CHAPTER 48: CHAPTER 9.7: THIS UNIFORM DOESN’T MAKE ME A HERO. BUT I’LL TRY ANYWAY PART 4

Jin blinked, trying to wrap his head around it. "Wait, Asha’s been keeping an eye on them while I was knocked out?"

The three girls pause whatever they’re up to and give Jin a focused stare.

Certainly! Here’s a paraphrase in a "dry wit" style:

"Indeed, the Crawlers exhibit a delightful penchant for daytime revelry, enthusiastically ramping up their activities during the Vault’s artificial sunlit hours. However, once the faux night descends, they retreat into a state that can only be described as a rather lackluster metabolic slowdown. While this certainly doesn’t qualify as true hibernation, one cannot help but notice a charmingly sluggish 23% drop in their reaction times, accompanied by an equally impressive 31% decline in their sensory sharpness."

Jin frowned, really trying to focus. He was having a tough time figuring out Asha’s complicated explanation. "So, she’s saying they’re more lively during the day but kind of sluggish at night, like when you wake up at 3 AM and stumble to the bathroom half-asleep."

Rosa raised an eyebrow. "Great."

Asha interjected, "It’s worth mentioning that these individuals display a remarkable propensity for aggression when engaged directly. Curiously, though, their patrol activities seem to wane, and their detection abilities take a noticeable hit during the night."

"But they’ll still eat your face if they notice you," Jin added helpfully.

Clara’s eyes lit up behind her glasses. "T-That’s actually huge! I-If their detection range is.. is reduced by almost a third..."

"We could get much closer before triggering a response," Sera finished, her tactical mind already adjusting. "How did you notice this pattern?"

Jin rubbed his head and said, "Asha says she actually kept track of how many times they went by those cameras during the day compared to at night." He took a moment to pause.

Asha acknowledged, remarking, "Yet, the results hold statistical significance. The analysis shows that, during the bustling hours of daylight, Camera Station C-7 captured an average of 47 Crawler activities. In stark contrast, the shadows of the deep night brought in a mere 16 activities. Adding to the intrigue, movement speed experienced a notable slowdown, dropping from 4.7 meters per second to a rather leisurely 3.6 meters per second."

"They go from super fast to... still quick but not so scary," Jin said, waving his hands to show the difference.

"So they’re not sleeping," Rosa mused, "just... operating at reduced capacity?"

Jin nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah.. that’s what Asha said."

"Then we time our move for the deep night cycle," Sera added. "Seven hours from now, when they’re at their slowest. That gives us five hours to execute and extract before they’re back to full speed."

Sera’s voice was carefully neutral. "Now—assignments. Clara, I want those modifications perfect. Test everything twice. Rosa, inventory every weapon, every tool, every possible advantage we have. Map out your trap placements and have alternatives ready."

"And me?" Jin asked.Sera studied him for a long moment. "You need to rest and eat rations at the back go check em out and fill yourself. We need you to be ready in full energy..." she hesitated, then continued more quietly, "you should spend some time with Asha reviewing the Vault schematics. If things go wrong, you’ll need to know every possible escape route."

"Ok..I...I understand" As he is about to step back "J-Jin," Clara spoke up unexpectedly, "your body went through trauma...." She adjusted her glasses nervously. "Please.... take care of yourself."

Rosa added, her usual playfulness subdued. "Can’t have our hero passing out mid-way.."

Jin wanted to argue, but the looks on their faces stopped him.

They were worried—genuinely worried—about him. It was a strange feeling, having people who cared whether he pushed himself too hard.

"Alright," he conceded as Sera nodded approvingly.

"We’ll reconvene in six hours for a tactical review. Until then—everyone knows their tasks." Sera paused, looking at each of them one final time. "If we fail..." Her voice hardened with determination.

"If we fail we can never go back and we might die and so do the girls still in cryo-sleep." Her eyes blazed with fierce protectiveness. "And I refuse to let that happen." The words hung in the air, but somehow Jin found them motivating rather than terrifying.

[PRIORITY QUEST INITIATED]

[DESIGNATION: OPERATION NIGHTFALL]

Classification: Strategic Rescue Mission Time-sensitive

Primary Objective:

Successfully infiltrated Environmental Control Station C-7 during the Vault’s night cycle to trigger fire suppression systems, providing cover for team extraction of two cryo-pod subjects from Sector D-4.

Mission Parameters:

- Timeline: 12 hours preparation, 5 hours execution window

- Team Composition: 4 members, coordinated assault

- Threat Level: EXTREME (30-40 Crawler entities)

- Success Condition: All team members survive, both cryo-subjects successfully revived

Personal Objectives:

• Master Vault layout and escape routes (Progress: 0/15 key passages memorized)

• Achieve optimal physical condition for infiltration (Rest: 0/6 hours completed)

• Coordinate with Asha for real-time tactical support

• Survive direct engagement with Crawler pack (Estimated: 15-20 entities)

Success Rewards:

- +500 EXP (Mission Completion)

- +750 EXP (Zero Casualties Bonus)

- New Passive Skill Unlock: *Pack Tactics Disruption*

- Cryo-Revival Protocol Access

- Bond Events Unlocked with all team members

- Potential New Team Members: 2x Unknown Cryo-Subjects

Failure Consequences:

- Death of team member(s)

- Loss of Command Wing sector

- Failure to expand the survivor group

- Potential cascade failure of remaining cryo-systems

Current Sub-Objectives:

□ Rest and Recovery (6 hours minimum)

□ Memorize tactical routes with Asha

□ Equipment familiarization and testing

□ Final briefing and team coordination

___

Jin blinked at the display, trying to process all the information. "Asha, this looks... really complicated."

"It’s a high-stakes rescue mission with multiple moving parts, Jin. I thought you’d appreciate having it broken down into simple checkboxes you can actually understand."

"Thanks, I think?" He studied the quest details again. "Thirty-one percent chance of success? That’s... not great, is it?"

"It exceeds the 12% we experienced prior to implementing effective planning. Furthermore, you have successfully overcome more challenging circumstances in the past. Do you recall the Shambler incident?"

Jin winced at the memory. "Yeah, but I died during that one."

"Try to avoid making it permanent this time."

Sera hung out by the command table, and her posture was a bit more relaxed now. Gone was the tactical leader calling the shots just moments before; now she was just a young woman checking out the holographic maps, maybe taking a moment to soak in what was coming up.

"Hey," Jin said softly, approaching her. "You okay?"

Sera looked up quickly, her amber eyes narrowing. "I’m totally fine," she replied sharply, sitting up straight in her chair. "Why wouldn’t I be?"

Jin noticed her hands were shaking a bit before she brought them together, and her shoulders were just slightly tense.

"Are you sure? You don’t look—"

Sera interrupted him. "I’m just figuring out the strategies and backup plans. It’s called being responsible, not that you’d understand."

Jin blinked, taken aback by her sudden hostility. "Oh... sorry. I just thought—"

"Well, don’t," Sera snapped, then immediately looked away, a faint flush creeping up her neck. "I mean..." She cleared her throat. "The mission details are a bit tricky. There are a lot of variables we just can’t predict."

Jin settled into the chair beside her despite her prickly response. "That sounds really stressful."

"It’s not really that stressful, it’s just more about strategy," Sera said, a bit on the defensive, but her tone had softened. She pointed at the holographic screen. "We’ve got equipment issues, the Crawlers are all over the place, and then there are the cryo-subjects... If I mess up even one thing..."

Sera lost her cool just a bit. "People could die. Because of my decisions." Her amber eyes locked with his, and for a second, he noticed the fear she was doing her best to mask. "You... you just don’t get it."

"I understand you, Sera." Jin said earnestly. "But if I think too hard about all the scary stuff that might happen, my brain gets all fuzzy and I can’t think straight."

He scratched his head, looking genuinely puzzled. "I’m just trying to do what’s right and I need to be prepared to lend a hand. , I know your plan will work.."

Sera stared at him for a long moment. "You make it sound so simple."

"Isn’t it?" Jin asked with innocent confusion. "I mean, you’re really good at the planning stuff, and Clara’s amazing with all the technical things, and Rosa’s... well, Rosa’s Rosa. So I just need to do my part and trust everyone else to do theirs."

"That’s..." Sera struggled for words, her sharp tongue momentarily failing her. "That’s actually... not completely idiotic."

"Thanks!" Jin beamed as if she’d given him the highest compliment. "Asha says I’m really good at accidentally saying smart things even when I don’t understand them."

"Your AI has far too much personality," Sera muttered, but there was less bite in her voice.

"Yeah, she’s always making fun of me," Jin said cheerfully. "Sera, can I ask you something?"

"What?" she said warily.

"Did you ever feel nervous before things went bad? You know, like when you had to make some major choices?"

Sera quickly put her guard back up. "I wasn’t scared; I was ready for it. They’re not the same thing."

Jin looked at her with those wide, earnest eyes. "But weren’t you worried about messing up?"

"I..." Sera faltered, then looked away. "Being president of the student council is totally different. The worst that could happen there is messing up the school festival or screwing up the budget. But here, if I mess up just once..."