The next day, at Blacksteel International.
Jessica was nervous in the preparation room for her promotion assessment. Having placed last in the previous rounds, the pressure she now faced was immense—so much so that it could be described as an impossible task.
"Mr. Reeve, I'm so nervous~~"
Jessica sat there, her calves, clad in black, breathable short socks, trembling nonstop. She nervously wiped her pistol over and over with her hands.
Because Jessica was the sole case who had to compete against an elite Blacksteel International operator, her assessment was naturally scheduled for last, serving as the finale after the evaluations of the other ordinary interns.
That a pistol could be used in a 1v1 combat assessment surprised Lucas Reeve at first. After all, based on his impression from his past life, no matter how skilled you were in martial arts, you still had to fear a kitchen knife, let alone firearms—the cross-generational father of cold weapons.
In his past life, the invention of firearms had effectively turned many martial arts into a joke.
No matter how fancy your moves were, one shot was all it took to end you.
"Franka is very strong... Mr. Reeve, a pistol is completely useless against her."
After hearing Jessica's words, Lucas Reeve realized something.
This was another world.
He couldn't think using the logic of his past life. After all, a small, slender girl less than 1.5 meters tall possessing muscle and bone density far exceeding that of a normal human, with strength that surpassed any Earthling, was already illogical. Adding the ability to dodge bullets didn't seem strange at all.
Moreover, Lucas Reeve had learned a lot about this world from Jessica last night.
The world was vast, though no one knew its exact size, as the Terra civilization inhabited by the Ancients occupied only a small part of it. There weren't many countries, just a dozen or so at most, and the residents were primarily Ancients with animal features, as well as the Elders.
Most critically.
Due to the frequent Catastrophes.
This world, called Terra, had a miraculous invention known as the mobile city. Lucas Reeve was currently in the capital city of Columbia. Tsk, tsk... it was a bit hard to believe.
"Don't be nervous. I'm here."
Lucas Reeve's voice echoed in Jessica's mind.
"Wuuu~ It's a good thing you're here, Mr. Reeve. If I were alone, I probably would have lost all will to fight from the anxiety by now..."
Jessica buried her head in her hands, her face pale and her eyes filled with panic.
*Ding-dong~*
The speaker in the preparation room sounded.
"Intern number 5324, Jessica, please proceed to Training Field 1. The combat assessment will begin in five minutes."
*Whoosh...*
Jessica shot to her feet, grabbed the training longsword prepared for Lucas Reeve, and walked toward the door, so nervous she could barely walk straight.
Because Jessica was very cute and had a soft, gentle, kind, and friendly personality, she was quite popular within the large Blacksteel International. As a result, quite a few Blacksteel operators had come to watch the final assessment.
Of course, this popularity also meant she often ended up as the test dummy for new weapons.
"Wow, looks like little Jessica is going to fail her promotion again... How pitiful..."
"She's on pretty good terms with Franka, who's in charge of the test. Maybe Franka will go easy on her?"
"Absolutely not. We all know Jessica's personality; she's not cut out to be a mercenary at all. Franka wouldn't want to see such an adorable junior sacrifice herself in a mission for no reason. It would be so much better if a cute junior like her joined our logistics department. I could pinch her adorable cheeks every day, hehe..."
Around the dueling platform, many onlookers were discussing among themselves. Most were friendly, and although they didn't have high hopes for Jessica, they were speaking the truth.
At least in Lucas Reeve's eyes, Jessica was indeed not suited to be a mercenary.
On the side of the platform, the examiners responsible for supervision and scoring were ready. The chief examiner for Jessica's assessment, Blacksteel International's elite operator and biochemical protection specialist, Franka, was already waiting on the other side.
Her long, shapely legs were wrapped in black stockings, and her curvaceous figure and stunning face made her the dream girl of many male operators at Blacksteel International.
"That's Franka."
Jessica looked at Franka, murmuring to herself.
Franka looked back at Jessica, a warm smile gracing her charming, beautiful face. But Jessica knew that Franka would absolutely not go easy on her.
"Very sharp..."
Even without using the Transparent World, Lucas Reeve could still feel a faint, sharp aura emanating from her, like an incredibly keen rapier.
"And a great figure, too..."
Lucas Reeve let out a heartfelt sigh of admiration.
"Ah!! Mr. Reeve, your focus is in the wrong place!!"