Chapter 214: Level Four Kaiju

The machine stopped running.

The hatch opened, and the burly man stepped out. His expression was normal, though he was panting slightly.

“It was alright.”

He said indifferently.

Hansen’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

Alright?

He called that ‘alright’?

But what happened next caused him to lose his ability to speak entirely.

The second tester: 48 times.

The third: 55 times.

The fourth: 61 times.

The fifth: 58 times.

…

Out of the ten testers, the lowest was 48 times, and the highest was 63 times.

Every single one of them possessed the ability to pilot a Jaeger alone.

Hansen was already numb.

He stood blankly by the machine, staring at the data, his mind a complete void.

Until—

That silver-haired little loli stepped toward the machine.

Hansen’s pupils suddenly constricted.

Everyone held their breath in unison; these Reincarnators also wanted to see the gap between themselves and this Hunter.

Lilith walked into the machine, putting on a protective suit that was clearly ridiculously oversized.

The suit almost completely enveloped her, making her look somewhat comical.

But no one laughed.

The hatch closed.

The numbers on the display began to jump.

[1x… 5x… 10x… 20x… 50x…]

The numbers skipped rapidly, as if meeting no resistance at all.

[80x… 90x… 100x—]

The machine emitted a piercing alarm.

On the display, the number froze at [100] and then flashed frantically.

This was the machine’s limit.

It was not her limit.

The hatch opened.

Lilith walked out, patting away non-existent dust from her clothes.

She looked up at Hansen, who had turned completely to stone.

Those crimson eyes were as calm as water.

“Is it over?”

Her voice was childish, even carrying a hint of laziness.

Hansen opened his mouth but couldn’t make a sound.

What do you mean ‘is it over’? Did you really not feel anything just now?!

A full five seconds passed before Hansen suddenly snapped to his senses; the person before him was the hope for the rise of all humanity!

“I… I’ll report this immediately, I’ll report to the Commander right now!”

He practically stumbled as he rushed out of the testing room.

Behind him, the gaze of the ten Reincarnators toward Lilith had completely changed.

Awe.

It was the purest form of awe.

Lilith paid no mind to their gazes.

She simply turned her head, looking once more at the poster of the silver-white giant beast on the wall.

On the poster, the four crimson vertical pupils still stared directly at her.

The corners of Lilith’s mouth curled up slightly.

“Level Six Monster?”

She whispered to herself.

“It’s alright.”

…

Hong Kong Jaeger Operations Base, Core Control Room.

On the massive circular screen, surveillance footage of the entire Pacific Rim was displayed in real-time.

Dozens of technicians were busy at their respective consoles, the sound of keyboard tapping and communicator static intertwining.

Stacker Pentecost—the PPDC Pan Pacific Defense Commander—was currently standing before a group of special guests.

His gaze swept over the ten Reincarnators with their steady auras, finally settling on the petite figure at the very front.

That silver-haired little loli.

She was less than 1.3 meters tall, and her weight appeared to be no more than thirty kilograms.

Slender arms, a youthful face—she looked like a child from some officer’s family who had run into the base to play.

But it was this child who had just easily withstood the machine’s limit—one hundred times gravity—during the Constitution test.

And that wasn’t even her limit.

It was just the machine’s limit.

Stacker took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart.

What did one hundred times gravity even mean?

It meant that this seemingly frail Little Girl’s physical strength had already surpassed the limits of human understanding.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call her a humanoid Kaiju.

How… how had humans grown to such a terrifying degree?

“Since your physical Constitution is dozens or even a hundred times that of an ordinary person,”

Stacker spoke, his voice steady.

“Then there’s no need to test for neural bridge linking.”

He paused and explained.

“Neural bridging requires two pilots because a single person cannot withstand the load of a Jaeger. A Jaeger is massive, equivalent to a living organism.”

“Controlling it with just one person’s brain would result in either brain death or mental collapse.”

“But you all possess a Constitution beyond the reach of ordinary people, and you must also possess a matching Spirit. Only then can your bodies be coordinated.”

The ten Reincarnators had no objections to solo-piloting a Jaeger.

They all had their own secrets.

Even if they were teammates, it was impossible to share everything they had with another person without reservation.

Neural bridging?

Forget it.

Seeing that no one objected, Stacker continued.

“Then next, I will personally lead you in learning how to operate the Jaegers. At the same time, the base will build custom solo-pilot Jaegers for each of you.”

Solo piloting meant more costs could be saved.

And with their physical quality, they didn’t need those cumbersome protective devices.

Because those things were practically useless against their powerful Constitution.

Just then—

Lilith looked up at the resolute-faced middle-aged man before her.

She grinned.

“As for Jaeger piloting, you actually don’t need to teach me.”

She paused.

“Just let me look at the instruction manual.”

Stacker was stunned.

He looked at Lilith’s calm face and surprisingly didn’t feel that she was boasting.

Those crimson eyes were as calm as water, yet they held an indescribable certainty.

It was as if whatever she said, she would surely be able to do.

“In that case…”

Stacker didn’t say much more.

He turned and walked to a nearby computer, his fingers tapping rapidly on the virtual keyboard.

A few minutes later, a densely packed document was pulled up.

It was the Jaeger operation protocol.

From startup to walking, from combat to standby, every detail and every step was recorded with the most precise text.

It was a thick, massive document; it would take an ordinary person a whole day just to read through it.

Lilith walked to the computer.

She gave a light hop and sat on the large computer chair.

The chair was too high, and her small feet clad in black short boots couldn’t reach the floor, dangling in the air.

But she didn’t care.

She scrolled through the screen, her gaze sweeping over the dense text.

One page.

Ten pages.

Fifty pages.

Deep within her pupils, data flowed as fast as a waterfall.

Supported by her powerful Spirit, those complex operational essentials and precise mechanical principles were all forcibly etched into her mind.

Five minutes later.

Lilith hopped down from the chair.

“Alright, I’ve remembered it.”

She said indifferently.

Stacker was stunned.

The ten Reincarnators were also stunned.

However, compared to Stacker, the Reincarnators quickly reacted.

A Spirit-type talent was indeed freakish.

This kind of photographic learning ability was simply not something they could compare to.

Stacker looked at Lilith half-doubtingly.

But thinking of that hundred-times gravity test and the endless surprises this girl brought, he decided not to probe further.

Regardless, the truth would be revealed soon enough.

He turned his head toward the remaining ten people.

“And what about you?”

The ten exchanged looks, and one of them coughed lightly, speaking with a hint of embarrassment.

“Cough…”

“We are different from this Lady; we need some time to understand it.”

Lady?

Stacker’s brow twitched slightly.

These people called that Little Girl ‘Lady’?

It seemed the relationship between them…

But he didn’t ask more.

“Very well, I will arrange for someone to lead your training.”

Just as he finished speaking—

“Wooo—!!!”

A piercing alarm suddenly echoed throughout the entire control room!

Red warning lights flashed frantically!

Everyone instantly tensed up.

“Report, Commander!”

A technician stood up abruptly, his voice urgent.

“A powerful life-reaction signal has been detected in the coastal area! It’s moving toward the City!”

“Estimated category—”

He paused, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

“Level Four Kaiju!”