NOVEL NEXT Chapter 22: Chapter 22: A Genius Commander?
Even with his expertise, the battle had been grueling.
The test results were unlikely to impress the higher-ups.
Mo Chen thought to himself.
Understandably so, given that last time they'd had Rose and Marian.
Without those two heavy hitters, a weaker outcome was expected.
At least they should have passed.
"What's there to evaluate?" Anis grumbled, looking deflated as she slumped on the bench. "What's the point of this, Rapi?"
Rapi thought for a moment before sharing her guess.
"It's probably to compare data from the battle with the Black Smith. After all, it's rare to defeat a Tyrant-class Rapture."
"Such a hassle, fighting all the time," Anis complained, then turned to Mo Chen. "Commander, do you have any idea what's going on?"
Mo Chen turned, glancing toward the simulation room entrance, where other squads were still being tested.
"Her guess seems accurate."
Rapi tried to reassure Anis.
"It's unlikely to be a bad thing. We did defeat Black Smith, after all. That's a significant achievement."
Meanwhile, in the simulation room's data center…
Andersen and the others had been waiting there for some time.
"What's the result?"
Ingrid looked thoughtfully at the data scrolling on the screen.
"It's unusual," Andersen said, glancing at the scrolling data.
"Are you saying their test results were poor?"
"No," Ingrid shook her head, pulling up the recorded footage from the simulation room. "Quite the opposite, their results were outstanding—so exceptional that it made me question if there was an error in the test equipment."
"Outstanding?"
Andersen was taken aback.
Ingrid was famously rigorous with training, to the point of severity, and she rarely praised anyone. Such a compliment was unprecedented.
"Yes," she continued, setting the screen aside and turning to face him. "In fact, since the simulation room was commissioned, we've never seen results like these."
"Oh?" Andersen's interest was piqued. "Are you saying their skills rival those of an elite squad?"
"No," Ingrid shook her head again. "If we're talking about raw combat power, it's quite the opposite. They're weak—shockingly so."
"Hm?"
"But here's the strange thing. Despite their limited combat strength, they managed to clear the simulation."
"Hm??" Andersen's curiosity deepened.
"So, you mean…"
"It's this Commander," Ingrid said, her slender finger tapping on Mo Chen's profile. "His adaptability is exceptional, and his tactical coordination is precise. Especially in the fight against a Tyrant-class Rapture."
"It was as if he could predict the enemy's attacks, making preparations in advance with startling accuracy."
"Oh?"
"What's more, it's almost as if he has a sixth sense for danger. He would relocate their position before an attack even landed."
Andersen raised an eyebrow at Ingrid's assessment.
This went beyond typical praise.
"So, you think this Commander has potential?"
"'Potential' doesn't quite capture it," Ingrid said with a sigh, as if something from the past had crossed her mind.
"Commanders of his caliber haven't appeared in Ark for a long time… not since that prodigy from decades ago…"
She trailed off into silence.
Andersen knew who she meant.
That Commander had been Ark's brightest hope, leading human forces to repeated victories against the Raptures and reclaiming vast tracts of land on the surface.
But unfortunately, he had defected.
"Have them participate in a real operation," Andersen suddenly suggested.
"A real mission?" Ingrid looked up, puzzled by Andersen's decision.
"Yes," he said, his gaze on Mo Chen's profile displayed in front of him, as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I have a feeling he hasn't shown his full potential yet. I'd like to see just how capable he really is…"
A little later, before Mo Chen and the girls even had a chance to rest, a new assignment arrived.
"A power plant investigation?"
"The one in the coastal city?"
"…Just us?"
They exchanged uncertain glances.
Only a small squad to reclaim a power plant? That was a death sentence.
That coastal city had long since become a Rapture nest, likely housing hundreds of thousands of them. The power plant itself was a central gathering point, teeming with Raptures.
Normally, a mission like this required multiple elite Nikke units.
"This is outrageous!" Anis stomped her foot in frustration. "We just got back, with no reward, and now we're sent off on a suicide mission?!"
Rapi remained silent, troubled.
The last mission had been risky enough, and this one seemed equally dangerous, with even less certainty.
Mo Chen quickly assessed the situation.
Actually, this mission was exactly what he needed.
After purchasing the auto-dodge chip, he'd nearly exhausted his points. Now, he could use a boost to earn more points—not only for useful items but also to be prepared for any sudden emergencies.
Rapi voiced a concern.
"So, who will be the Commander for this mission?"
"I will," Mo Chen replied, expecting it.
"…What?"
"…This is strange. What's going on?"
Rapi and Anis looked at each other, perplexed.
Mo Chen chuckled and joked.
"What's the matter? Don't want to be on my team?"
"No, it's not that," Rapi shook her head, still confused. "In most cases, the same Commander and squad aren't assigned back-to-back combat missions. Such deployments are known to lead to complications during operations."
"Complications?" Mo Chen asked, intrigued.
"Yes," Rapi nodded slightly. "Commanders and Nikkes aren't exactly close partners. To put it bluntly, they're forced into being together."
"Besides," she added, "Commanders typically avoid the front lines. If they're assigned to a combat mission, it's often because they've already been written off in some way—and are dealing with a lot of emotional turmoil."
Mo Chen began to understand.
Those Commanders forced into battle were likely regarded as expendable.
Despair, anger, fear—all those emotions could easily lead people to make extreme decisions.
Rapi's words that they were "emotionally unstable" might actually be understating it.
Anis sighed from the side.
"It's common for Commanders to dispose of Nikkes on the battlefield. And sometimes, Nikkes end up turning on their Commanders."
Rapi looked out the window, her gaze steady.
"Because of such extreme incidents, usually there's a mandatory three-mission interval before Commanders and their Nikkes are reassigned together."
Turning back, she added, "This time is... unusual."