Kapitel 56: The Start of Tactical Acumen Test

"Why of course!" says Seizequill. Bringing the short Aekha with broad moose antlers twice the size of her head and gesturing her hand to introduce, "Miss Pitka and Miss Lues, this fine figure here will be your squad leader after a few more test initiations. Ratatoskr, A-rank Assailant operator. I hope you three can get along later!"

"W-wai-wut I'm! Eh!? Khe-ueh!?" Visible confusion, a panicky intrusion for the petite lady that looks flustered and shocked. Well, it's more of whammy panicking where one can't let out a single word to the point of stuttering in both speech and action.

The Ferrakhian is satisfied with her trolling, donning her evil squint and smile. Giving you and Lues a chance to lead the conversation. Precisely, to save the panic-stricken mistress from embarrassment.

'No need to be formal, a normal introduction is enough.'

Wearing your innocent smile, you decide to take the lead of the ever-awkward short lady, "My name is Pitka, and she is Lues. It's pleasant to meet you."

Ratatoskr's jittery gaze shakes her vision while she holds her right wrist anxiously, looking away from you before both of your eyes meet. "Ah, Yes! Yes, it's nice to meet with you two too!"

You could physically see the swollen ball of saliva collecting in her mouth go down her throat. She coughs, shaking her head a little bit as if to regain composure. "I will assume that it was your real name, the two of you can get your codename later. My real name is confidential and soon yours will be too. So for the meantime, refer to me as Ratatoskr! My achievement is known to be out of bounds! I mean, without bounds!"

"Indeed, we can see that," you say.

It might be a sudden realization but she immediately bows down her upper torso the exact 180°. Moving away gracefully, Lues almost gets caught by her broad antlers until the moose lady realizes that she almost hit a primordial with her bowing.

She looks up to check on Lues and then immediately starts bowing repeatedly. "Eeeekh!? I'm deeply sorry!!"

Now you're wondering how heavy those antlers are. Although it shocked you at first to see that a female Aekha can have broad and big antlers despite the original equivalent of Aekhas—an elk, they don't give the female genes the big and broad antlers. Either Ratatoskr is a transgender or the bioengineered DNA's evolution made the female posses the same antlers similar to their male counterpart. Either way, her shoulders must be really sore, there are visible heavy stacks covered in loose Assailant uniform on her chest that you're currently gazing upon. Not too big, and not too small. What a great view.

Lues telepathically strikes a conversation, "Grandpa, you're being a creep. You know that you can look at mine all you want, right?"

You send back your message through the inaudible topic, "As good as it is, I can't enjoy the chest of a psychopath."

"Miss Ratatoskr, you're in the Hollow Orb phase, correct?" asks Lues out of the blue.

"Yes, is there anything you wanted to ask?'

Lues floats forward a little bit, "You have great potential, don't be in a rush. That's all." She then shrugs, grinning to reveal her sharp teeth as usual.

The Ferrakhian butts in, hanging her shoulder to the reluctant Aekha. "And with that, do you have anything left to say, Ratatoskr?"

"Definitely not! Ma'am!"

"With all of that set, you two will follow me for more examination," says Seizequill.

Nodding, you and Lues follow the guide from your escorters.

From floor B4 to B3, both of you are separated from each other and are taking a different test at the same time. The first test you have is a Tactical Acumen. They bring you to a fairly sized room with two senior personnel inside and a broad 5 meters long, 3 meters width holographic projecting table. The one taking notes doesn't talk much, only the questioner introduces himself, codenamed Lazey. There are numerous questions being thrown around, with illustrations from the holograms about numerous terrain knowledge and some brain exercises about multiple scenarios. You manage to answer the 60% of them deftly considering that you have the vivid experience yourself with Suolija and Timorea, trying to match all logic and actively asking about more possibilities. It seems like you have finished the Tactical Acumen Test—or so you think.

The moment you think that it's done, the broad long holographic table becomes a terrain interface with two sides of red and blue from both ends. A simulation game—more precisely, a war game. Each side represents Assailant Operators and Calamities. Lazey asks you to choose which sides first, and so you choose the Operators. Although you're lowkey wanting to try the Calamity side, your conscience doesn't let you to be seen as a Calamities supporter by the Examiner.

You're given 10 operators in total: 2 Fighters, 2 Vanguards, 2 Supporters, 2 Spellcasters, and 2 Snipers. Each has their own stats and skills depending on their classes. They are referred to as Fighter-1, Fighter-2, and so on for the rest. While the opposing side has an ominously large question mark, hiding the type of Calamities you will be facing.

With RNG on your side, you hold onto your rope of hope tightly like a falling bull on the edge of a cliff.

When the game starts, the opposing side is revealed to have 10 F-rank Calamities that look like the Yelpers you fought in Kauhu Forest, 3 C-rank Titan Type, and 1 B-rank Dragon type.

'What with this difficulty!? There is a hecking dragon!?'

Let alone the dragon, the titan type Calamities were seven times bigger than the F-rank Calamities, and the dragon is slightly towering than that abomination! Then again, the battle map is wide and there are numerous terrain available for the strategy.

'This is harrowing.'