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A aircraft smoothly cut through Pandora's clouds...
Minerva piloted with full attention. Even though Goblin had an autopilot, she didn't want to admit it, but she was actually enjoying piloting it herself.
Eris was bored. Her gaze fixed on something outside, and her expression quickly changed as she looked through the pilot's window.
"What the... Minerva, look at that!" Eris abruptly pointed outside, her weight suddenly leaning onto Minerva.
Minerva was startled, thinking she was being attacked, and for a moment, she lost control of the ship. The Goblin tilted sharply to the side, the dashboard flashing with alerts before the assassin stabilized the vehicle with a tense sigh.
"Eris," Minerva growled, shooting the girl an irritated glare. "Sit. Now."
Eris stuck out her tongue, raising her hands in surrender. "Sorry, boss, but did you see that? That's a fucking mothership. Look, it's getting bigger the closer we get!"
Minerva exhaled slowly, her eyes analyzing the massive structure floating near the Red Light. The emblem of a black snake biting its tail made it abundantly clear who it belonged to.
"It's Lord Ouroboros' mothership." Minerva explained to everyone, making it clear that the associated figure was incredibly powerful. A ship of that size was only under the command of Atlas admirals.
From the back of the ship, Aphrodite let out a tired sigh as she filed her pink nails, uninterested in the conversation.
Hestia and Persephone ignored the chatter, their attention focused on Mordecai, still unconscious, tied up, and leaning against the metallic wall. Hestia adjusted the position of her rifle in her hands, glancing at her colleague.
"If he wakes up, will you do the honors?"
"Obviously." Persephone replied without taking her eyes off the prisoner, a small smile forming on her otherwise expressionless face as she gripped the sheath of her Plasma Sword.
The Goblin's dashboard suddenly lit up with a notification.
(INCOMING TRANSMISSION: SPYGLASS)
Minerva pressed a button, and Spyglass' voice filled the cabin.
("Third Squad, Lance Assassins. Reduce speed and prepare for landing sequence. Authorization granted for Hangar 04.")
("Copy that.")
Eris crossed her arms. "Can't he just do this automatically? What's with all the theater?"
"Discipline," Persephone muttered.
"Boring as hell, I bet all the hangars are empty!" Eris shouted, flopping into her seat.
The Goblin slowed down, descending smoothly into the designated dock. As soon as they landed, a slight tremor ran through the fuselage, indicating that the hangar locks had activated.
The ship's rear doors opened, and the Lance Assassins exited in a line, each carrying themselves in a way that reflected their personalities. Minerva carried Mordecai over her shoulder effortlessly, his body still unconscious and tied up.
Ahead of them, a figure waited patiently. Spyglass stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his mechanical eye inspecting each of them before stepping forward and offering a slight bow.
"Welcome to Odyssey, your new home. I am Spyglass. Please follow me."
"Now this is what I call a mothership; it's even the size of a mother," Eris whistled, impressed with the modern interior.
Spyglass ignored the comment and kept walking. The assassins followed him through the ship's metallic corridors, their footsteps echoing. The environment was clean, devoid of any unnecessary decorations.
"Here are your accommodations," Spyglass announced, stopping in front of a door that opened automatically, revealing a hallway with multiple individual rooms.
"You have free time until we arrive at the Crimson Armory. Enjoy it, children."
Aphrodite's eyes widened.
"SEPARATE ROOMS?!" She let out an exaggerated feminine scream, covering her mouth with her hands. "I can't believe it! Civilization, finally!"
Eris rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, it's just a room."
Aphrodite completely ignored her, already stepping inside to examine her personal space. Even as a highly trained soldier, it was still embarrassing for a girl to have to handle personal needs outside.
Hestia and Persephone exchanged glances, shrugged, and went inside.
Spyglass showed no reaction and simply turned to Minerva. "The prisoner will be taken to a containment cell. Maxwell is waiting for you on the command bridge to deliver the Vault Key."
Minerva looked at Mordecai on her shoulder and then at Spyglass. "Understood."
"I will escort you to the prison. Please follow me. It's easy to get lost in the corridors." Spyglass nodded.
...
Maxwell was relaxed in his leader's chair, one leg crossed over the other, his fingers drumming against the armrest. His gaze was fixed on the exterior view ahead of the ship, the endless sandy landscape of Pandora below, nothing more than a blur.
A few steps below, Patricia Tannis was completely absorbed in a piece of paper, her eyes scanning the lines of text with meticulous concentration.
She sighed, turning the page. "Only two subjects survived."
Maxwell shifted his gaze to her, raising an eyebrow. "Only two? That's a good start, at least."
"Technically, it wasn't a total failure. They're still breathing." Tannis waved a hand dismissively. "The survivors are in the cells. However, there are... concerning side effects."
Maxwell rested his chin on his hand. "Like what?"
Tannis lifted the paper to read it aloud. "Complete memory loss, episodes of auditory hallucinations, and erratic behavior. They occasionally murmur about hearing some kind of melody, suggesting they may be hearing something nonexistent."
Maxwell frowned. "Hallucinations? Did Wrath and Alter suffer from this, or is it just the Voices from the Void warning us about the dangers?"
"Still, I think memory loss is useful," Tannis continued, disregarding Maxwell's murmurs. "Amnesia can be beneficial. They have no past, no loyalties. Blank pages, ready to be rewritten. I've been visiting them every day to ask basic questions and stimulate cognitive thought."
She closed the report and looked at Maxwell. "Their eyes are the only tangible evidence of success. Their irises turned white and luminescent, while their sclera became completely black. A fascinating effect. If I had a larger lab, I could conduct more tests."
Maxwell turned his gaze back to the outside, pondering the scientist's words. "And they're still stable? No signs of mental deterioration or organic failure? Pilots are long-term soldiers; they can't have any health issues affecting their duties."
Tannis hesitated for a second before answering. "I need more time to collect that data."
"I see. Still, excellent work."
"Nothing too complicated for my genius. Now, since I've achieved good results, can we discuss research on the Eridian ruins?"
"Hmm, maybe when we visit Eridian Promontory. I need to recover the Destroyer's remains before any corporation does."
"I'll be eagerly waiting!"
As they talked, the door opened to reveal Minerva. She approached silently, standing beside Tannis before saluting Maxwell.
"Rest easy, Minerva. You arrived early; your squad's efficiency is impressive." Maxwell stood up, motioning for her to relax. Formalities weren't necessary, but he understood it was military protocol.
"All thanks to the intel you provided and the weakened state of the Vault Hunters, we successfully completed both objectives."
"Excellent! Give the Vault Hunters some time to lick their wounds. I'll send some photos of Mordecai along with the Crimson Armory coordinates."
"Sir, here is the Vault Key." Minerva removed the key from her ECHO deck, extending it toward Maxwell.
"Give it to Tannis, she's the expert in Eridian technology." Maxwell pointed at Tannis.
With her eyes gleaming, Tannis snatched the Vault Key from Minerva's hands and rushed off. A bit disoriented by the scientist's ferocity, Minerva quickly recovered and watched as Maxwell descended.
"I'll be away for a while. Get some rest for now, we'll have a lot of work to do at the Crimson Armory." Maxwell patted Minerva on the shoulder before walking away.
Minerva nodded, heading toward her squad's quarters. Spyglass was outside the room, waiting to guide her.
…
Maxwell was currently alone in his room—Moxxi had gone to check on the Goblin. He hadn't spent all this time sitting on his ass while everyone else worked tirelessly for Ouroboros' rise. After playing a few matches with Athena and spending several hours at the gym, he finally reached his goal.
'Status'
_____
Name: [Maxwell Willians]
Regeneration: 1 (+)
[STR: 51] [END: 54] [DEX: 51] [INT: 50]
Skills: [Trigger Discipline lv.34] - [Blade Mastery lv. 78] - [Mithridatism Constituion lv.15] - [Assassin's Instinct lv.95] [Fast Learner lv.1] - [Neurolink Lv.5] - [Driving lv.9]
—
Cyberware Installed: [Amped Hand] [Cloak] [Grappler] [Stim (Smuggled Stimulant)] [ECHO Vision] [Double Agent]
Functions: [Hangar] [Questboard] [Most Wanted List]
Credits: 614
_____
Maxwell pressed the '(+)' sign next to "Regeneration." A new warning screen appeared:
[Years of battle have taken their toll. We can regenerate you... at a cost.]
[Your body can be restored, but much of your muscle memory and attributes will be lost. You'll have to earn everything back in battle.]
[Upon waking, you will respawn as a next-generation pilot.]
[Would you like to proceed to the next generation?]
[Y/N]
"Of course I do!" Maxwell settled onto the bed, pressing 'Yes' without hesitation.
His muscles relaxed, and his eyes grew heavy as sleep quickly overtook his body. The room around him darkened, and soon, he fell into a deep slumber.
When he opened his eyes, Maxwell was greeted by a screen full of system notifications floating in his vision. His mind was still a little foggy, processing his return to consciousness after the regeneration procedure.
[Regeneration Complete!]
[All attributes reset to 10]
[Fast Learner lv.1 > 2]
[+150 + 2x multiplier for all credits]
[Credits: 764]
[New Hangar Tabs Unlocked!]
[Warehouse unlocked! Three spaces freed up for storing system items.]
_____
[Weapons]
[Gear]
[Augments]
[Robots]
[Medicine]
[Vehicles]
[Titans] (Unlocked)
[Civilian] (Unlocked)
_____
Warehouse:
(empty)
(empty)
(empty)
______
"HELL YEAH, FINALLY!" Maxwell raised his hands in triumph, a single tear rolling down his cheek.
[As a reward for your efforts, you can choose 1 item from each unlocked tab!]
"System, have I ever told you that I love you and that you're the best system a reincarnated guy could ask for?"
[...]
No words were spoken, just the Titans tab opening for Maxwell to select his reward.
Maxwell spent several hours just admiring the images of first- and second-generation Titans. The choice, however, wasn't difficult—he just wanted to see all the specifications before making his pick.
[(Titan) Vanguard Model 7274: Titan designed to be produced entirely by the Frontier Militia. (Price: 7,700[C])]
Technical Specifications:
Standard paint: Green, orange, white
40 Tons, 24 feet (8 meters)
Total battery capacity: 3
Equipment:
Primary Weapon: XO16A2 Chaingun (default). 20mm armor piercing automatic rifle. Fully Automatic. Magazine Capacity of 40 rounds.
Hologram projector – The Titan's "eye" can project holograms, including pre-recorded events and conversations.
Contactless manipulator – The Titan's hand technology allows it to manipulate objects without physically touching them.
Artificial Intelligence – The Vanguard chassis is the only Titan design currently known to incorporate a self-aware AI, allowing it to operate entirely independently of a pilot.
Regen Titan Bodyshields – Unlike other designs from the same era, the Vanguard features regenerating shields like the Atlas, Stryder, and Ogre.
SERE Kit – A survival kit for a pilot, including the Titan's AI core, a Smart Pistol MK6, and a Data Knife.
Maxwell chose the Vanguard without hesitation, making another screen appear. Since he had selected a Vanguard, he needed to choose its layout, the abilities it would be equipped with. If Maxwell wanted to change the layout later, he would need to purchase the equipment for the new ability, remove the current one from the Titan, and then install the new one. Needless to say, he would need someone knowledgeable about Titans, something impossible at the moment.
He hoped Moxxi could study Titans, or he'd be stuck with the same layout for a long time.
Turning his attention back to the screen, Maxwell made his choices:
Core Ability: Upgrade Core
Ordnance: Rocket Salvo
Tactical Ability: Rearm
Defensive Ability: Vortex Shield
Kits: (Turbo Engine) - (Dome Shield) - (Survival of the Fittest)
Maxwell smiled happily at his choices. They might not have been the best, but having Upgrade Core made everything worth it. Even if he couldn't change the layout, he could still pick the Upgrade Core options. Since he chose Monarch's Core, he could only select Monarch's Kits, and to his disappointment, Energy Thief wasn't available, there were no other Titans to steal batteries from.
No FOOD for you, BT.
Survival of the Fittest was still a solid choice. It could pull the Titan out of Doomed State, preventing it from exploding and becoming irreparable. He had ten batteries stored from system rewards, so energy wasn't a concern for now. However, Maxwell immediately searched the system for battery blueprints.
(Gear) Battery: Cylinder-shaped green battery capable of restoring 33% of Armor and Shields. Exclusive for Titans. (Price: 100[C])
(Gear) Amped Battery: Cylinder-shaped orange battery capable of restoring all Armor and Shields. Exclusive for Titans. (Price: 400[C])
(Gear) Nuke Battery: Cylinder-shaped red battery that makes the Titan indestructible, allows uninterrupted ability use (zero cooldown), but explodes the Titan after sixty seconds. Exclusive for Titans. (Price: 666[C])
Maxwell chose the blueprints for the first two, spending a total of 250 credits.
[-250]
[Credits: 514]
After securing the blueprints, he immediately stored them in his ECHO deck and got up from the bed.
He needed a spacious area to claim his Titan.
___*__*__*__*__*___
Chapter Tittle: Regeneration II