Chapter 121: Coercion

"Uncle Galen, given my current condition, am I able to use exoskeleton armor?" David asked the question that had been weighing on his mind.

"David, your strength has already exceeded one thousand kilograms; wearing the armor will be no problem at all!" Galen replied with a smile, though he suddenly realized something and asked, "Do you already possess an exoskeleton?"

"Uncle Galen, I knew I couldn't hide it from you. The military sent me a set of Land Lion-class exoskeleton armor this time," David admitted, deciding not to conceal the truth.

"That's fine. You can start getting used to wearing exoskeleton armor. The military's Land Lion model is a fairly standard suit, which makes it quite suitable for practice," Galen said with a laugh.

"Uncle Galen, if I want to become an official armored trooper, what do I need to do?" Since Galen was available, David took the opportunity to ask.

"In most cases, you would apply to the local government or submit an application to the Rock Star Armored Trooper Association via the Skynet. Both methods are the same. Once the association receives the application, they will conduct a preliminary review and then issue an invitation for the assessment.

"However, you won't need to worry about that. I'll have the paperwork sorted out immediately. You can come to Na'an City in a couple of days, and I will arrange for you to go directly to the Armored Trooper Association for your assessment," Galen replied.

"Thank you for going to all this trouble for me!" David said gratefully.

"You and your politeness!" Galen said, shaking his head with a smile.

After disconnecting the video call, David felt no desire to sleep. Since arriving in this world, he had heard and seen that the powerful figures here were all armored troopers. His predecessor's dying wish had been to get into Na'an University and become one himself. Now, he had finally reached the standard required for a trooper. Although he hadn't yet passed the official assessment, he possessed both official exoskeleton armor and graded weaponry.

He stood up, unwilling to waste another second, and immediately instructed his smart butler, Emma, to move the container holding the military-issued Land Lion exoskeleton to the underground gym. The other two suits had already been taken away by Daly to be modified by military technicians.

In the gym, David pulled out a "K2 Military Electronic Countermeasure Device" to bypass the Land Lion's military security system, effectively cracking the authorization protocols that required an official trooper's license to activate. Once finished, he activated the storage container, and the Land Lion suit entered standby mode.

David stepped his feet into the boots of the suit, and the exoskeleton components began to automatically wrap upward, covering his entire body. Just as the armor encased him, he felt a massive wave of pressure, followed by a series of mechanisms locking into his back to stabilize his spine.

Then, the joints at his head, arms, and legs were all secured. His sensory inputs linked with the suit, and the Land Lion felt like an extension of his own body. He finally understood why one needed at least one thousand kilograms of strength to equip such armor; whether it was the intense pressure during the loading process or the connection points across his joints, the body required sufficient physical integrity to withstand the thousand-kilogram recoil force.

Once the process was complete, David tried taking a step forward. A sense of familiarity washed over him, as if he had practiced this thousands of times; he felt none of the awkwardness typical of a first-time user. This was partly due to his incredibly strong mental acuity, which allowed him to learn anything rapidly, and partly because, in those visions of combat ability, he had spent most of his time training and fighting while wearing exoskeleton armor.

He moved agilely around the gym, gradually integrating those memories into practical application. As his practice became more proficient, he began to perceive the shortcomings of the Land Lion exoskeleton. Of course, this did not mean the suit was flawed; rather, it was due to David himself. Ever since he began practicing the Body Softening Technique, his flexibility had far exceeded human limits. Since the Land Lion was designed for standard human anatomy, it prevented him from executing many of his movements. He finally understood why that thin, lightly armored exoskeleton he had seen earlier was equipped with so many components to enhance flexibility—it was specifically designed to complement the Body Softening Technique.

No one would have guessed that a newcomer who had yet to become an official trooper, and who was only wearing exoskeleton armor for the first time, would find the military-standard Land Lion lacking. It was common knowledge that every trooper needed at least half a year of practice after receiving their armor to fully integrate it with their body and perfectly combine their combat skills with the machine. Only those troopers who had truly experienced countless battles and possessed vast experience would ever feel dissatisfied with standard exoskeleton armor.

David continued training in the underground gym until two o'clock in the morning, only stopping then to wash up and rest, still feeling as though he had more to give.

On the morning of February 7th, Lieutenant Elmer of the military set out from the South Gate with nearly sixty military troopers, two hundred soldiers, and a dozen armed armored hovercrafts to begin clearing out Zerg forces in the vicinity of Perrin City. Because local civilian troopers had suffered heavy casualties in the previous war, they were not conscripted this time, though a dozen troopers from the government did join the operation.

This mission was critical to the development of Perrin City, so both the military and the government prioritized it, and the entire city's attention was focused on the operation. As for David, because the mercenary organization had canceled the contract on his life, his safety was no longer a primary concern.

"Mr. David, this is Senior Officer Kush from the police department!" At ten in the morning, while David was still busy familiarizing himself with the Land Lion armor, he received a communication from Kush.

"Officer Kush, what can I do for you?" David asked, quite curious as to why the man sent by the organization was contacting him.

"Mr. David, Jim and Daly are your friends, aren't they?" Kush's voice was strictly bureaucratic, like a policeman questioning an ordinary citizen. But to David, it sounded like a sudden, jarring alarm.

"Officer Kush, what have you done to Jim and Daly?" he demanded loudly.

"Mr. David, why the misunderstanding? How could I possibly do anything to Mr. Jim and Mr. Daly? It's just that they were injured while practicing at the shooting range, and they really hope you will come to visit them alone," Kush said in a low, steady voice.

David's eyes narrowed. He quickly manipulated his identity bracelet, trying to contact Jim, but found that Jim's bracelet wouldn't connect. He tried Daly's, with the same result.

"Mr. David, Mr. Jim and Mr. Daly's identity bracelets were accidentally damaged during their practice. Given their physical condition, if you don't arrive within twenty minutes, they won't be able to hold on much longer," Kush said, as if he had noticed David's attempts.

David was now certain that Jim and Daly had been captured by Kush; otherwise, how would the man know he was trying to contact them?

"Officer Kush, how do I know if Jim and Daly are actually at the shooting range?" David asked, mentally scrambling for a strategy.

"The two of you, call out to David together and let him know you're here!" Kush's voice could be heard speaking to someone nearby. However, no sound came from Jim or Daly. It wasn't until Kush swore and seemingly made contact with their wounds that the two men let out muffled groans.

"Officer Kush, I believe you!" David said quickly, not wanting Kush to continue torturing them.

"Mr. David, you are a smart man. I just want to ask you a few things in private. Do not do anything rash that might harm your two friends," Kush said in that same bureaucratic tone.

David understood exactly what he meant. From where he was to the shooting range, it would take his Type 2 Land Tiger armored vehicle at least ten minutes by air. He had also heard about the joint military-government operation today. If his sniping skills weren't something that required a long-range sniper cannon, he would have been invited to join as well. With combat power in Perrin City currently stretched thin, if he tried to contact the military now, it would likely only endanger Jim and Daly further.