By the Way, How Long Has A1 Squad Been Reserve Operators?

It took the girl a while to calm down. Earlier, she had even considered joining Rhodes Island's Children's Center as a volunteer, but now she had absolutely no desire to do so. After all, the young dragon in front of her had already made her heart race several times. The thought of facing a group of children would send shivers down her spine—a truly terrifying prospect.

But looking at the poor little Kanna before her, she couldn't muster any anger. All she could do was sigh heavily and wonder what misfortune she had brought upon herself today.

At that moment, the door to the adjacent corridor suddenly swung open, and several operators emerged. Leading the group was a Kutalan girl, followed by another girl with bright orange hair carrying a standard Rhodes Island anti-explosive shield, and behind them was a laid-back Katses with half-closed eyes.

Upon seeing the two at the door, the Kutalan girl at the front politely nodded. Fen was initially puzzled—hadn't Rhodes Island issued a rule stating that underage personnel must not remain alone outside the bridge without an accompanying operator from headquarters? This was because the bridge, unlike the interior of Rhodes Island, is less secure and has a much higher risk of Originium infection. To prevent young ones from venturing outdoors and facing danger, this regulation was established at the very inception of Rhodes Island.

So, when they saw a child come out, the group was momentarily stunned—after all, it was rare to see a child here. But upon noticing the operator badge pinned to Blue Poison's chest, they dropped the inquiry.

Kanna also recognized the three of them… They were members of the Rhodes Island Reserve Team AI, and one of them—affectionately nicknamed "Koukoudayou"—had even etched herself into the Doctor's mind.

And in the storyline, A1 Squad's most glorious moment was when, in Letania, they defeated and successfully lured back the tired, hungry "Silly Dog" (a scene so hilarious that the squad nearly got overturned by the silly dog's vehicle).

In the narrative, the three had been good friends since arriving on the island, so it was only natural to see them appear together.

"Hello, everyone! My name is Kanna!" Kanna waved at the trio. It was only then that they noticed that Kanna also sported an operator ID badge—one exclusively for Rhodes Island operators—pinned to her chest.

Even the usually most laid-back Chloe couldn't help but open her eyes wide at the sight of that badge.

You see, before coming to the island, the three already had internship experience with the security team. They were forced to leave their original unit after contracting Originium Disease while covering the evacuation of civilians during the Catastrophe, and subsequently arrived at Rhodes Island.

Thanks to that prior experience, the three quickly stood out and were incorporated into the Reserve Operations Team. But even so, they were only granted the status of reserve operators.

If the girl beside them had been a full-fledged operator, the three might have accepted it, especially since they had encountered many geniuses at Rhodes Island. Yet, for such young children to have an operator ID badge—the kind only full operators possess (Chloe, with her excellent eyesight as a sniper, could clearly see that the badge on Kanna's chest indeed bore Kanna's own portrait)—was astonishing.

Suddenly, Chloe's eyes lit up as she recalled a rumor circulating on the island today: Dr. Kal'tsit had promoted a little girl to full operator status through a special channel, and that girl's performance in the testing grounds had left everyone speechless.

"Could it be that you are the one Dr. Kal'tsit promoted via that special channel?" Chloe asked, her voice filled with a mixture of shock and curiosity.