Battle Dress

During the second period of the afternoon biology class, Claude was frantically taking notes, a pen cap between his teeth, when his right hand suddenly stopped, leaving a black signature on the paper.

Outside the lounge of the 28th Mansion headquarters, a member of the Western Palace's delivery team sought entry.

Claude continued writing notes as if nothing had happened, a part of his mental energy sinking into the dog pattern, and the small dog lying on the warm bed in the lounge suddenly opened its eyes.

"Agree to the application, woof," he said, raising his head, his voice soft as if he hadn't yet fully mastered control of his body.

As soon as the words were spoken, the lounge door opened from the outside. Two individuals in the 28th Mansion's specialized black uniforms rolled in a metal cart, saluting Claude with a proper military gesture: "Hello, logistics team of the 28th Mansion's Western Palace. Here is your combat uniform."

The dog pattern stiffened, and even Claude, seated in the distant classroom, awkwardly curled his fingers, caught in a dilemma. He hadn't had time to transform back into human form and put on clothes yet!

If it had been normal Claude, perhaps he could have devised a better solution. But dog habits influenced him in his canine form, making him more impulsive. He simply leaped to the ground, pretending not to notice the confused Western Palace members, and darted into the bathroom like a dog with its tail on fire. After two seconds, he jumped up again, flung open the bathroom door, dashed past the Western Palace members with a "da" sound, grabbed the clothes and pants hanging on the hook with his mouth, and raced back.

[The Western Palace member on the left laughed so hard his face turned red.]

The dog toy teased him.

Claude pretended not to hear, quickly reverted to human form, donned his clothes, hurried out of the bathroom, and anxiously accepted the combat uniform: "Thank you, I'll just hang it in the closet."

The Western Palace member halted him: "Wait a moment, this is the latest combat uniform developed through a collaboration between the Eastern and Western Palaces. There are several additional features to introduce."

This combat uniform wasn't particularly conspicuous; it was painted black like ink, and even the 28th Mansion's South Palace team's gilded emblem had been deliberately faded. It was almost invisible when moving in the dark.

"This combat uniform combines your unique advantages, focusing on elasticity, defense, assistance, and teamwork. It's made of a special material enhanced with superpowers; thin yet nearly indestructible. The open-finger gloves are designed for weapon handling, with the palm material being an enhanced version of superpower fiber, making it bulletproof. There's an emergency communication, navigation, and locator in the pocket on the right side of the belt."

The Western Palace member went on tirelessly, explaining from the cuff's expansion space device to the long boots enhancing jumping performance, concluding with the assortment of weapons and emergency equipment. Claude's dog ears perked up more and more, and he couldn't help but exclaim: "How can it be so excellent? This is way too professional!"

His classmate stared at him, surprised. "Really? I thought the biology teacher was pretty average in this lesson."

Claude then realized he had accidentally spoken in his true voice, quickly closed his mouth, and directed the dog pattern to receive the combat uniform. He couldn't resist nuzzling his face against it, showing his gratitude to the Western Palace member enthusiastically.

"We spent several days tailoring the combat uniform to perfectly align with your abilities," the Western Palace member patted him on the shoulder with a smile and bid farewell politely, "If you have any more questions or wish to add other functions, just head directly to the Western Palace team."

Claude saw them off at the door, waved goodbye, and returned to his bedroom. Eager to wear the combat uniform, he hurried to the dressing mirror to admire himself from all angles. It wasn't until he carefully hung the uniform back in the closet that he suddenly realized the issue: "Wait a minute, I only joined the 28th Mansion yesterday. Why would the Western Palace team have started preparing my combat uniform days ago?"

In the evening, Claude was in the training room for physical testing, accompanied by Tang Aibai, Qiao Liang, and Peng Hua, alongside professionals from the Western Palace research team. They all donned white lab coats, matching black-framed glasses, held clipboards, and observed Claude, who stood on the treadmill. The atmosphere was so intense that Claude felt almost clumsy while running.

Qiao Liang also appeared intimidated by the group. He murmured about traditional Chinese medicine and dark cuisine, his usually noticeable high ponytail now lackluster as he tried to minimize his presence in the corner.

Meanwhile, Peng Hua squatted on the expensive superpower training equipment, munching on steamed buns filled with leeks and mushrooms.

The composed Tang Aibai, ignoring his teammates, stood beside Claude, guiding him through various training exercises while holding a test sensor.

"Speed second-class, potential for improvement; reaction speed first-class, even among the top members of the 28th Mansion; strength third-class. Even with your metal claws, you barely meet the second-class threshold," Tang Aibai assessed, seeming unsurprised by the results.

"And now, let's test your superpower intensity."

Claude swiftly moved to an elliptical white device nearby, resembling an unevenly peeled eggshell when opened. He settled inside, feeling like an eager chick waiting to hatch.

[Stop daydreaming and get ready mentally.]

The dog toy chimed in abruptly.

[Your power comes from the Dog God, a higher-level deity than superpowers. The instrument for testing superpower intensity won't detect anything about you, and in half a minute, we'll have the results. Prepare a reasonable explanation.]

Claude felt helpless.

"What's there to explain?" he said aloud within the soundproofed testing device. "The 28th Mansion must have guessed that my power isn't linked to superpowers."

Given the restricted information about the Hell Gate and the Hell Cat, it was evident that his abilities to transform into a dog, metal claws, and increased jumping powerset him apart from typical superpowered individuals with a single ability throughout their lives.

Upon emerging from the "eggshell," both Tang Aibai and the Western Palace researchers remained composed.

"Your abilities aren't superpowers but rather akin to magical powers," one researcher analyzed. "Since the Mansion's records only mention true monsters in the earlier generations, we lack adequate data. We need further tests on your energy replenishment method to check consistency with superpowers."

Claude agreed willingly.

Despite the dog toy's emphasis on the Dog God's power being several levels higher than superpowers, it seemed to make no significant difference. All energy supplements and nutrients worked for Claude, albeit with lower efficiency and duration than ordinary superpowered individuals, roughly one-third of their capacity.

"It's alright, take a few extra bottles when needed," Tang Aibai comforted him. "With the current number of Hell Cats, accumulating reward points in the 28th Mansion should be easy. Maybe four or five expulsions will get you a bottle of nutrient fluid."

Claude nodded enthusiastically.

He was more than content. Just a day ago, he could barely afford a tracksuit to fight, let alone afford a proper meal!

——Here's a shout-out to a certain unscrupulous organization exploiting its employees without fair compensation.

The dog toy whimpered pitifully.

After the data collection, the Western Palace researchers left, wearing serious expressions, to discuss Claude's optimal training plan. Tang Aibai checked the time on his wrist and gathered his team, saying, "Everyone, put on your combat suits. It's nearly time for the night patrol."

The team responded in unison.

Claude hurried back to the resting area, happily donning his combat suit before returning to the lobby. While Tang Aibai and the others hadn't emerged yet, Claude stuffed several cranberry cookies into his mouth, struggling to swallow them. He glanced back and noticed Peng Hua discreetly stowing the remaining cookies in his pocket.

"Aren't you taking a few?" Claude asked, surprised. Peng Hua adjusted his glasses and replied, "These HQ cookies are delicious. Take some for the road; just don't let the captain catch you."

Claude awkwardly scratched his dog's ears.

...

The sky darkened, but the Hell Cats hadn't appeared. The four South Palace team members emerged from the headquarters lobby, finding a quiet corner between two city buildings.

"We've captured an entire superpower cult; there shouldn't be any troublemakers now," Tang Aibai explained as they walked, detailing patrol locations, crowd avoidance techniques, and guiding Claude step by step. "If you sense a Hell Cat, shout and head there. We'll catch up."

The 28th Mansion was flexible in handling affairs, especially with Hell Cats, where every minute's delay could mean more victims. Quick problem-solving was the priority, with few strict regulations to follow.

"The research institute said if we can intercept black fog when the Hell Cat disappears, they'll fund research for a new superpower fighter jet," Qiao Liang eagerly shared. "I think my space reorganization might do this."

Claude, previously on high alert, got distracted, "Wait, we have fighter jets?"

"Of course, how else would we go on missions?" Tang Aibai grinned. "HQ teleportation gates are limited to certain locations. We need fighter jets for other places."

Peng Hua patted him and encouraged, "Next mission, you'll ride in a fighter jet with Tang's team. It's semi-automated and simpler than regular planes."

Claude, the disincarnation dog, wagged his tail excitedly. Fighter jets this time, and maybe spaceships next?