular civilian Doll, the bodies of the other Dolls weren't!

“Oh, it's convenient, easier, and saves time on maintenance later. Doll bodies are just too troublesome; replacing them makes things much easier.” Scarecrow said calmly. Since Renault started replacing the Dolls' bodies with bio-based ones not long ago, the maintenance work in the workshop had drastically decreased, with only the Sangvis Ferri Doll at home occasionally needing repairs.

Furthermore, with some Sangvis Ferri Dolls already fitted with alloy steel bodies, the frequency of repairs has decreased significantly. After a while, once all the Dolls at Sangvis Ferri have been fitted with alloy steel bodies, she, the maintenance manager stationed in the workshop, can finally take a break.

A fulfilling life with work every day is indeed nice, but if all the work is done by the Dolls themselves, even the most dedicated Scarecrow will get impatient.

"No… just because of this… wait? What do you mean by 'save trouble'?"

"Literally."

After switching to bio-based bodies, there's no need to worry about lubricating body parts, damaging internal fluid lines, or frequent charging. Of course, there's also no need to prepare spare parts for the Doll bodies.

---

Chapter 1219: This Won't Do

"Wow, this spaceship is huge!" MK46 looked up at the ceiling of the main corridor several meters above their heads. The passageway was so wide that a truck could probably drive straight through it!

"When I looked at it from below, I never imagined it would be this spacious..." FN-57 murmured, also looking up. Compared to this, even the Griffin command vehicle—or Griffin headquarters—would look like a tiny, dilapidated shack, let alone an intercontinental train.

"The spaceship's length... I estimate it's around 240 meters. I didn't see its full height, but the cargo hold at the rear is already close to 70 meters tall, and its width is probably over 100 meters."

NTW-20 spoke while inwardly marveling at the figures. These measurements were only from the interior; from the outside, the spaceship's length and width would definitely be even greater.

Even ignoring the dimensions she couldn't see, based on her estimate alone, this spaceship was already comparable to a flattened building.

"That's truly remarkable... Where did such a massive ship come from?" FAL exclaimed in amazement.

After all, constructing a spaceship of this size would require an immense engineering effort!

"Of course, Commander Renault and the Dolls built it themselves! They were busy almost every day back then, and just thinking about it now makes me realize how fulfilling those days were!"

Hearing this, a Ripper immediately puffed out her chest proudly.

"Although my self-awareness was still a bit hazy at the time, I still participated in the ship's construction! I'm practically a veteran!"

"So it was Commander Renault himself... Um? Huh?"

FAL was about to express her amazement when she realized what she was hearing. She looked up in disbelief, then glanced around again.

Such a massive ship? Renault and his Dolls built this themselves?

No, no, no! That simply wasn't scientifically possible! The materials required for this ship alone would have been incredibly difficult to obtain!

This was a gigantic vessel that could instantly transform into a building! How could Renault, the owner of a security contracting company, together with his Dolls—even including all the Sangvis Ferri ships she had seen before—possibly build something of this scale?

Even all of Sangvis Ferri's infrastructure and every one of their Dolls shouldn't have been capable of this... right?

Yet it was the truth, leaving FAL with no choice but to believe it. After all, the spaceship was flying steadily through the sky, without the slightest vibration beneath her feet. It was perfectly stable.

FAL remained preoccupied with wondering how Renault and the Dolls had managed to build the ship, staying lost in thought the entire way until Ripper led them to the entrance of the workshop.

"Ahem, we're here! The Commander is inside. I'll be going now. Desert Eagle, don't forget to pick up your clothes tomorrow," Ripper said with a smile as she waved goodbye.

"Okay, thanks for bringing us here." Desert Eagle nodded to the Ripper. After the Ripper left, however, she scratched her head in confusion.

"Why tomorrow? Going tonight should be fine, right?"

Before Desert Eagle could figure it out, MK46, who was walking ahead, had already pressed the unlock button on the intercom beside the workshop door.

"Huh? You guys are back? Did you change your minds?" Scarecrow and Scarecrow II, who were placing S-ACR's and the others' Neural Cores into the mind transfer device, immediately recognized the familiar Dolls. Hadn't they already left for the intercontinental train with Gunship?

"Um, actually, M1887 persuaded us to come here. I was wondering whether Mr. Renault still needs..."

"Oh? M1887? Yes! Of course!"

Renault, who was about to gain more than thirty additional Dolls under his command, rarely displayed such a broad smile.

Stechkin and the previous fifteen Neural Cores had already been a considerable gain, and now FAL and the others had arrived as well...

That made a full forty Dolls. Even Renault couldn't help feeling delighted.

"Alright, I'll take these Neural Cores to the biological laboratory. Scarecrow, bring them over once you're finished here."

The Neural Cores of the previous dozen or so Dolls had already been removed, and the mind transfer process had begun. As for newcomers like FAL, Scarecrow and her companion could process them while waiting, so nothing would be delayed.

"Okay."

Scarecrow nodded as she watched Renault happily leave carrying the box filled with Neural Cores.

After Renault left, Scarecrow slapped her forehead in exasperation.

Sigh...

She should have left either Stechkin or MP7 outside. Now that FAL and the others had just arrived, she had to explain everything all over again.

Clap! Clap!

"Alright, put your curiosity aside for now and listen carefully."

Scarecrow clapped her hands and, somewhat resignedly, began explaining the body replacement process to FAL and the others.

...

Just as Renault was happily celebrating the sudden increase in his Doll count, Gentiane and the newly reunited AR Team below began their operation.

Their first priority was eliminating the automated defense turrets that posed a potential threat to the intercontinental train.

RO635 had handled this task before and was highly experienced. However, considering the rebel armored trains in the vicinity, she couldn't simply shut the turrets down remotely this time.

She had quietly disabled countless turrets along the way. Now that the rebels were gathering beneath Quarantine Wall to launch their attack, even if Paradeus had been slow to react, they should have noticed by now.

A remote shutdown wasn't impossible, but it would provoke strong resistance from the automated defense system, inadvertently reducing the electronic warfare pressure on the rebels.

Gentiane couldn't allow that.

She wanted the automated defense system to remain focused on suppressing the rebels. How could she let her own actions unintentionally help them?

Those turrets had to be destroyed swiftly and cleanly before the defense system could respond. That would also free up more of its computing power to concentrate on countering the rebels' electronic warfare attacks.

Meanwhile, besides Gentiane and the AR Team, the remaining Dolls weren't idle either. They worked alongside Kalina, who had stayed behind, to defend against attacks from the infected and scattered Paradeus combat units.

---

Chapter 1220: Life-Size Figurines

Gentiane had the Dolls under her command perfectly organized, but Splinter was becoming increasingly frustrated.

He was being ignored.

Completely ignored.

In response, his adjutant, M1887, could only shrug and spread her hands. Whose fault was that?

He had rushed straight into the rebels' line of fire, trying to outrun Gentiane.

At least Commander Gentiane had carefully controlled the intercontinental train's speed, taking a longer route to avoid the rebel armored trains. Splinter, on the other hand, had acted recklessly, not only driving his own intercontinental train into danger but also causing a large number of Griffin T-Dolls to be destroyed by the armored train's bombardment.

Now, without a command vehicle, did he expect to imitate Gentiane by personally carrying a heavy machine gun and fighting alongside the AR Team?

Splinter's slight frame, burdened with protective gear along with identification and communication equipment, was already close to his limit.

Carry weapons?

At most, he could manage a pistol and three or four magazines. Any more than that, and could he even move?

And even if he could, what difference would it make?

Could a pistol's bullets even kill the infected? Or Paradeus Gladiators?

They couldn't even scratch those enemies, much less the rebel Dolls with their extensive combat experience.

Before he could even raise his weapon, they would have riddled him with armor-piercing rounds.

M1887 now felt that persuading FAL and the others to leave had been absolutely the right decision. What was the point of following a commander who couldn't even issue effective orders? Were they supposed to sit idly aboard Commander Gentiane's intercontinental train?

Sorry, but no.

Splinter wasn't the sort of person who would risk his life for a mission.

The fact that the intercontinental train had come under artillery fire didn't prove he was courageous. It only showed that he completely misunderstood Griffin's position in this operation and had severely underestimated the rebels' vigilance.

Otherwise, where did he get the confidence to believe the rebels would never attack him?

Surely he didn't think Griffin's intercontinental train possessed the same level of protection as an armored train?

If that was really what Splinter believed, M1887 should probably be grateful that he had lost the command terminal.

Otherwise, given Splinter's unpredictability, who knew what bizarre orders he might have issued?

The strange thing was that although Splinter had almost no awareness of battlefield conditions, whenever he gave orders to Suomi and the others, he forcibly disabled their emotional simulation systems, turning them into machines that were even more obedient than military droids.

Despite appearing identical beneath their metal armor, the Military Droids weren't completely devoid of self-awareness. After all, they were androids, not mere war machines.

"Where are the other Dolls besides you?"

After a moment of silence, Splinter looked up at M1887, apparently deep in thought.

"They're recharging in the power car."

What else could they do?

Without orders, they wouldn't move on their own. They were completely unresponsive, just like robots.

Judging by their current condition, Splinter probably couldn't restore Suomi and the others to normal without a command terminal.

"Hold this position. Don't let anyone disturb me."

The same words again.

M1887 nodded noncommittally.

Splinter had used exactly the same words when giving orders to Suomi and the others, who had effectively become her protection team.

After Suomi and the others changed, the remaining Dolls gradually developed resentment—or even rebellious thoughts—toward Splinter.

That was also one of the reasons M1887 had been able to persuade FAL and the others to leave so easily.

Just as Splinter reentered the combat command center, intending to do something with the vehicle's combat command system...

Outside the intercontinental train, MG42, who had likewise received no assignments, felt equally neglected.

"I mean, AR Team has already gone out. Are we seriously just going to guard the train? There doesn't seem to be much to do for a while—just a few scattered enemies approaching, and there are barely any Paradeus Gladiators... Ugh! I really want to fire this gun!"

MG42 shouted, waving her C14 electromagnetic rifle.

"Uh... there's no need to be in such a hurry. It's not like we haven't used it before..." MG34 said awkwardly.

"That's different! We've never actually fired it in real combat! How can using it in a simulator possibly count?"

"Alright, alright. There'll definitely be opportunities later. Otherwise, the Commander wouldn't have had us bring all this equipment down. Look at Vector—she's much better behaved than you are!"

MG34 pointed toward Vector, who was wearing Firebat power armor not far away.

Just after MG34 said that, Vector seemed to hear someone calling her name. She turned around curiously, allowing MG42 to see what she was holding...

Two makeshift torches wrapped with scraps of cloth.

The cloth had probably been torn from the bodies of dead Isomers, while the handles were made from severed Isomer arms.

Who on earth had given Vector the idea of using Isomer arms as torches?!

...

"What about our original bodies?"

FAL looked at her lifeless body lying on the workbench, feeling a headache coming on.

"Of course, you'll have to deal with them yourselves after replacing your bodies. You'll also have to wash your own clothes. Unless you've prepared payment, don't expect Ripper or Vespid to help you."

Scarecrow II spread her hands. The Sangvis Ferri Dolls had become quite shrewd. In the past, they would simply do whatever they were told.

"Deal with them? Dismantle them?"

"You can keep them if you want. It's entirely up to you. You could even use your original body as a life-size figurine in your dorm."

A life-size figurine?

In her dorm?

Her own body?

An indescribable wave of embarrassment washed over FAL! She immediately resolved to dispose of her old body as soon as the transfer was complete!

She simply couldn't imagine any Doll keeping her own body as a collectible in her dorm room...

Would anyone really do something like that?

---

Chapter 1221: I Think…

“You yourself said you'd try to keep a low profile, so couldn't you have used a different weapon? You're not convincing at all!”

AR15 looked at Gentiane with obvious disdain. Her body armor was packed with bulletproof plates, a large ammunition box hung from her back, and she was carrying a massive heavy machine gun almost as tall as she was.

With that kind of appearance, she looked more like a fearless warrior than someone conducting a covert operation!

“Ahem, don't say that. I'm just doing this as a precaution. You know, these days, Paradeus are incredibly tough. Without a heavy machine gun, who knows how many bullets you'd have to waste to kill a single Paradeus combat unit?”

Those guys' force field shields were incredibly annoying. Ordinary pistol rounds couldn't even deplete their energy reserves. Only armor-piercing rifle rounds were truly effective.

Hearing Gentiane's words, AR15 rolled her eyes. Who would bring a heavy machine gun on a covert mission?

“Heh, it's just that this is the only common weapon I have. Even if I wanted another one, I couldn't get it. But those lightsabers you and SOP2 have... could you get me one too?” Gentiane asked, glancing enviously at the lightsaber hilt hanging from AR15's waist.

She had already witnessed its power. SOP2, who was leading the way, had used it to cut down both Paradeus units and the infected with a single strike! It sliced through them without making a sound!

Silent! And unbelievably sharp!

“Don't even think about it. Renault won't just hand these out. Anyone without proper training who gets one will be the first to suffer.” AR15 refused without the slightest hesitation. She still hadn't forgotten the horrifying sight of Architect accidentally severing her own buttocks.

“Huh? Why?”

Hearing Gentiane's clueless question, AR15 fell silent. Clearly, this woman had become just like Architect; she wouldn't realize the danger until the lightsaber was practically touching her.

AR15 now only thought Renault's decision to make lightsaber toys was incredibly wise. Unless these people actually handled one themselves and experienced a painful lesson, they'd never understand how dangerous lightsabers truly were.

To them, they just looked cool...

“I'll ask around for you when we get back.”

“Really!? Could you get me one too?”

RO635, who had been listening intently, immediately turned around with sparkling eyes and eagerly asked AR15 after hearing her show signs of relenting.

“Even you...” AR15 thought to herself, speechless.

Oh well, she only planned to ask Renault for a lightsaber toy for Gentiane to try. Once Gentiane suffered a setback, she'd let RO635 learn a lesson as well...

No, it shouldn't be just a minor setback. While the lightsaber toy couldn't cut like a real lightsaber, it would definitely cause burns. Given Gentiane's current physical condition, some burn ointment and a good meal would be enough for her to recover.

But for RO635... if her bionic skin were burned, she'd definitely have to spend some time in a repair ward. If she were unlucky enough to damage her subcutaneous circulatory system, she might even require major repairs...

“Let's wait until after this mission.”

If it happened during the mission, AR15 was genuinely worried that RO635 might accidentally burn herself while playing with the lightsaber toy.

“It's settled then!” ×2

Gentiane and RO635 high-fived in perfect unison, much to M4's dismay after overhearing the entire conversation. Why did she increasingly feel that her commander was becoming more and more childish?

With SOP2, who was now exceptionally excited, leading the way, the infected and the scattered Paradeus combat units encountered by AR Team and Gentiane's group along the route posed little threat.

They barely made any noise, clearly demonstrating that SOP2 had selected numerous stealth and infiltration training scenarios in the training simulator.

Even AR15 now carried a C10 rifle as standard equipment. If Renault hadn't forgotten to provide the Ghost agents' specialized combat suits, AR15 felt she could easily pass as a Ghost agent herself.

As for SOP2, most of her skills had been learned from the Dark Templars. Of course, she still hadn't mastered their stealth abilities. She had previously asked Renault about the principles behind their cloaking technology.

However, Renault hadn't explained it in detail. He had only said there weren't any suitable options available at the moment and told SOP2 to make do with a thermo-optical camouflage cloak for the time being.

So AR15 got one as well.

After all, it was extremely useful for infiltration, especially after Renault's modifications.

“Phew, I feel like I'm almost outdated. I can't even keep up with Commander Gentiane anymore.”

After the squad stopped, RO635 headed straight for the automated defense turret's control center, while M16 stopped to catch her breath.

“It's obviously because you drank too much with Simonov and the others while eating.” AR15 rolled her eyes at her. Didn't you bring this on yourself?

Although alcohol can dissipate heat quickly when applied externally, its presence in a Doll's circulating fluid reduces cooling efficiency and forces the filtration system to operate at full capacity, generating excessive heat. It was only natural that M16 felt somewhat overburdened.

Otherwise, she consistently outperformed both M4 and RO635 in tactical training exercises.

Her extensive combat experience, combined with a body composed almost entirely of military-grade components, formed the foundation of M16's ability to serve as the AR Team's troubleshooter.

“How about I ask Renault to upgrade you? Or maybe get you a new body? The latest model won't work, but the previous-generation body that AR15 and the others used should be fine, right?” Gentiane's thoughts raced as she looked at AR15 with obvious interest.

“What are you thinking? Do you really think Commander Renault would install his own Dolls the required underlying protocols? Without those protocols, Statesec would come knocking almost immediately.”

Right now, almost everything in Griffin was under Statesec's surveillance. If M16 returned to Griffin after having her Doll body replaced, Statesec would definitely rush over, take her away immediately, and dismantle the Doll created by Renault for research.

Persica was only studying the Dolls' neural cloud technology, but everyone else was extremely envious of the Dolls created by Renault.

“Done! Next!”

As she spoke, RO635 had already shut down the automated defense turret. The command module she had received from Renault integrated seamlessly into the system throughout the entire process without Paradeus noticing a thing.

---

Chapter 1222: No, You Don't Want To

"Ah, it's been shot down."

Whether it was MG42 or another Doll, her tone was full of regret as she watched the massive Gladiator fall.

The scattered Paradeus forces approaching the intercontinental train couldn't withstand more than a few seconds under the guns of dozens of T-Dolls.

Without numerical superiority or anyone to command them, individual Infecteds and Paradeus charging forward posed no threat to the overwhelming number of T-Dolls.

"Damn it! What's the point of wearing this power armor?! If I'd known it would be like this, I would've brought my old Imprint Weapon from the start! That way, I could've blended into the crowd and fired a couple of shots!"

Now we look so stupid!

MG42 didn't shout the rest of her thoughts aloud, but everyone else was thinking the same thing.

After charging down in full combat gear, all they encountered were easy targets. They didn't even need to pull the trigger; simply standing there for a few seconds was enough for Gentiane's Dolls to deal with them.

Aside from the occasional unpredictable Infected that suddenly appeared, they hadn't scored a single kill.

"Um... G36, didn't the Commander say anything this time?" MG34 asked awkwardly, looking at G36 with concern. If it were G36, she should have received some advance notice, right?

"No. The Commander is currently busy constructing new bio-bodies for the Neural Cores BM59 and the others just brought back. He has no intention of paying attention to the situation below. You can do whatever you want."

Do whatever you want?

Upon hearing those words from G36, MG42 immediately covered her face—or rather, her mask—in anguish. All she could think was that there wasn't any room for improvisation in this empty place.

Were they supposed to follow Vector's example and entertain themselves with two torches?!

Fortunately, although the surroundings were wide open, the intercontinental train hadn't slowed down much. As long as the AR Team ahead could disable the turrets along the route in time, they would soon leave this boring city and plunge into the bloodbath between the Paradeus forces and the rebels.

Whether it was MG42 or the others, everyone was seething with frustration, waiting for the Paradeus to appear in force so they could finally vent it.

G&K Dolls weren't thinking about that at the moment. With Gentiane away, they were tense, afraid they might encounter enemies they couldn't handle. As a result, the moment they spotted an enemy, they concentrated their firepower and eliminated it immediately.

Kalina watched with growing anxiety. Every burst of gunfire made her heart ache, and she had begun to suspect that the enemies weren't being shot down so much as buried beneath an overwhelming barrage of bullets.

Even if each Doll fired only a single shot, dozens of Dolls would still expend dozens of rounds. But these Dolls had no intention of conserving ammunition. Instead, they unleashed concentrated volleys, intending to stop the enemy as quickly as possible—ideally tearing them to pieces so they had no chance of getting back up.

Although Kalina wanted the Dolls to conserve ammunition, she knew this wasn't the time to worry about the cost. The intercontinental train was essential to their escape plan. If they lost it, they would definitely have to ask Renault for help again, and given that man's greedy nature... who knew how much he would demand?

On one hand was the cost of ammunition; on the other was the far greater cost of paying for transportation. The difference was obvious.

As for seizing the rebels' armored train and escaping with it, Kalina hadn't even considered the idea.

It was, after all, a military armored train. Even if the rebels couldn't do anything about it, someone else certainly would.

...

"Finally, I can breathe a sigh of relief."

Looking at the dozen or so Neural Cores already placed inside the biological culture tanks, Helian smiled with satisfaction.

"Ah, yes. Here's some basic information about these Dolls. Once they wake up, explaining everything to them will be your responsibility." Renault waved the tablet in his hand. Since the Dolls' original bodies had been destroyed by the artillery barrage, he wasn't in a hurry to explain the situation.

It would be much easier to wait until they all had their new biological bodies and explain everything at once. Otherwise, repeating the explanation for forty Dolls in batches would be exhausting.

"Hmm, no problem. They're mostly familiar faces." Helian glanced over the tablet and recognized the names. She had worked with most of them back at Griffin Headquarters.

Renault was just about to relax when Helian added, "Just in case, let's call Renate and UL-Nurse back. They're only taking a walk down there anyway, and they can explain the details of adapting to their new bodies much better."

Originally, this responsibility had belonged to Renate and UL-Nurse. Since they managed the infirmary, they were also the most qualified to care for the Dolls after they received their bio-bodies, as the Dolls would be especially vulnerable during the adjustment period.

Most of the Dolls on the list were reliable, but not all of them. A few were rather mischievous, and most importantly, Type-88 had already been obsessed with modifying her own body before Helian left.

If nobody explained things clearly, what if she mistook her new bio-body for one of her old easily disassembled bodies and decided to saw off her own arms and legs?

It sounded impossible, but what if it actually happened? What ridiculous things were these Dolls incapable of doing?

Hadn't Architect once cut herself in the butt with a lightsaber?

Thinking about it, Helian realized she not only had to explain the situation to the Griffin Dolls but also warn them about the many hazards aboard the ship.

After all, the lightsabers issued to the Dolls weren't the only dangerous things on board.

Whether it was the little devils locked inside the pet enclosure, the equipment stored in the hangar, or even the maintenance room G11 and her team had built for themselves...

Just thinking about it gave Helian a headache, and the smile on her face gradually faded.

---

Chapter 1223: There's Yet to Come

"It seems the rebels haven't noticed what's happening here."

M16 stood atop the turret with a pair of binoculars, observing the battle between the rebels and Paradeus beneath the Quarantine Wall.

It wasn't exactly a stalemate. Rather, the rebels' artillery fire was unusually restrained. They were carefully controlling their bombardment, trying to eliminate as many Paradeus forces as possible while avoiding irreparable damage to the Quarantine Wall's gates from the armored train's cannon fire.

The situation had changed significantly since the beginning. Paradeus was deliberately delaying the rebel armored train.

"It's unlikely they haven't noticed," Gentiane said. She believed the rebels had almost certainly noticed the situation. After all, with the current visibility, anyone with functioning eyes could see such a massive spaceship hovering over the city.

"Uh... that's true." M16 glanced awkwardly at the spaceship overhead. Perhaps the reason the rebels hadn't dispatched combat echelons to intercept Gentiane's group was precisely because of Renault's spaceship.

It had to be said that sometimes, even if Renault's spaceship did nothing more than accompany them from the sky, its mere presence could completely change the situation.

If it weren't for the automated defense system along the route and those stubborn Paradeus forces that completely ignored Renault's spaceship, they might already be speeding through the city like the rebel armored train.

Unfortunately, there was only one route around this part of the city, and they didn't have time to change course even if they wanted to.

"Hey, AR15, do you think it's possible that Renault's old spaceship..."

M16 slid down from the turret and curiously asked AR15 about the old spaceship resting atop the new one.

From the ground, only the top of the old ship was visible.

Renault's new spaceship was certainly impressive, but the old one was still excellent. Since it was no longer being used and was just sitting there anyway, if she could convince Gentiane...

"I think you're still drunk. What nonsense are you talking about? Asking Renault to give Griffin his own spaceship? Even daydreams aren't that ridiculous!"

"I was just thinking..." M16 muttered, turning toward Gentiane. She noticed that although Gentiane looked somewhat interested, she also understood it was impossible.

Even if Renault completely lost his mind and handed her the spaceship, she couldn't possibly roam the skies as freely as he did.

Unlike Renault, who always was capable of producing all sorts of strange technology, Gentiane had countless constraints.

As long as she remained with Griffin, she would inevitably have to obey her superiors, including Sir Griffin himself.

Logistics, diplomatic procedures, and countless other restrictions were enough to limit her. She wasn't Renault. She couldn't independently keep a spaceship supplied with food, fuel, and every necessity, even if every major city refused to assist her.

She couldn't accept Renault's spaceship and then shamelessly rely on him for logistics and supplies afterward.

If that were the case, why stay with Griffin at all? Changing jobs would be much simpler.

"Alright, let's move. The rebels are advancing as well, and that intercontinental train that left us behind has probably already reached the mission area. If we waste any more time, we might fail the mission before we even arrive."

Although they were making good progress now—RO635 had already disabled most of the defensive turrets along the route—the rebels were still ahead of them.

Moreover, besides racing against time, they would probably have to deal with an even worse situation later: being caught between the rebels and Paradeus.

The T-Dolls alone couldn't accomplish much... but even so, some things still had to be done... I wonder how Angelia is doing now?

...

"Angelia, I think you should take it easy. I'm starting to worry that the moment you leave this base, a crowd of people will immediately drag you away for dissection."

Watching Angelia wield an assault rifle while fighting seamlessly alongside AK15 to eliminate a group of Paradeus, AK12 couldn't help worrying about Angelia's future.

"Huh? I think you're the one with too much free time! You still have time to talk about that at a moment like this?! Over there! A Jumper is charging in!"

"I'd rather call these things fleas. Did they install propulsion systems just so they could hop around?"

RPK16 frowned, immediately swinging her weapon toward the Paradeus swordsman and shield-bearer darting up and down the corridor while seemingly ignoring the attacks striking from behind.

These highly mobile Paradeus swordsmen and shield-bearers posed an enormous threat once they began maneuvering through the corridors.

Once the laser cannons wielded by these sword-and-shield units finished charging, everyone was forced to scatter. Although the underground passages were relatively spacious...

a slight adjustment of those laser cannons was enough to block nearly every possible escape route with their devastating beams.

Moreover, there weren't just one or two of these sword-and-shield units. The number of Paradeus forces inside the base was overwhelming.

The only reason they had seemed weak earlier was that relatively few Paradeus had been stationed along the ammunition depot route.

AN94 focused on eliminating the Paradeus marksmen providing covering fire for the sword-and-shield units. Occasionally, one or two heavy machine gunners were mixed in among them.

Even if their bullets didn't hit anyone directly, impacts nearby could still interfere with their movements because their bionic bodies could only shield them from a limited amount of electromagnetic interference.

If the military had deployed one of its heavy artillery cannons instead, a few random shots would probably have been enough to cripple a large number of military Dolls.

"Tsk! This doesn't make any sense! The rebels already stormed in! Why didn't these Paradeus make any attempt to defend themselves? Is the Nyto commanding them stupid?"

---

Chapter 1224: It still didn't work.

"Calm down, Angelia. I feel you're getting increasingly impatient."

"No... I... okay, I am a little anxious." Angelia put down the weapon in her hand, the goggles already smelling burnt, and rubbed her temples anxiously.

The Paradeus had likely been operating in this base for far longer than Statesec had anticipated. The intelligence she obtained from Statesec might no longer be reliable, but that wasn't the only concern now.

The problem now was that there were too many Paradeus. Sangvis Ferri and the rebels were able to use their numbers and firepower to force their way through the Paradeus blockade and into the core area of the facility.

However, she and Taskforce DEFY's forces were still too weak, and they had spent a considerable amount of time at the ammunition depot...

Had she been too greedy...? Or was her current good health making her impulsive?

“Phew, let’s try a different approach. If we can’t take down these Paradeus, we’ll just go around them. Enough already! Even after Renault’s modifications, we still have to find ways to avoid them!”

Next time, she would definitely get power armor from Renault! Even an old one would do! She had had enough of being chased by the enemy!

Although the intelligence from Statesec isn’t working right now, the general terrain of the base hasn’t changed. Even Paradeus can’t drastically alter this already completed underground base.

Emergency personnel passage... the reserved pipeline maintenance route...

Suppressing her impatience, Angelia skillfully led AK15 to the nearest maintenance passage entrance. The door handle was clearly rusted.

Seeing the rust on the corners of the square hatch at the entrance, Angelia’s mood soured, and she pursed her lips.

Normally, while rust might indeed appear at the entrance to such a maintenance passage, it would only be a slight, superficial sign. The base's internal air circulation system would remove most of the moisture from the passage, preventing corrosion and damage to wiring due to excessive humidity.

But right now, with years of neglect... anything could happen. Although Paradeus had been operating here for quite some time, that didn't mean their people would proactively repair the base's infrastructure.

There's definitely water in this passage...

"Next time I'll definitely wear tall riding boots..."

Not quite hearing Angelia's muttering, AK15 tilted her head and repeated it to confirm.

“It’s nothing. Let’s go. I’ll go down and check the situation first.” Before AK15 could say anything, Angelia yanked open the maintenance hatch, turned on the chest light hanging in front of her, and jumped in.

Splash!

Angelia’s feet sank directly into the water, nearly half a meter deep, well above her knees.

The situation was pretty much as she had guessed... the only difference was the overwhelming salty, fishy smell, mixed with a foul odor...

“That’s precisely why I don’t want to continue this covert operation!”

Wiping the water droplets from her hands, Angelia looked in the direction of the chest lamp’s beam with disgust. Scattered oil stains floated on the almost black water, and the walls and pipes on both sides of the passage were densely covered with barnacles.

A no-go zone for those with trypophobia! Even Angelia, who never considered herself to have trypophobia, couldn’t help but feel a chill run down her spine, as if continuing deeper might result in being completely swallowed by the dense swarms of barnacles.

“For now, it’s safe enough. Let AK12 and AN94 come down.”

As soon as Angelia spoke, RPK16 jumped down first, followed by AK12 and AN94, who took turns providing cover as they retreated. Taking advantage of the moment they reached the corner and were out of Paradeus’s sight, the three of them jumped down one after another from the hatch above.

AK15 at the back of the line pulled up the hatch at the entrance, then grabbed a rusty steel bar and wedged it into the hatch handle.

“Ugh… Angelia, you’ve really gone bad these days. Didn’t you even warn us about what’s down there?” RPK16 covered her nose, her face contorted as she complained to Angelia.

The three dolls beside her, however, chuckled and casually slipped the masks hanging around their necks onto their faces.

While the effect certainly wasn’t as good as a gas mask specifically designed to block out odors, it was better than RPK16’s current state of having nothing but a hand to pinch her nose, right?

“What’s the point of warning you? Do you expect to stay up there forever?” Obviously, that wasn’t going to happen. “Alright, ladies, watch your legs. Even though they’re waterproof, if the waterproofing breaks, things might not be so great.”

Looking up at the footsteps approaching, Angelia sighed helplessly and waded forward through the dirty water.

…

“Can you smell it? Flowers.” Gentiane looked at the sea of flowers in the distance and asked AR15 beside her.

“Hmm, but what I smell most is the stench of the infected. I bet there are a lot of infected lying in that flower field.” As she spoke, AR15 kept moving, and the AR team quickly traversed the edge of the flower field adjacent to the Quarantine Wall.

“Ugh, can’t you not talk about something so unromantic...”

It was rare for her to suddenly have such a whim...

“Otherwise what? Do you really want to dance with those infected in that flower field? You'd be covered in collapse radiation dust, and you wouldn't have anywhere to clean yourself before you finish your mission.”

AR15 said, then turned to look at the familiar-looking night-blooming cereus flowers; they seemed to be the same species Leone had been handling in the ship's biological lab.

Moreover, the collapse radiation concentration in this flower field was suspicious. As soon as they approached, the collapse radiation detectors on M4 and RO started alarming.

While Gentiane no longer needed to worry about the collapse radiation harming her body, getting covered in radiation dust was still a problem. Clothing and small items made of natural materials would inadvertently become silicified.

Over time, her body would look like she'd been dug out of a sand dune, covered in silicified crystals the size of sand grains.

"Uh, it's not that serious. I just wanted to take a picture as a souvenir. Besides, with such a high radiation concentration in this collapsed area, those fallen infected probably won't get up again, right?"

Whoosh!

Before she could finish speaking, an infected figure abruptly sat up from the sea of flowers, emerging from the nearly half-meter-deep mutated epiphyllum blossoms.

"Ah!?" Gentiane was startled by the sudden appearance of an infected, but she forcibly suppressed the urge to pull the trigger and fire, fearing that attracting more infected would be disastrous.

-----

Chapter 1225: Can You Do Me a Favor?

But sometimes, what you fear most is exactly what happens. Besides, although the group was moving quickly, it was clearly impossible for Dolls like M4, RO635, and M16 to walk without leaving a trace, let alone Gentiane, who was carrying a heavy machine gun and ammunition boxes.

Although their movements weren't very loud, the vibrations from their footsteps were very real.

The first infected to sit up let out a roar that seemed to flip a switch on a sea of flowers. Infected dressed in various styles followed suit, roaring and staggering to their feet.

Some infected were even covered in the roots and leaves of the night-blooming cereus when they got up, clearly indicating that they had been lying there for quite some time.

"Wait? This can't be! It's been so long! The epiphyllum has already grown onto that guy's skull! How could these infected still be moving?!"

Based on past experience with infected, even though they were no longer human, they couldn't survive in the red zone for long. The flesh and blood that sustained their movement would gradually silicify until they finally became a solidified Doll.

"Because they're infected, I wouldn't be surprised if something strange happened. Let's get out of here before these guys completely crawl out of the ground! We can leave these infected to the guys in the back."

As someone who had watched Renault's Dolls' mission logs in the training device, AR15 naturally knew that these infected wouldn't completely silicify in a few days like the ones she had encountered in Griffin.

Whether it was the bizarrely fused infected, or those hidden in the ruins and underground, emerging from their concealed places at the slightest tremor or sound, it all proved that the infected, as non-human beings, possessed a vitality far exceeding human imagination.

However, Renault had also stated that as long as the collapse radiation in the environment remained stable, and there was no prolonged exposure to areas with intense collapse radiation, even the infected could survive for a considerable period.

Of course, Renault hadn't delved into the details, as he had no interest in researching any technology to turn the infected back into humans.

Now, prompted by AR15, Gentiane nodded. These infected clearly weren't the type to move quickly; they were slowly crawling up, and it would probably take several minutes for them to reach her.

By then, she and the AR team would already have run to the entrance beneath the Quarantine Wall.

“Should we inform Miss Kalina on the train?” M4 asked with some concern, glancing back at the sea of flowers. The number of infected crawling out was almost dense enough to completely cover the small hill in front of the flower field.

Just a glance was enough to make the target indicator reading in the fire-control core exceed three thousand.

“I’m afraid these guys aren’t just getting up because we’re here; there are probably some of those rebels in the distance too,” M16 said, having recovered somewhat, squinting in the direction of the rebel armored train.

The incessant artillery fire seemed to be the real culprit awakening these infected.

“Alright, now that you’re awake, get moving. There are too many infected; we’re not sure if there are any fusion beings among them.”

“I have a feeling there’s a big one in there!” SOP2, leading the way, turned around excitedly and shouted to the group before AR15 could finish speaking.

"Keep your voice down! Do you want to lure that thing over here?! Don't forget why we came out here!" AR15 yelled angrily. SOP2! Wasn't things troublesome enough already?

As someone who had personally experienced fighting fusion beings, AR15 knew just how troublesome those inexplicable fusion beings could be! Moreover, she now had a slight psychological aversion to them; just thinking about the bizarre appearance of the fusion being she had encountered before sent chills down her spine.

It was as if she had returned to the moment when her entire bionic skin had turned to silicon, and she had been covered in a splash of dirty water.

Even if the fusion being this time wasn't as disgusting as the one she had encountered before, AR15 didn't want to charge in with her lightsaber and engage in close combat with that thing.

While the C10 rifle was more powerful than a heavy machine gun, last time they had to use the cannons on the Gunship to deal with the infected. With just her C10 rifle, the chances of ending the battle quickly were slim.

Even with the grenade launchers in M4's hands and the mini Jupiter cannon on M16, it was still the same.

Their mission objective this time was never to clear the infected in Tallinn city. Wasting ammunition on these guys would obviously be unwise...

…

“Ha! Here they come! Here they come! Now it's our turn! MG34! Hurry! Let's move forward! Don't wait for Stg44 and the others to make their move first!”

MG42 shouted excitedly, pulling MG34 forward with a swift charge!

This time, there was a large number of infected! There might even be multiple fused forms among them! Perfect targets for her!

As for why they needed to run fast? Of course, it was to get there before the two siege tanks opened fire! Even without stopping and activating their cannons, the two siege tanks' basic tank guns alone would be enough to wipe out huge swathes of infected!

This time, MG34 didn't object to MG42's actions. After all, besides MG42, the other Dolls had already started moving, with Vector being one of them—and the fastest one at that.

"Tsk! These guys! They just charge forward because they have power armor!" HK416, standing on the roof of the intercontinental train, was somewhat exasperated. Why hadn't she thought of stealing a power armor from the others?

And now there are other troubles...

“Hey! HK416! Can you do me a favor? It’s a rare opportunity! Just dig up a few... no! A complete radiation-induced epiphyllum! Just one!”

“Hey! Leone! What time is it? Everyone else is busy fighting those infected, and you’re asking me to dig up some grass for you!?”

“Eh? No, no, no! How can you call it grass! It’s an epiphyllum! That’s a plant that can survive normally in a collapsed radiation environment! A radiation-induced epiphyllum! The original species!”

“So what? Don’t you have some in your biology lab?”

“Hey! It’s different!”

“I don’t have time! Go find someone else!”

“Wait! I see they’ve already rushed out! Now you’re the only one left!”

“What!?”

HK416 was startled by this, and turned around to find that UMP9, who had been standing not far away, had already rushed out with G11!