Chapter 14:

Yin Yue slouched down sloppy onto a nearby crate that was so conveniently placed on the outskirts of Sun Leaf Academy. Night has long fallen over the skies above her but there seemingly appears to be a sliver crack of sunlight over the horizon seeing that Yin Yue couldn’t help but to pull up the time on her holoscreen from her Interface Headset. ‘Morning already huh.’ She dismissed the screen as it faded away into nothingness just as quickly as it had appeared, nearby her WarFrame suit stood side by side with along with Ailsa Smith’s WarFrame.

Hwei-ru and Shu Rong stood alongside the nearly three-meter-tall machines with their heavy Servo-Harness strapped on their back, the light units shining upon the WarFrames as they worked. The security team that came with them too was down on their knees barely able to hold themselves up, their bodies drenched in sweat so much that some of they removed the last bits of already none existent uniform that they had. Now depleted of any other top layer of clothing other than their bras as they now sat with their skin exposed to the elements of the night glittering sweat in the moonlight

“Li Ji, Di Qing, Qing Yu, Ru Meng, Feng Yu and Di Chen good everyone’s still breathing anybody hurt?” Yin Yue called out to her comrades to which they simply replied with a simple grunt or slight head nod none of them seemed to have any visible injury that’s a relief thought Yin Yue.

Ailsa Smith plopped down onto the crates alongside Yin Yue her body soaked in sweat the bidding straps upon her breast now loose showing off her cleavage. She was fanning herself with her hand they meet eyes for the briefest moment nodding to one another. Yin Yue was tired beyond belief this was a sensation she has not felt in ages she had only fought for lest then even twenty-four hours yet here she was out of breath and limbs sore and cramping, like she was a fresh recruit out of basic training.

She knew the reason to her current condition it wasn’t that hard to decipher why, it was her body. Her current female body is much weaker compared to her original male body, despite having the muscle memory of the physical tasks that she regularly performs she finds herself exerting more energy to perform the task as before where it would have taken her less than half the strength before.

Yin Yue unconsciously gripped her palm tight before her as the first thoughts of frustrations surfaced within her mind before pouring out on to her facial features.

“How pathetic of me to have been reduced to this level this body is so weak that I’ve become weaker as a result lucky the higher ups aren’t here to see me if they did my title as a Representative Elite might be put to question.”

“Weaker…...really? Have you been aware of the kind of stunts you have been pulling as of late?” Shu Rong who heard what she just said out loud stop at her current task turned to face her with an expression that gave off confusion at Yin Yue’s words as she turned to face her taking the moment of pause from her work.

“What do you mean?” now it was Yin Yue’s turn to look confused at Shu Rong’s words even Ailsa Smith though hasn’t spoken a word yet looked intrigued with what Shu Rong said.

“Well, think about it did you realize the number of tools you wrecked back home, I mean before you weren’t able to do that before and you literally cracked durasteel sheet metal pavement with your hand when you were training that one time.”

“That doesn’t mean anything probably it was already loose or something and I also cut myself if you remember properly –” Yin Yue shrugged and attempted to put it off before Shu Rong continued on.

“No-no hear me it wasn’t just you; didn’t Xin Hua LaoShi lift up Einherjar Regen’s handgun like several weeks ago during the attack that day like it was a regular rifle?”

“Ah I do remember that, I honestly didn’t think too much on it when I first heard about it, it was surprising that she didn’t become jelly from that.” Ailsa Smithcommented at the side agreeing with Shu Rong.

Thinking back on it, Yin Yue thought back to those scenarios that Shu Rong said. She found herself agreeing with her as it didn’t occur to her before at the time but now hearing Shu Rong say those words she was right. Einherjar Regen’s TK-67 61 cal sub machine gun (SMG) or personal defense weapon (PDW) was a massive handgun cannon scaled up to the WarFrame’s size capable of firing a non-explosive cluster round in addition to conventional ammunition. The weapon was bigger than what the normal human body can handle as it was sized to match the WarFrame suit the force of the recoil should killed Xin Hua LaoShi let alone even torn her arms off her body but it didn’t.

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Back at the academy she also didn’t pay much attention to it which is unusual before for her as nothing truly evades her not since the days when she became a pilot, but thinking back on the training room she didn’t pay much attention but she benched and worked with weights almost three times what she did before and the holo simulations she did them on a higher level than what she was used to without thinking about it.

‘Could what Shu Rong be saying is true after all?’ the thought surface in Yin Yue tried forcing it away but she just couldn’t deny the possibility.

“Adding onto that fact didn’t you take that blow straight to the head from that beast that Swarm Lord or whatever that cracked your helmet but other than a light bruise you were mostly fine.” Ailsa added on the side.

“Also have a look at this.” Shu Rong showed Yin Yue the screen of her datapad as she was processing what Ailsa just said before the new influx of new information showing the data that she was seeing to Yin Yue, the first thing that she noticed were the several waring runes and areas of the holo-image diagram of her WarFrame suit notably where the joints were. The point of location where her own limps were within the exoskeleton joints being secured by bolts grip that maintained the extremities, both arms and legs were effectively tied to the extremities of the suit.

“Your suit’s motor systems are actually wearing down a lot faster since we came to this world and this latest battle, they’ve worn down to the point that that they need to be replaced right now but sadly I don’t have the parts to do so.”

She then retracked her hand pulling the datapad away from Yin Yue’s view.

“So, in my conclusion it’s not that you’ve and anyone of us of the matter become weaker…...” Shu Rong paused in her sentence before meeting eye to eye with Yin Yue’s own eyes as if trying to reinforce what she was about to say.

“When maybe its because you’re exerting too much strength and overworking yourself instead of the reverse where you believe yourself to be physically weaker.”

“That doesn’t make any sense what so ever.” Yin Yue at the moment couldn’t make heads or tails of what was just theorized.

“Does anything that has happened these few days make any sense?”

“I guess not.” Yin Yue shrugged at the theocraticals present at the moment but chose not to linger to much on the thought.

“There you go so just roll with it for now try to understand it later.” Shu Rong turned back to her work after saying her piece and Yin Yue ceased to follow up on the conversation.

Seeing as how she had nothing else to add Shu Rong turned to back to her work tapping away at the datapad Yin Yue’s WarFrame stood up as she directed it back to the Hornbill, on the other side Hwei-ru along with Ailsa’s WarFrame did the same with the Fail Not.

“Ha~, What a total mess of things to think about.” Yin Yue sigh holding her head at the headache that was slowly seeping in her head.

“Hey-hey chill out girl it will be alright just roll with it like Shu Rong said.” At her side Ailsa Smith placed a hand on her shoulder caressing it seemingly not minding the sweat layer on her skin. Before she let out a sigh as she then said.

“Ha~, although I would like some tea right now.”

“You Europeans sure love tea a lot even more than us Asians even more if I have to admit.”

“Of course, there’s nothing more relaxing than a cup of hot tea after any sort of activity.”

“Here it’s not exact tea but have some pure leaf brand tea.” Two can drink appeared in front held up to Yin Yue and Ailsa Smith the one behind the hands was Liang Lì. Just as when they had first met, he was shirtless his skin basked in sweat as he too was fighting alongside them along with his men in their handful Excavator suits along with a few extra dozen male students of his school wielding whatever tool they had as a weapon. Liang Lì’s group using their Excavator suits along with the extra student body were in the process of gathering the dead creature’s bodies on a single spot.

Originally, they wanted Liang Lì and his boys to not participate in the battle but that clearly didn’t seat well with them, seemingly their pride wouldn’t let them sit it out. They insist so Yue, Ailsa and the rest didn’t oppose their decision though they proved that their assistance proved to be affective.

“Ah, thank you Liang Lì I humbly accept.” Ailsa Smith said cheerfully accepting the drink from him. Yin Yue accept the drink acknowledging with a simple nod of her head as she took the can popped it open and began to chug it down her throat. The cool drink instantly cooling down her insides as it passes through her guts, she didn’t stop for a second to breath as she continued gulping down the liquid such was her thirst.

“Easy there Yue don’t want you choking on me now.”

“Ah~, oh lay off Ailsa I’m just that thirsty ok.” Yin Yue took a huge breath of air as soon as her lips left the drink.

“Welp I guess we’ve rested enough let go help up with the clean up operation.”

“It’s alright I’ll have my boys take care of burning the bodies and the rest of the cleanup I’m sure that you ‘girls’ must be tired come I’ll have someone guide you guys to see if there are any spare rooms in the dorm to comandante you.” Liang Lì said as he gestured for them to follow him as he turned to walk back to the building Yin Yue’s voice stopped him in his track.

“That won’t be necessary we’ll camp out in our ship for our rest come wake us around noon.”

Liang Lì spun around at this his features filled with genuine concern.

“Are you sure there’s no need to be uncomfortable we have beds for you to rest.”

“We are sure thank you for the offer but we’ll be fine its just a short break anyway.” Ailsa Smith was the one to replied to Liang Lì’s concern reassuring him in their decision.

Alright as you wish I’ll have someone come get you after you’ve rest around noon then?”

“Noon it is then.” Once he heard Ailsa’s response, he turned back around to walk away from them towards is destination.

“Alright girls I’ll take first watch the rest of you girls figure out the schedule for the rest of the time among yourself before you go nighty-night.” Yin Yue called out to her crew as she stood up the crate, she was seating on along with Ailsa Smith who walked behind her.

“Roger that.” The security team began talking amongst themselves as them followed after the duo gathering their equipment that they tossed aside entering after Yue and Ailsa entered through the rear open cargo bay door entrance of the Hornbill. However, Yue stayed near the entrance as the other walked in taking a taking a rifle and side arm from Di Qing as she passed Yin Yue.

“Sleep well you lot.”

“Yue come wake me after a hour ok I’ll replace you for the watch.” Ailsa’s came further in the ship.

“Alright.” Yue simply responded as she then began to wait gazing over the rising horizon in the distance.