Level 2 of the basement, C Zone lobby, Equipment Distribution Point 3.
The air was much quieter than upstairs and filled with the heavy scents of engine oil and rusting metal, as well as the faint smell of ozone left behind after energy weapons were charged.
Only the green emergency exit indicator lights flickered monotonously on the cold alloy walls.
Gestalt Iron Gray—Sergeant Resolute—had been waiting there all along, like a gray iron rock sculpture. His sharp gaze swept over the three late-arriving new recruits one by one.
Gestalt glanced at his wristwatch, his voice steady and devoid of emotion.
"Standard time: You are thirty-seven seconds late for the scheduled assembly time."
"On a real battlefield, those thirty-seven seconds would be enough for the enemy to blast you into a pile of burning scrap metal."
Ryan instinctively straightened his posture and shouted,
"Yes, sir!"
Ryan followed suit, saluting nervously.
Shen Kai merely nodded slightly while facing Gestalt's almost tangible "lead-gray" aura. Under this aura, the "colorless core" on his chest felt a faint sense of pressure.
Gestalt's voice was not loud, yet it carried an authority that brooked no argument.
"From now on, I am your direct commander."
"Ryan Flame, codename 'Charge'; Sakuraba Nadeshiko, codename 'Sakura'; and Shen Kai."
"Your squad's official codename is 'Pioneers.'"
"This means you will face the most direct dangers, the most unpredictable enemies, and the harshest survival conditions."
"Any questions?"
"No, sir!" Ryan and Nadeshiko almost spoke in unison. Shen Kai remained silent, shaking his head.
"Good." Gestalt turned sideways and pointed to a row of cold metal storage cabinets.
"This is the basic equipment issued to you: the latest model of the Federation Standard Combat Suit, an assault rifle, a combat blade, and three tubes of 03 Standard Nutritional Gel."
He paused, then reached into an open metal box filled with black, energy-dampening foam.
He pulled out three black, square boxes, each about the size of a palm. They gleamed with a cold, metallic sheen.
A line of text was etched on the side of the box in tiny, laser-engraved letters:
"Experimental Core Interaction Interface — Model Gamma-7 — Internal Test Version."
A deep, circular indentation at the center of the box seemed to absorb all light.
Gestalt's tone grew unusually serious as he handed the three boxes to the three individuals.
"And this."
Shen Kai took the cold, heavy box and immediately felt a peculiar sense of energy absorption. He vaguely sensed that the interior of the box contained an extremely complex micro-force field structure designed to guide and constrain high-intensity energy.
Meanwhile, the mysterious circular indentation resembled a "soul's eye" awaiting awakening by some unknown force.
The object seemed to emit an inexplicable repulsion toward the "colorless core" that had formed spontaneously on his chest, or perhaps a peculiar resonance.
Gestalt explained in his icy voice,
"This is the latest basic-type core box external drive developed by the Federation Core Technology Department. It is based on 'forced resonance interface technology,' and its model is Gamma-7. Its internal test codename is 'Pandora.'"
"Its function is like a key."
"It can forcefully open the 'Pandora's box' of certain dormant powers within you."
"But at the same time, it may also release a 'catastrophe' that you are currently unable to control."
"Before you undertake your first official mission, the core adaptation specialists from the Technical Department will select and 'implant' a custom 'heterogeneous core' into each of you. Then, your cores will be embedded into the slots of this driver."
"Through the driver, the core's energy will be guided, constrained, and amplified preliminarily."
"It will then undergo a 'forced resonance' process with your nervous system—a process that will be extremely painful and risky."
"This is the forced deep fusion of the core's will with your own will."
If successful, you will be able to harness the immense power contained within the core.
If unsuccessful, Gestalt's gaze swept coldly over the three, the lesser outcome is core collapse and permanent mental damage.
The greater outcome is being consumed by the negative emotions accumulated within the core and transforming into a disaster more terrifying than deep-sea monsters.
"Core Drive!"
Ryan's eyes lit up instantly, seemingly unfazed by Gestalt's brutal description. Instead, he lunged forward like a young wolf sensing blood, unable to contain his excitement. He snatched the black box.
"Awesome! Does that mean we'll soon be able to pilot those super-cool interface armor suits?"
"Will it be like in the Federation propaganda videos, where you just 'whoosh' and complete the 'synchronization transformation'?"
His worship of the heroic figures in the propaganda videos bordered on blind devotion.
Gestalt snorted coldly, shattering his fantasy.
A new recruit's ignorance is often why they meet their end. As their captain, he had a duty to instill this brutal reality in them beforehand.