Meanwhile, Arasaka's command channel quickly restored order after a brief period of chaos, but the atmosphere was completely different.
"Is the analysis complete?" The frontline commander's voice was filled with suppressed excitement. "Confirmed to be an unknown weapon model! This could be an even more valuable acquisition than shield technology!"
The technical analyst's voice was equally urgent but professional: "Preliminary assessment indicates a molecular-level decomposition effect. This weapon technology far surpasses any of our existing single-person equipment. commander, I recommend changing the combat objective. Prioritize attempting to capture this test unit or at least acquire fragments of its weapon!"
A glint of greed flashed in the commander's eyes, and he immediately issued new orders: "Order 'Hunter Team B' to deploy immediately! Coordinate with the remaining two oni power armor units and tie down the target at all costs.
"Attention, try to keep the unit intact, especially the right arm weapon system!"
However, just as Arasaka was deploying its forces, Valerie in the test area had already received new instructions.
"Test mission complete. Data collection has reached the expected threshold." The auxiliary AI's voice sounded steadily. "Recommend immediate withdrawal to a safe zone."
Valerie glanced at the tactical interface; two glowing dots representing the surviving oni power armor units were reorganizing in the distance, while four new high-speed signals were flanking her.
"Trying to run? Not that easy!" The pilot of one of the oni power armor units roared on the public channel, clearly having received a death order.
The two remaining Arasaka power armor units lunged from left and right, attempting to block her retreat with crossfire.
"Retreat route planning complete. Recommendation: eliminate pursuit threats." The AI calmly presented its solution.
Valerie took a deep breath, pulling the control stick back slightly. The red power armor, seemingly cumbersome, turned and retreated.
But just as the two oni power armor units thought they had succeeded and were sprinting at full speed, the AI's prompt sounded again: "Emergency brake, turn right 37 degrees, right arm attack window: 0.8 seconds."
Valerie executed it without hesitation.
The massive body of the red power armor suddenly stopped short and turned, its right fist, carrying that deadly decomposition field, precisely met the oni power armor charging from the right.
The pilot of that unit had no time to react, only able to watch as the iron fist plunged into their cockpit area.
Another grating sound of shattering, and the upper body of the second oni power armor turned into a sky full of metallic dust.
"Left target entering optimal range." The AI's prompt followed immediately.
Valerie didn't even look back. The auxiliary weapon bay on her left arm instantly opened, and a volley of specialized armor-piercing rounds whistled out, precisely penetrating the leg joint of the last oni power armor.
The unbalanced unit crashed to the ground, sliding a distance and kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Threat cleared, continue withdrawal."
The entire process was fluid, from turning to neutralizing two threats, taking only a few short seconds.
When the newly deployed 'Hunter Team B' arrived, they only saw the red power armor steadily retreating, and two piles of wreckage on the ground still sparking with electricity—one of which was eerily powdery.
"Damn it! It got away!" Team B's leader slammed his fist on the console, but dared not pursue further.
The opponent had retreated into the cover of the enemy's defensive line, and that terrifying right fist left them with lingering fear.
At the Wraiths' position, Colonel Hansen couldn't help but whistle: "Clean and sharp! That pilot is promising."
Meanwhile, Lazarus' "Butcher" nodded slightly in his cockpit: "Accurate judgment, decisive execution. That auxiliary system is quite excellent."
Valerie piloted the red power armor steadily back to her own lines. When the hatch opened, her forehead was already covered in fine beads of sweat.
Although this battle was short, the mental and physical toll was immense.
"How do you feel?" Osiris' voice came through the encrypted channel, still calm and unruffled.
"This weapon... it's terrifying." Valerie answered truthfully, looking down at her mechanical right hand. "But it's also truly powerful."
"Data collection was very successful." Osiris said. "Go get some good rest. Starting tomorrow, you will learn how to use a more diverse range of weapon systems."
Valerie took a deep breath and climbed out of the power armor.
When she stood on the ground again, her steps felt somewhat light.
She looked back at the dark red steel giant, knowing that from today, her life had completely changed direction.
—
After Valerie left, Osiris' crimson optical lens turned to the dark red power armor standing silently in the center of the workshop.
Data cables extended like living things from the control panel, precisely connecting to the interfaces on the power armor's back.
"Retrieve all test data, focusing on analyzing the efficiency of pilot operation and auxiliary system coordination." He gave the instruction to the servo-skull hovering nearby.
A massive stream of data scrolled rapidly across the screen.
Osiris quietly scrutinized every frame, every operational command, and every system feedback.
A moment later, he slowly spoke: "The pilot's basic qualities are acceptable, and her combat awareness is fair. However, under pressure, there's a noticeable delay in coordination with the auxiliary system."
His voice carried a careful evaluative tone, "She relies too much on her own judgment and fails to fully trust the tactical advice provided by the AI. In three evasion maneuvers, two instances of operational hesitation led to an additional seven percent shield energy consumption. Melee kill efficiency also did not reach the theoretical optimum."
The servo-skull emitted a regular hum, projecting several key data nodes that confirmed his assessment.
"Combat effectiveness, not reaching optimal theoretical value." Osiris finally concluded, "Man-machine coordination requires more training."
His attention shifted to the weapon system.
The combat data for the power fist satisfied him, but its extremely short range and special lethality mechanism limited tactical flexibility.
"A single weapon cannot cope with a complex battlefield." He called up the power armor's 3D structural diagram, his metallic fingers tapping several key points. "A standardized weapon configuration scheme needs to be established."
He quickly conceived two preliminary directions.
The first scheme was relatively balanced: adding a small-caliber laser cannon to the shoulder for reliable medium-to-long-range suppressive fire; equipping a physical shield to enhance frontal defense; and for melee, selecting the combat-proven chainsword.
This configuration offered both offense and defense, with wide adaptability.
The second scheme focused more on enhancing firepower output while retaining critical melee deterrence: removing the relatively secondary left forearm and replacing it with a fixed heavy weapon module.
There were also two options—a plasma bombard, immensely powerful, capable of instantly vaporizing most heavily armored targets; or a storm bolter, which, while slightly less powerful per shot, had a high rate of fire, high reliability, and was simpler and cheaper to maintain.
The core idea of this configuration was to use the heavy weapon on the left arm to provide powerful medium-to-long-range suppression and breaching capabilities, while the fully retained right arm and its power fist ensured a one-hit kill solution in close quarters or sudden engagements.
This allowed the power armor to act both as a mobile artillery platform and to deliver unbearable fatal blows when enemies breached its inner perimeter.
Osiris' processor rapidly simulated the performance of both configurations in different battlefield environments.
"The second scheme, perhaps, better suits the current pilot's... personality traits." He murmured to himself, his crimson lens flickering slightly. "But the cost and logistical pressure need to be carefully weighed."
He did not make an immediate decision.
The design and prototyping of these weapon modules would take time, and the integration between Valerie and the power armor was far from complete.
"Record these two schemes." Osiris told the servo-skull. "Send the technical parameters of the heavy weapon module to the Death World base and arrange for apprentices to begin production."
He brought up the weapon interface data and continued to instruct: "At the same time, send these standardized interface protocols to Militech. Have them provide several local weapon schemes based on this framework."
The servo-skull emitted a confirmation hum, immediately beginning to execute the dual instructions.
Osiris watched the data transfer progress. Allowing the technical philosophies of two worlds to converge at this point might yield unexpected results.
The power of Warhammer Universe weapons was undeniable, but the technology of this world might offer different perspectives in certain specific areas.
"Let's see what schemes they can come up with." He murmured, then turned and walked to the main console. The production of weapon modules would take time, and during this period, he had more data to analyze.