The rushed selection criteria for Awakened caught Xue Ji by surprise. With such standards, the elimination rate for this batch would undoubtedly be high. But then again, they urgently needed personnel—there was no time to wait for candidates to slowly overcome their fears.
Logically speaking, those who failed the first round could always retake the test with the second batch of Awakened. It wasn’t a big deal.
After finishing her conversation with the guard, Xue Ji headed to the equipment office. Stepping into the command center, she saw a young officer hunched over a desk, meticulously reviewing documents.
This man gave Xue Ji an odd impression—completely different from the other special forces members she had met. He didn’t carry the disciplined air of a soldier but instead resembled a white-collar worker from the city, looking more like an idol from a TV boy band.
Noticing her arrival, he set down his papers and greeted her with a bright, professional smile.
“Hello, Xue Ji.”
She had barely taken two steps into the room before he spoke.
So fast.
“Sir.”
“No need for formalities. Among Pioneers, we prioritize accuracy and efficiency.” His smile remained polished, as if ingrained from years of customer service.
“I’m here to collect my equipment.” Xue Ji cut straight to the point.
“Understood. You’re free to go now. Stay safe on your mission.” Without another word, he returned to his paperwork.
Just like that, their conversation ended as abruptly as it began. Not wanting to disturb him further, Xue Ji turned to leave. Outside, two soldiers were already waiting to escort her to the armory.
Armory
“As a Pioneer, you’ll have access to the most advanced equipment available,” one of the soldiers explained. “But ‘advanced’ also means risk. Items marked with red warnings carry inherent dangers and generally aren’t recommended for standard use.”
Inside the armory, Xue Ji spotted the stealth suit Commander Li had worn during their previous meeting. It was labeled as a stable piece of equipment—safe and reliable. Next to it were rows of heavy weaponry.
“At this stage, conventional firearms and melee weapons can still be effective against the threats Pioneers may face. We recommend carrying a mix of both.”
Xue Ji stared at the exaggeratedly bulky firearms—some as large as her entire body—including compact, clean nuclear devices. Her smile stiffened.
Half-joking, she asked, “Uh, bro… do other Pioneers actually carry these around?”
The soldier’s face lit up with amusement. “You’d be surprised. Those with physical enhancement abilities love lugging these things around like trophies. We even gave them spatial storage bags, but no—they’d rather flex by hauling artillery on their backs.”
“Spatial storage bags?” Xue Ji’s eyes sparkled.
“Our military’s latest storage tech. A single backpack can hold up to 27 cubic meters of gear. Impressive, right?”
She nodded in awe. Today’s revelations completely reshaped her understanding of the special forces’ technological capabilities. She had assumed their strength was roughly what was shown in news reports and drills, but between the Steel Sky Dragon and now this, it was clear they possessed borderline futuristic advancements—some of which seemed impossible for this era.
But that wasn’t her focus right now.
Scanning the arsenal, Xue Ji searched for something actually usable. With her baseline high-schooler physique (without relying on her Lilith state), lugging around heavy artillery would just make her a walking comedy sketch.
After some digging, she and the soldier finally found a pair of handguns—one pure black, the other pure white—crafted from unusual materials.
The moment she touched them, she felt her spiritual energy instinctively flowing toward the guns.
“These feel… different,” she murmured.
The soldier sighed. “Ah, these. I thought we’d scrapped them.” His tone carried the frustration of wasted effort rather than relief at clearing inventory.
Confused, Xue Ji tilted her head. “What’s wrong with them? They seem perfect for me.”
He rubbed his temples. “You don’t understand. These were designed as spirit-energy firearms—powered by the user’s own qi. Great in theory, but a nightmare in practice.”
He pointed at the guns. “The materials themselves have bizarre properties. That black-and-white ore they’re made from? The black half absorbs chaotic, violent energy, while the white half requires calm, stable qi.”
Xue Ji tested them. The black gun devoured her energy like a starving beast, while the white one refined and returned it in a purer form.
The soldier continued, “We spent a fortune separating the ore, hired master craftsmen and weaponsmiths, and finally produced these two… only for them to be completely unusable.”
“Why?”
“The black gun needs violent energy; the white gun needs stable energy. Anyone who can use one can’t use the other. Worse, using just the black gun drains the user’s foundation dry, while the white gun eventually becomes too stable to activate. They’re practically useless.”
Xue Ji’s eyes gleamed with realization. “So they’re twin weapons—meant to be used together—but the conditions are too strict.”
“Exactly. I’d suggest picking something else. If nothing works, just grab standard-issue gear for now.”
“No need.” Hugging the guns like treasure, Xue Ji beamed. “These are perfect.”
Her current energy perfectly matched the requirements: the stable qi of her Sage self for the white gun, and the chaotic energy of her Lilith state for the black one. Plus, their lightweight frames suited her perfectly.
The soldier, however, paled. From his perspective, Xue Ji was just a reckless rookie. If something went wrong, he’d be held responsible.
His conflicted expression said it all.