Chapter 422: Cage's Growth
As his understanding of the Iron Guard deepened, Cage's mindset also quietly changed.
Initially, he was full of fear toward combat, only wanting to end the loop as quickly as possible and escape the battlefield.
But now, he began to proactively think about tactics, even staying behind after training to study the Iron Guard's operation manual.
"Looks like our Propaganda Officer is starting to take an interest in actual combat," Dorio noticed Cage's change and said to Maine.
Maine looked at Cage, who was currently discussing Iron Guard tactics with Jackie, his optical lenses flickering slightly. "This is a good sign. Fear only makes people retreat, while the thirst for knowledge drives them forward."
In yet another live-fire simulation, Cage piloted an Iron Guard to successfully intercept a wave of Mimic ambushes, protecting the flank of Valerie's mech.
"Good job," Valerie praised over the comms. "Your reaction was very timely this time."
After coming out of the cockpit, Cage didn't immediately rest as he usually did, but instead found Jackie to continue discussing the details of the battle just now.
"I'm beginning to understand why you rely so much on this equipment," Cage said. "In front of them, a single Mimic indeed seems incredibly fragile."
Jackie nodded. "But remember, equipment is just a tool. True combat power comes from the people using it."
That night, Cage wrote in his training log: "Today, for the first time, I truly understand the meaning of 'power'. It isn't an empty concept in a propaganda slogan; it is the tremor of the Iron Guard stepping on the ground, the heatwave of the plasma cannon cutting through the air. Maybe... I can stop running away."
Maine read this log, knowing that Cage's transformation was crucial to their upcoming plans.
A proactive anchor was far more valuable than a passive survivor fleeing for his life.
The Iron Guard training not only improved Cage's combat abilities, but more importantly, it was reshaping this former propaganda officer's perception of war.
The time loop continued.
In the subsequent resets, Cage experienced death several more times—sometimes from stray bullets, sometimes from Mimic ambushes, and even once from an accident during training.
The agonizing pain and mental shock brought by each death were incredibly real, but Cage found that his recovery speed was getting faster.
What was more precious was that although his physical fitness returned to square one with each reset, those combat experiences and tactical awareness were retained as if carved into his soul.
"His tactical choices are becoming more and more seasoned," Dorio evaluated after observing a beachhead operation.
By this time, Cage was already able to proficiently use the terrain for cover, and his coordination with the UDF soldiers appeared effortless.
The standard-issue UDF combat exoskeleton became Cage's greatest asset.
Although this equipment lacked the protective power of Maine's squad's armor, its enhanced mobility and stability allowed Cage, a former civilian officer, to perform tactical maneuvers that originally only elite soldiers could accomplish.
"Flank left, watch the firing intervals," Cage commanded several UDF soldiers beside him via walkie-talkie while moving rapidly in his exoskeleton.
His voice was steady, completely devoid of his initial panic.
Rebecca observed from a distance with binoculars, uncharacteristically holding back her sarcasm: "Looks like our Propaganda Officer has finally learned how to fight."
However, accidents always strike suddenly.
During a building-clearing mission, Cage's squad was ambushed by Mimics.
Although Maine's squad provided timely support, Cage was still pierced through the abdomen by a Mimic's tentacle in the chaotic melee.
"Damn it..." Cage fell into a pool of blood, feeling his life slipping away.
Amidst the severe pain, he saw Maine's dark-red figure rapidly approaching, and then his vision was replaced by the dizziness of the reset.
Waking up in the landing craft once again, Cage took a few deep breaths before his violently beating heart calmed down.
Upon regrouping, Dorio patted his shoulder: "This time was an accident. Next time, watch out for crossfire points inside buildings."
Cage nodded without speaking.
The shadow of death still loomed over him, but more than that was a sense of unwillingness—he knew he could have done better.
At the same time, the research and development work of the technical team made substantial progress.
In the laboratory provided by the UDF, Pilar and Lucy successfully assembled the first non-lethal capture device prototype.
"The cooling system still needs optimization," Pilar adjusted the device parameters. "The current sustained operation time is only thirty seconds."
Lucy focused on perfecting the control system: "I've improved the algorithm of the targeting module; it should increase the probability of hitting moving targets."
This device looked like a bizarrely shaped large-caliber launcher, integrating an ultra-low temperature coolant injection system and an energy interference generator inside.
Although it still appeared bulky, it already possessed actual combat capability.
"We'll conduct a field test in the next loop," Maine decided after checking the device's status. "Choose a relatively safe area to do it."
Lucy's quadrupedal automaton played an important role in these loops.
Relying on memory unaffected by the reset, the automaton ventured deep into Mimic-controlled zones multiple times, mapping out precise activity heat maps.
"Based on this data," Lucy presented her findings at a tactical meeting, "the Mimics' activity in the beachhead area has clear patterns. They seem to patrol around several fixed points."
David's biological research also made new progress.
Through comparative analysis of samples collected across multiple loops, he discovered that the Mimics' neural center wasn't fixed in one place but presented a distributed structure.
"This explains why conventional attacks have a hard time inflicting lethal damage on them," David pointed to the scan image. "However, in the Alpha individuals, I detected an abnormally concentrated neural node."
"Meaning, if we can locate and destroy this node..." Dorio looked thoughtful.
"Theoretically, it could rapidly paralyze an Alpha," David nodded, "but this requires an extremely precise attack."
After the new loop began, Cage noticeably became more cautious.
He no longer advanced rashly, but paid more attention to teamwork and tactical execution.
With the assistance of the exoskeleton, his movements were more fluid, and his shooting accuracy improved significantly.
"Looks like the taste of death really does help a person grow," Rebecca commented after witnessing Cage precisely kill three Mimics with her own eyes.
Maine watched Cage on the battlefield, his optical lenses flickering slightly.
This former civilian officer, who once couldn't even hold a gun steady, was transforming into a true warrior through continuous death and rebirth.
Although the loop was still an unsolved mystery, at least they were stepping closer to the answer.
Pilar and Lucy continued to perfect the capture device, David's research provided more basis for tactical formulation, and Cage's growth continuously elevated the entire team's combat effectiveness.
In this endless time loop, everyone was pushing things forward in their own way.
(End of Chapter)