375 It’s A Hassle, But I Can Live Without It A week after the battle against the Manticore King… The 69th Battalion and the Valkyries were gearing up for another night raid as they waited for their Commander to arrive. Thirteen spent most of his time in one of the off-limits areas of the Aircraft Carrier, so only those with high-level clearance could meet him. The only ones who were allowed to disturb him were Arthur, Michael, Cristopher, and Colbert. It was very obvious that the teenage boy was busy with something that he didn't want others to know. Thirteen knew that not many could understand the reasons behind what he was doing. Inside his special laboratory, three naked ladies lay on the bed, with several tubes sticking to their bodies. One of these ladies was Viola, and the other two ladies were the survivors of her squad. They were the trigger of why the Valkyrie Division lost over two hundred members, and were, in turn, responsible for the deaths of over a thousand more. Their guilt was immense, and their desire for atonement was greater. Because of this, they didn't hesitate to agree to Thirteen's invitation to redeem themselves by battling against the Brain Beetle. The teenage boy told them that they would never be the same again once they agreed to become his lab rats. He didn't lie and directly told them that they would become experimental subjects, even disclosing that there was a high chance of them losing their individuality and humanity. Nonetheless, these girls didn't bat an eye and still agreed, putting their unconditional trust in the teenage boy who promised them only one thing. The defeat of the Brain Beetle and a chance for humanity to regain a foothold in the Rigel Continent. Thirteen glanced at the machines currently monitoring the changes in the bodies of the Valkyries. Viola was a Grandmaster, while the two other ladies were Masters. They were strong for their ages, early and mid-twenties. Especially Viola. Being a Grandmaster at her age, although not rare, was something that branded her as a promising Wanderer with a bright future. Unfortunately, that once bright future had become bleak, and she was now reduced to a guinea pig in exchange for atonement. Thirteen jotted down the numbers that appeared on the machines for each of the ladies who were currently staring blankly at the ceiling. 'These are within acceptable parameters,' Thirteen muttered. 'Any more than this will be bad.' The teenage boy didn't plan on destroying the future of the three, so he made sure that they would not go past the point of no return. Although he warned them about potentially losing their individuality and humanity, he only said those to measure their determination. He would not really do something like that. After all, these girls were Cannon Fodders as well. A few minutes later, Thirteen picked up a handbell and rang it a few times. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖 The Valkyries, who had been blankly staring at the ceiling, suddenly stirred and regained focus in their eyes. Viola groaned, feeling weak all over. Thirteen approached her first and slowly removed the tubes that were sticking to her body one by one. "How are you feeling?" Thirteen asked. "Wasted," Viola replied. "I can't even lift a finger." Thirteen smiled faintly. This was indeed the side effect of the special serum he had injected inside their bodies. After making sure that all the tubes had been removed, he took out a clean white blanket from his storage ring and covered Viola's body with it. "Rest for now," Thirteen replied as he moved to do the same to the two other girls, whose names were Sharon and Louise. The two also looked very exhausted, and very tired. Even so, their eyes were much more alive now, for they could tell that their bodies had become stronger. Much stronger. After covering their bodies with a blanket and asking a few questions, Thirteen bid the three of them good night and left the room. After passing through several checkpoints, Thirteen saw Cristopher and Colbert, who were waiting for him. "Is everyone ready?" Thirteen asked as he removed his lab coat and placed it inside his storage ring. "Yes, Young Master," Cristopher replied. "They are only waiting for you to arrive." "How are the Valkyries liking their new uniform?" Thirteen inquired. "They hate it," Colbert replied with a smile. Thirteen nodded in understanding. The Valkyries were currently wearing the same light-green military gear that the 69th Battalion was wearing. Back then, they made fun of Thirteen's troops because of the armor. Now, they were wearing the same thing, which was like a slap to their face. Even Shana was not exempted from the rule. However, unlike her "sisters," she didn't mind wearing the light-green armor because she already knew how practical it was to use against the Jinns and Majins. When Thirteen arrived at the hangar, everyone stood in attention and saluted him. The Valkyries did the same, albeit reluctantly. There was a saying in the military. We salute the Rank, not the Man. Thirteen didn't mind what they thought in their hearts. They were now under his command, and he only needed them to show him the respect that matched his current Rank. Marion, who was now his Vice Commander, stood in front of everyone and waited for her superior officer to brief them about their mission. "Exactly an hour from now, we will commence our operation," Thirteen stated. "All of you are equipped with flying Avatars, so make sure to stay in the air, and bombard your enemies from that height. "This operation will be training for the 69th Battalion to fight aerial battles. The Valkyries' role would be to safeguard all of you because they have more experience in dogfights in the sky. "I will be riding alongside Vice Commander Marion to give orders in real-time. When I say retreat, you will retreat immediately. Of course, if you wish to die, feel free to ignore my orders." Thirteen scanned the determined faces of his subordinates before nodding his head. "The Leventis Naval Fleet will provide cover for your retreat," Thirteen said. "We will continue this training until all of you have reached an acceptable proficiency level in aerial battles." "Remember, beetles with glowing blue patterns on their bodies have a self-destruct ability. Make sure to take them out first when you see them. Do I make myself clear?" """Sir, Yes Sir!""" "Good. Prepare to sorty!" Thirteen had purchased three hundred Gyrfalcon Avatars from the Dvalinn Federation, which almost emptied the funds he had gathered for his Battalion. Fortunately, his very loyal Captain, Colbert, shared half of his side hustle earnings with him. Thanks to that, he was able to retain a few million gold coins, which would be distributed to his troops as their salary. Of course, his Avatar Food Business had also taken off, helping him replenish his coffers. Right now, Thirteen knew that he needed to invest in his Battalion. After all, they would become his money-making machine in the future. All of their achievements would also be his achievements, and he could use the fame gained from it to sign brand deals with big companies who would want to use his influence to promote their products. Thirteen was a simple teenage boy. When people gave him free money, he would accept it with a smile on his face. The Gyrfalcons weren't the fastest-flying Avatars. However, they were fast enough to outfly and outmaneuver the majority of the flying monsters in the Rigel Continent. They were also very good for long-distance and endurance flying, which was very important when it came to fighting in a monster-infested continent like the Rigel Continent. In order to save money, Thirteen only bought Rank 3 Gyrfalcons for his Battalion. However, he planned to make them evolve into Alpha Monsters so that their combat abilities would reach the middle stages of a Rank 4 monster. The Pegasus of the Valkyries were Rank 4 Monsters, so they were quite powerful in their own right. They were ideal for flying and running on the ground, making them very versatile avatars. These monsters also specialized in burst speeds, allowing them to momentarily increase their pace during battle. This made it easier for them to evade, attack, and perform maneuvers that other flying monsters couldn't imitate. Thirteen sat in Marion's Pegasus, and the beautiful lady sat behind him. "It's really inconvenient when you can't have an Avatar of your own, isn't it?" Marion asked, pitying the boy for his restrictions. "It's a hassle, but I can live without it," Thirteen replied. "After all, I wouldn't get the chance to ride with a beautiful lady like you, Vice Commander, if I could use an avatar." "Smooth, very smooth," Marion commented. "I'm sure the girls will love you when you grow older." Thirteen smiled faintly because he was just lightening the mood a bit. While he knew what romance was, he still didn't understand it fully. Although he had lived as a system for a long time, most of his hosts didn't have a happy love life because of their fate. It made Thirteen believe that falling in love wasn't worth it. There was no such thing as happy endings, especially for his hosts whose fates had been sealed the moment they were born in the world. Setting aside these thoughts, Thirteen focused his attention on the task at hand. "Green Lanterns, let's roll out!" Thirteen ordered. Immediately, Marion urged her Pegasus to run on the Aircraft Carrier's runway to gain momentum. The other Valkyries imitated their captain. Soon, they all rose toward the sky in a V-Formation. The Gyrfalcon didn't need to do that. They simply waited for their owners to sit on the custom-made saddles meant for Gyrfalcons before taking off to the skies. Soon, hundreds of flying monsters headed toward the direction of the Southeastern Region of the Rigel Continent to conduct their first Aerial Night Raid, which would play a role in fighting against the Brain Beetle in the future.