The Schicksal headquarters took the report from the Valkyrie Assault Team seriously and quickly dispatched a research team equipped with sophisticated detection instruments.
The lead scientist extended her hand to Ragnar, saying, "Hello, Captain Ragnar. I'm Dr. Miriam. His Excellency the Overseer sent us to investigate the anomalies."
"Hello, Dr. Miriam. Is there anything we can assist you with?"
Miriam quickly marked several points on the map and explained, "I need you to install Honkai energy detectors at these locations to facilitate data collection. After that, I can analyze the data collected and try to unravel the secrets."
"Very well, Luo Lin, please accompany them along with the personnel from the Belarus branch. I'll arrange for manpower to depart."
"Yes, Captain!"
After a few days of getting used to each other, every member of the Valkyrie Assault Team admired Luo Lin, seeing the spirit and charm of the Assault Team in her.
They quickly accepted the new member's presence.
Luo Lin didn't find it surprising, considering Ragnar's fondness for her and the constant guidance she received from Himeko in the system space. It was impossible not to be influenced.
Speaking of Himeko, after a previous emotional exchange, she had accepted Luo Lin's joining the Valkyrie Assault Team and was now preparing to train Luo Lin rigorously to improve her strength.
After all, in this world of Honkai, strength was the only truth.
At the same time, Himeko was also trying hard to make her real-world self remember the events in the system space.
Relying solely on her memory for reference wasn't reliable.
Looking at Dr. Miriam, who was walking beside her, Luo Lin noticed her short golden hair and cold, proud demeanor, with a convincing charm in her speech—especially the last point, which made her have some bad guesses.
Could this person be Otto in disguise?
After all, Otto might be vague and wont pay attention about trivial matters, but when it came to matters related to his plans, he paid close attention.
Siegfried and K423 were related to his plans, so it was very likely that he would send Soulium clone to check on them.
Thinking of this, Luo Lin stiffened, carefully controlling her emotions and leading the golden-haired scientist to her lodging, handling the relevant procedures at a swift pace.
Dr. Miriam looked puzzled, but having such efficient Valkyries was a good thing. She settled in for rest after washing up.
The Valkyries quickly installed the Honkai energy detection devices at the designated locations.
After about a week, the doctor and her research team made a discovery.
Scratching her head, Dr. Miriam looked exhausted. Holding a stack of reports, she entered the operations meeting room and addressed everyone waiting, "Your previous speculations were somewhat correct. The data collected in the past few days shows that the background radiation of Honkai energy near the detectors is continuously fluctuating, but overall it's on the rise..."
Seeing the puzzled faces of the Valkyries, Dr. Miriam realized that she was not in Schicksal's research institution now, and some of her words might not be understood by everyone.
"Um, in short, I can confirm that there are Honkai sources in this area, but it's unclear whether it's one or multiple sources at work... We need more detailed data to draw conclusions."
"So, are we staying put?"
"No, we've done some calculations... We need to send some people with smaller, more accurate detectors to these places and stay there for a few days— for convenience, I've placed the points as much as possible in towns. It wouldn't be a good idea for Valkyries to endure the cold wind all winter in the wilderness, right?"
Miriam marked a dozen or so points on the map, scattered across a large area.
Ragnar felt awkward and said, "Um, Doctor, we appreciate your kindness, but it might be better to arrange for us to go to more remote locations... After all, there are Anti-Entropy spies active nearby, and the Intelligence Department doesn't recommend us going out. It might alert the enemy if operatives like us go out."
The disheveled-haired doctor looked blank.
"So, all our calculations this week were for nothing?"
"No, it's not all for nothing, but we need the cooperation of the Intelligence Department for this kind of operation..."
Soon, the head of the Intelligence Department was called over. He looked at the marked positions on the map, stroking his beard, "Wow, so many exploration points? Our available manpower is not enough... We're still tracking Anti-Entropy spies, and the agents on standby can only cover part of the points you requested... It might not be feasible to call personnel from other branches at this time, and such a move could expose our existence and affect other operations."
The intelligence chief asked, "Doctor, can you reduce the number of detection nodes a bit?"
Miriam said with difficulty, "No, it's not that I don't want to recalculate, but if there are fewer detection points, the data obtained won't be accurate..."
Listening to the conversation between the doctor and the intelligence chief, Ragnar asked, "Can we select some less important nodes for our people to go to?"
"This..."
The intelligence chief gritted his teeth, "I'm afraid this is the only way, Captain Ragnar. Please select suitable team members to assist..."
"Luo Lin, you must go. You're the only Valkyrie in the team with a background in intelligence. Also, find out who else in the team has studied intelligence. Check their grades and send me a list. I'll decide based on their overall performance."
"Yes!"
Soon, the Valkyrie Assault Team assembled the required manpower, took the necessary instruments, and, under the guidance of the intelligence chief, prepared to set out.
"Don't act rashly, just focus on completing your tasks. And most importantly, ensure your own safety, understand?"
The Valkyries shouted in unison, "Yes!"
Not far away, the intelligence chief was using a tablet to allocate tasks to the Valkyries preparing to depart, with a serious expression, cautioning them about the precautions.
Meanwhile, Dr. Miriam took out a box and handed out a rectangular object resembling a 1.5-liter milk carton to them—it was a portable high-precision Honkai detector. As long as they carried it with them, it would periodically send data to the Belarus branch.
Before leaving, Ragnar stopped Luo Lin and instructed, "Although this task is in line with your expertise, this is your first field mission. Aim not for glory but for safety—protect yourself!"
"I understand, Captain!"
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Poll at Patréon. Lasts until May and June.