Ultraman: I am really just a human.

Chapter 205 G3-X Assessment

Underground firing range.

G3 Project Test Area.

Several high-ranking officers from the Metropolitan Police Department took their seats to observe the final uniform assessment for G3-X, presided over by female police officer Sumiko Ozawa.

"Are these the final candidates?" A section chief at the front frowned as he looked at Natsukawa and his companion waiting in the room and picked up the documents on the table.

"How come even ordinary citizens are included?"

"This time, the pool of candidates has been expanded," Sumiko Ozawa retorted without backing down, "and the previous uniformed officer was also promoted from an ordinary citizen, proving the excellence of the G3 system..."

"You're still as aggressive as ever, Officer Ozawa."

The minister, who was always serious, interrupted him.

"The G3 system is indeed excellent, but can we really trust you? Don't forget the reason for this selection. Your teacher, Professor Takamura, also said that the only flaw of G3-X is that it is too perfect, so perfect that it doesn't seem to be developed for humans."

Sumiko Ozawa's expression turned slightly cold: "I don't think there's anything wrong with G3-X. If you want to eliminate unknown life forms, G3-X is the best choice."

"You're always such a perfectionist," the minister shook his head helplessly, "but maybe that's why you're a genius... Never mind, let's see how your selection goes."

Under the watchful eyes of many high-ranking officials, Hikawa Makoto shifted uncomfortably and couldn't help but whisper to Kondo Isami, "Officer Hojo, what's the reason for this selection?"

"It's nothing really."

It has been a month since Kondo Isami took over the current identity, and he knows a lot about some things. He glanced sideways at Hikawa Makoto upon hearing this.

"The G3 system malfunction caused significant damage, and the uniformed officer is currently missing."

"Gurgle."

Bingchuan Cheng's forehead was slightly sweaty as he looked at the G3-X components displayed on the platform, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of pressure.

"Don't worry," Kondo Isami grinned inwardly, "Today you're just doing a mock costume test. You'll only have the chance to wear the G3-X after you pass the test."

Although the burden of simulated clothing and real clothing is about the same.

"I see."

Hikawa Makoto took a deep breath, nodded to Natsukawa, and stepped forward first. With the assistance of two police officers, he put on the anti-G suit and simulation equipment.

"Are you ready, Makoto Hikawa?" Sumiko Ozawa asked from the observation room, operating the computer.

"That's fine."

"Be careful, this simulation test will simulate the same load as when fighting unknown life forms, and theoretically it is the same as actual clothing."

"what?"

"What's wrong?"

"N-nothing."

Hikawa Makoto finally put on the helmet and raised his hands in surprise.

It's like VR, but more realistic, both in terms of touch and sight.

"What are you all standing there for?" Sumiko Ozawa shouted. "The test is about to begin!"

"yes!"

Startled awake, Bingchuan Cheng looked up and saw an unknown life form already appearing opposite him in the simulation system. He gritted his teeth and threw a punch.

The scene of fighting against thin air looks a bit comical, but overall it's not bad.

This system is based on Number 4, who is Kuuga, who once fought against the Grongi in this world. It has AI-assisted combat, which reduces the burden on the wearer while greatly enhancing the wearer's combat instincts.

only……

Xia Chuan's eyes gleamed, and through the simulation mask, he saw Hikawa Makoto's face, which was covered in sweat.

Hikawa Makoto seems to be very uncomfortable with the presence of AI. Instead of reducing his burden, it has increased it further.

It's not about controlling the G3-X armor in battle, but about controlling your own body.

"Bang!"

Hikawa Makoto, who had been fighting with great skill, suddenly collapsed to the ground, and the medical staff who were on standby nearby quickly surrounded him.

"Hikawa Makoto!"

Sumiko Ozawa looked grim. Ignoring the high-ranking officials, she hurriedly moved her chair aside and rushed to the testing ground.

"There are sprains and strains of varying degrees," the medical staff said after examining the patient after removing the anti-G suit. "No further testing can be conducted for a short period of time."

"Officer Ozawa," the higher-ups entered the testing grounds with equally grim expressions, "is this what you call excellence? Is it a problem with G3-X, or a problem with the candidate selection...?"

"No problem."

Sumiko Ozawa opened her mouth, her expression slightly darkening as she watched Makoto Hikawa being carried away.

"During combat, the AI ​​of G3-X will respond accordingly to attacks. It can be said that it has its own will to some extent. The wearer needs to cooperate with the AI ​​to perfectly control the armor in combat. Hikawa Makoto must have been too resistant to it, which is why he was injured."

"This is really strange, Officer Ozawa?" Kondo couldn't help but interject. "If the G3-X has its own will, what's the point of having a uniformed officer? Why not just build a robot?"

"It has its own will, but not independent consciousness."

Sumiko Ozawa rolled her eyes.

"Are you really stupid or just pretending? The AI ​​is only there to assist in combat; the one who actually controls it is the wearer."

"So, you mean Hikawa Makoto can't adapt to AI, right?" the minister said in a deep voice. "Professor Takamura is right. The AI ​​level of G3-X is too high. There simply isn't anyone who can meet the requirements of AI."

The test site personnel gradually left, seemingly having forgotten about Xia Chuan, and even Ozawa Sumiko had lost the desire to continue the assessment.

"boring."

Kondo Isami shook his head inwardly.

He was skeptical of these artificial mecha knights from the start, believing they were no match for a real knight system.

"Want to give it a try?" Kondo Isami raised an eyebrow at Natsukawa. "Well, I don't think it'll make much of a difference; it'll just hurt you..."

"AI can actually be controlled by the person wearing the uniform, right?"

Xia Chuan had a pretty good grasp of the G3-X's operating mechanism, picked up the simulator helmet, and called out to Ozawa Sumiko.

"You want to test again?" Sumiko Ozawa turned around in surprise, her gaze complex as she said, "You saw what happened to Makoto Hikawa just now..."

"Give it a try, unless you think it's a problem with the G3-X."

Xia Chuan voluntarily put on the anti-G suit.

Compared to Kondo Isami, his luck was really not that good. In this world, he was just a private detective. He didn't have much trouble with the Dawn, but he was at a disadvantage in the main storyline.

Sumiko Ozawa's G3 squad was originally the countermeasures team against the unidentified life form Gurongi, but now they are in charge of the unknown life form, the Venerable One who kills people through superpowers.

Whether for intelligence purposes or for future development in this world, joining the G3 team is the best choice.

Everything in the Agito universe revolves around the G3 squad.

The test continued, and Sumiko Ozawa returned to the observation room. Looking at Natsukawa, who was already wearing the simulation equipment, she asked again to confirm, "Are you ready?"

"no problem."

Xia Chuan gave a thumbs-up, and as the simulation system was activated, the scene behind the mask changed abruptly, and his body sank slightly, as if he were really wearing the G3-X armor to fight.

Even without the panel information, he could still sense the physical strength of this world; even if it wasn't level 6, it was definitely not far off.

Adapting to this armor set seems to be no problem.

In fact, the G3-X itself is very similar to the Knight System.

All he needs to do is treat the G3-X as his own body, and when fighting, he only needs to use his brain while leaving everything else to the AI.

It's equivalent to connecting an extra set of nervous systems.

It wasn't too difficult for him.

"Test begins!"

Sumiko Ozawa stared at the simulated battle screen displayed on the computer, and whether it was just her imagination or not, she could clearly feel that the G3-X's combat movements were much smoother.

The only strange thing is that the reaction moves don't completely match the ones entered into the database.

It not only met the requirements of AI, but also went a step further.

It has truly achieved control over AI.

Sumiko Ozawa stood up in a daze.

"Bang!"

The number of simulated Venerables in the scene increased to two, attacking from both sides, but G3-X easily dodged them by sidestepping, and while punching and kicking them back, he pulled out a short gun tied to his leg.

Without aiming, the pistol seemed to lock on automatically, firing a continuous barrage before blasting the two Venerables to pieces with a deafening roar.

found it.

There really are people with perfect attire in this world.

"Thank you for your hard work, simulation over!"

Sumiko Ozawa, her fingers trembling, tried to calm her breathing, already eager to see the actual G3-X battle footage.

If it can also pass the test in actual combat.

Just thinking about it makes me want to squeeze my legs together.

G3-X can compete without being relegated...

"it's over?"

Natsukawa removed the darkened simulation helmet and turned to look back at Sumiko Ozawa in the observation room.

The user experience wasn't particularly good.

It's not that he can't adapt to the G3-X, but rather that the G3-X can't adapt to him.

The AI ​​of this armor set is a highlight, but ultimately it's designed to help ordinary wearers use it smoothly.

He doesn't actually need this kind of AI.

For him, it became a limitation.

Moreover, the G3-X's primary combat method is almost entirely based on its accompanying firearms, with close combat being secondary and having very limited effectiveness.

Considering the issue of wearability, it is far less convenient than the Ixa system in the Kiva universe.

"Congratulations!"

Sumiko Ozawa strode into the testing ground, suppressing her excitement as she shook hands with Natsukawa.

"From today onwards, you are a member of Team G3!"

"Isn't this against the rules, Officer Ozawa?"

Kondo Isami's cheeks twitched repeatedly, as if he had been slapped hard several times.

Shinji Kaminari is just as annoying no matter which world he's in.

If I could, I would never want to see that face.

"It hasn't received approval from above yet, and in actual combat..."

"What more approval do I need?" Ozawa Sumiko's fierce gaze intimidated Kondo Isami. "He's the best dressed person in my eyes!"

"Whatever, it's up to you. Anyway, if anything goes wrong, it's your responsibility, I won't care."

Kondo Isami didn't want to argue with a woman, so he snorted and turned to Natsukawa.

"Just a heads up, don't get too excited yet. This level is far from enough. The Unknown is not something that can be handled by half-baked experts. Even G3-X needs to keep working hard. Let's wait and see, and hopefully they won't let us down."

At least he is a true knight; in this exploration team, his strength is second only to RX.

It's not comparable to the mere G3-X.

"Ignore him," Sumiko Ozawa said, ignoring Isami Kondo's dejected departure. "That guy is just jealous of you."

"clear."

Natsukawa is now completely certain that Officer Hojo Toru is Kondo Isami.

One month ago...

In other words, the exploration team entered this world at least a month earlier than planned.

The fact that nothing has happened yet indicates that the situation is relatively safe.

The Venerable One either didn't discover it, or he prioritized eliminating Agito.

……

An abandoned factory.

A group of tense men and women peered around cautiously, carefully checking the area before gathering inside to distribute water and food.

"Eat something," said Kaoru Kino, the middle-aged doctor who brought the food, to the young people lying in the corner. "You need to eat to have the strength."

"How long will this go on, Mr. Kino!"

A college student in the corner clutched his head in anguish.

"Spending all day hiding from XZ, it's better to be dead..."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Kaoru Kino's expression suddenly changed. "If you're dead, everything is over! You can't do anything anymore!"

"Mr. Kino..."

"I'm sorry, because of my work, I've witnessed too many deaths."

Kaoru Kino clenched her fingers tightly.

"Most people die with regrets. Everyone should live actively. You are the only one who lives your own life, not someone else's..."

"But what should we do now?"

A faint sob could be heard from the crowd.

"We'll be killed sooner or later!"

"Why us? Why are we being hunted down?"

"If only I hadn't boarded the Tianliang Express back then!"

"Don't overthink it," Kino Kaoru said, shaking her head as her memories drifted back to the Dawn incident more than half a year ago. "You've all seen the news, right? Those monsters attacked more than just us. So what if we weren't on the Dawn?"

"But why are even the police chasing us?" someone asked angrily.

"I think it's probably because of our superpowers."

A young woman wore a smile that was completely different from the others, admiring her fingers with a look of rapture.

"Boarding the Dawn was not our misfortune, but rather our greatest fortune. At least we came into contact with divine power and had the possibility of self-preservation..."

"You only say that because you've awakened superpowers!"

The woman with glasses stood up and accused him in a trembling voice.

"And if you hadn't killed a policeman, we wouldn't be in this situation where there's no room for reconciliation!"

"Um?!"

The young woman's eyes turned cold, and the surrounding factory debris suddenly shook violently. Several steel wires flew out like snakes and instantly bound the bespectacled woman. The steel bars behind her broke free of the screws, and the tips twisted to form steel spikes that pointed straight at her heart.

"I've disliked you for a long time! You might as well just die!"

"stop!"

Kaoru Kino looked horrified.

He was much closer to Shirakami than the others back then, and the light he was bathed in was second only to Zeki Tetsuya and Natsukawa. But it turned out that this woman was the first to awaken, and to such a high degree.

The superpower is stronger than last time.

"We can't afford to fight amongst ourselves now! Stop it!"

"cut!"

The young woman waved her hand to dispel her superpowers and chuckled as she looked at the bespectacled woman who was panting heavily and lying on the ground.

"I was just trying to scare her, don't be so nervous."

"Anyway," the others breathed a sigh of relief, "you're the only one who's awakened superpowers right now, so fighting those monsters is simply impossible."

"Is there any way to find the other two?"

A student suddenly asked.

"We were all saved by Number 4. Mr. Kaminaga is Number 4. If we could find him..."

"It's no use," Kino Kaoru shook her head. "I've been to the Johoku Detective Agency since then, but there's no one there. It seems like they moved away a long time ago. Sawaki Tetsuya did show up once, but then we lost contact with him."

"How could this happen?"

The student sat back down in disappointment, then looked at the young woman with longing.

"Can you tell us how to awaken superpowers?"

"It's very simple," the young woman chuckled, examining her fingers. "All you need to do is stimulate it; the stronger the stimulation, the better the effect."

Kaoru Kino's brows furrowed even more.

Before her superpowers awakened, the young woman didn't look like this at all.

Is awakening superpowers really a good thing?

It's like he's become a completely different person.

Writing two parts together like this feels more comfortable.

(End of this chapter)