Chapter Ten: Ambush in the Deep Sea

Li Jiayi’s return to school signified the resurgence of the identity known as Qin Yun. Although she had come to understand her connection with the mech and learned that someone named Shakia was involved, Qin Yun remained uncertain about what she truly needed to do.

Her recent days had settled into a strict routine: attending classes punctually during the week and spending weekends at the training grounds, drilling tactics and practicing with various weapons.

Qin Yun was an exemplary student—bright, composed, and admired by her peers. Meanwhile, Shakia was a Traume pilot, entrusted with a solemn mission, and according to the director, had traveled from a distant past into the present. These two seemingly unrelated personas were now fused into one.

In class, Qin Yun twirled a pen absentmindedly, clearly distracted.

“Qin Yun, this question should be easy for you. Please answer it now...”

Qin Yun didn’t notice that the teacher’s attention had shifted to her.

“Ah... oh...” She glanced around and reluctantly stood up.

All eyes were on her, and it was clear that many had noticed her daydreaming.

Taking a deep breath, Qin Yun cast a quick glance at the problem on the blackboard.

“I see...”

The high school physics question seemed to reveal its answer effortlessly in her mind, as if it had always been there. Even in a distracted state, these problems felt second nature to her. Amid the applause from her classmates, Qin Yun took her seat.

Yet she felt no joy, knowing this knowledge came from Shakia’s mind. Who had Shakia been before? Frankly, even now, Qin Yun had not fully accepted that Shakia was herself.

Her amnesia was truly extraordinary.

“Qin Yun, you were clearly distracted during class today,” Li Jiayi said after school, as Qin Yun pushed her toward the school gate. On the way, Li Jiayi spoke of the day’s events.

“That’s right...”

“But you’re amazing—still answered the question correctly even while daydreaming. If only I could be like you, getting into a prestigious university would be no problem,” Li Jiayi admired.

“No way, I can’t match your talents,” Qin Yun replied honestly. She remembered once seeing Li Jiayi hack into the school network and was impressed but quickly stopped her, knowing Li Jiayi’s reckless nature could easily lead to punishment if caught.

“Hehe...” Li Jiayi scratched her head sheepishly. Suddenly, she spotted a familiar car at the school gate.

“Hey, Qin Yun, I’m here to pick you up.”

It was Ziyuan.

“Is she your friend? I think I’ve seen her before, when you took me to the hospital...” Li Jiayi asked Qin Yun.

“Yes, that’s her. Li Jiayi, how are you doing now?” Ziyuan greeted with a smile.

“Good!” Li Jiayi smiled back.

“What are you doing here? It’s only Thursday.”

A bad feeling crept over Qin Yun.

“There’s something going on here; we have a mission,” Ziyuan said, tightening Qin Yun’s chest.

“If you have business, don’t worry about me. My father will be here to pick me up soon,” Li Jiayi urged Qin Yun to leave first, sensing urgency.

“Okay... sorry for the trouble today.”

Lately, Qin Yun had been accompanying Li Jiayi to the school gate, waiting for her father’s car. But today, that wouldn’t be possible.

The sports car sped down the highway.

“Looks like we’re headed somewhere different today?”

“You noticed, Shakia,” Ziyuan smiled.

“The school has already excused you from classes. We’re going on a long trip this time.”

Qin Yun—now she should be called Shakia—recognized the route. It led to the military airport.

“Director, we have arrived,” Ziyuan reported by phone.

The car stopped beside a massive transport plane.

As the vehicle came to a halt, a line of soldiers stepped forward to salute. Among them were those wearing Svarg armbands, alongside others clad in United Nations military uniforms.

“Wow, even a big plane,” Shakia said as she followed Ziyuan out, sensing the gravity of the situation.

“I’ve brought the Traume pilot. Let’s depart,” Ziyuan approached and saluted the officer receiving them.

“Understood!”

Being taken straight onto a large transport plane right after school was unheard of. This plane, much larger than a typical military transport, was designed specifically for moving Traumes. Once aboard, Ziyuan led Shakia to a modest lounge where a few soldiers were resting.

“Where are we headed?” Shakia asked after changing clothes. Noticing the tense expressions of the soldiers around her, she realized the seriousness of the matter—most likely another monster attack.

“Out at sea.”

Ziyuan’s answer made Shakia sigh. Xin Chunchiu City was inland; reaching the sea would take at least three or four hours by air. Indeed, this was a long-distance mission.

Outside, night had fallen. The transport plane’s current location was unknown. Ziyuan suggested Shakia take a nap during the flight, emphasizing the importance of conserving energy against unknown enemies.

Despite the advice, the roaring noise of the plane made sleep impossible. The soldiers had already left for duty, leaving Shakia alone on her small bed. She decided to find Ziyuan.

Stepping out, she saw Ziyuan seated in the airborne command room chair. Shakia called out several times, but Ziyuan didn’t respond. Approaching, she found Ziyuan already asleep, wearing an eye mask and earplugs.

“You’re the Traume pilot, right? Why not take a nap instead of hanging around here?” a middle-aged officer entered.

“I can’t sleep... the noise is too loud.”

That was a problem. Communicating on the plane was difficult due to the overwhelming noise. The jet engines of this transport, designed for the Traume, were exceptionally powerful. Shakia resorted to a mix of gestures and speech to talk with the officer.

“I see, understood... You came in a hurry, no wonder you weren’t prepared.” The officer pulled a new pair of earplugs and an eye mask from a drawer and handed them to Shakia.

With these, Shakia finally found some peace lying on the bed. Military-grade equipment truly blocked out the noise; even the massive jet engine sounded no louder than a car passing by her home.

At sea, a fleet stood on alert. A closer look revealed flags from various countries fluttering from the ships, indicating an international joint operation.

Among the fleet was an aircraft carrier. This mission was clearly no simple endeavor.

“Captain, what’s the situation at the target location?”

“According to sonar, the spatial coefficients are somewhat disturbed, but no further contact. We still have time, Director.”

The flagship commander spoke into the radio, communicating with the Svarg director.

“Tell all forces to remain vigilant. The Traume and pilot are en route.”

“That giant robot you’re so proud of?” the captain smiled. “Don’t underestimate the strength of our world-class allied fleet. This isn’t the scrap forces you deployed during the Xin Chunchiu City attack.”

“Let’s hope so...” the director replied calmly. The captain’s words were true. At the time of the “Hungry Ghost” attack in Xin Chunchiu City, the Svarg bureau had limited forces to deploy. But now, with global awareness of these monsters, the response had become far more serious. If this international naval fleet could defeat the beasts without relying on the Traume, it would be the best outcome.

Only time would tell.