> "Bullet Time refers to the period during which a Mercurial Needle can enter a high-alert combat state. The duration each Needle can maintain in this state varies… you already know this, right?"
Jane Hester nodded.
> "Good," Turan continued. "Even once you enter Bullet Time, you can't just remain idle. You need to maintain this state — like when you're fighting someone, you need to clench your fists."
Following Turan's demonstration, Jane clenched both hands into fists. At that instant, Turan suddenly drew her pistol again and fired at a distant target.
The deafening roar of the gun startled Jane; she instinctively raised her hands to cover her ears — but it was already too late.
Turan laughed.
> "Unexpected changes always happen, causing people to forget to 'clench their fists,' just like your reaction now. Maintaining Bullet Time works the same way for a Mercurial Needle. If we forget to sustain our state, we quickly fall out of Bullet Time and enter Constraint Time."
> "Constraint Time…" Jane muttered the words softly.
> "It's like a car," Turan explained. "When it's running, you can accelerate or steer at any time. But if it stalls mid-drive, you have to spend time restarting the engine. During that period, your car is no longer agile; unless the engine restarts, you can barely use it for anything.
A Mercurial Needle's body works the same way."
> "Once a Needle enters Constraint Time, they become weak and feeble. During this period, forget about fighting — even standing alone can be a struggle.
> "For example, if a Needle has a Bullet Time of roughly ten hours and, during an operation, chooses to rest after no more than five hours, they typically experience a weakness period lasting ten to twenty minutes.
> "During this time, they can do nothing. Only after this incomplete Constraint Time ends can they re-enter Bullet Time — we call this an 'Incomplete Constraint Time.'"
Jane thought for a moment.
> "Is there also a 'Complete Constraint Time'?"
> "Yes," Turan smiled. "Using the same example, if a Needle works continuously for more than five hours, when they stop, they enter Complete Constraint Time.
> "Complete Constraint Time generally lasts half of their Bullet Time. Whether they worked six, seven, or ten hours continuously, when they stop, they must lie still for five hours before resuming activity."
Jane frowned thoughtfully.
> "I see."
> "Have you ever wondered how Bullet Time's duration is determined?"
Jane tilted her head slightly.
> "Through… extreme tests?"
> "Ha, more or less," Turan said with a smile. "The so-called secondary training is conducted in a controlled environment. Experienced Mercurial Needles expose unawakened recruits to Chelates. During combat with Chelates, the recruit's Bullet Time naturally awakens, while others simply measure the time."
> "…Until Bullet Time expires?"
> "It's more than just expiration," Turan said softly. "When approaching their limits, a Needle's abilities will experience an extremely intense surge — 20 to 150 times stronger than their normal Bullet Time. But this only lasts for tens of seconds to a few minutes and comes at the cost of self-damage. Afterward, the Needle suffers massive internal bleeding and organ failure, similar to a Chelate's natural death.
> "This final surge is called the Acheron Moment," Turan whispered. "Bullet Time is calculated from when you enter combat state until the Acheron Moment ends."
Jane suddenly spoke.
> "So… that's why the base requires Bullet Time to exceed four hours before participating in combat?"
> "Exactly," Turan said quietly. "Excluding extreme outliers, a five-person Mercurial Needle squad hunts a single Chelate in an average of 57 minutes. Bullet Time under four hours is too risky in the field. Even without considering the Acheron Moment, if you enter Constraint Time, a Chelate — or even a five- or six-year-old child — could easily cut your throat with a knife."
At that moment, Jane suddenly realized much of what had happened in the past — like the night Ri participated in special training and ended up in the base's underground hospital due to severe injuries.
Thinking further, Jane asked herself:
> "…But Chelates only live for two weeks to a month. How does the base ensure enough Chelates are available for training? Do they catch them in real time?"
> "Ah, that's classified," Turan said with a smile. "You can ponder it yourself if you like, but nothing I've told you today should be shared with anyone else — understood?"
Jane's expression grew serious as she nodded.
> "Back to Shawn," Turan continued. "His Bullet Time is four hours and fifty-five minutes, and his intermittent Constraint Time lasts twenty-two minutes. In other words, if he enters Bullet Time and you interrupt him, you have at least twenty-two minutes to do as you please."
> "But how do I—"
> "Generally, Bullet Time stability depends on the individual's combat willpower. Remember the question I asked you last time?"
Jane fell into deep thought.
> "As for exactly how to handle it, that's for you to figure out," Turan said.
> "…Understood."
Turan exhaled softly and glanced at the targets in the distance.
> "Do you want to practice a few more rounds today? In an hour, I'll have to take you back."
> "Miss Turan, do you have other things to do this afternoon?"
> "Not really, but Morley only approved me for half a day," Turan shrugged. "As you can see, these are special times — your pictures are everywhere. Letting you wander around with me all day isn't very convenient."
Jane pondered silently.
> "Then can we practice first? I can explain to Ms. Morley later."
> "Sure," Turan smiled. "I'll go get a few more boxes of ammo."
---
Back at the base, in Sophie Morley's office, Liz Fletcher looked shocked at Ms. Morley across the table. She stood up, her voice slightly agitated.
> "Why are we halting the investigation into Shawn now?"
> "We will pursue it to the end," Morley replied calmly. "But we didn't find any evidence on his devices, did we?"
> "Yet you believed that the blackout in the grammar classroom and the missing footage were Shawn's doing —"
> "Yes," Morley said sternly. "But continuing the investigation now would only give someone with ill intent an opportunity to exploit it."
(End of Chapter)