Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 209 Another Test (Twelfth Update)

Valerie subconsciously moved her fingers.

The power armor's massive metal hand reacted instantly and in perfect sync, without the slightest delay, as if the enormous mechanical structure were an integral part of her body.

When she raised her right arm, she could even clearly "feel" the faint vibrations of energy flowing inside the power gloves, as if she could sense the contraction of her own muscles.

"This..." Valerie was speechless for a moment.

This intuitive and effortless control is completely different from the previous experience where you had to consciously overcome the sluggishness of the controls.

She seemed to have truly become one with this steel giant several meters tall, and every command was transmitted naturally like a nerve signal.

"Neural synchronization rate of 92%, stable state." The voice of the auxiliary AI sounded directly in her consciousness, its tone steady, yet seemingly possessing an indescribable sense of coordination compared to before: "Initiating basic maneuver test, please follow the guidance."

Valerie responded to the system's guidance almost instinctively.

Driven by her will, the power armor smoothly completed a series of complex movements such as walking, running, stopping suddenly, turning, and jumping, with the movements flowing so naturally as if she were controlling her own body.

The lingering heaviness of the past had vanished, replaced by a powerful and completely controlled sense of strength.

"How are you feeling?" Chen Yu's voice came through the encrypted channel.

“Unbelievable…” Valerie’s voice was filled with barely suppressed shock, “It’s like… it has become an extension of my body. The lag is almost imperceptible.”

"Data records show that reaction speed has increased by 47 percent and action accuracy by 31 percent," Chen Yu calmly reported the analysis results. "We will now begin weapon system testing."

Prioritize evaluating the combined effectiveness of the Storm Bomb Gun and the shoulder-mounted laser cannon. Target: Pre-set target one kilometer away.

With a slight thought, Valerie maneuvered her power armor out of the workshop. The Stormblaster mounted on her left arm quickly rose, and the aiming data instantly appeared in her field of vision, requiring almost no conscious adjustment.

She could even "sense" the operation of the weapon's internal mechanical structure, as if she could hear the subtle metallic friction of the shell sliding into the chamber.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Three precise shots, the enormous recoil was clearly transmitted through her neural connections, but she instantly adapted and completely neutralized it.

In the distance, targets marked with heavy armor fell one by one, indicating that they had been hit.

"Switch to shoulder laser cannon and continuously irradiate the moving target marked B."

As soon as the command was given, Valerie didn't even need to deliberately search for a target; her shoulder-mounted laser cannon had automatically locked onto the target that was moving at high speed within the test area.

A crimson beam of light shot out precisely, continuously scorching the surface of the moving target and leaving deep red molten marks on the metal plate.

As the laser cannon continued to fire, Valerie sensed the energy gathering in her right power gauntlet.

This multi-threaded operation becomes effortless in neural direct connection mode, allowing her to process status information from multiple weapon systems simultaneously, as naturally as breathing.

"Melee mode ready. Simulated enemy power armor unit appears ahead."

As soon as the system notification sounded, Valerie discovered the abandoned "Onimusha" frame placed in the center of the testing area.

This semi-realistic test area is scattered with real war debris, giving each test a sense of urgency reminiscent of actual combat.

She propelled her power armor forward with a swift charge, the four-meter-tall steel body displaying astonishing agility under direct neural control. At the moment of approaching her target, she unleashed a powerful punch, fueled by accumulated energy.

The disintegration field of the power gauntlets was activated instantly. This time, the feeling of matter disintegrating was clearer than ever before—it was as if it wasn't the weapon that was destroying things, but her own fists that were directly crushing the target.

The abandoned "Onimusha" frame disintegrated in the disintegration field as if being devoured by an invisible behemoth, and the metal parts turned into fine dust that drifted in the air.

Valerie could even sense every minute vibration of the target structure collapsing through neural connections, an experience that was almost a sensory extension that allowed her to reach a new level of control over the power gloves.

She then tested the combination of removing the Storm Bolt Gun and equipping a physical shield and chainsaw sword, experiencing the difference between pure melee defense and attack.

The entire testing process lasted for several hours, during which Valerie tried various weapon module combinations.

In neural direct connection mode, she can not only switch and use weapons faster, but also intuitively feel the energy consumption, recoil, armor penetration effect and effectiveness of each weapon at different distances.

After the test, Valerie stepped out of the cockpit.

Although the continuous high-intensity testing had left her somewhat mentally exhausted, her eyes still shone with an unusually bright light.

This sense of power, so effortless and responsive, reawakened something she had suppressed after being betrayed and hunted—a yearning to control her own destiny.

“Data collection complete,” Chen Yu said to the suspended servo skull, its crimson optical lens scanning the newly compiled analysis report. “The improvement in combat effectiveness brought about by the neural direct connection mode is in line with expectations, especially in multi-weapon system coordination and close-combat reaction.”

He pulled up detailed weapon evaluation data, his tone filled with assessment of the technology: "The Storm Bomb Gun performs best in terms of overall cost-effectiveness, has convenient ammunition resupply, and has a good suppressive effect on various armored targets."

While plasma bombardment cannons have the greatest power, they consume too much energy and have a limited rate of fire, making them more suitable as a solution for special situations.

Shoulder-mounted laser cannons are highly reliable as auxiliary firepower, with low energy consumption and strong sustainability.

Physical shields are valuable when dealing with concentrated fire, but they do sacrifice some mobility.

Power gauntlets remain irreplaceable in close combat, while chainswords are more efficient against non-heavily armored targets.

"Overall," Chen Yu concluded, "a balanced configuration, such as the Storm Bomb Gun paired with powered gauntlets, and optionally a shoulder laser cannon or a physical shield, should be able to meet most battlefield needs. Special missions, however, will require custom-made equipment."

He turned to Valerie: "How was your experience in actual combat?"

Valerie thought for a moment and answered seriously, "Neural Direct Connect does indeed greatly improve weapon efficiency. I personally prefer the combination of the Storm Bomb Gun and the Power Gauntlets, which is effective at both close and long range and has sufficient burst damage."

While shields are useful, they do indeed impede mobility.

Chen Yu's optical lens flickered slightly: "Very good. Next, you need to undergo more intensive combat training to fully adapt to combat in the neural direct connection mode."

Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome. Reasonable suggestions will be considered and integrated into subsequent mass production decisions.

With the continuous improvement of the testing machine and Valerie's rapid progress, Chen Yu has gained another reliable option in his technical reserves.

Meanwhile, on the front lines, the war of attrition between Arasaka and military technology continues, with new steel debris piling up on the barren land every day, and new combat data being generated amidst the smoke of battle.

Behind this seemingly stalemate, undercurrents are still surging – Arasaka Yoriyuki's schemes and the spying of various forces all indicate that this corporate war is far from over.

Chen Yu continues to focus on his technological research and iteration, calmly observing, analyzing, and improving, preparing for potential technological breakthroughs.

(End of this chapter)