Arrival at the Sapphire City Train Station

The two returned to the train. Bianka found a cloth and wiped away the filth from her body.

The impeccably clean Rita also took out a bottle of water from her own supplies, poured out about two mouthfuls, and wiped her hands simply.

But she didn't even get dirty... Bianka was a little confused but chose to respect it.

This is probably another one of Rita's little habits...

Rita, meanwhile, narrowed her eyes, looking at her glass of milk, which had been moved a few millimeters and rotated about half a turn. Then she glanced at Theresa, who was pointedly looking away.

As if sensing Rita's gaze, Theresa became even more flustered. She couldn't help but pick up a cloth and start wiping down the weapon sitting next to her.

Rita smiled, deciding not to torment the very busy-looking Theresa any longer. She sat down gracefully, picked up her milk, and took a slow sip.

"The temperature is just right, isn't it, Lady Theresa?" Alright, so she hadn't let Theresa off the hook after all.

"Ahem... yes... the temperature is perfect..." Theresa managed a strained smile, then quickly changed the subject to Bianka.

"Bianka, how are you feeling?"

"Huh?" Bianka was taken aback by the question. "Me?"

Theresa nodded emphatically. "Yes. How did your first real battle feel?"

Bianka thought about it seriously. "It felt easier than I imagined... Those zombie Deadwalkers are slow, their defenses aren't high, and there weren't many of them, so cleaning them up wasn't a problem..."

Theresa nodded in approval.

As long as Bianka is confident...

"But I still have a lot of room for improvement." But then Bianka immediately began a self-critique. "The first move I used was too wide, which led to a large recovery lag. If the enemy had been able to counterattack, I would have been injured... I should learn from Rita's moves and use smaller, faster attacks to quickly eliminate enemies, instead of easily leaving my back and openings exposed to others... And when dealing with the second zombie... I could learn from Rita..."

Bianka's earnest self-critique silenced both of them in the car. Listening to Bianka meticulously dissect every move she used to eliminate the zombies and point out her own mistakes, Theresa felt her mind go numb.

But she had no one to blame but herself. During their sparring sessions, she had told Bianka, "Just practicing is useless. You have to carefully examine every move you make to see if it's reasonable," all so she could slack off.

It was an excuse Theresa used to slack off, but Bianka had taken it to heart and diligently implemented Theresa's "advice."

She conducted a review like this after every training session, shifting the exhaustion from Theresa's body to Theresa's ears.

At first, Theresa would listen carefully. Later, she discovered that all she had to do was keep saying, "Yes, yes, you're right," and Bianka would find the most suitable improvements on her own.

Rita, on the other hand, was breaking out in a cold sweat, forcing a smile to hide her inner embarrassment.

Is that so? Did I really think that much when I made my moves?

Are my little habits also the result of careful consideration?

Were my minor mistakes actually bold trade-offs I made? A sign of my confidence to achieve my goal by using offense as defense?

Wow... I'm really something...

Rita smiled and mentally filed away Bianka's praise. She felt that Bianka's words might come in handy someday.

The two of them quietly waited for Bianka to finish. Bianka talked for a long time, until her mouth felt dry. Just as she was about to look for water, Rita handed her half a glass of milk.

It was still that perfectly warm temperature. Bianka didn't stand on ceremony and took the glass, downing it in one go.

"Thanks, Rita," Bianka said, putting down the glass.

Rita smiled, replying with the same words as always: "It is my duty, Lady Bianka."

Neither of them noticed Theresa's wide, staring eyes.

The Ollurius continued its slow journey along the tracks. A trip that would have taken only an hour in more prosperous times now took a full six hours to approach the station.

"Captain Judah, we're almost there," the train driver announced over the intercom.

"Understood. Patch us through to the station's communication channel. We need to arrange for people to deliver these weapons to the various fronts quickly."

There were almost no ordinary people on the front lines. They were all warriors from the first batch to join the MOTHs, people who had undergone the baptism of the [Genesis] Key. The corrosive effects of these Honkai Energy weapons on them were minimal.

But that didn't mean they were non-existent. If they wore this armor and used Honkai Energy weapons for extended periods, even those who had evolved through the [Genesis] Key would be eroded by Honkai Energy.

According to Otto's calculations, the limit for this "extended period" was about 48 hours. Depending on the duration of use, the time needed for full recovery was approximately three times the time of use. An hour of use required three hours of rest, and so on, varying based on individual Honkai Energy resistance.

The train slowed as it entered the station, gradually coming to a stop beside the platform.

Theresa led the others off the train and immediately spotted the people from the nearest front line.

"Captain Judah, Second Frontline combatant Lu Renjia salutes you!" A sturdy young man with a bit of stubble but a still-youthful face gave Theresa a sharp salute.

Bianka, who had just disembarked, was startled by Lu Renjia's loud voice. She almost lost her grip on the large crate in her hands.

Lu Renjia? What a strange name... [TL Note: Lu Renjia (路人甲) is the Chinese equivalent of "John Doe" or "Passerby A".]

Full of confusion, Bianka dragged the huge crate off the train.

Judging by Lu Renjia's gear, he must be one of the warriors here... Wait, was it rude of me not to greet him? And was that gesture a salute?

A mind full of questions turned Bianka into a curious child once more, but with her hands full and mindful of her current status, she was too embarrassed to ask.

If people found out that a member of the special squad personally appointed by Bishop Otto didn't even know how to salute, would they think I got in through connections?

Lacking initial confidence, Bianka still felt a little timid.

However, she silently memorized Lu Renjia's gesture.

Left hand behind the back, right hand balled into a fist and struck against the heart... so that's a salute...

"Lu Renjia, I'm counting on you," Theresa said, the cross on her back, addressing him, the few warriors behind him, and some small intelligent mechs.

"Yes, ma'am! I guarantee the mission will be completed!" Lu Renjia shouted just as loudly, his gaze then falling on the crate in Bianka's hands.

That was the biggest crate.