RC 1226-1250 (Patreon)

Chapter 1226: Plans Can't Keep Up with Changes

Well, you could only say that one wrong step led to another.

HK416 couldn't possibly rush in to steal kills now.

Fortunately, HK416 wasn't in a hurry to do anything to vent her frustration. Since rushing in wouldn't bring any benefits, she might as well relax a little.

"Okay, I won't get any scraps anyway."

"Great! HK416! I knew you'd help me! StG44 and the others have emergency entrenching tools on their vehicle. Just dig up two or three with that big shovel!" Leone shouted excitedly.

HK416 rolled her eyes. She had only agreed to dig up one, and now it had become two or three! If this girl kept talking, she'd end up digging up an entire acre of radiation-infected night-blooming cereus!

Thinking it through, HK416 immediately sprang into action. She jumped onto the siege tank, which had also ended up idling helplessly at the rear, borrowed a shovel from StG44, and asked Kalina for an empty cardboard box that had previously been used to store MREs.

Digging up the epiphyllum flowers naturally posed no challenge for HK416. She had already cut off Leone's communications, planning to simply dig up a few flowers, pack them into the box, and have a Ripper send a scout to carry it back to the ship.

A few epiphyllum flowers and a few shovelfuls of soil were well within the capabilities of a Sangvis Ferri scout.

The soil where the irradiated epiphyllum flowers grew was very soft. With a single shovelful, HK416 unearthed four or five flowers. As she lifted them into the box, she even noticed them beginning to emit a faint glow.

However, the glow quickly disappeared after she placed the flowers inside the box.

The buds, which had looked as though they were about to bloom, visibly tightened at their bases.

"What strange plants."

Normal plants wouldn't grow in an environment saturated with Collapse radiation.

After returning the shovel, HK416 hopped back onto the intercontinental train with the box in her arms. She didn't enter the carriage, however, as the irradiated epiphyllum flowers were still covered in Collapse radioactive dust.

"HK416? You? You actually enjoy growing flowers?" Kalina asked in surprise when she saw HK416 return carrying the flowers. She had seen Dolls keep pets before, but growing plants—especially flowers...

"No, it's Leone. She wants to study the irradiated epiphyllum flowers in this area. She studied them before and achieved quite a few results. I don't know why she's so interested in them."

This city was Paradeus's research base. If nothing unexpected had happened, the epiphyllum flowers Leone had studied at the Flora Botanical Research Institute had probably originated from this very place. HK416 really didn't think there was anything worth researching about them.

"Oh, I see."

Kalina nodded and was about to say something when she noticed the direction of the flower field. Renault's Dolls hadn't stopped fighting. Instead, their formation seemed to spread out as they advanced, and the intensity of the gunfire increased even further.

"Is something wrong over there?"

Normally, even if a large horde of infected appeared, it shouldn't last long against the concentrated firepower of Renault's Dolls.

"Hmm? Yes, there's a slight problem, but it's nothing serious. It's just a small fusion. It won't last long. If you don't feel safe, have the train speed up and pass through this flower field."

Previously, for safety and to coordinate with AR Team and Gentiane's operation, the intercontinental train's speed had been reduced considerably. But now that a fusion of a mutant had appeared, it was better to move faster.

That way, MG42 and the others wouldn't have to force their way in to stop it.

Although close contact with these fusion creatures wouldn't harm the current Dolls, no Doll wanted to get near them. They were simply too grotesque.

Not only were they bizarrely shaped, but when destroyed, they splattered a blood-like substance the color of sludge.

Although it might vaguely resemble the chocolate sauce G3 often made, no Doll would ever associate it with food.

As for ramming them with siege tanks? Forget it. That was impossible. StG44 would never allow her tanks to collide with something so revolting unless it was absolutely necessary.

"A small fusion monster!?"

Although the term "fusion monster" was unfamiliar, Kalina quickly raised her binoculars and looked toward the center of the battlefield.

A creature that looked as though it had crawled straight out of a Cthulhu story was struggling under the relentless fire of Renault's Dolls.

The portion Kalina could see alone was already larger than an intercontinental train carriage.

And this was considered a small fusion?

Shocked, Kalina also noticed that the enormous fusion creature was moving toward the route the intercontinental train was taking.

Its target wasn't the intercontinental train itself, but the rebel armored trains farther ahead. It just so happened that the intercontinental train was currently traveling along the same route.

"Speed up! Faster! We have to get away from that thing!"

Kalina completely ignored Renault's Dolls at this point. Besides, judging by HK416's calm expression, the fusion posed no threat to them.

But it was a different story for the intercontinental train and the Dolls aboard it. If they didn't get through quickly enough, the tracks ahead might be destroyed by the fusion creature.

...

"Hey! Why is the train accelerating?! Those turrets ahead are still fully operational!"

Hearing the train approaching from behind, Gentiane's heart skipped a beat as she turned around in confusion.

But as soon as she looked back, she saw a colossal creature several meters tall charging toward the railway from the flower field they had just passed.

If the intercontinental train didn't accelerate, they would have to reverse and search for another route.

Unfortunately, under the current circumstances, the other tracks were blocked by rebel armored trains. Changing tracks would waste both time and effort, and they would inevitably encounter the rebels anyway.

The outcome would probably be no better than Splinter's intercontinental train.

"RO! M4! Hurry! We have to shut those things down before the train enters the turrets' firing range!"

Hearing Gentiane's words, AR15 opened her mouth, intending to ask UMP45 for help. UMP45 spent most of her time on the bridge. With her abilities and the ship's equipment, shutting down those automated defense systems would have been a piece of cake.

However, seeing the determined expressions on Gentiane's and M4's faces, AR15 swallowed her words.

---

Chapter 1227: The Pressure Is Intense!

If Gentiane had been willing to ask Renault for help, their mission might already have been over, and they might already be aboard the return intercontinental train, enjoying a feast prepared by the two G36s.

But clearly, neither Gentiane nor Angelia, who had probably already arrived at the Partisan submarine base, intended to end the pursuit of the mastermind behind Paradeus that way.

Eliminating every Paradeus unit and rebel within sight wouldn't be difficult for Renault. At worst, it would meet some resistance.

Ultimately, though, it wouldn't be a major problem.

Unfortunately, Gentiane and Angelia... were their heads made of iron? Couldn't they be a little more flexible?

Unaware that Gentiane was already planning to switch sides, AR15 felt a pang of resentment. Still, with Gentiane in command, she wouldn't hesitate to call Renault for help if the situation became unmanageable.

The overhead artillery support was far more reliable than the reinforcements Griffin had waited so long to receive.

However, this time... tsk! It seemed they were still a little too late.

At M4's and RO635's current speed, even running at full speed, it would take at least two minutes to reach the Quarantine Wall's control room. Then RO635 would still need to access the control system to shut down the automated turrets.

Even with extraordinary luck and everything proceeding flawlessly, it would still take at least three minutes.

Three minutes was enough for the intercontinental train to advance several hundred meters into the turrets' firing range. The entire train would be exposed, and even if it slowed down immediately after passing the fusion creature, there still wouldn't be enough time.

"Commander Gentiane, can you go any faster?"

"Eh? Ah, of course..."

"Then M16 is yours!"

AR15 spoke as she grabbed the sprinting M16 and tossed her onto Gentiane's shoulder opposite the one carrying the heavy machine gun.

"Oh! Got it! M4! Here I come!"

SOP2, who had been glancing back at M4 and Gentiane from time to time, immediately brightened. She dashed forward, caught up with M4, and lifted her under the arms.

"Eh!? Eh!? SOP2!?"

"Hey! This isn't the time for this... Eek!"

RO635, seeing SOP2's antics, thought she was fooling around again. Before she could finish speaking, however, AR15 scooped her up around the waist.

The speed they had deliberately reduced to match M4's pace exploded in an instant.

Held aloft by SOP2, M4 immediately felt a powerful gust of wind rushing straight into her mouth. It blew her bangs completely backward, leaving her with slicked-back hair.

RO635, tucked under AR15's arm, didn't suffer the same fate, but she found herself worrying about something else.

Was she going bald? Why did her head suddenly feel so cold?!

M16, meanwhile, had it much better. Resting on Gentiane's shoulder, aside from feeling as though she might throw up everything she had recently drunk, she didn't experience much discomfort. Of course, that was probably because Gentiane was moving slightly slower than AR15 and SOP2.

Only slightly slower.

Judging from the roar of the wind, M16 estimated Gentiane's speed at no less than seventy kilometers per hour across rough terrain.

AR15 and SOP2 up ahead were even faster.

We're really... holding them back...

And in this situation... who's the real T-Doll...?

The Commander carried her Doll past the train...

Where did that lame joke even come from?

Is Commander Gentiane starting to resemble Renault?

...

"Scatter! Scatter! Your little guys aren't accomplishing anything!"

G43 slammed on the accelerator. Her reckless driving style was completely at odds with her usual demeanor with her Imprint Weapon. P38, who had been on the roof, had already closed the hatch and returned to the commander's seat.

"Hey! P38! Don't fool around! Wait until the train passes! Besides, you're too close to the train! Opening fire could derail it!"

"Understood! Then let's go around, G43!"

"I know, I know!"

Even as she replied, G43 showed no intention of slowing down. Instead, she accelerated once again, overtaking the still-speeding intercontinental train in one swift motion.

Then, using the slight rise beside the tracks, the entire siege tank launched into the air.

It flew across the front of the intercontinental train and barely cleared the tracks before landing on the opposite side.

Watching the siege tank touch down in a perfect drift, the Griffin Doll inside the intercontinental train's driver's cab felt her mind nearly go blank.

They had come within mere meters of colliding.

A few meters might sound like a comfortable distance, but at the train's current speed, it amounted to less than a second.

While the Griffin Doll was still reeling from the shock, G43 drove the tank straight onto a high, level embankment. P38 immediately initiated the siege tank's transformation.

The stabilizing supports deployed instantly, while the transforming tracks formed a stable firing platform beneath the hull. Between the twin tank guns, the electromagnetic acceleration projection system extended into position, ready to fire within seconds.

Meanwhile, MG42 and the others charging at the front reluctantly dispersed away from the fusion creature.

Their realistic training inside the simulator hadn't been wasted. This wasn't the time for showing off.

Standing in front of the siege tank's deployed cannons would have disastrous consequences.

A few simulated deaths in training were enough. This wasn't a simulation anymore.

"MP40! Wait until the train has gone farther before opening fire!"

"Roger that."

MP40 grinned as she answered. Although she had practiced extensively in the simulator, this was her first time operating a real siege tank. A fusion creature was certainly a worthy target.

Seeing this, StG44 shrugged and turned toward the Quarantine Wall.

P38 and the others already had a target, so at least she hadn't come away empty-handed. AR15 had asked them to keep an eye on the automated turrets. If RO635 failed to shut them down, they would destroy them instead.

So their next targets were the turrets on the Quarantine Wall.

Well, let's assume RO635 hadn't reached them in time. Whether they were active or not, MG3 was clearly itching to blow them apart.

It seemed that even working on the farm had put a great deal of pressure on MG3.

Faced with the eager MG3, StG44 and G3 could only shrug helplessly.

---

Chapter 1228: The Laughter Will Soon Be Gone

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you, I heard you. I'm watching over it. Don't worry, no artillery fire will actually land on your beloved intercontinental train. Besides, didn't you already tell StG44 and the others to keep an eye on those turrets? If I shut down their bombing targets beforehand, MG3 will throw a tantrum."

UMP45, chin in hand, flipped through the magazine in front of her, speaking as if to herself.

Of course, she wasn't talking to herself; UMP45 was simply responding to AR15 through the Doll communication network.

On the other end of the communication line, AR15's face twitched involuntarily after hearing UMP45's words.

If she had known those turrets could be shut down so easily, why would she have needed to ask StG44 and the others to keep an eye on them?

StG44 is fine, G3 is fine, but MG3... well, that's a big problem now!

The increasingly demanding work at the farm was proving increasingly incompatible with MG3's work ethic. What used to be a simple routine of cheerfully overseeing the animals, feeding and watering them, and cleaning the farm with equipment now required her to work almost nonstop for over ten hours a day.

Although the Alchemist had taken over the slaughtering and meat processing, she was also getting busier, and with the new spaceship, the farm was expanding further…

While MG3 was partly to blame, she was also worried that the farm wouldn't have enough food if the number of animals decreased…

On one hand, she worried about the farm's supply shortage; on the other hand, her workload was increasing. The only thing that remained unchanged was the farm's severely depleted manpower.

As for the Sangvis Ferri Dolls, most went to the cleaning department, some assisted in the engineering department, and others were responsible for the daily maintenance of the equipment in the hangar. Of course, a group of Sangvis Ferri Dolls was also assigned to maintain the ship's weapons section.

The remaining Sangvis Ferri Dolls weren't numerous, and while they occasionally helped out at the farm, they mostly served as liaisons with the slaughterhouse and the spaceship's dining hall.

Moreover, the work at the farm was somewhat overwhelming for the Sangvis Ferri Dolls.

If the cats in the petting zoo were little devils, then the animals on the farm were gradually developing into mischievous monsters after generations of breeding.

It's said that MG3 recently threw a tantrum, slaughtering five sheep at the farm in one go—not by Alchemist, but by MG3 directly ramming her head against the sheep…

Clearly, the pressure on the farm manager was considerable.

"Hello? Are you still there? You just hung up without a word." UMP45 called out, but AR15 didn't respond, clearly having cut off communication on her own.

"Um, UMP45, has HK416 responded?" Leone, who had been standing beside UMP45 and anxiously rubbing her hands, asked.

"Huh? Why are you still here? Shouldn't you be preparing the equipment to receive those radioactive flowers?"

"But HK416 hasn't responded either." Leone stared wide-eyed at the communicator beside her; she had just contacted HK416 through it with UMP45's help.

"Well, she's already agreed, so she'll definitely do it. Besides, that girl's fast. Your package might already be in the cargo hold by the ship's scouts. If you don't hurry, those Rippers and M1897s in the cargo hold might just clean up those epiphyllum flowers as mere contaminants."

"Eh!? Wait! No! How could this happen! At least let me know!"

Hearing this, Leone was shocked and rushed out. She needed to find a special small culture tank in the biology lab to collect those delicate epiphyllum flowers!

Meanwhile, Scarecrow had already transferred Stechkin and the others' clouds to the new core and was now sending them to the biology lab.

"So, what's the plan for this little guy?" Scarecrow Number Two sighed, pinching the honey badger's scruff and lifting the little guy, who was still clutching the sugar jar in its paws.

Having probably realized that Scarecrow wouldn't attack it, this honey badger was much more docile.

"Let's put it back in the box. Leone hasn't been idle lately; at least she's had the biology lab expanded considerably and increased the number of culture tanks. It shouldn't be long before this honey badger is reunited with its owner Honey Badger… um, that's a mouthful…"

Honey Badger raising a honey badger? Tsk… Griffin's Dolls certainly have a wide range of interests…

The honey badger didn't resist being put back into the life support box too much, but its gaze remained fixed on Honey Badger's bare body, now without its Neural Core, which carried a familiar scent.

But that was about it. Compared to Kestrel, who could accurately identify its owners' Neural Core, this honey badger was quite normal.

"It's quite well-behaved right now. Luckily, there's only one of these little guys. If it were like UMP40 and the others when they bought their cats, the Dolls on the spaceship would probably be in trouble."

"I think the Dinergates might be the first to suffer."

As the two Scarecrows were talking, two figures hanging below the scout units suddenly rushed in from the end of the passage.

"Haha!" Before the Scarecrows could turn around, a clear laugh rang out.

"UL-Nurse, and Renate? You two were hoisted back?"

"Yeah, that's right. Helian and Renault have something important for us to do, so, you know what I mean."

Renate chuckled and shrugged, indicating it wasn't her idea, but clearly, she was enjoying herself just as much as UL-Nurse.

Being hoisted and flown by scouts was a first for them; it was undeniably thrilling.

Upon hearing "Helian and Renault," the two Scarecrows immediately understood, guessing what the two were up to. They casually moved the boxes containing the Neural Cores closer to Renate and Renault's blind spot.

Renate noticed, but it wasn't a big deal. Explaining basic spaceship mechanics to the new Dolls was an enjoyable task for her, but not necessarily for UL-Nurse. With more Dolls now equipped with bio-material bodies, UL-Nurse's workload would surge for a while.

Well, let her enjoy this last bit of time.

Cherish this pre-busy period of happiness, or UL-Nurse might not be able to laugh anymore.

---

Chapter 1229: What Are We Here For?

Boom!

A deafening roar, nearly identical to the main cannon of the rebel armored train firing, erupted from the plasma impact cannons already deployed on the siege tanks and spread outward.

The deafening sound startled not only Splinter and the others on the intercontinental train, but even Gentiane, carrying an M16 ahead, couldn't help but turn her head to see what was happening.

Unfortunately, with a heavy machine gun on one shoulder and an M16 on the other, she had no room to turn around. Besides, this was a race against time; there was no time for her to stop and observe what was happening behind her.

In any case, it couldn't be that the intercontinental train had exploded. Even if the ammunition depot on the intercontinental train had exploded, it wouldn't have caused this level of commotion.

And with this cannon fire, the transformed mutant fusion monster that had been charging aggressively toward the train tracks was instantly torn apart by the impact cannon's blast!

The irregularly shaped body, several meters tall, was instantly blasted into fragments smaller than a fist. However, these were only remnants; the majority of the fused entity's body had long since been reduced to ashes by the shockwave cannon's attack.

The T-Dolls on the intercontinental train felt the train lurch forward with the deafening roar, its previously sturdy hull creaking and groaning.

Splinter, in the combat command center, felt a chill run down his spine; a sudden, fleeting sense of dread appeared and vanished.

"Target hit! Well done!" P38 excitedly waved her arms, not forgetting to switch to siege tank mode.

There was no need to continue attacking; the entity had been defeated, and the remaining infected at the edges could be handled by others.

"Hehe! I haven't been training for nothing these past few days!" MP40 chuckled, patting her arm. She had to admit, this was much more exciting than being a gunner in the training bay!

Compared to P38 and MP40, the other Dolls who had charged ahead weren't having such a good time.

They stood hundreds of meters away from the artillery position, looking at the entity reduced to ashes and the mangled infected, feeling only utter boredom...

"That's it, no more fighting. These last few infected... oh well, never mind, let's go, the train's already gone."

Seeing the few infected slowly inching toward them, P90 waved helplessly and signaled NZ75 and the others to chase after the intercontinental train.

A few hundred meters, at the infected's speed, would take at least a minute... They didn't have time to wait. If they were valuable enemies worth fighting, it wouldn't matter, but just these few infected...

"Sigh, I thought we'd have a big fight after coming out here, but it's no different from just taking a short break. When are we going to get a real battle?"

Executioner sighed helplessly, her sword twitching in her hand, wondering if she should try a different weapon.

She'd only managed to cut down a few infected before the others in power armor caught up. After C14's rifle and Vector flamethrowers opened fire, she was instantly rendered useless.

The mutant wasn't suitable for her to charge into either. Of course, it wasn't really suitable; she could still hack and slash a couple of times for fun, but...

They didn't give her a chance...

The siege tanks just blew up the infected with a single shot. They had no chance to fight back. Ultimately, these infected were just too weak!

"Those rebels not far away could be considered a match, but at their current speed, Commander Gentiane will probably leave them far behind. If Commander Renault agrees to let you cover Gentiane's retreat, you might still have a chance to fight." Alchemist, however, remained leisurely with her arms crossed, showing no intention of making a move.

Her weapon had remained at her waist the entire time, never being picked up. She had come out to relax; spending so much time in the slaughterhouse had left her with a constant smell of blood in her nostrils.

Even the stale air filled with the radioactive dust of the collapse felt a hundred times better than the smell of the slaughterhouse after she left it.

When she initially accepted the job at the slaughterhouse from Renault, she thought she would have long since grown accustomed to it, but who would have thought that she would find the work so unbearable so soon after acquiring the biomass body?

So, for Dolls, the ability to endure long hours in the slaughterhouse was entirely due to the ability to shut down the olfactory and gustatory modules at any time?

"Hey, don't count me in this. I just came out for a walk; I don't want to fight those rebel tin cans to death." Intruder jogged to catch up with the others, turning back to speak righteously, clearly unwilling to do the thankless task of covering the retreat.

"Hey, Intruder, you're being a bit too lazy! You're usually the most idle one among us!"

The regular in the break room was referring to Intruder.

She mostly stayed in the break room, but occasionally she would wander around, helping out—well, mainly when called upon, or sent by Renault or Helian.

The only thing that's a bit surprising is that Intruder does everything she can. No matter where she goes or what she's doing, she does it all quite well, much better than Executioner and Judge, who can only carry heavy loads in the brewery and occasionally act as tasters.

"No, no, you guys still don't understand. This is efficiency. I can complete everything ahead of schedule, so forget about leaving anyone to cover the retreat; it's pointless."

Stopping those rebels is easy, isn't it? No need to use the ship's main cannon; just deploying one secondary cannon is enough. Two shells will destroy those rebel armored trains.

Without the armored trains as the command center, the rebel armored units are like headless flies.

Besides, this wasn't even a formal mission. AR15 and the others only came because they were worried about M4's condition. It's all "friendly support."

Otherwise, if it were a proper mission, those armored trains would have been destroyed long ago.

"Then what are we doing here?"

There's no real combat, and we can't take the initiative. We've been wandering around the intercontinental train for ages; we can't just keep staring blankly, can we?

"Come out and have some fun!" Architect said with a grin, holding up her weapon.

-----

Chapter 1230: Shall We Retreat?

That’s absolutely right.

Executioner and Judge exchanged glances, realizing they genuinely lacked any compelling evidence to refute Architect’s words.

They really had come out for fun... AR15 and SOP2 were the ones who had come on their own initiative; they were just following the crowd, seeing the other Dolls swarming out, so they...

Anyway, Architect was having a blast running around with Maria and Destroyer, while they were stuck here worrying...

“So, did we leave anyone to watch the equipment in the liquor warehouse when we came out?”

“Uh, I think so. I called two Rippers to help...”

“Did you teach them how to change the tanks?”

“Obviously not.”

Executioner and Judge each gave a separate answer, until finally, they didn’t want to think about it anymore.

Simonov was happily strolling around and sipping drinks downstairs, as was A-91…

Plus, M1 Garand, who usually coordinated personnel on the ship, was nearby, and the warehouse manager and deputy manager, Hunter and Hunter Two, who occasionally lent a hand, were also a short distance ahead…

Just then, the two Hunters, who were walking ahead and mentally planning what kind of prey they would use as a reward for their day’s stroll, suddenly found their steps heavy because of the Executioners’ words.

The two Executioners hadn’t assigned anyone to take over their work, and neither had the two Hunters.

Would some unlucky Prowler crash into the warehouse? Or would some mischievous Dinergate run wild in the warehouse?

Or perhaps the goods in the warehouse would collapse because of improper stacking?

Having shifted their focus, the two Hunters lost all interest in hunting. They exchanged a glance and immediately began calling UMP45 on the comms channel. Everyone knew UMP45 spent most of her time near the bridge communicator.

“UMP45, do me a favor, get some scouts to bring us back.”

“Huh? Aren’t you planning to keep wandering around down there?” UMP45, who was browsing the rebel communications logs, sat up abruptly upon hearing the hunters’ voices, tilting her head in surprise. She had expected them to linger down there for a long time.

“No, now’s not the time to wander around. Besides, there’s nothing good down there, and no prey that catches our eye.”

“Alright then, you two are really dedicated. It would be great if everyone else were like you two, especially those who might not be happy about this later.” P38, P90, M1911, oh, and maybe MP40 and the others too.

With more Dolls at home, the kitchen workload would likely increase significantly, at least for the next few days before this batch of new Dolls reached the required physical condition and could begin work.

Mobilizing a few Scouts was a piece of cake for UMP45; she didn’t even need to lift a finger. The two Hunters had previously witnessed Renate and UL-Nurse being carried back to the ship by Scouts.

It had to be said that only after changing their bodies could they do this with the help of Scouts; otherwise, the Scouts’ pitiful load-bearing capacity wouldn’t have been enough to support the weight of their alloy-steel bodies.

“Hey? Why did the two Hunters go back?”

Although most of the Dolls were chasing the intercontinental train, how could they not notice the two hunters being carried into the air by Scouts?

Instinctively, someone asked the two Hunters on the public communication channel.

“Of course, I was worried about the Rippers at home. I didn’t want to go back and find the warehouse a mess.”

“Oh, okay.”

Hunter finished her brief statement and fell silent. The Doll who had asked the question nodded instinctively, indicating that she understood.

However, Hunter’s words, spoken on the public channel, resonated like a thunderclap in the hearts of the Dolls!

While a few Dolls who had reacted earlier fell silent, beginning to worry about the situation on the ship, MDR, Carol, and Vera, like the two Hunters, summoned Scouts who took them into the sky, following closely behind the two hunters.

What was there to film down there? All they did was run alongside the intercontinental train or film the Griffin Dolls’ boring vigilance from the train.

This was nothing compared to uncovering the dark history of new Dolls! There were forty new Dolls on the ship now! She had almost missed the scene of those T-Dolls having their cores destroyed! Luckily, the Scarecrow had recorded it!

What happens next can’t be left to others! Besides, UL-Nurse and Renate might not have time to take photos for her!

“Wait, why did they all go back?”

MG42 scratched her helmet as she looked at the Hunters and MDR who had left one after another, as well as the duo 2x Executioner and Hunter who had already taken off, somewhat confused. But she couldn’t figure it out; the action only made her want to scratch her head more.

“Probably because they realized they still had some work to do,” MG34 spoke somewhat sheepishly.

Next, she’d have to see if M1 Garand would also go back. If M1 Garand went back, then as a member of the Service Department, she might have to go back with her, but… well, the Scouts probably couldn’t pull her powered armor.

Getting them off was easy; the ship would simply lower its altitude slightly, and they could jump. But getting back on was a different story. Unless they found a tall building, climbed up, and then returned to the cargo hold from the roof, they’d have to call P226 in his gunship to pick them up.

Besides, BM59 and her team had indeed brought back quite a few Dolls. So many new Dolls would definitely require accommodation, supplies, and people to help them familiarize themselves with the ship.

If it were just one or two Dolls, they could easily find an available one and take them for a day or two. But if it were a dozen or even dozens…

Ahem, hopefully M1 Garand won’t draw her name in the lottery!

“Hey, CAWS, what do you think? Should we go back too?” ME79, holding a CAWS Imprint Weapon, tilted her head and asked CAWS beside her.

“Hm, I guess... probably not. There hasn’t been much work lately, has there?”

“That’s true...”

Since the spaceship was completed, ME79 hadn’t had much work to do. At most, she checked the internal structural components every now and then, and occasionally went to the factory to check whether the equipment was still functioning properly.

Most of the time, she and G11 spent their time tinkering with the large equipment in the hangar they’d tidied up.

“But this makes us seem really idle. Won’t Helian recruit us to do heavy work if she found out?”

“That makes sense. Let’s go back!”

---

Chapter 1231: Calm Down

“Those guys outside...”

Just who are they?

Pressing against the dust-covered window of the intercontinental train, Splinter frowned through his equally opaque helmet at the large entourage of Dolls, some clad in powered armor, others in robes.

He’d been so focused on regaining his remote command privileges using Gentiane’s command terminal that he’d only now noticed these guys outside, so different from the Griffin Dolls.

Are you kidding me? T-Dolls can follow the intercontinental train for so long? And drive tanks that clearly aren’t regular army vehicles, plus those powered armors he’d never seen before?

If Gentiane had all that stuff, he’d be starting his own operation already, right?

Although he didn’t know who those guys were, it seems like they were leaving?

This was obviously good news for him!

Those Dolls were clearly with Gentiane! If they were here, it would be very difficult for him to make a move.

M1887, who had been gazing out the window with her arms crossed, also turned her gaze and caught Splinter’s upturned lips.

Enough already!

With such a mentally unstable commander, couldn’t he at least figure out his own situation before thinking about all this nonsense?

We’re at Paradeus headquarters, surrounded by various armored units of the rebels eyeing us menacingly, and you’re still here figuring out how to wrest control of the Dolls from Gentiane?

Are you sure you really have the ability? Or have you been so flattered by Sir Griffin’s promises that you’re losing your mind?

“Commander Splinter, I think you’d better look above you before you act,” M1887 spoke, arms crossed, nodding her head, indicating that this slow-witted Splinter should at least look up at the sky, at the massive spaceship that hovered above the intercontinental train like a dark cloud.

Splinter had been in a daze during the transfer, even passing out halfway through. When he awoke, he was already in Commander Gentiane’s operations room.

M1887 guessed that Splinter hadn’t carefully checked his surroundings. If he were truly observant, he wouldn’t have foolishly ended up on the same route as the armored train.

“What’s in the sky? What’s that in the sky?”

Seeing Splinter finally look up at the spaceship in the sky, M1887 breathed a sigh of relief. She thought to herself that Splinter had finally noticed the accompanying spaceship. Hopefully, seeing it would put aside his wild ideas and prevent a potential conflict with Renault’s Dolls.

As for why? It’s obvious.

On one side is the familiar Gentiane, and on the other is the completely unfamiliar Splinter. Who would they side with if a fight broke out?

Gentiane, of course!

She and the still-dazed Suomi and the others would definitely be used as shields by Splinter, and they, the Dolls, would be the ones getting beaten and shot. M1887 was absolutely certain of this.

Splinter’s act of unhesitatingly using the Dolls around him as cover when the artillery fire came earlier already revealed his true nature.

Of course, it’s not exactly his true nature, but Splinter’s complete disregard for the Dolls’ thoughts meant that in the event of a conflict, they would still be used as shields and pushed forward.

This man… is this how T-Dolls are used?

Although T-Dolls were designed and modified to reduce human casualties, shouldn’t he at least make sure the T-Dolls die with some value?

'If it’s just being used as a shield... why not just bring a sturdy riot shield? Those are much cheaper than Dolls.'

Oh, he probably can’t lift it.

“What is that?!”

Splinter, who had been peering out the window for a while, finally noticed the spaceship in the dim sky.

Looking at the enormous object that seemed ready to crash down at any moment, Splinter exclaimed in surprise.

“Renault Security Contracting Firm spaceship. All those Dolls and equipment you just saw belong to Mr. Renault.”

“Renault? Why is he here?!”

“I don’t know, but former AR Team members AR15 and SOP2 are currently with Gentiane and the AR team. As for the purpose of the other Dolls... I don’t know.”

Although those guys looked like they were just out having fun, M1887 definitely couldn’t tell Splinter that.

Because even if she did, Splinter wouldn’t believe her.

After all, what kind of Doll goes out in powered armor driving a tank?

The words “AR Team” seemed to provoke Splinter, who whirled around, eyes wide. “AR Team? That AR Squad belonging to 16Lab?”

“Hm.” Shrugging, M1887 didn’t want to say anything more.

They couldn’t even see those conspicuous Dolls?

Even if they didn’t recognize the Dolls’ faces, they should at least recognize the weapons they carried, right?

“Tsk! Gentiane! That’s the AR Squad! How could they send them out... so reckless! What if...”

…

Just as Splinter was complaining about Gentiane’s recklessness, OGAS, who had been left on the intercontinental train by AR15 and asked MK23 and the others to look after her for a while, opened her eyes again.

However, her eyes looked somewhat vacant, completely lacking the lively spirit she had when she first arrived on the intercontinental train.

Looking into OGAS’s eyes, which was capable of drawing one in, MK23 couldn’t help but worry.

Could her head be broken? If AR15 came back and saw OGAS like this… wouldn’t she think we hadn’t taken good care of her and caused this?

“Um, um… are you alright?” MK23 tentatively waved her hand in front of OGAS’s eyes, trying to call out to the seemingly lost-in-thought Doll.

There was no response. Instead, OGAS tilted her head slightly, looking somewhat strange. MK23 felt a sense of question in her indifferent gaze.

Something felt off.

“Huh? Uh? This...” Seeing that OGAS showed no sign of speaking, MK23 panicked. She covered her head with her hands, looking around frantically for someone who could help.

What to do! What to do!? OGAS is really having problems!

In a panic, MK23 instinctively pulled out a data cable from her neck, trying to connect directly to OGAS to check what was wrong...

But... but there wasn’t a single data port on OGAS’s smooth neck!

Damn it!

Just as MK23 was about to collapse and cover her face, OGAS subtly twitched the corner of her mouth, glanced around, and quietly picked up a piece of chocolate from the nearby table and popped it into her mouth.

---

Chapter 1232: Wealthy and Powerful

Ugh!

A strong, pungent stench.

Mixed with a foul, fermenting smell, and faintly tinged with the stench of decay, Angelia forcibly suppressed the churning acid in her chest and abdomen. Her enhanced sense of smell, heightened after the modification, was causing her considerable trouble.

However, it was obvious that this emergency passage contained more than just the stubbornly surviving barnacles; she also saw some skeletons that had become one with the barnacles on the walls.

But those corpses, apart from a pitiful, barely fitting strip of breathable cloth, had nothing else to identify them.

"They don't seem to be former maintenance personnel of this base; they have nothing on them." AK12 looked down at the skeletons. There were quite a few barnacles near the bones; clearly, these poor creatures had become nutrients for the barnacles to grow.

"So, outsiders..."

But this base should have been sealed off by the Relics Department long ago, and these skeletons leaning against the walls clearly indicate that people were already active here before their arrival, or rather, long ago.

No wonder Paradeus kept pouring out from the various passages... So, just how many people did Paradeus throw into their laboratories?

Those Paradeus combat units weren't purely industrial products; the outer layer was just a protective suit or exoskeleton-like contraption, but inside were all real, living people.

Of the Paradeus units Angelia and Task Force DEFY encountered, the only ones completely unmanned were probably the mechs codenamed Doppelsoldner, and the Ulhal armored vehicles.

Not long ago, they also encountered a new type of Gladiator mech. Angelia initially thought it was just a new type of mech; after all, its size far exceeded that of a normal human. Calling it powered armor would be a bit of an exaggeration.

Unexpectedly, after the Gladiator mech's outer armor was blown off, what was revealed wasn't a mechanical structure, but a gigantic, heavily infected ELID.

No wonder Statesec and the military were so cautious with Paradeus; after all, Paradeus truly... didn't waste even corpses and infected, turning them all into Paradeus combat units.

Compared to the Android armored echelons built with funds and massive amounts of metal, Paradeus had a natural numerical advantage, coupled with the advanced technology from the ruins they possessed...

If a direct conflict were to occur with Paradeus, even victory would likely come at a heavy price.

The more Angelia thought about it, the more she felt there were countless things involved. Even after wading through the water to the other end of the maintenance tunnel, she began to feel dizzy.

"Angelia, let's get out of here quickly. The oxygen level is dropping."

Noticing Angelia's expression, AK12 urged her immediately. They had to get out of here as soon as possible; the air circulation system in the maintenance tunnel was clearly broken. She roughly knew the cause of death of the corpses from before.

"Tsk, that's why I felt a little sleepy… This way, the second exit."

Shaking her head to clear her mind, Angelia said somewhat irritably. Although the maintenance tunnel was a single path, it had many forks. If she wandered around aimlessly because she wasn't familiar with it, she could easily get completely lost.

The main reason was the dense swarm of barnacles covering the walls. These creatures clung to what should have been signposts, making it easy to miss the clearly marked signs and the exit hatch if one wasn't paying close attention or rushed in hastily.

Using her bayonet, AK15 pried off the barnacles from the hatch's seams and roughly ripped it open.

As the hatch creaked open, a refreshing breeze, quite pleasant to Ange, rushed in.

Seeing that she could finally leave this barnacle-infested place, RPK16 breathed a sigh of relief.

If she could, she really didn't want to come to a place like this again; looking at those barnacles always gave her the feeling that they had all parasitized her.

But just as RPK16 was about to say something, the view outside the hatch made her freeze.

"Hey, Angelia, are you sure we're using a maintenance tunnel? It's not some kind of time portal, is it?"

Looking at the futuristic decor of the room, RPK16 asked Angelia suspiciously.

They'd only been in the maintenance tunnel for a few minutes, but the original architectural style—constructed of concrete and heavy steel, reminiscent of a bygone era—had completely changed.

The walls, which should have been simply painted white, were now covered in metal panels, some were even padded…

Hearing RPK16's teasing, Angelia's face darkened.

According to the map she'd saved, this location should have been the personnel dormitory, but clearly, Paradeus had modified the base's internal facilities to some extent.

The internal structure had changed…

"Stop making sarcastic remarks, get to work."

"Yeah, yeah, but I do think Paradeus is really rich."

"Hmph, too bad we can't steal their money."

…

Boom!

"Watch out overhead!"

As the siege tanks roared to life, the automatic turrets on the Quarantine Wall were ripped open like cans by the artillery fire, sending shrapnel raining down from the sky!

AR15 was at a loss for words, unsure whether to be angry or relieved…

After all, if they didn't destroy those turrets, they'd probably be bombed anyway. But the debris falling from the sky... amplified by the altitude, posed a deadly threat to M4 and the others at the bottom of the Quarantine Wall.

And yet, she herself had proactively sought help from Stg44 and the others to deal with those turrets...

"Phew, this makes things easier! It also shortens our time out of the city. Once we leave the rebel armored train behind, those guys won't be a problem."

Gentiane, carrying M16 and rushing into the entrance of the Quarantine Wall, breathed a sigh of relief. Without the automatic turrets hindering them, things would be much more relaxed. This was much better than the situation on the rebel side.

M16, who had been put down, rubbed her stomach. "It's strange that Paradeus didn't leave any guards at this entrance."

"Those guys have been lured away by the rebel armored train and won't be back anytime soon. If Paradeus doesn't provide follow-up support, we'll be able to leave this city with the intercontinental train very soon."

---

Chapter 1233: Awakening

“Those rebels will probably be furious when they see our vehicles leave Tallinn first.” M16, slung over Gentiane’s shoulder, spoke as she raised her gun and shot down two infected that shakily emerged from the storeroom.

“Heh, better they be furious!” Gentiane kicked over an infected that lunged at her, then crushed its neck with the sole of her boot.

These infected were usually incredibly resilient to bullets, but now seems be easier to deal with using boots. Gentiane raised an eyebrow in surprise.

“Probably because these two are more silicified.”

“I think your strength is getting stronger, Commander. Maybe it’s because of that meat meal we just had?”

“Uh…”

Maybe...?

It’s quite possible, I must say. I wonder if Kalina has noticed.

“Honestly, Commander, I’m a little envious now,” M16 said, pointing upwards. AR15 and SOP2, who had rushed in alongside Gentiane, were now on the third-floor staircase, still hopping upwards like fleas.

If the AR team had possessed this kind of mobility back then, they would have already taken down Sangvis Ferri and the Mastermind long ago, without having to hide and run around.

“Um, why don’t you go to Renault and change your host body?”

“No, no, no, let’s forget about that. I’m afraid Persica will chase after me and try to kill me.” M16 quickly waved her hand; she wasn’t in a situation where she had to change hosts like AR15 and SOP2 had.

If she rashly changed hosts, Persica might just drive her command vehicle straight at her.

Besides, the conditions aren't right now. She's still on a mission; where would she find the time to change her body? And besides… going to Renault to change her body would be practically quitting Griffin on the spot, wouldn't it?

It wasn't that she was genuinely afraid of Persica getting angry, but during her time working for Statesec, she had indeed come across quite a few things, so she couldn't be sure whether Statesec would hold a grudge against Gentiane and Persica's AR team after learning that her original body had fallen into Renault's hands.

Of course, the main concern was the M4. RO635 wasn't a big deal. Although RO635 used Persica's latest Doll technology—essentially a third-generation Doll—this kind of technology, which was neither significant nor insignificant to Statesec, obviously wouldn't be a concern for it.

So what if Doll technology had upgraded? As long as it wasn't linked to the Relic technology, it was irrelevant to Statesec.

As M16's thoughts raced, groups of infected emerged from the various rooms. These infected were likely awakened by the distant artillery fire. They immediately surged towards the doorway where the noise was most intense as Gentiane and her group burst in.

"Honestly, those two ran fast, leaving me, the commander, to deal with all these guys..."

Gentiane complained, already pointing her heavy machine gun at the swarming infected.

Seeing Gentiane's smirking expression, M16 could only shrug.

What could she say? AR15 probably already figured out that she was just looking to vent her frustration by personally taking action, right?

Before M16 could say anything more, the heavy machine gun roared into the narrow space.

"It's the commander's gunfire! They..."

The sudden burst of gunfire not only made M16 cover her ears in frustration, but also made M4, who had just been carried into the control room, nervously move her finger towards the safety of her Imprint Weapon.

"Alright, don't worry, this is nothing. That commander is incredibly tough now. Your bulletproof silicone might not even be as durable as Gentiane's skin. Focusing on helping RO open the Quarantine Wall door is the most important thing!"

Holding back M4, who was about to rush out to help, AR15 sighed. While the bio-body was good, to hack into the Quarantine Wall's main control equipment in this state, she would have to raise her electronic warfare skills to a level similar to UMP9's.

After all, the bio-body doesn't have a direct data cable.

While hacking into ordinary electronic devices is easier, hacking into these military-grade devices is far more troublesome.

...

"Hmm... Huh? Eh?"

When a Doll was fully awake, they always uttered these three words. Hawke and Narcissus were used to it; this was the fourteenth time.

"Hey, do you think it's child labor for Commander Renault and Helian to have us two here assisting UL-Nurse and Renate?"

"Um, while we do look like children right now, but... Hawke, have you been spoiled too much by Buzzsaw lately?" She was starting to think so.

"Huh? How could that be! That girl dragged me to the kitchen to peel potatoes the day before yesterday!"

The doll, now fully awake, rubbed her eyes hard, looking at the two girls standing beside her bed... oh, it wasn't a bed, but a stretcher.

Anyway, the conversation between the two girls beside the stretcher made her feel a little strange, and why was she here? Shouldn't she have been on Commander Splinter's intercontinental train...?

However, as she continued to recall, the subsequent memories gradually became clearer. Her team had advanced to scout along the planned route, but later seemed to have been forcibly disconnected, causing her teammates to crash one after another…

The memories were clear, not at all like being rebooted. There was no redundant data in her mind due to the changes in her physical body, and no pain feedback from her body.

Hmm? Where was the pain feedback system? Where was Doll's system self-check panel?

Upon discovering that Doll's self-check panel, which would usually appear immediately in her field of vision, was gone, the Doll, who had sat up, tilted her head blankly.

She had to admit, this was the first time she had encountered such a situation.

“Oh, you’re awake? Don’t space out. Put this on first, and here are the slippers. After you put them on, go find that grumpy-faced doctor over there.”

Seeing the T-Doll sit up on the stretcher, Hawke immediately turned around, grabbed a sheet from beside her, and covered Doll’s head with it. Narcissus handed her disposable slippers.

Well, bed sheets, or rather tablecloths. After all, P90 came back quite late, and even if she rushed to finish, there wouldn't be enough time. She could only take out the tablecloths from the inventory, cut out three holes, and use them as dresses.

Anyway, all these Dolls are still tiny right now, so they can make do for now.

---

Chapter 1234: To Be Continued

"Honey badger?! Which honey badger?! Come and take your little darling away! It's chewing through the box!"

A certain doctor, currently sporting a sour face, was frantically calling out while carrying the box containing the honey badger.

It wasn't that she was bad at handling pets, but this lively one was capable of chewing the box to pieces...

UL-Nurse could almost picture M1897 later arriving with a group to clean the biology lab, her nagging antics evident.

"Huh?"

Suddenly hearing someone call its name, Honey Badger, who had just been covered with a tablecloth and slipped on slippers, responded somewhat bewilderedly, then saw Bate frantically gnawing on the box inside.

"Bate! Stop chewing!"

At the sound of the Honey Badger's voice, Bate, who had been chewing incessantly, shuddered and turned to look in the direction of the voice.

Upon closer inspection, it became apparent that the person who had called out was slightly different from its owner. This one was smaller? And its scent was different too?

“Stop!” UL-Nurse saw Honey Badger run over, thank her, and then try to open Bate's cage door. She quickly placed a hand on the Honey Badger's head.

“Don't let it out yet. Let it get used to it first. Besides, your skin can't handle this little guy's claws and teeth right now.”

Having only been out of the incubation tank for less than ten minutes, the bio-body was extremely fragile at this stage, almost like a baby's skin. A honey badger's teeth and claws were absolutely lethal weapons to the bio-body's delicate skin.

Although the bio-body's regenerative abilities were excellent—most wounds healed quickly unless a limb was severed—injuries inevitably resulted in a bloody mess.

So, rather than risk being complained about by the Rippers and M1897 from the cleaning department, and also to lighten their own workload, UL-Nurse felt it necessary to let Honey Badger release Bate again in a day or two.

Besides, even if released, she couldn't go just anywhere.

Areas like the hangar, cargo hold, and the ship's weapons area were best avoided, as those places contained many transformation mechanisms. If Bate accidentally got caught in them, it would be truly hopeless for it.

"Doctor! Doctor! Falcon's arm is covered in blood!"

Just then, screams from other Dolls rang out. Renate, clutching the Kestrel in one hand, helplessly covered her face with the other. The blood everywhere clearly indicated a serious injury...

With several still-bleeding cuts on her forearm, stared with pitiful eyes, Falcon's tears kept welling up from the pain.

"Hey!" Seeing this, several veins popped out on UL-Nurse's forehead. "Remember! If you don't want to become like her, don't release your Bate again in a couple of days! Got it?"

After saying that, UL-Nurse grabbed the styptic spray and bandages and jogged towards Falcon.

"Tsk tsk, thank goodness I didn't wander into the pet room. M500 said those cats there are really fierce."

Hawke, pushing the used stretcher, looked at the blood all over Falcon's body and felt a lingering fear. She muttered to Narcissus beside her.

"Um, as long as you don't hit those cats, they shouldn't attack me, right?"

"That's true, but I still have a feeling those little guys will try to climb on you."

"...You're probably overthinking it..."

As they spoke, Hawke and Narcissus also strode away from the biology lab, leaving the mess to Renate and UL-Nurse.

Seriously, how could they possibly manage forty Dolls?

Besides, they're still just kids. How could they bear to make them do so much work?

Actually, seeing that BM59 and the others had already entered through the door, there was no need for them to stay and add to their burden.

Wouldn't it be better to go to Springfield for a juice?

Now, apart from the two tank crews driving the siege tanks and a few people in power armor, most of the Dolls had already returned to the ship.

However, even with most of them back, they would prioritize checking their respective departments to see if any Rippers or Dragoons had caused any trouble while they were away.

Therefore, BM59 and the others, who hadn't gone out since bringing the Dolls back, naturally became the first to help.

Just as BM59 and the others entered, FAL looked around with a headache. Although she had a bad feeling when the two Scarecrows introduced the bio-material body, she hadn't expected it to be this "bad"!

"Hmph!" Just as FAL was having a headache, FN-57 stood beside her, puffing out her chest smugly.

"What?"

"Now we're on the same starting line! From now on, I should be the captain!"

FAL rolled her eyes at her. Captain or not, what's all this talk about? Now that she's like this, who knows what she'll be doing in the future? Maybe washing dishes at home every day. A squad? A dishwashing squad?

"FAL, it seems everyone's here, but what's going on? Where are our original bodies?"

K5 walked over, completely bewildered. Unlike the conscious FAL and the others, the Scarecrows hadn't awakened the Dolls' consciousness when they transferred their Neural Clouds.

Therefore, for K5, one moment she was being subjected to a forced connection attack from an unknown source, and the next second she opened her eyes to find herself... a porcelain doll covered in a tablecloth?

"Um, it's a bit complicated to explain, but..."

Snap! Snap!

“First of all, uh, welcome to Renault Security Contracting Firm.”

Just as FAL was carefully crafting her explanation to K5, BM59 clapped her hands and told the Dolls a seemingly absurd fact.

“Huh?”

The Dolls blinked instinctively, completely unprepared for this kind of news from BM59.

“The reason isn't important. You can ask her about it later, or check your recent attendance records in the training room. For now, come with me; I'll show you the new dorms.”

BM59 waved her hand, signaling the Dolls to follow her. Explaining things was too much trouble for her; she wanted to settle them in the dorms first and distract them.

As for the truth, if they really needed to know, they could ask someone themselves. It wasn't exactly a secret anyway.

---

Chapter 1235: Grow Up Quickly!

“Here you go, the new dorm! How's it? Spacious, right?”

M1919A4 opened the dorm hatch, showing Desert Eagle, Stechkin, and the others behind her the dorm with its large viewing window.

“Oh!”

The spacious viewing window certainly made a difference, making the actually not-so-spacious living room appear much larger. At least the view was expansive; standing at the door, they could see the rebel armored train engaged in combat with Paradeus in the distance.

Desert Eagle and the others had been surprised that the ship's interior was even more spacious than Griffin Base. But seeing the outside, they suddenly felt a heavy weight in their hearts after seeing the distant view.

Although BM59 and the others had brought back quite a few Neural Cores from the Splinter train wreckage, the number was far less than the amount Splinter had initially brought back from Griffin headquarters.

Of course, not all Dolls thought as much as Desert Eagle and the others.

A chorus of exclamations quickly erupted...

“This is a separate bedroom!”

“There’s even a private bathroom!”

“Is this really a dormitory for Dolls?”

“There’s even a dedicated charging port!”

“But we don’t seem to have any charging ports on us right now?”

Listening to the exclamations of the new Dolls, M1919A4 nodded with satisfaction.

Yes, yes! That’s exactly the kind of sound she wanted to hear—that’s why she took on this job!

“Make way! Make way! M1919! Keep an eye on them! Don’t let them run around in the middle of the road!”

A Dragoon, driving the forklift, shouted irritably at the only one among them who seemed to be shirking her duties.

BM59, M3, and Shorty were all explaining the rules to the new Dolls, while M1919A4 stood blindfolded in the doorway.

Who else could she be talking about?

"Are there many Sangvis Ferri Dolls here...?"

Looking at Dragoon, dressed in work clothes and looking like a factory worker, and at the brand-new spring mattresses on the forklift, FAL opened her mouth, then somewhat awkwardly asked Shorty beside her.

"Hmm? Not many, maybe only about three hundred, not counting Scarecrow and the others."

"Three...three hundred isn't a lot?!" FN-57 exclaimed in surprise, then lowered her voice.

"Isn't your commander afraid they'll start a fight with you?"

"Fighting? Why? The Sangvis Ferri are usually very easy to get along with. Oh, it's normal to think that way subconsciously after fighting with them for so long. But don't worry, the Sangvis Ferri units on the ship are all very nice, provided you don't cause trouble for the cleaning team or other departments' Sangvis Ferri Dolls."

Hearing Shorty's confident words, FAL turned to look at the corridor where the Doll dormitories were located.

It was a long corridor, with branch paths leading to the main road at intervals. The dormitories were even located outside the main road, yet forklifts could still drive through, demonstrating just how enormous this spaceship was.

Over three hundred Sangvis Ferri... compared to this massive spaceship, that was indeed not many. This number wouldn't even fill one floor of the ship.

She had already counted them when she came out of the biology lab; there were forty Dolls brought onto the ship this time, and even with two people per dormitory, that would only be twenty dormitories.

Along this corridor, there were at least eighty dormitories near the road... and because the dormitories were only a little over three meters high, they weren't just one story, but three stories high, looking like a row of three-story apartment buildings.

Sangvis Ferri's dormitories weren't here; this was mainly for the Dolls. There were also other guest rooms on other levels of the ship. No wonder Shorty kept emphasizing that they should follow her when she was walking ahead.

If they didn't stay close, they'd get lost... they really wouldn't be able to find their way!

“It feels... a bit unreal...” NTW-20 stared blankly at the standard magnetic water cup on the table, then looked up at the desolate city outside the observation window, feeling like everything before her didn't quite feel real.

“What could be unreal? You're standing here alive, we're alive now, is there anything else wrong?”

PTRD reached out and touched the room's furnishings; they were spotless, clearly thanks to the ship's cleaning staff.

“But what about the mission? And... I still have a score to settle with those rebels...”

“Mission? What mission? A mission already?”

TAC-50 hopped in through the door. Although her body had shrunk, she felt this body was much more agile than her original Doll body, and it seemed like she had inexhaustible strength!

“Hey! No way! I don’t want to go face those tin cans again!” Tec-9 heard this and immediately backed down, retracting her short legs that had stepped into the dormitory.

“No, there’s no mission at all. BM59 didn’t mention anything about missions. Besides, I probably can’t even carry an Imprint Weapon right now, how am I supposed to go on a mission?” PTRD spread her hands, speaking frankly.

As she spoke, she glanced at NTW-20 beside her. Neither of their Imprint Weapons were lightweight little machines; without considerable strength, carrying them wouldn’t be an option, let alone moving them. The recoil might even send them flying.

Hearing this, NTW-20’s face darkened. She had thought that changing her constitution would grant her greater strength, but instead, she had simply returned to where the dream began. Now, she couldn’t even pull the trigger of a miniature pistol, let alone her own Imprint Weapon.

"Forget about missions, there definitely won't be any until your bodies are fully grown. After you've chosen your dorms, you can rest here. If you get hungry, just call me. It's not mealtime yet, but there are plenty of snacks," BM59 said cheerfully from the doorway.

Eating more is good! The more you eat, the faster you grow, the sooner you can finish growing and start working!

"Oh? Plenty? Free?"

"Of course."

The one who asked this was naturally Stechkin. BM59 always felt that this girl had a tendency to be greedy for money, and she felt that she and Catherine definitely had a lot in common.

As they assigned dorms to the Dolls and replenished their empty rooms with various supplies and consumables, the Dolls and Sangvis Ferri went back and forth, making the Doll dorm area as lively as a festival.

This was in stark contrast to the rebels still fighting Paradeus outside the window.

The enthusiasm of BM59 and the others made the new Dolls feel a little uncomfortable...

They had a feeling something was amiss!

---

Chapter 1236: Not Surprising at All

“Commander Gentiane!”

Thump, thump, thump!

The deafening machine gun fire hadn't stopped, but Gentiane still heard M4's call. After taking down the last infected in sight, Gentiane looked up at M4 and asked,

“What’s wrong?”

M4's voice didn't sound normal. If the Quarantine Wall gate had been successfully opened, RO635 should have been the one reporting the situation.

“There’s a large number of infected outside the Quarantine Wall, with quite a few Paradeus combat units mixed in!”

“Huh?”

“They seem to have been attracted by the battle between the rebels and Paradeus in the distance. The sound of the tanks destroying the automatic defense system probably played a significant role!”

M4 called out anxiously. Their intercontinental train wasn't a rebel armored train that could simply plow through the infected.

While the intercontinental train's engine was sturdy, a large number of infected would inevitably damage it, not to mention the significant number of Paradeus units mixed in among them.

Combined with the train's speed, many armoured Paradeus units would undoubtedly cause severe damage in a collision, as the Paradeus units were virtually impervious to pain.

However, a violent collision wouldn't merely damage the train's exterior. The greater concern was the severe impact on its internal components and equipment. If infected or Paradeus were dragged beneath the train and damaged the transmission system...

That would be the end of it!

A breakdown in this dangerous place! There's no way you'll get a tow truck!

Gentiane slapped her forehead upon hearing this.

Fine, in the end, she'd still have to ask Renault's Dolls for help... Her original plan was to handle the situation as best she could with her own Dolls.

Well, AR15 and the others had come to help voluntarily, so that didn't count... probably...

Currently, a large number of infected had gathered outside the Quarantine Wall. Simply ramming through them wasn't feasible, and having the two siege tanks fire at them obviously wasn't an option either. It wasn't that they couldn't eliminate them, but some of the infected would definitely be standing on the intercontinental train tracks.

A single shot from a siege tank could indeed obliterate the infected, but the tracks beneath them would be destroyed as well.

Therefore, the only feasible solution at present was to send someone to create a disturbance away from the tracks, luring these infected, who may or may not have completely lost their minds, away from the railway.

G&K Dolls weren't entirely unsuitable, but rather than risking their lives as bait to lure such a large group of infected and Paradeus, it would be far better to let Renault's power armor handle the task.

They were fast, sturdy, and could easily wipe out all the infected.

Was there anyone more suitable than MG42 and her team in power armor?

Contacting MG42 and her team was naturally handled by AR15. While M4 was urgently informing Gentiane of the situation, AR15 had already contacted MG42 and her team, who were traveling aboard the intercontinental train.

"Let's go! We've got work to do! Stop drinking! Simonov, you drunkard! Haven't you had enough after drinking all the way here?! What's so good about mixing radioactive dust with alcohol?!"

"You... hiccup! You don't understand! This is more like..."

Whether Simonov, who was hiccuping, trying to be funny or charming, MG42 couldn't hear her anymore because, apart from A-91 who was still standing beside Simonov, the other Dolls had already rushed out.

Vector was at the very front, her torch having long since been thrown aside, replaced by the pair of igniters blazing on her arms.

Personnel didn't need to open the Quarantine Wall's main gate to pass through; the smaller personnel doors were sufficient. The only problem was that the siege tanks couldn't get out for the time being.

However, it didn't matter much. The siege tanks wouldn't be needed for a while anyway, as the power armor and Dolls were more than enough.

...

While the Dolls on Renault's side were making as much noise as possible to attract the infected, Angelia and Task Force DEFY had successfully mapped out the general layout of the modified area.

"Thank goodness I'm here. Looks like someone's experience isn't always useful," RPK16 said cheerfully as she unplugged the data cable and looked at Angelia's sullen face.

"If you talked less, maybe your short legs would move faster. Or are you overweight and in need of some exercise?" Angelia shot RPK16 a disgruntled glare and, somewhat annoyed, pushed open the door in front of her.

Although RPK16 had obtained a map of the area through electronic warfare, the cost was that every door in the area had been locked. To make matters worse, they were all recessed sliding doors.

Fortunately, Angelia was capable of performing miracles. With enough effort, she could force these horizontally sliding doors open. Otherwise, she might have had to consider tearing down the walls instead.

"But the problem now is that our speed mainly depends on how quickly you can open the doors, Angelia," AK12 said, completely unfazed.

The faint sounds of gunfire between Sangvis Ferri and Paradeus could still be heard, indicating that neither side had fully gained control of the situation. Combined with the rebel force that had already breached the base, the battlefield remained chaotic.

At present, it was a three-way battle. The situation was deadlocked, with all sides evenly matched and unable to gain the upper hand in the short term. They didn't need to worry about arriving too late.

As long as they avoided direct combat with those forces, they would definitely reach the base's main control room—or rather, the area sealed off by the Relics Department—before the rebels.

"Knowing that, why aren't you helping?!"

In the end, it was the silent AK15 who came to the rescue. After all, there were only so many handholds on the door, and two people with four hands were already the limit.

The area Paradeus had modified looked rather strange. The large cultivation tanks weren't particularly unusual; after all, this was Paradeus, so seeing such things in one of their bases wasn't surprising.

However, the dormitories didn't look like soldiers' quarters. Paradeus soldiers weren't living people, and the beds were too small to have been made for adults...

Thinking of this, Angelia remembered the Nytos, who mostly appeared to be young girls.

Could this be a facility for modifying Nytos?

"Angelia, there are unknown targets active in the rooms ahead," AK12 suddenly said seriously. Her closed eyes opened, and her brows furrowed.

Clearly, she had not only detected unknown targets but had also been subjected to electronic intrusion.

It's Nytos.

---

Chapter 1237: Can't Be Idle

"Wait a minute. Hawke, why are your and Narcissus's prototypes a head taller than ours?"

"Hmm?"

Hearing this, Hawke tilted her head, stood next to Stechkin, who had asked the question, and gestured with her hand. They were indeed a full head taller.

"Huh? Hey, Narcissus, aren't we ten centimeters taller than we were yesterday?"

Seeing the height difference, Hawke asked Narcissus excitedly. All the bio-prototypes had been the same height when they first emerged from the incubation tanks.

However, after they began growing, their height wasn't much different from the Doll prototypes used previously. This was mainly related to a Doll's self-perception.

Of course, if they were lazy like RFB and Ouroboros every day...

Well, they would just become a bit rounder.

"Indeed. At this rate, it might take another three or four days to recover to the state we were in before the body replacement." Narcissus nodded and reached out to pinch the skin beneath her upper arm. It felt a little too loose; she needed to work on it.

"Hey! Hawke! Don't change the subject!" Stechkin protested. "And what's with all the gesturing next to me?! Trying to make yourself look taller? We're all about the same height now, not that much taller!"

Stechkin rolled her eyes in annoyance. The other Dolls watched with amusement, but they were just as curious about the question, and all their gazes fell on Hawke, waiting for her answer.

"Ahem, since you've asked so earnestly..." Hawke cleared her throat, intending to show off her "senior" knowledge to the Dolls.

"The biomass bodies you've all been given are growing very quickly. As long as you get enough nutrition, you'll soon return to the condition you were in before the body replacement."

However, Narcissus showed no interest in playing along and answered without hesitation.

"Ah! Narcissus!"

"Huh? Sufficient nutrition?"

While Hawke was annoyed that Narcissus was undermining her, the other Dolls tilted their heads in confusion.

What did "sufficient nutrition" mean?

Since when did cultivating Doll bodies require sufficient nutrition? Was this some kind of plant cultivation?

Doll bodies didn't actually need to eat. Eating provided no benefit to a Doll body other than giving the bionic module a sense of fullness; it even caused wear on the internal bionic components.

So... what exactly was this new biomass body they had been given?

"Seriously... did you all even listen to me after you woke up? I wasted so much time explaining everything to you." UL-Nurse walked over at that moment, looking at the group of blank-faced Dolls and rubbing her forehead in frustration.

She had clearly explained the basics of biomaterials to them in the biology lab, so why did they all still look so clueless?

Biomaterials could grow; they only needed to eat normally to maintain their bodily functions.

...

"Phew, thank goodness UL-Nurse and the others came back early. Are P90 and the others back too?" Helian jogged back to the bridge, letting out a sigh of relief as she asked UMP45, who was on duty there.

"Yeah, they're back. Besides the combat teams, everyone in power armor and those driving the siege tanks have returned. It was a bit troublesome for them to get back, though; there aren't any suitable landing spots ahead. Is it really alright to let them keep following the intercontinental train like this?"

UMP45 nodded as she reached for a topographical map. The route from Tallinn to Paldizsky was clear at a glance. The terrain around the tracks wasn't a problem; the main issue was that the railway ran close to the coast.

Along the coast were many large coastal defense guns that were still operational. They were all heavy artillery pieces, even more powerful than the Jupiter Cannons built by Sangvis Ferri. Although their spaceship didn't have to worry about being shot down by those coastal defense guns, the shockwaves from their shells were still unavoidable.

UMP45 didn't think shaking the ship was a good thing. While the ship itself wouldn't be damaged, the Dolls' quarters would definitely end up in disarray, including hers and UMP40's.

Although Renault had taken precautions to prevent most of the ship's standard furnishings from being tossed around by the shaking, the various stuff the Dolls had bought for themselves weren't secured.

As for directly seizing control of the coastal defense artillery through electronic warfare, UMP45 didn't think that was a good idea either, especially with numerous military spies lurking nearby.

If they could seize control of the coastal defense artillery today, wouldn't that mean they could just as easily take over the automated defense systems on any city's quarantine wall tomorrow? If anyone witnessed that, both Statesec and the Stasi would become extremely uneasy.

After all, until they saw it with their own eyes, they could still convince themselves that Renault didn't pose a significant threat.

"Why don't you make the trip alone?" Helian asked as she looked at the map, scratching her cheek helplessly.

Following the intercontinental train wouldn't be a problem, but the train wasn't very fast. If she ran alongside it, it would probably be dark by the time she arrived.

Meanwhile, the two Gunship pilots back home were in very different situations. One was a drunkard who had gone downstairs for a proper drink, while the other, wearing power armor, was enthusiastically hacking away at the infected with a breaching axe.

Both full-time pilots were unavailable, and P226, who had only recently taken on the role as a side job, was busy controlling the ship's course. Therefore, sending UMP45, who could also pilot a Gunship, seemed like a good option.

"No, no, I can't do that. If we want to bring the siege tanks back, it's more reliable to let Simonov handle it. I think we'd better catch Simonov and sober her up first!"

UMP45 quickly shook her head. It wasn't that she found it troublesome. Flying while transporting the siege tanks would be too difficult for a pilot like her, who only knew how to fly aggressively. She didn't want to end up colliding with the Gunship because of poor engine control.

If that happened, she'd be spending the next few days repairing the Gunship.

"That's true... Wait, besides you girls, isn't there someone else who's free?"

Helian murmured with a nod, then suddenly remembered someone else who, like her, had just dumped a troublesome task on the Dolls back home.

"Renault! Time to get to work! Where have you run off to this time?!" Acting immediately on the thought, Helian turned and ran out.

UMP45 shrugged and returned her attention to the terrain map. Looking at the signal sources representing Paradeus, she frowned slightly in exasperation.

The force behind Paradeus was hiding itself very well.

It still hadn't revealed itself.

------

Chapter 1238: I Feel…

“Burn! Burn! Burn!”

From Vector leading the charge through the Quarantine Wall, to luring away the infected, and finally setting them all ablaze, it only took a few minutes.

Listening to Vector's resounding shouts by the fire, AR15 sighed.

Vector was usually a rare, serious Doll at home, but the moment she got her hands on a flamethrower or an incendiary bomb, she became like a completely different person.

If she could once attribute it to a Doll's inherent personality… unfortunately, now that Vector had a bio-material body, AR15 had to admit that it wasn't a personality trait at all; it was simply her true nature being revealed.

“If only every mission could go this smoothly.”

Gentiane also rubbed her forehead, sighing wistfully. Working with Renault's Dolls was so comfortable; trouble was practically nonexistent.

Whether they were ordinary infected or large infected, they were all mere trifles to Renault, easily dealt with in no time. Tsk tsk, if Griffin had that kind of strength, what would there be to worry about in his grand scheme?

"If AR15 and SOP2 could return, perhaps there's a chance," M16 said with a shrug. Unfortunately, even she didn't believe it herself, and Statesec would never accept two completely uncontrollable Dolls.

Sir Griffin would probably make the same decision as Statesec…

Gentiane helplessly shook her head as well. Instead of fantasizing about something so impossible, she should carefully consider what to do next.

“You two, instead of just shrugging and shaking your heads, get moving! The Quarantine Wall gates have been activated, and the infected and Paradeus forces near the control room have been cleared. Instead of standing here like decorations, get back to the car and keep an eye on that Splinter. I have a feeling he's up to something.”

“Yes, yes, Commander AR15. I might really end up working under you from now on.” M16 immediately raised her hand in response. She had already noticed the complicated expression on Gentiane's face.

Clearly, Gentiane was already considering switching sides.

As for where she would switch to? Was that even a question?

Besides Renault, who else could take in so many T-Dolls at once?

AR15 rolled her eyes at M16 before waving to M4. "RO635 and I will stay here just in case. You go back to the intercontinental train with SOP2."

"Okay, be careful."

Although she was still somewhat worried, M4 felt much more at ease after witnessing AR15's current bio-material strength. If AR15 wanted to leave, Paradeus wouldn't be able to stop her.

After clearing out the infected in front of the Quarantine Wall, Vector and MG42's break was almost over. Otherwise, the rest of the journey would simply be a long, uneventful ride alongside the intercontinental train.

Stg44, on the other hand, couldn't wait to get back to her ship and freshen up. Although the siege tank had excellent air purification equipment, as its commander, she occasionally opened the top hatch to check the situation outside.

As a result, they inevitably accumulated a great deal of Collapse radiation dust. Combined with the thick smoke billowing outside the Quarantine Wall, it was practically a dust storm. Driving past Vector's bonfire only ensured the vehicle would also be coated in soot.

Just thinking about it made Stg44 uncomfortable, as if she were about to break out in a rash.

P38, meanwhile, was worried about logistics. With so many Dolls brought back to the ship, once they woke up, there would definitely be a need to distribute various supplies, and she was afraid that P90, who had returned earlier, would cause trouble.

Fortunately, Renault had been dragged out of the smoking room by Helian and had disembarked from the spaceship aboard his Gunship. He looked rather pale. He hadn't expected that after recruiting so many Dolls, both Gunship pilots would run off to have fun, leaving him, the boss, to pilot the Gunship himself…

He immediately instructed Helian to prioritize recruiting Gunship and other aircraft pilots.

The larger the spaceship, the more tasks there were, which consumed a great deal of the Dolls' time, leaving everyone except Simonov and the others with no opportunity to devote themselves to pilot training.

Of course, the difficulty of aircraft pilot training was also a factor, but Renault had no intention of lowering the standards. After all, piloting an aircraft was nothing like operating powered armor or even driving a siege tank.

When flying in the sky, a single moment of carelessness could be fatal. Insufficient skill not only endangered the crew but could also put ground combat personnel at risk.

A Gunship or any other aircraft weighing tens or even hundreds of tons crashing from the sky at high speed would be disastrous for a Doll, let alone for him.

First came the two siege tanks, followed by MG42 and SPAS-12 in their powered armor vehicles.

As for HK416, G11, and the other Dolls who were still stranded below without their powered armor, Renault wasn't concerned. If they wanted to come back, any scout could easily bring them back, so there was nothing for him to worry about.

Of course, he still had to bring Simonov, that drunkard, back. It was one thing for her to lead the Gunship, but surely he, the boss, didn't have to handle all the maintenance himself.

When Gentiane emerged from the Quarantine Wall with M4 and M16, they saw AK47 grab Simonov by the collar and throw her into the Gunship's cabin.

Even after being tossed into the cabin, Simonov refused to behave, hiccupping and shouting, "I want to keep drinking!"

She only calmed down after A-91 strapped her into her seat.

"How enviable. If only Griffin's Dolls could be this easy to manage."

"Of course, I'm not talking about Simonov herself, but rather AK47 and A-91, who helped capture her. They may all be alcoholics, but at least they're obedient.

As for the Dolls on our side, once they start causing trouble, the only way to stop them is after they've already caused a major incident."

"If you're envious, you can switch jobs. I think Commander Renault would definitely welcome a diligent employee like you." Standing at the intercontinental train's doorway, HK416 pointed her thumb toward the spaceship in the sky.

"Ahem, could you not be so blunt? I feel..."

"It's not just a feeling. I have a feeling you won't be able to stay at Griffin much longer."

---

Chapter 1239: Of Course There's a Problem

Is it that obvious?

Gentiane blinked stiffly, genuinely surprised that HK416 was being so blunt. Even if she did want to switch jobs, at least until she figured out how to completely reclaim ownership of her Dolls from Griffin, she wouldn't openly say goodbye to them.

But was her expression really that obvious? Could even the Dolls tell at a glance?

"Ahem, it's best not to say things like that when someone's around. There's still a Griffin employee next door." Gentiane coughed awkwardly, pointing toward the operations command room.

As for greeting them outside, Splinter probably wouldn't care. Judging from M1887 still standing guard at the door, he was likely lurking around the command terminal, plotting something mischievous.

Noticing Gentiane's gaze, M1887 spread her hands, indicating that she was powerless to help. After all, her command authority was still locked under Splinter, and without orders, she couldn't do anything else.

HK416 naturally knew Gentiane was referring to Splinter. "Come on, that guy can barely hear anything now."

Not to mention the protective suit he was wearing, which blocked out a large amount of sound. Combined with the walls of the operations command center, he'd be lucky if he could hear gunfire outside, let alone a normal conversation. And even if he could, so what?

Since when did Griffin's operations commander have authority over them?

If Splinter really wanted to attack them, that would be good news for Renault, wouldn't it?

He was just looking for an excuse to take over the remaining dozen or so Dolls under Splinter's command.

Now, he'd have the perfect reason. If Splinter put in a little more effort and seized command of a few more Dolls from Gentiane, Renault might be so happy that he wouldn't even think about smoking for an entire day.

Gentiane scratched her cheek helplessly. "I saw your Gunship already brought those two tanks back to the ship. Aren't you going back?"

"No rush. I don't know which genius came up with the idea of using the Scouts for passenger transport, but we can head back anytime."

As long as they got back before dinner, it was fine. Besides, unlike the other Dolls, she didn't usually have much work to do on the ship.

After all, HK416 often trained with AR15 and occasionally conducted light combat training in the training room. In terms of training frequency, even the diligent M200 couldn't keep up with the two of them.

Perhaps Helian and M1 Garand considered training important enough that they didn't assign them to help in the General Services Department. After all, very few people in the family took training as seriously as they did; most Dolls trained irregularly.

The more diligent ones probably set aside time each day to train, while the lazier ones… well, they were probably like RFB and Ouroboros. They absolutely wouldn't set foot in the training room unless someone urged them to.

It was a good thing RFB no longer managed the training room after taking over from G11.

Fortunately, after Helian destroyed RFB's secret base hidden inside the training room, she handed that responsibility to M200, who frequently used the facility. Otherwise, the training room would probably be a complete mess every day.

"Commander! You're finally back! Um... OGAS... seems to be in some trouble..."

Seeing Gentiane return to the intercontinental train, MK23 hurried out, looking flustered as she pointed behind her and gestured frantically.

OGAS? What could possibly be wrong?

Gentiane and HK416 had the exact same thought.

Gentiane recalled the lively OGAS from earlier and couldn't imagine what could have happened to someone who had seemed so energetic. HK416, on the other hand, believed there shouldn't be any problems with Renault's bio-body technology, but MK23's panicked reaction clearly wasn't an act.

Besides, MK23 wasn't a mischievous Doll like P7. She certainly wouldn't be playing a prank at a time like this.

"Something happened to OGAS?" SOP2's expression immediately changed as she anxiously rushed off in the direction MK23 had come from.

M4 and M16 exchanged worried glances before following close behind. Although they hadn't spent much time with OGAS, they had a good impression of the OGAS born from M4's mind.

After all, this OGAS was a straightforward little girl whose thoughts were always written across her face.

Furthermore, AR15's recent corrective measures had ruthlessly nipped the budding troublemaker in the bud, so M4 was genuinely worried. Earlier, the way OGAS had kept her eyes closed certainly hadn't looked normal.

M16 suddenly remembered the OGAS mind she had left with Renault… She wondered whether Renault had already transferred that girl into a new bio-material body.

…

"Is this kid really okay? Why does she look so miserable and resentful the moment she comes out?" Renate asked Renault, who had personally come over, while looking at the serious-faced, precocious OGAS.

UL-Nurse also curiously observed the OGAS who hadn't emerged from the incubation tank alongside the other Griffin Dolls. She had noticed earlier that Renault had deliberately placed her in a corner and slowed her development.

It was probably to ensure she emerged at roughly the same time as the other Griffin Dolls.

"Of course there's a problem. Otherwise, I wouldn't have made this special trip," Renault said with a helpless sigh.

He had come over after handing the Gunship back to Simonov because he was genuinely worried about the OGAS mind that had been extracted from M16.

Before M16 went down, this girl had insisted on protecting M4. Although they all originated from the same OGAS framework—AR15's OGAS was not yet fully formed, M4's was relatively normal, but M16's OGAS…

How should he put it… this girl had been influenced too deeply by M16.

Most of it stemmed from M16's exceptionally strong will, but it was also because M16's underlying protocol had an excessively high priority. Persica... he had no idea what she had been thinking when she designed it that way.

This setting hadn't affected M16 much because her own thoughts never conflicted with her underlying protocol. In fact, the protocol's high priority gave her even greater freedom.

But this OGAS was unfortunate. Even the slightest independent thought would immediately be overridden by M16's root protocol.

Over time, she had probably come to believe that M16's root protocols was her own life's mission.

---

Chapter 1240: You Decide What to Do

"You don't have the base protocols right now, so stop thinking about the M4 and Statesec missions."

Rubbing his temples, Renault found himself developing a headache from dealing with the little guy in front of him, who looked about seventy percent like M16.

Clearly, unlike Griffin's T-Dolls, which were mostly modified from civilian Dolls, this little guy possessed multiple underlying protocols unlike those of ordinary Dolls, with overlapping layers of commands and memory loss caused by the mission data being almost permanently erased from his mind.

This OGAS mind, born from M16's consciousness, wasn't as normal as the one inside M4.

"So what am I supposed to do?"

"Nothing." Renault sighed, patted his pocket, pulled out a lollipop, unwrapped it, and stuffed it into OGAS's mouth.

"Huh? You actually carry candy? Did you quit smoking? That's strange!"

Seeing Renault pull a lollipop from his pocket, Renate raised an eyebrow in surprise. She had always assumed he only carried bullets, explosives, cigarette packs, and lighters. She hadn't expected him to carry candy too.

Renate's words, along with UL-Nurse's equally surprised expression, darkened Renault's face.

Quit smoking... It was obvious those three little Nytos had stolen his cigarette pack, leaving him with a lollipop as compensation...

As for what ultimately happened to that pack of cigarettes, there was no need to ask. It would definitely end up in Helian's hands under the guise of "keeping it safe."

"Speaking of which, you also came from Statesec. How come you didn't run into any problems like this little guy?"

The topic suddenly shifted to her. Renate simply shrugged.

"Of course I didn't have any problems. If I had, I'd probably still be in Angelia's Task Force DEFY right now. It's rare to have such a nice group as Task Force DEFY."

"By the way, Commander, speaking of that, Miss Angelia seems to be somewhere we're about to reach, right? Hopefully, she's out of trouble."

UL-Nurse's sudden question about Angelia surprised both Renault and Renate. UL-Nurse had no connection with Angelia, so why was she suddenly asking about her?

"What trouble could she possibly be in? That girl's even healthier than the Nyto back home now. She can run and jump all over the place. But why are you suddenly asking that?"

"Ahem, I'm just checking to see if any new patients will be sent over, preferably the kind that's been beaten bloody!"

The negative energy generated by that group of Dolls earlier needed somewhere to be redirected!

Of course, it would be best if there were patients, but if not, UL-Nurse could safely find a place to hide.

After all, Dolls had just had their bio-bodies replaced, a period when things weren't serious but were still somewhat troublesome.

Finding a place to hide and relax was a good idea, since a Doll's bio-body had excellent resilience. Even if it got bumped and bruised, it wouldn't cause any real problems.

"She's practically hitting me in the face with her abacus beads! Does she really think I can't see through what's going on in that little devil's head?"

Renault rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Alright, enough with the bloody nonsense. If you don't want the medical department to consist of just you and Renate from now on, then find somewhere to hide."

Most of the Dolls who had just boarded the ship were currently gathered in the dormitory area. If they didn't seize this opportunity to build relationships with them and recruit a couple of people for the medical department, the other departments certainly would.

Which department on the ship wasn't short-handed?

If the ship's Dinergates weren't so incompetent, the Dolls would have already wanted to recruit those little robots that were always running around to help with the work.

"Oh, that's a big problem," Renate said in a flat, monotone voice, feigning sudden realization as she cast a mocking glance at UL-Nurse.

In reality, the medical department's only permanent member was UL-Nurse herself. Wz.29 had originally planned to join the medical department since she possessed some knowledge of pharmacology.

Unfortunately, the spaceship had changed, and a single pilot was no longer enough. Two pilots were needed to ensure the ship's safety.

Renate herself only handled minor, peripheral tasks in the medical department, occasionally amusing herself by watching bruised and battered Dolls grimace as they came in for treatment. Compared to the other departments that required heavy manual labor, there was no better place to slack off than the medical department.

Even RFB and Ouroboros, those two masters of slacking off, were sometimes drafted to clean the warehouse. The medical department didn't have that problem.

At this point, hearing Renault's words and noticing Renate's teasing gaze, UL-Nurse was genuinely stunned. She had been so focused on finding everything troublesome that she hadn't considered this at all!

Oh no! What if all the new Dolls thought she was too fierce and difficult to get along with and refused to join the medical department? Then she'd be stuck running the department all by herself!

Thinking this, UL-Nurse abruptly turned to ask Renault if he had any good ideas, but he was nowhere to be seen. He had already left with M16's OGAS.

...

"Such a small Nyto?" Angelia raised a hand and pressed it down on the head of a tiny Nyto, allowing her to struggle with all her might.

Unfortunately, Angelia was now incredibly strong, and a single hand was enough to make the little Nyto's resistance completely futile.

In fact, if the little Nyto hadn't merely been waving her tiny fists in a desperate attempt to fight back, Angelia might have already smashed her skull open with the butt of her gun.

"Even if she's small... she's still a Nyto... can't you stop standing there and do something... please?"

AK-12 sighed, rubbing her forehead as she urged Angelia to come up with a solution. She herself was unaffected by the Nyto, but the others were still under electronic attack from these smaller Nytos.

While they weren't about to be disabled immediately, the attacks placed a considerable mental burden on them. After all, there was a large group of Nytos. Although their electronic warfare capabilities weren't as formidable as those of the larger Nytos they had encountered before, they were still not to be underestimated.

"So, could you stop for a bit?" Angelia sighed as a headache began to form. These tiny Nytos... she really didn't know how to deal with them.

As she spoke, Angelia curled her fingers, lifting the small Nyto in front of her. She was incredibly light, practically weightless, probably weighing less than fifteen kilograms.

Weighing the little Nyto in her hand, Angelia became even less inclined to continue.

After all, these little ones were most likely experimental subjects captured by Paradeus through various means.

"Let go of Anna!"

Seeing Angelia lift the small Nyto into the air, the other tiny Nytos, who had been standing still while launching electronic attacks, could no longer hold themselves back and immediately crowded toward Angelia.

Um...

-----

Chapter 1241: Deviation

"This route is longer, isn't it?"

As the intercontinental train emerged from the Quarantine Wall gates, instead of heading toward Paldiski along the coastline, it gradually moved farther inland.

HK416 looked at Gentiane suspiciously. The train's route must have been decided before they arrived. Unless something unexpected had happened, Gentiane must have already known that the military armored train wouldn't take the coastal route.

"Of course. It's safer to take the longer route. Ha, this mission only requires me to be a cameraman—to get close enough to record how the rebels attack that base and how they try to make contact with those remnant technology artifacts. It's not about fighting the rebels head-on. They throw me into the middle of it and expect me to lead a team to risk our lives? Why should I?"

At most, this was the job of a war correspondent.

Why should she make herself look like a member of a suicide squad rushing to her death?

Of course, it was also possible that Statesec's plan was for her to charge in and suffer heavy losses so they could demonstrate the righteousness of Operation Griffin to everyone else...

Splinter himself had already confirmed that there was still undamaged surveillance equipment on the wreckage of the intercontinental train. Once this was over—or perhaps even before then—they would send people to retrieve it. In fact, the military units guarding the perimeter were probably already recovering the equipment.

Hearing Gentiane say that, HK416 raised an eyebrow.

"You seem quite different now."

Although she hadn't known Gentiane for very long, they were already acquaintances. The current Gentiane was completely different from the woman who always wore a stern, serious expression during missions.

"Well, people change." Gentiane shrugged helplessly. She wasn't even sure when her mindset had begun to change.

Was it when she first joined the company? When they were besieged by Sangvis Ferri in District S09?

When they were attacked by the rebels under the pretext of the Doll Rebellion?

Or when she realized she had worked diligently at Griffin for years, only to end up with a nearly empty wallet and barely a five-figure balance in her account?

"Is that so? But if we take the long way around, will we really make it? The rebel armored train line runs all the way along the coast to Paldiski."

Although Gentiane's train had left the city before the rebels, the remnants of Paradeus in the city wouldn't be able to hold them off for long.

"That depends on how well Paradeus performs."

"But speaking of that, isn't Paradeus supposed to be allied with the rebels? Why are they fighting this time?" UMP9 asked, puzzled.

"They are allies, but this time the rebels intend to overturn the table. Paradeus obviously doesn't want that to happen, so they have no choice but to intervene. Otherwise, if the rebels really do overturn the table, Paradeus will suffer as well."

At that moment, Gentiane stopped and looked toward the operations command center's door. Splinter was walking out with heavy, labored steps.

"Gentiane! We're moving away from the coastline! What are you doing!?"

The bulky protective suit made Splinter's voice sound much deeper, but his labored breathing weakened the force of his accusation.

"Of course we're going to Paldiski. Isn't that your mission? Once we get there, I can have the Dolls stop the train and let you off." Gentiane glanced at the motionless M1887, a faint smirk appearing on her face as she waited to see what other tricks Splinter had up his sleeve.

After all, Splinter was practically a commander without a force. His command terminal was gone, and the few Dolls he had left behaved like rigid automated machines. The only one who could still command them was M1887.

However, M1887 was somewhat different from ordinary Griffin Dolls. Persica had incorporated technology borrowed from Sangvis Ferri when creating her, giving her considerably more autonomy than standard Dolls.

In certain situations, M1887 could independently assess the situation and decide her next course of action, much like RO635 and M4, though the underlying technology was somewhat different.

Therefore, as long as M1887 wasn't determined to side with Splinter—the commander who wanted his subordinate Doll to jump into the pit with him—Gentiane had no reason to worry about Splinter posing any threat to her or her Dolls.

"Nonsense! What are you talking about!? At this rate, by the time we reach Paldiski, it might already be a complete mess! Don't tell me you don't know that! Gentiane! You have no intention of carrying out this mission!"

Splinter swung his arms angrily despite the obvious difficulty. His condition was clearly deteriorating; the injuries he had sustained during the evacuation had probably worsened.

"Ha! I'm the combat commander here. Which route we take and how we complete the mission are entirely my decision!" Gentiane replied with her arms crossed, making no move to budge.

Watching Splinter gasp for breath, she was convinced he could collapse at any moment. What if she merely took a few steps toward him and he suddenly fell over? She didn't want to be falsely accused of killing a colleague.

Even her own superior could be accused on questionable grounds... Well, perhaps the charges weren't entirely fabricated. In any case, if even her direct superior could be arrested and interrogated so easily, then a low-ranking soldier like her had every reason to be cautious.

"You! Gentiane! The consequences of failing this mission are far beyond what you can bear!"

"Ha! If missions couldn't fail, then why not assign them to someone whose missions never fail in the first place? Get this straight—this is my vehicle. If you don't want to stay, then fine. Jump out yourself. Be my guest."

As she spoke, she pointed toward the open carriage door. G11, who had just entered, immediately stepped aside with a grin, as though making room for Splinter.

"You!"

Looking at the disdain on Gentiane's face, then at HK416 and her two companions standing by the door with amused expressions, Splinter glanced around. There wasn't a single one of his own people present, and M1887 wasn't even holding an Imprint Weapon.

Meanwhile, Gentiane had a handgun holstered on her thigh, and HK416, her companions, M4, and the others were all carrying Imprint Weapons. He had no opportunity to do anything!

"Hmph! Just wait and see!"

---

Chapter 1242: Fooling a Few More

"Who's still down there?"

Helian checked the ship's surveillance system. Most of the Dolls had already returned to their posts, and the previously suspended routine work was gradually resuming.

"AR15 and SOP2, HK416 and G11, and of course UMP9 is down there too. Oh, I almost forgot about M4's OGAS. Everyone else—even MDR and Carol—is already back." UMP45 checked the automatic recording system.

"Hmm, HK416 really can't sit still."

AR15 and SOP2 went to help M4, but HK416 was probably just bored and wanted to find some targets to practice on.

"Well, what can you expect? They're born 'top students.' It would be strange if they could just sit in the lounge listening to music and slacking off like Intruder. But speaking of that, Helian, when are those three little ones going to get names? Haven't they mentioned it at all?"

Every day, she saw the three little Nytos dragging Mercurius around the ship. Whenever she tried to call them back, she never knew what to call them. Mercurius already had a name, but those three little Nytos still hadn't thought about naming themselves.

"Um... well..." Helian, who had still been wondering whether the new Dolls could help alleviate the manpower shortage aboard the ship, frowned slightly in distress upon hearing the question.

Naming things... wasn't exactly her specialty...

The three little ones had never brought it up, and Renault wasn't any good at naming things either...

Just think about the name of that old spaceship—Pink Furry Rabbit. Or was it just Pink Rabbit?

Although it was probably chosen by the Dolls through a vote, Renault had still accepted it as the ship's official name.

Clearly, he wasn't any good at naming things either...

Seeing Helian's troubled expression, UMP45 shrugged.

"Alright, but I recommend asking Intruder. Doesn't she spend most of her time in the lounge reading books and listening to opera? She's practically turned the second-floor lounge into a library."

"That makes sense." Helian nodded in agreement, suddenly enlightened. "I'll go catch that slacker right now!"

Watching Helian confidently stride out of the bridge, UMP45 smirked, already anticipating a good show.

However, she quickly came back to her senses and rubbed the corners of her unconsciously raised lips. She really had become too idle. It seems she was beginning to resemble Renate.

Or perhaps she'd picked up MDR's habit of always wanting to watch the drama unfold?

"Is this really alright?"

Wz.29 turned around, feeling that UMP45's suggestion to have Intruder name the three little Nytos seemed rather unreliable.

"Hmm? There will definitely be some problems, but it's still better than having the Commander give them names like 'Kuro' or 'Shiro,' right?"

"That's true, but have you considered that Intruder might name those three little ones after characters from the plays she reads?"

"Ah, that..." Hearing Wz.29's words, UMP45 instantly imagined three little Nytos standing side by side in front of her, introducing themselves.

"My name is Romeo!"

"I am Juliet!"

"Please call me Quasimodo!"

No, no, no! What am I thinking? Even if Intruder can be outrageous, she wouldn't give a few little Nytos names like that... right?

Perhaps UMP45's imagination was simply too vivid, because Wz.29 and P226 also pictured the exact same scene. Cold sweat formed on their foreheads as they quickly shook their heads, trying to drive the horrifying image from their minds.

……

"A farm? A vertical farm? A factory and a logistics department? Hmm... this sounds quite different from a T-Doll's intended role... Aren't there any positions that make use of a T-Doll's special abilities...?"

"Wait, wait! That's not right! Nagant! I clearly remember this place being a security contracting company! Don't you have any jobs similar to Griffin's work?"

Seeing AUGSM's determined expression, S-ACR, no longer able to hold back, quickly raised her hand. This was completely different from what she had expected!

"Similar? Well, not exactly. It's just that the Commander thinks those scattered contracts aren't very profitable. They're time-consuming and troublesome. But don't worry. If you don't want to work in those departments, you can apply to join—or even form—a combat team. Of course, the prerequisite is that your combat assessment scores are high enough."

"Assessment?"

Hearing those two words, S-ACR hesitated for a moment before raising an eyebrow.

It's just an assessment! She'd gone through countless ones at Griffin! It was only a simulated battle! How difficult could it be?

Just as several of them were about to declare that it would be easy, Simonov's slightly slurred shouting echoed from the distance.

"Nagant! Nagant! Don't forget! Don't forget we're recruiting Gunship pilots! Anyone want to fly a Gunship?! One-on-one! Hands-on training! Guaranteed to teach you everything! More flexible working hours than any other position!"

Simonov, dressed in work clothes and looking somewhat disheveled, had only just arrived at the dormitory entrance when the strong smell of alcohol immediately assaulted everyone's noses.

Several Dolls standing beside Nagant Revolver, whose enhanced senses made them particularly sensitive to smells, immediately wrinkled their noses. The stench was overwhelming.

Just how much had this girl drunk?!

She looked completely... no! She was a drunkard!

Hands-on training like this? They would probably pass out from the smell of alcohol alone!

Guaranteed to teach them everything? Forget it. That was simply impossible!

"Huh? Why are you all looking at me like that?" Simonov panted as she ran over, only to discover that, aside from Nagant Revolver, nearly all the newly arrived Dolls had pinched their noses and taken a step backward.

Their newly formed biomaterial bodies had significantly enhanced their senses, especially their sense of smell. If that sense could somehow be visualized, then Simonov, standing before Nagant Revolver, would undoubtedly appear as a gigantic, indescribable creature with a constantly shifting form.

"Did you just come from the hangar? Couldn't you have gone back and washed up first?" Nagant Revolver looked equally disgusted.

At the very least, Simonov could have cleaned herself up a little and presented a more respectable appearance so the new Dolls wouldn't be so wary.

Otherwise, how was she supposed to recruit anyone?

Take StG44 over there, for example. Even after climbing out of a tank, she was still spotless. She had just finished explaining the ship's room assignment regulations to a group of Dolls, and now she was already recruiting members for the ground armored echelon.

Seeing StG44 asking MP7 whether she wanted to join the tank crew, Simonov immediately raised an eyebrow.

"Hey! StG44! Your team is already full! You've got drivers, commanders—every position's already filled!"

"Heh, those are just part-time jobs."

---

Chapter 1243: I Heard You're Interested?

"G43 and I check the Doll dormitories from time to time. It's fair to say it's a part-time job, right?"

Seeing Simonov's continued reluctance, Stg44 confidently counted on her fingers. She wasn't lying about the Dolls in the tank crews doing part-time work, so when she saw Simonov's expression, she immediately began counting the crew members of the siege tanks.

After hearing this, Simonov nodded in agreement. Indeed, Stg44 and G43 were both members of the General Services Department, but their daily work involved checking the Dolls' dormitories for contraband or improper furnishings.

This was to prevent Dolls from storing large amounts of flammable and explosive materials or illegally placing dangerous items in their dormitories. Of course, behaviors like Nagant Revolver,  who stuffed all sorts of miscellaneous items into her dormitory were also within their control.

Seeing Simonov nod, Stg44 continued.b"Besides me, the commander, and G43, the pilot, P38 is currently in charge of logistics, right?"

"MP40 and MG3, one is a high-ranking officer under G36, and the other is the ranch manager, so they're also doing it part-time, right?"

Simonov winked. "Wait? Wait a minute! If that's the case, G3 is also the pastry chef in the kitchen! So, besides MG42 and MG34, there's practically no one else!"

Clap!

Stg44 slapped her hand. "Yeah, there's no one left! And MG42 and MG34 went off to wear power armor and play with railgun rifles; who knows if they'll ever come back to the crew as dedicated gunners."

"Wait, you can't say that! If you put it that way, I'm still the brewery manager! I'm the one who's really short-staffed!"

"But SPAS-12's got plenty of free time; you can have her fill in."

"But she's not very skilled! Otherwise, why would the commander have had to do it herself when transporting tanks?"

"That's your own business as gunship pilots."

Watching Simonov and Stg44 arguing about who was short-handed, Jaeger nudged SpectreM4 beside her.

"Hey, I remember you drove siege tanks before. Didn't Stg44 include you?"

"Uh, I guess I got forgotten..."

SpectreM4 scratched her head sheepishly. "Ahem, forget about me. You should think about how to get on their good side. Isn't your weapons maintenance department short-handed too?"

"That's true, but we were only busy for a while before. Now we're free again." Jaeger scratched her head. Since M500 arrived, she'd been freed from the pet room, and Scarecrow had assigned her the ship's weapons maintenance work, letting her lead the other Jaegers in maintaining the ship's onboard weapons.

This job... well, how should I put it? When things are quiet, it's really quiet. When the ship's weapons aren't in use, all you need to do each day is check the ammunition magazines and the weapons' operational status—just a quick glance.

But once the naval guns are used, those that have been fired need cleaning and re-lubricating, and those that haven't been fired but have been moved also need re-lubricating.

After using the naval guns to clear out the infected in Belgrade, Jaeger and her team spent several days maintaining those guns.

Since it was their first time doing this, even though the Sangvis Ferri Jaegers' hand-eye coordination is far superior to that of other Sangvis Ferri Dolls, there are some parts that, without guidance, still take a long time to figure out.

"Don't the other Jaegers on your side feel like they have too little work, too much free time, or anything? Um, speaking of which, with so many Jaegers on the ship now, haven't you ever thought about giving yourself a different name?"

It was only because most of the other Jaegers didn't go out much, and their clothes were different, that SpectreM4 really couldn't tell them apart.

"Different? I'm easy to distinguish from the other Jaegers. I've changed into a bio-material body."

Looking down at herself, Jaeger didn't think there was any need for a name. After all, she was fine as she was, and if she suddenly changed her name, she might not be able to adapt.

"Um, excuse me..."

"Huh?"

Suddenly hearing a voice in front of them, Jaeger and SpectreM4 both turned around in surprise. After all, they were usually quite easy to overlook, especially SpectreM4, whose condition was particularly serious.

It was rather unusual for a Doll other than the Commander and Helian to suddenly approach and strike up a conversation like this.

"Excuse me, what does that 'Weapons Maintenance Department' you mentioned earlier do?"

Looking up at Jaeger and SpectreM4, who seemed somewhat familiar yet unrecognizable, Type 88 couldn't contain her curiosity.

"Oh, it's about routine maintenance of the ship's onboard weapons. They're all big machines, aren't they? Interested? The work is usually quite relaxed; it only gets busy after the ship's cannons and other onboard weapons are activated," Jaeger explained cheerfully to Type 88.

As Jaeger spoke, the other Dolls nearby also perked up their ears, but after listening, they decided to ask Nagant Revolver more questions about the ship's condition before making a decision.

This new security contractor seems to have a lot of departments. Simonov and Stg44 just mentioned tank crews and gunship pilots, and Nagant Revolver mentioned factory and general services departments, and now there's a weapons maintenance department.

Does shipboard weapons maintenance really need a separate department?

"Nagant and the others seem to be recruiting for their own departments. If that's the case, if we had come earlier, could we be department managers like them now?"

Hmm? Management?

"I think I heard someone is interested in management positions? Is that right?"

Having just arrived from the logistics department with a batch of brand-new bedding, P38 heard a Doll mention the word "management"!

How strange! Are there actually Griffin Dolls interested in management positions?!

Didn't Helian take her away?! But that's fine! These kinds of Dolls are good for our logistics department!

"Huh!?" P38, still carrying bedding on her shoulder, startled the group of Dolls gathered together. Based on the sound, P38 confirmed that the Doll who had just mentioned management was the one.

"You're interested in a management position, aren't you? How about it? Want to be the Logistics Manager?"

"Logistics... Logistics Manager!? Such an important position!"

---

Chapter 1244: Optional

"Damn it! Where did Sangvis Ferri's mastermind get the resources?!" Yegor roared through gritted teeth, watching the endless stream of Sangvis Ferri Dolls rushing in from the other entrance of the base to block their path.

Sangvis Ferri had produced far too many Dolls, not only Dolls, but also a large number of armored units. Even if these Sangvis Ferri Dolls were no match for military-grade weapons, sheer numbers alone could crush an elephant.

Moreover, the difference in strength between the two sides was far from that of ants versus an elephant.

Those Sangvis Ferri armored units, almost identical to the military's armored units, were already nearly as powerful as the military's armored Dolls, not to mention the current numerical advantage of the Sangvis Ferri Dolls. Even with a more flexible command structure on the rebel side, the situation remained the same.

The base's narrow passageways offered little room for tactical maneuvering by the rebels, leaving both sides with no choice but to fight tooth and nail...

Add to that the occasional appearance of Paradeus, coming up from the depths of the base to cause trouble...

Damn it! Those guys from Statesec! They're clearly here to wipe out the entire rebel force!

His situation was still under control, a stalemate with Sangvis Ferri and Paradeus, but those armored trains following them...

No wonder he encountered almost no resistance while crossing the coastline; those old coastal defense guns were like statues... Yes, pretend they malfunctioned, let him in, then trap him, gradually eliminating their reinforcements!

But even if he had figured all this out before rushing in, he still had to bite the bullet and charge in!

This operation wasn't a solo act; his colleagues far away had already prepared to activate the relic weapons, waiting for him to penetrate deep into Paldissky. The Pike node inside the base was essential!

To activate the Starfish, a Pike node is required. Knowing this, Statesec was able to plan their actions accordingly.

It's likely that these Sangvis Ferri Dolls that have jumped out to cause trouble are also production resources provided by Statesec in the shadows through various means...

Otherwise, how did these Sangvis Ferri appear?

Their production capital? It's long gone! Griffin wasn't without its achievements when it clashed with Sangvis Ferri; at the very least, Griffin truly exhausted the available resources of the Sangvis Ferri Mastermind.

While the damaged and incomplete Sangvis Ferri Dolls could indeed be salvaged, when they and Griffin were besieging Sangvis Ferri, the Sangvis Ferri Mastermind had very few usable elite Dolls left, and the same was true for the ordinary ones.

At that time, the Sangvis Ferri Mastermind didn't have the resources to send people to extensively collect resources, and there were no Sangvis Ferri manufacturing bases left behind in the direction they fled; those places had already been taken over by others.

It seems that Statesec has already reached some kind of agreement with the Sangvis Ferri Mastermind...

With multiple parties cooperating, this base is a blatant trap, but his only choice now...

is to bite the bullet and charge in.

...

"What do we do now? Angelia? Don't tell me you want to lead this bunch of little Nytos on an operation." AK12 nudged Angelia with her elbow, saying helplessly.

AK12 initially felt this operation was somewhat reckless. After all, the base was quite large, and attempting to intervene in this incident with only the four Dolls from Taskforce DEFY and Angelia herself was no easy feat.

Even though Angelia's combat strength had now reached parity with elite T-Dolls like them, there was no fundamental difference between four T-Dolls and five.

But they had already come this far, already inside the base; could they simply turn back without achieving anything? No, not only would Angelia definitely not want to, but she herself wouldn't be willing to retreat in such a disgraceful manner.

However... Angelia was clearly reluctant to leave behind these Nytos who looked no different from children. If they took these little ones with them, let alone carry out the operation, even escaping would be a problem, not to mention the possibility that these little Nytos might betray them at any moment.

AK12 didn't believe William hadn't installed any control devices on these little Nytos.

After all, these little Nytos... they were practically Nytos already, how could they not have shown signs of modification?

What if, during the battle, these little Nytos that Angelia was carrying behind her suddenly went out of control and ran toward danger?

Could Angelia resist the urge to help? Even worse, what if these little Nytos picked up weapons along the way and attacked Angelia...?

"Of course not. I'm not so hot-blooded as to lose my mind. Things have come to this point, using a little personal connection is no big deal, right?" Angelia shrugged. She hadn't forgotten AK12's concerns.

It was simply because she had suddenly received a message from UMP45.

'William isn't at the base.' Angelia didn't suspect anything from this simple message, as it came from UMP45.

Besides, given William's style, it was highly unlikely he would allow himself to be involved in such a chaotic multi-front war.

"Hmm? This... are you sure it's okay to let Renault and his group get involved? This is the Red Zone, but it's definitely not some abandoned wasteland no one cares about."

Paradeus was building an experimental base here, and the rebels and Sangvis Ferri were heading straight for the base's depths. The convergence of these three forces couldn't be a coincidence; it could only mean that many people's attention was focused on this old submarine base in the Red Zone.

"Otherwise, what am I supposed to do? Send these little Nytos to the Statesec?"

If these little Nytos fell into the hands of Statesec, their childhood would certainly not be carefree; they would likely just be transferred from one research institute to another.

The research subjects, naturally, were these little ones who had been transformed into Nytos by Paradeus at a very young age.

If she didn't know Renault, these little Nytos would have only one destination: Statesec. She could only hope that the researchers within Statesec still retained some conscience.

But things were different now. Renault's ship was clearly better than Statesec's. While Renault was greedy for money, at least he treated his Dolls exceptionally well. These little Nytos were unlikely to be forced back onto the testing grounds.

And with Statesec no longer the only option, Angelia's thoughts began to waver somewhat.

---

Chapter 1245: Oops!

"What's wrong? Did you hit your head during the mission?" OGAS maintained her indifferent expression, tilting her head slightly as she asked AR15, who was staring at her strangely.

M4 was also somewhat surprised. After all, when AR15 brought SOP2 and OGAS down, OGAS's expression and behavior had been completely different.

How had she changed so much in such a short time?

Especially that expressionless face—it was a bit like those... Nytos?

"Um... OGAS woke up and became like this... We really didn't do anything..." MK23 reported to Gentiane in a somewhat aggrieved tone.

This was simply a bolt from the blue. Who knew OGAS would become like this after merely closing her eyes to rest for a while?

If she had known this would happen, she would have gone out with Gentiane and AR15, even if she had to carry OGAS on her back.

Even if this situation couldn't have been avoided, AR15 and SOP2 should at least have been able to tell that something was wrong with OGAS, right?

Thinking this, MK23 looked at AR15 and SOP2 with hopeful eyes.

Gentiane also scratched her head, looking OGAS up and down. Although she looked as if she'd had a brain transplant, Gentiane felt that OGAS hadn't changed much. At most, she simply had better control over her facial expressions.

"OGAS? What happened to you? You were perfectly fine before!"

Although her interactions with OGAS had been a little awkward, M4 couldn't help worrying about her condition. Such a drastic change—could it be that her brain had been damaged during the electronic warfare?

But AR15 and the others had said that their bodies no longer needed to worry about that sort of thing. So what had caused this?

"Don't worry, Lunasia. I was just calming those wandering souls for you."

"Hmm?" AR15 frowned, her gaze toward OGAS already turning hostile. If this girl really had some mental problem, she could only tie her up and send her back to the ship so Renault could figure out what was going on.

It was really strange. Whenever something involved M4, things always took a bizarre turn.

And the name Lunasia... it felt like she'd seen or heard it somewhere before...

Meanwhile, upon hearing the name Lunasia, M4 suddenly froze in place. A flood of inexplicable memories surged through her mind, but she couldn't piece them together no matter how hard she tried.

HK416, however, noticed something unusual about OGAS. For example, her fingers were gleaming with oil.

This girl... she hadn't used her hands to eat earlier, so how could they be oily? Even when she ate snacks later, the Dolls beside her fed her.

She had simply closed her eyes and waited to be fed like a machine...

Glancing at the other carriage, HK416 saw that more than half the snacks on the table were gone.

Most of what had been eaten was fried food; the dried fruit and similar snacks had barely been touched.

Since they usually ate in the same cafeteria, HK416 knew a little about OGAS's preferences. After all, she often fought with Maria and the others over snacks, so it was impossible not to notice.

OGAS liked fried food even more than SPAS-12, and when it came to desserts, she mostly only liked chocolate.

Looking more closely at OGAS's fingertips, HK416 saw that, sure enough, besides the oil, there were also faint brownish stains.

Okay, case closed.

HK416 subtly tapped AR15's hand with her knuckles, then winked toward OGAS.

As soon as AR15 noticed HK416's gesture, she knowingly looked at OGAS's hand. Seeing the stains, she glanced back at OGAS's expression.

Although OGAS looked blank and confused, AR15 had a feeling she was secretly chuckling!

Slap!

Before anyone else could react, AR15 slapped OGAS hard across the forehead!

"Ouch!" OGAS cried out in surprise at the sudden slap.

"Ouch?"

Slap!

Another loud slap landed, and OGAS's fair forehead instantly turned bright red!

"Ouch! Ouch! What are you doing?!"

"What am I doing?" AR15 raised an eyebrow with a stern expression, reached out, and grabbed OGAS under the armpits.

With a slight shake, OGAS was flipped upside down in midair before being tucked under AR15's arm.

AR15 raised her hand high, then, without another word, delivered a rapid series of slaps right in front of Gentiane and the others.

Hearing the continuous slapping sounds and OGAS's loud, pitiful screams, Gentiane and Kalina instinctively shrank back.

"Huh?" The screams also jolted the dazed M4 awake. "What? What happened?"

M16 patted the still-confused M4 on the shoulder. "Well, we're just disciplining a child. Come on. Judging by how loud the screaming is, you're probably fine. Go get something to eat and rest over there."

M16 pulled M4 away, and Gentiane shrugged.

"Let's go, let's go. There's nothing to see. We still have another battle to fight later, so everyone go check your gear."

Hearing Gentiane's words, the group of Dolls watching the commotion immediately dispersed. MK23, still somewhat indignant, puffed out her cheeks and glared fiercely at OGAS.

Unfortunately, OGAS was too busy screaming to notice MK23's annoyed gaze.

...

"Hey, MDR, don't you think the way they're recruiting people right now looks like they're holding a job fair?" Carol nudged MDR beside her with her elbow while controlling the drone to film P38 and the others smiling as they recruited people.

"Mmm," MDR responded, her eyes glued to her phone. A sly smile played across her lips, making it obvious she'd found something entertaining.

"What are you looking at?"

"Haha! Look at AR15 teaching that little girl a lesson! Goodness! How much force is she using?! Wow! It's so satisfying to watch!" MDR spoke as she abruptly unplugged her headphones, causing OGAS's cries to blare through the phone's speaker.

The sudden cries immediately silenced the previously bustling "job fair."

All the Dolls turned to look at MDR and her group with curious yet worried expressions.

After all, MDR had Carol, Vera, and two others with her.

Unlike the other Dolls who had come to ask for help, they simply stood there filming with cameras and drones, making them seem rather unapproachable.

And those sudden screams... they sounded a little unsettling...

---

Chapter 1246: Waiting for Help!

"Huff!" AR15 gasped for breath, a light sheen of sweat covering her forehead. They both had bio-material bodies; without putting in some effort, she wasn't sure she could really hurt OGAS. But even then, she couldn't go all out. Maintaining enough force to cause pain without actually injuring her was exhausting.

Leaving the whimpering OGAS behind, AR15 looked up. The surrounding Dolls had long since scattered, leaving only HK416 and G11 beside her, livestreaming on a phone. SOP2 was already gone.

After all, even M4 had left. What was so interesting about watching AR15 beat up OGAS? It wasn't as if they'd never seen it before.

Seeing OGAS's pitiful expression, AR15 immediately raised an eyebrow.

"You're pitiful? You can't joke about something like this!"

"Um... I know... By the way, I have something I want to ask M4."

"What could you possibly have to ask M4?" AR15 looked at OGAS in puzzlement, clearly not believing this girl had anything serious to say. Still, it didn't matter. If OGAS could help bring M4 over to Renault's side, that would be a good thing.

"A name! I don't even have a proper name yet! M16's OGAS is on the ship too. Are we just going to call everyone OGAS from now on? I don't want to end up like those three little ones at home, going without a name for so long. Everyone on the ship is talking about it right now, guessing what Intruder will name those three!"

Although she wasn't as popular or as adored as those three little ones, she was still... well...

After racking her brain, OGAS still couldn't think of a word to describe her place on the ship. She could only puff out her cheeks and wear a resentful expression to show her jealousy.

"Alright, but you could just come up with a name yourself. Why do you have to ask M4?"

As AR15 turned around and asked while walking away, OGAS rubbed her back. Although it still hurt, it didn't affect her movements.

"That's... yes! It's about ritual! I was separated from M4, so it's perfectly reasonable to ask M4 to help me choose a name!"

If not M4, then who else? SOP2? She couldn't possibly ask her to go to Intruder like the little Nyto had, could she? She had caused quite a stir with Intruder before.

What if Intruder blurted out "Quasimodo" the moment she opened her mouth?

As for asking Renault or Helian, OGAS hadn't even considered it. If those two had any talent for naming things, the three little Nytos wouldn't have gone unnamed for so long.

...

"Hello? Nikolai, another restock? So soon? It doesn't seem like it's even been a few days since the last one."

Swirling the wine in her glass, Maggie sat leisurely on the sofa, somewhat puzzled that Nikolai was already asking for another shipment, especially since he hadn't even paid the remaining balance.

"It's been so long, Miss Maggie! Do you have any stock left or not?! If you do, give me more! I'm desperate!" Nikolai's voice was filled with urgency. He was clearly frantic.

This surprised Maggie. He hadn't been this anxious even when she had emptied his pockets while collecting his debts.

Something must have happened over the past couple of days that she didn't know about.

She had previously joined the other Dolls for a bit of fun, and occasionally going out sightseeing like that had been quite interesting.

She hadn't been constantly monitoring the Bee Sting System. After all, Paradeus's operations rarely involved Renault. Their targets were usually random, unrelated factions that had nothing to do with Renault.

Furthermore, she had already configured the Bee Sting System to automatically notify her whenever anyone from Paradeus mentioned anything related to their side.

Thinking about it that way, Nikolai's situation probably wasn't related to Paradeus. But what kind of situation could possibly drive this law-abiding thief to ask her for help?

"Waiting for help? Since when did you become such a kind-hearted good person? Your first words are always about needing help. Have you been influenced by those ELID-infected people?"

Maggie smirked, deliberately twisting the meaning of Nikolai's words. This guy wasn't trying to save anyone's life. After all, he was a smuggler. Where would he find family or sworn brothers?

"Su... no! Maggie! I'm serious! At least give me a straight answer! I'm trapped in the slums by a bunch of thugs! If I don't come up with something valuable, they'll definitely tear me to pieces without hesitation!"

"Oh? Thugs? That's strange. Are there thugs stronger than you? I don't believe it."

Hearing this, Maggie straightened up slightly and began searching for information about Nikolai in the Bee Sting System.

However, after locating Nikolai's current position, she frowned suspiciously. Hadn't Nikolai previously been selling antibody drugs to wealthy people in those sanatoriums? How had he ended up outside Quarantine Wall?

Those sanatoriums for the wealthy wouldn't have been located outside Quarantine Wall. They had originally been established to treat ELID symptoms, so how could they possibly be built in a collapsed area with fluctuating radiation levels beyond the wall?

"Hey! Is this really the time to be talking about that?! Maggie! Miss Maggie! Don't forget, the final payment is still in my hands! If I die here, you're never getting your money back!"

Nikolai shouted hysterically as he slammed his hand onto the dusty table.

This was merely a temporary, abandoned house being used as a makeshift shelter. Aside from the two men who had accompanied him to collect the goods last time, there was no one else inside.

Only the three of them were in the house, but a considerable number of people were watching from outside. Both near and far, everyone had their eyes fixed on the house. Some had even sat directly beneath the windows, openly eavesdropping on Nikolai's conversation.

Did Nikolai notice?

Of course he did.

The headscarf of the person outside was practically brushing against his nose. Nikolai wasn't blind.

But even if he noticed, what could he do? Tell them to leave? Did he dare? The people outside were all residents of the outer city, most of whom had traveled great distances to get here. Anyone who had managed to survive and stand here was bound to have some ability.

Without enough skill and luck, there was no way they could have survived this long. Heaven knew what those people were hiding beneath their robes—a skinny, emaciated body or an arsenal of clattering weapons.

---

Chapter 1247: Can you hold on a little longer?

“Maggie! Maggie! Victor called to ask if we could restock! How much longer until we can leave here? Victor said their stock is almost sold out!”

Just as Maggie was reviewing the records from the Bee Sting system, trying to piece together why Nikolai was trapped in the outer city, Catherine ran over waving her phone.

Maggie was personally handling things with Nikolai, so Catherine naturally took over handling the regular supplies for Victor and his group. This relieved Helian, since Griffin had always been the one buying things, and she, as the manager, did not need to personally handle the procurement of supplies and logistical materials.

“Shh.” Maggie held up a finger and pointed to her phone next to her ear, indicating that she was on a call.

Catherine nodded and expertly made her way to the bar. Right under Susanna’s nose, while Susanna glared at her angrily, she retrieved her treasured juice from the cabinet.

“Here we go again! How many times have I told you? Juice must be refrigerated! What’s the point of hiding it in the cabinet! Aren’t you afraid it’ll spoil?!”

“Oh, how could it spoil! I added my special Catherine ingredients! It absolutely won’t spoil!”

Meanwhile, on the other end of Maggie’s phone, Nikolai listened to the faint noise coming through the receiver, his eyes cautiously scanning the people outside the window, trying to avoid direct eye contact.

Even so, Nikolai saw several people staring at him with hostility, and cold sweat had already gathered on his forehead, trickling down his cheeks.

While his gang had a formidable reputation, it was only effective in the areas surrounding the Green Zone. In the Yellow Zone, his name held no sway.

Everyone here was struggling to survive in the Contaminated Zone; everyone was a scavenger.

How could they not have some weapons? What would they do if they only had a few knives or other melee weapons and encountered infected or mutated creatures?

“Nikolai, Nikolai? Are you still there? You weren’t already dragged out and beaten to death, were you?”

After a short wait, Nikolai’s longed-for voice finally rang out, but Maggie’s tone remained unhurried, even mocking him from the start! It was infuriating!

“Please, Ms. Maggie Ponzi, can you just tell me seriously, is there any stock left?”

“Heh, of course there is, but we’re still in the red zone. Delivery might take a few days. Given your current situation, you can probably manage to delay it for a few days, right?”

Maggie chuckled, having pieced together the whole story.

Poor Nikolai, he’s being targeted by others within his organization. Seeing him make so much money lately, their eyes are practically red with greed. They’re trying to extract his supply channels from him.

I guess the next time I deliver, the recipient won’t be that unlucky Nikolai.

However, Maggie did not want to replace Nikolai.

Although Nikolai was part of a smuggler gang, he spent most of his time doing business. Compared to other legal thief leaders, Nikolai was more like a businessman than a legal thief.

This was one of the reasons why other legal thieves looked down on Nikolai. So, rather than cooperating with a group of unscrupulous legal thieves, it was better to continue supplying him. Otherwise, who knew if the other legal thieves would willingly pay for the goods?

Replacing Nikolai would mean constantly encountering double-crosses, which would be troublesome and unprofitable, a pure waste of time.

For them, dealing with a few reckless legal thieves wasn’t a big deal, but if the antibody drug business didn’t improve, that would be a major problem for Maggie.

The company isn’t taking on any security contracts right now; their only income comes from selling daily necessities and antibody drugs. If this business isn’t stable, wouldn’t that mean they’re just living off their savings?

A contract like the one with Belgrade wasn’t something they could get easily. Plus, with this recent acquisition of a significant number of Dolls, their household expenses will likely increase further. Helian is busy taking care of the children every day and has delegated all the accounting to Maggie.

Maggie is under a lot of pressure... especially when it’s time to get her monthly allowance—no, her salary.

“A few days... okay, I understand, but a week at most! If you don’t deliver the goods soon, you might not even see my ashes next time!”

What’s so interesting about your ashes? Maggie rolled her eyes and hung up the phone. She needed to discuss the delivery with Helian to see if they could reduce the potency of this batch of antibody drugs.

The previous batch of antibody drugs, even after being stored on the ship for quite some time, remained remarkably effective. For those with mild ELID symptoms, it was a complete cure; not a single patient needed to remain bedridden after receiving the medication.

Of course, this was also related to the fact that those in the sanatorium were indeed mild cases. Regardless, the antibody drugs sold by Nikolai, though expensive, were undeniably effective and fully justified the price.

As for this time, given that most of those blocking Nikolai’s way and demanding antibody drugs were ordinary people from the outer city, the selling price could not be too high. Otherwise, those blocking Nikolai would definitely be determined to steal it.

With a lower price, the efficacy could only be slightly reduced. Since the antibody drugs wouldn’t cause any setbacks, if one dose wasn’t enough, more could be taken. It’s green, harmless, safe, and healthy.

“Hey, Maggie, when can we deliver the goods? Victor is getting impatient.”

“How would I know? You should ask Helian or Renault. The fighting hasn’t started down there yet. If things go quickly, it might be finished tonight. At most, it won’t take a day or two. Just have Victor and the others wait.”

With that, Maggie waved her hand and went to the lounge to find Helian. She still needed to go to Leone’s place; after all, reducing the effectiveness of the antibody drug couldn’t be done without Leone.

Meanwhile, the chief researcher of a certain biological research lab was currently slumped over the control panel like a madwoman, her eyes glued to the constantly scrolling monitoring data, a barely suppressed smile on her face.

The detection equipment Renault made was incredibly useful. Various data changes that couldn’t be detected at the Flora Research Institute were now completely clear!

---

Chapter 1248: To Avoid Being in a Hurry

“It’s quite lively...”

Looking at the group in the lounge excitedly discussing the names of several young Nytos, Maggie scratched her head helplessly. Helian was right in the middle; calling her out would obviously be quite difficult.

“What’s up?” Renault’s voice suddenly rang out beside Maggie, startling her. There hadn’t been anyone around her just moments before!

“Phew! Boss Renault, why did you come out so suddenly? Can you not be so startling?”

“Is it about the antibody drugs or those daily necessities?”

“Both. Both sides are clamoring for supplies. But with the antibody drugs, Nikolai’s side is more anxious. That bastard was tricked into going to the outer city by their own people, and now he’s being held up by a bunch of guys who want the antibody drugs to save their lives. Oh, and that guy’s final payment hasn’t been settled yet.”

The last sentence is the key point, isn’t it? Renault’s lips twitched. He didn’t know Nikolai, so whether the kid lived or died was irrelevant. But if the antibody drug business was affected, that was a big problem.

Besides, if Nikolai died, where would he get the remaining payment? Would he just storm into the Green Zone and extort those thieves one by one?

“Alright, let’s go check on Leone first.”

“By the way, Mr. Renault, if we’re delivering to Nikolai this time, shouldn’t the efficacy of the antibody drug be reduced? After all, those buyers probably can’t afford a good price this time.”

“That’s easy, just reduce the dosage. But that’s assuming Leone hasn’t finished packaging the new batch of antibody drugs.” Renault had previously thought that the initial efficacy would be more pronounced, making it easier to promote.

But who could have predicted that once Nikolai sold out his batch, they would be facing patients in the outer districts who barely had any money?

Therefore, the efficacy of the antibody drugs must be differentiated. Otherwise, the wealthy people in the city won’t sit idly by while those in the outer districts buy antibody drugs with the same efficacy at a low price. Someone will definitely buy them up in large quantities, whether for personal use, resale, or even as a deliberate target.

If Renault and his team were selling the drugs themselves, it would be fine; anyone causing trouble could be driven away. But Nikolai, as the distributor, obviously couldn’t do that, otherwise he wouldn’t be stuck in the outer city, unable to return.

Reduce the dosage? Maggie recalled the batch of antibody drugs she had given Nikolai last time; they were all 2 ml each. If she simply reduced the dosage, wouldn’t each dose contain less than half a milliliter?

A palm-sized container, yet it only contained less than a milliliter of the drug—it felt a bit wasteful...

While pondering, Maggie briefly explained Nikolai’s situation. The matter wasn’t complicated; it was simply that the other members of the Lawyers’ organization had conspired to pin a planned weapons and equipment deal on Nikolai.

Nikolai, whose focus was entirely on selling antibody drugs, didn’t want to be distracted by something so unprofitable at this time. However, he was ostensibly the closest and couldn’t refuse, since he had no intention of sharing the profits from the antibody drugs with anyone else.

As a result, the weapons and equipment had already been stolen by scavengers. When he led his men there, they stumbled upon a group of ordinary residents from the outer city who were collecting scraps after the scavengers left. The people sent by the organization, through some unknown means, managed to spread the word that Nikolai possessed antibody drugs.

Presumably, the reputation of Nikolai’s antibody drugs as a cure-all spread far and wide. These residents from the outer city, a mix of scavengers and thugs, effectively cornered Nikolai in the outer city.

Faced with this group of guys armed with various weapons, Nikolai was completely helpless. He was under constant surveillance, with people constantly calling out to him, demanding to buy or request antibody drugs. Sleep was impossible.

As for trying to use his connections to contact the city’s defense forces to send someone to bail them out?

Nikolai had already tried that. He didn’t know how much money those who had tricked him into coming had bribed, but his communications were completely useless, like throwing a stone into the sea.

Back to the present, when Renault and Maggie arrived at the biological lab, Leone was typing away with a sly grin, her eyes fixed on the freshly obtained radiation-infected epiphyllum samples that HK416 had recently brought back.

Beside the table was a pile of fast food and drinks; clearly, Leone intended to stay and wait for the radiation-infected epiphyllum to bloom.

“Stop for a second. Has the antibody drug been produced again these past few days?” Renault glanced at the data on the screen, then tapped the table, snapping Leone out of her frenzy.

The data recordings were all processed automatically; even if Leone wasn’t there monitoring it, there wouldn’t be any problems—unless someone came to cause trouble.

But that was obviously impossible. Not just anyone could enter Leone’s lab; at least, those troublemakers at home couldn’t.

“Eek!”

Renault’s sudden voice made Leone jump up from her chair like a flea.

Maggie, sitting next to her, shrugged, indicating that her boss was great in every way, except that she often moved silently, ready to jump out from behind at any moment and startle you.

“What… it’s Renault… and Maggie, what are you doing here?”

“Put aside the epiphyllum you’ve been so eager for. First, help us produce a batch of antibody potions, but this time the efficacy will be reduced to differentiate it from the previous version.”

Judging from Leone’s obsession with the epiphyllum, the antibody potions definitely hadn’t been produced yet.

After all, these things gradually lose their potency over time. Rather than producing a large batch prematurely and watching them lose their effectiveness, it’s better to produce them before shipping and sell them immediately.

“Oh, wait, that’s not right! Didn’t we just take away the remaining antibody potions a few days ago? Could they all be sold out in just a few days?”

“Probably more or less. Even if not all sold out, there probably won’t be much left.”

According to the sales data Maggie saw in the Bee Sting system, Nikolai has already sold most of the antibody potions. He might keep the remaining amount, deciding whether to sell it depending on the situation.

“Okay, okay, I’ll go right now. Luckily, I had already planned to reduce the effectiveness of the antibody drug, otherwise I would be in a complete mess... Hey? Where did it go?”

As she spoke, Leone began rummaging through the drawers and cabinets beside her. Her already cluttered workbench was now a complete mess after Leone’s rummaging. Paper documents, labeled storage media, and all sorts of other odds and ends were mixed together, making one wonder about her true abilities...

-----

Chapter 1249: How Many Are There?

“Romeo sounds nice, why not?”

“Wait, wait, wait! That won’t do! That’s a boy’s name, and…” Helian said, rubbing her forehead as a headache began to form. The jumbled names the Dolls were calling out were giving her a real headache.

Just then, her phone rang. Helian pulled it out, puzzled. Who would call her at a time like this?

Ange?

Seeing the caller ID, Helian answered without hesitation, gesturing for Intruder to take it.

Fortunately, Intruder was far more reliable than Helian had initially estimated, especially when it came to childcare. She was much more reliable than G11 or RFB, oh, and that Nagan too—who knew how many dangerous items she kept in her little warehouse? Who knew whether she had smuggled any in during the Doll search?

I’ll have Stg44 and G43 do a security check in the dorm area tomorrow.

Just then, a voice came through the receiver, but... why did it sound a bit like it was coming from the break room?

A bunch of Dolls were chattering away, creating a cacophony like a bird’s nest.

Angelia’s side was also emitting a similar cacophony, making Helian turn her head suspiciously to look at the lounge, wondering if some prankster was playing a trick on her.

“Helian! Where are you now? Could you send a few people over to help me with a small matter?”

Hearing Angelia’s voice on the phone, Helian raised an eyebrow. Angelia was clearly using a lighthearted tone on purpose, trying to make her think it wasn’t a big deal.

And asking for help? That was always Renault’s decision. Calling her, huh? Did she not want to pay? Or simply couldn’t afford it?

“A small favor? What is it?” Helian asked, following Angelia’s lead.

“Um, I just need you to pick up a few people for me, not many! And they’re all good kids! Your Gunship can take them all in one flight!” Angelia spoke somewhat nervously, deliberately avoiding any mention of payment or fees, considering the size of the Renault Gunship’s cabin.

Good kids? How could there be kids?

Hearing this, Helian suddenly realized why Angelia’s voice on the other end of the phone sounded like the lounge next door.

But how could Angelia have children with her? Shouldn’t she be in the Paldizsky facility right now?

She was familiar with the ship’s detection equipment. She had noticed the signal source representing Angelia long before the Dolls went down to retrieve them, much earlier than Gentiane, since she had entered the underground facility much earlier.

Logically speaking, Angelia should be on a mission right now, so what did it mean for her to call me halfway through and ask me to pick up a child? Ñ

When did Angelia have a child?

“A child?”

Helian was about to ask what was going on when she heard a childish but clear voice retorting from Angelia’s end.

“Angelia! I’m not a child anymore!”

“Um, Anna, don’t interrupt. I’m talking to your Aunt Helian...”

Aunt?

Helian squinted, raised a hand to rub her temples, and stopped herself from hanging up immediately. Then she sighed somewhat dejectedly.

Okay, yes, she had indeed reached the age where she was being called “Auntie”...

Angelia on the other end of the phone didn’t seem to notice, but at that moment, everyone in the lounge, and even Intruder, suddenly felt as if a low-pressure, cold wind were blowing from Helian’s direction.

Hiss…

“Helian? Is Helian still listening? This really isn’t a big deal. Your gunship can handle it in one trip, probably in less than half an hour. And I bet your ship is nearby, right?”

Renault will definitely be involved in this operation.

Besides, Gentiane messaged her earlier and said that AR15 and the others are currently with them.

With AR15 present, Renault’s ship can’t be far away. Even if the ship doesn’t arrive, there will definitely be a gunship nearby on standby.

“Easy for you to say. Do you know how many people are surrounding you? The rebels, Paradeus, Sangvis Ferri, and the signal flag bearers under Statesec. They’re all guarding that area. And don’t you know what floor you’re on?”

Helian calmed herself down and retorted irritably to Ange. If Ange were still on the surface, rescuing a few people wouldn’t be a big deal; it would be easy, and she could leave without a care in the world.

But underground, it was a different story. Even Renault couldn’t simply pass through dozens of meters of ground to bring people out.

“Wait, wait, wait! We are indeed underground, but this base has shafts, shafts specifically for large equipment...”

“There are definitely more enemies there! Do you even need to think about it?”

“But those enemies are nothing compared to your Gunship!”

Once Renault’s Gunship arrives, with its weaponry, both Paradeus and the rebel armored Dolls will have to retreat.

Even if the rebels bring their mechs in, it won’t matter! She had seen the armor plating on Renault’s Gunships before; it was as sturdy as the armor plating on a battleship!

While Helian and Angelia were arguing about the mission’s dangers, the Dolls in the break room fell silent, listening intently to what Helian was saying.

They exchanged glances and began whispering through their Doll communication channels.

“Looks like we’re going on another field mission.”

“Sounds like we’re picking someone up.”

“Picking someone up? Angelia? Anyone want to join in the fun?”

“Hey, it’s not that Ange, and didn’t you guys hear me? They’re going in a Gunship. Where is SPAS-12?”

“Don’t know? But they’re probably just freeloading in the kitchen.”

Whispering among themselves, the Dolls instinctively sprang into action, obviously wanting to join the mission and have some fun. Intruder, the lazybones, was completely unmoved.

Unless Helian and Renault specifically requested her to go, she wouldn’t bother going to the chaotic battlefield to add to the drama.

However, someone’s casual remark made Intruder frown.

“Maybe we’ll even see Sangvis Ferri’s mastermind down there. Speaking of which, how many elite Dolls does Sangvis Ferri still have?”

“One, two, three… four, I guess? If I remember correctly, four.”

---

Chapter 1250: A Small Matter

“SPAS-12, how come you’re back so soon? The gunship is already ready?” MP5 looked at SPAS-12, who was sitting at the bar eating snacks, with considerable surprise.

She had clearly seen the gunship SPAS-12 was in charge of deploying earlier, so how come SPAS-12, who was in charge of maintenance, was back so quickly?

“Shh! Keep your voice down! I asked the commander for help, and while Simonov was still a bit tipsy, I just dumped the work on her.” SPAS-12 whispered, covering her mouth.

MP5 was a little stunned upon hearing this. Could that be?

“Are you sure everything’s alright? What about Simonov after she sobers up?”

“Don’t worry, she won’t remember. She had to be carried back by A-91 when she came back; she could barely stand. She’s probably blacked out.”

“Huh? How is she supposed to maintain the gunship then...? She can’t even stand up, how is she supposed to work? SPAS-12’s idea of dumping the work on Simonov doesn’t seem very convincing.”

“Hey, don’t worry about that. The Commander and I have already checked. Even when she’s drunk, she can still clean the armor plates spotless. Simonov’s subconscious is practically that.” SPAS-12 gave her a heartfelt thumbs-up.

Despite being completely drunk, Simonov still managed to meticulously complete the cleaning work even though she was standing lopsidedly after the Commander shoved a mop and rag into her hands.

Even M1897, who was passing by, couldn’t help but admire her!

“Hm.”

Just as the two were chatting, G36 appeared out of nowhere, standing beside MP5 and clearing her throat.

The two, who had been chatting casually, immediately stood up. MP5 dusted off her apron and returned to the kitchen, while SPAS-12 hastily stuffed the last few pastries on her plate into her mouth, then scurried off to the kitchen sink with puffed-out cheeks.

MP5 was supposed to be helping out in the kitchen anyway, and since it wasn’t mealtime or afternoon tea, SPAS-12 naturally had to help out there to enjoy her snacks, especially since several Dolls were still in the hangar cleaning and maintaining their equipment.

SPAS-12 quickly packed away her used power armor and rushed to the mess hall for a free meal.

“Wait, SPAS-12, didn’t you check the communications channel? We might need you to fly the Gunship around in a bit. Keep an eye on the announcements, don’t just focus on hiding from Simonov.”

“Ahem!” G36’s words startled SPAS-12, her face flushing red. She had just confidently declared she wasn’t afraid of Simonov coming after her, and G36 had already exposed her lie...

MP5, however, didn’t seem to care. Instead, she was curious.

"Picking someone up? Is there a new mission?”

“It’s not really a commission, is it? Apparently, Angelia contacted Helian, wanting our help. It’s probably not a proper commission.”

“Oh, I see.” MP5 nodded. If it wasn’t a commission, then it was just getting help through connections. But it didn’t matter; she’d saved all her allowance, and hadn’t spent much in all this time.

Especially since P90 started making her own clothes, she hadn’t even bought many.

...

“This is quite different from the previous antibody drug...”

Maggie blinked, looking at Leone’s outstretched little finger. This size was about the smallest ampoule. Could their equipment really make it?

And it wasn’t just the bottle; it also included a disposable injection device. Was the cost really manageable?

“Sure, it’ll save on materials.”

Renault didn’t think it was a problem. The factory’s equipment could handle it, and there were no manufacturing costs, since they didn’t have to pay Leone any patent fees.

The ship had enough materials, and they were free; a large portion of them were salvaged from scraps collected by Nagant Revolver.

The only troublesome part was having to sort the different types of materials. With so many people at home, Sangvis Ferri spent her days doing this, though it was only for a few days of urgent work; otherwise, there wasn’t much material to sort.

“This is the purified antibody concentrate. Have M1 Garand or M1911 find someone to help encapsulate it! My night-blooming cereus is about to bloom! I need to keep an eye on it!”

Leone hurriedly carried two large jars of antibody concentrate from the cabinet and placed them on the table. She waved her hand and rushed to the night-blooming cereus, her eyes shining as she stared at the blooms.

Looking at the two 25-liter stainless steel barrels on the table, Maggie clicked her tongue. These two ordinary steel barrels actually contained the ELID antibody serum that was being wildly popular… and these barrels were clearly taken from Simonov and her group...

The “craft beer” labels that Simonov and her group had pre-attached were simply scribbled off with a marker.

However, when Maggie, inwardly grumbling, pulled the two barrels of antibody serum to the factory area on a cart, she found no one there...

A miscalculation!

M1911 and the others were probably in the dormitory area greeting the new Dolls! She should have called Susanna and Catherine along! Now it seemed she had to keep an eye on things herself...

It was at times like this that Maggie missed her old profession, where she could make money simply by deceiving people…

But it didn’t seem to matter much now. Renault could have just stolen it, but he had kindly given her 0.1 ml of antibody serum. Tsk tsk.

The fifty liters of antibody solution, packaged according to Leone’s new method, should yield around half a million doses, enough for Nikolai to handle the ordinary residents of the outer city and scavengers.

Luckily, the equipment on the ship is fully automated; otherwise, it would be a real headache.

Setting the parameters is all it takes, and Leone has already done that step. All she needs to do is upload the antibody packaging program to the machine.

It’s just a matter of moving a few fingers. After that, she can sit back and wait for the packaging to finish.

As for the certain boss, he’s already quietly slipped away.

“This is the factory department! It’s usually quite relaxed; you just need to move a few fingers and adjust some equipment parameters… Ah? Maggie? What are you doing here?”

M1911’s voice drew closer. Just as M1911 appeared at the door with two new Dolls, she met Maggie’s eyes as Maggie leaned against the machine, peering out.

“Ah, there’s an urgent shipment. The customer needs it urgently. Since none of you are here, I’ll have to do it myself. Luckily, this machine runs pretty fast; it should be finished in a few minutes.”

Maggie waved to M1911, then curiously looked at the two Dolls following behind her.