After returning to the CE Universe, Reid, as usual, let the others rest first while he began to tally his gains.
Yes, this assessment mission was different from the previous two; the gains needed to be carefully calculated.
After all, the units that came from the Mollaria Republic were all Arm Slaves. Unless there was a Fallen Angel or a Laevatein among them, Reid already had all the related technology, so destroying them only dropped duplicate tech.
And during the Human Reform League's crusade against the Celestial Beings, the Zaku family units that appeared were all Mobile Suits from a hundred years before UC. After Reid obtained the F91, the technology they dropped was either something he already had or was outdated.
The only two things worth mentioning were the Regeneration P Device from the High Mobility Psycho Zaku and the Large Bruno Cannon Kai.
However, the former was purely anti-humanitarian. Moreover, after obtaining the relatively less anti-humanitarian Alaya-Vijnana System, it was a technology destined to be sealed away at the bottom of a chest forever. At most, its technique for mechanically connecting to muscles and nerves could be used for people who couldn't afford top-tier Medical Pods and needed prosthetics.
The latter, the Large Bruno Cannon Kai, was purely a "chicken rib"—neither good enough to keep nor bad enough to discard. At best, the Minovsky Particle compression technology within could provide some design ideas for the export-model Minovsky Particle Sniper Rifles after the various CE nations started using Minovsky Particle nuclear fusion reactors.
But this time was different. Of the Vagan technology from the Gundam AGE universe, Reid had previously only obtained the Dragon-Type Frame and Electromagnetic Armor from two Danazines that Chang Wufei had summoned using his Transcendent Impact ability.
So this time, the Otherworld Entanglement of Genoaces, Danazines, Ghirargas, and Zeydras all dropped different technologies.
Take the most numerous Genoace, for example. With a quick scan, Reid saw that all of its technologies had dropped. The other Mobile Suits supplemented each other, and pretty much all their tech had dropped as well.
Of course, technologies like Beam Weapons and transformable frames were useless as he had superior alternatives. The most valuable drops were the various models of Lightwave Thrusters.
This thing was pretty much as Reid knew it. It was a system that used solar wind particles for particle reflection, and then used conventional propulsion to accelerate the reflected solar wind particles to achieve acceleration. This allowed for long-distance travel with low energy consumption.
However, one couldn't expect this system to be very fast. Its greatest advantage was its low energy consumption for interplanetary travel.
(The show never explicitly states how long it takes for Vagan forces to travel from Mars to Earth. Often, one scene ends and the next they're already there. I remember the novel describing the shortest time as one month.)
Therefore, this thing could only be considered a lower-tier substitute for the Starlight Transmitter. It was inferior in both speed and energy consumption.
After all, the so-called low energy consumption of the Lightwave Thruster was in comparison to the energy consumption of ships originally traveling from Earth to Mars. The fact that it could now be compressed to a point where even a Mobile Suit could power it was indeed ultra-low consumption.
But the Starlight Transmitter could travel indefinitely using only the bare minimum of electricity needed to start the Mobile Suit. The two were truly incomparable in terms of energy consumption.
However, for Reid, this technology was still useful right now. It perfectly addressed the current problem of ships needing to carry large supplies of nuclear fuel for interstellar voyages.
This way, he could send a fleet to Jupiter during the peace period between CE 72 and October of CE 73. He had the data for the UC's Jupiteris on hand anyway. After installing the Lightwave Thrusters, a round trip between Earth and Jupiter would take about a year, so it would definitely be back before the end of the Second War.
Reid planned to use this trip to Jupiter to build a few more GN Drives. This only required modifying the factories on the Jupiteris. The technology was readily available, and there was no need to understand the principles—just follow the steps. Even the natives could complete the task.
Then, Reid also wanted to look for the second Winged Whale fossil. Having one of those on display in the national exhibition center would be very prestigious.
Of course, exploring Jupiter was a matter for later; there was no rush right now.
Besides the Lightwave Thruster, the more useful technologies from the Vagan Mobile Suits were the "Veil Umbrella" system, an abnormally efficient laser scanning system, a helmet that could forcibly awaken a human's X-rounder abilities, the Ape-Type Frame, and the Zelam Tail Blade.
The "Veil Umbrella" system could replace the Electronic Camouflage technology currently in common use on Reid's side because it didn't produce large amounts of ozone when used in the atmosphere, nor would it be detected by birds.
Of course, the Mirage Colloid System with Lambda Driver Fixed Illusion Particles was still the strongest stealth system, because Mirage Colloid had too many functions and could be used in creative ways when combined with the Lambda Driver.
The subsequent laser scanning technology was an unexpected bonus. After all, laser scanning was a dime-a-dozen technology, and all Mobile Suits had countermeasures to ensure that ordinary laser scans revealed nothing but an outline.
However, Vagan had turned laser scanning into black magic. The original story never clarified what the EXA-DB was, so Reid didn't get hung up on the principles. Anyway, under normal circumstances, this thing could scan out the skeletal model of a Mobile Suit.
However, this laser scanning system had clearly never been stress-tested against special particles. Minovsky Particles, GN Particles, and even the more stable Ahab Waves and Mirage Colloid could severely interfere with its scanning.
That was why, in the skies above the Kessig region of the Kingdom of Azadistan, a bunch of Mobile Suits had scanned Reid's units for a long time without getting any clear results.
Fortunately, this was a minor problem for Reid. He just needed to input the relevant data to filter out the interference from the special particles, and the system would be usable again.
Of course, Reid didn't need to install it on all his Mobile Suits; equipping it on specialized reconnaissance MS would be enough. This thing was truly excellent for scanning for Space Mines and finding hidden fortress emplacements.
As for the helmet that could forcibly awaken a human's X-rounder abilities, although it could allow an ordinary pilot to display the abilities of an X-rounder, the only scenario Reid could think of for using this helmet was against Coordinators in the future.
After all, the Coordinators created by Aura were rookies without their mind-reading. If the enemy was full of people who just mindlessly charged forward, they would surely be thrown into disarray.
However, Reid felt that his troops needed to be disciplined and follow orders. There was no need to create a bunch of beast-like pilots. As for someone like Shinn Asuka, who already had a beast-like fighting style, he didn't need this helmet's assistance.
So, Reid decided to just seal this thing away. Like the various systems for enhancing ordinary people in the Gundam Universe, this thing would drive people mad. And the effect it produced was not as good as Kurtz Moralez's EXAM system, which could allow ordinary pilots to reach NT-level abilities.
As for the last two, the Ape-Type Frame and the Zelam Tail Blade, they were supplements to his technological diversity. The Dragon-Type Frame had failed to create Godzilla, so Reid didn't expect the Ape-Type Frame to create King Kong.
At most, he would see if there was a future need for engineering machinery with high arm strength, and then he would use the Ape-Type Frame.
As for the Zelam Tail Blade, Reid was considering whether to install it on the Gundam Barbatos Lupus.
The tail blade of the original Gundam Barbatos Lupus Rex form was an armament created by transplanting the blade from the Hashmal onto the back of the Mobile Suit.
This wasn't something that could be solved by simply connecting a wire to a Bit.
The Hashmal's tail blade cable could not only transmit nerve signals but could also lift the tail blade itself in a gravity environment without thrusters, as if it had muscles, and it could also extend and retract.
In any case, the materials and technology Reid had on hand couldn't replicate the same effect for the time being, so he hadn't added a tail blade to the Gundam Barbatos Lupus.
But now, this Zelam Tail Blade seemed like it could be installed as a lower-tier substitute to let Mikazuki experience the feeling of having a tail in advance.
The only difference between this and the original Rex form's tail blade was that it couldn't extend very far. It would definitely be fine as a close-combat weapon for attacking enemies in front.
That was about it for the useful technology for now.
Reid then checked the World Change Fluctuation Value. The value recorded for this battle was 13.282%. Cleaning up the wreckage only reduced it by 0.006%. It seemed the reasons for the increase in value also included him exposing the Gran Chaos and the large number of personnel without identities.
The next assessment battle would be in the Taklamakan Desert, the Gundam capture operation by the Human Revolutionary Alliance, the Union, and the AEU. (The director of 00 probably never imagined that a few years later, the Taklamakan Desert would slowly start to turn green, and environmental management is now showing initial results.)
Reid looked at this battle and wasn't surprised at all. As a turning point in the original story, the place where the three Throne Gundams made their debut, it would be strange if this event wasn't an assessment mission node.
However, after this great harvest of Vagan technology, Reid was somewhat looking forward to what kind of Mobile Suits would be sent to this area.
So far, the Otherworld Entanglements Reid had encountered were all Mobile Suits from the same world. With so many Gundam Universes, as long as one he hadn't been to appeared, it would be a bountiful harvest.
But that was also a matter for later. People needed rest. The Gundam capture operation by the Human Revolutionary Alliance, the Union, and the AEU involved numerous Mobile Suits, and it was in the sparsely populated Taklamakan Desert of the AD Universe. The enemies teleported there would have to be very powerful; otherwise, the large forces of the three nations present could wipe out any weaker otherworldly foes without Reid even needing to act.
So Reid decided to rest for half a month first, and use this time to digest some of the technology he had just acquired.
Thus, Reid synchronized the researchable data to the institute's database and went back to see his wife and child. Murrue's belly was getting bigger by the day. To Reid, three days apart felt like three autumns.
After spending a few warm days with his wife and child, Reid was dragged out for drinks by the Black Tri-Stars.
To be honest, although Reid now went out and socialized with his summoned members to deepen their daily bonds, it was usually Reid who initiated it. For these three to take the initiative to find him this time, they must have wanted something.
Sure enough, not only did the three of them invite Hilda and Flay, who had always wanted to "enter the palace," to join the drinking party to prevent Reid from being in low spirits without any girls around, but they could also ensure that Hilda and Flay would do their best to make Reid drink more, hoping to create a one-night stand.
Then, after three rounds of drinks, they began to complain about the tragic fact that they had zero kills in this sortie (Flay thought it was some simulation battle she wasn't brought along for; she was currently re-taking tactics courses at the officer academy). After all, due to their Mobile Suits' suitability issues, they had been playing support roles the whole time.
In fact, as assault personnel, the Black Tri-Stars had no objection to occasionally playing support for a change of pace. After all, Reid himself was in a support position in this battle.
However, the expressions on Hilda and her Z Plus this time made the three of them feel that if things continued like this, they might be playing support for the rest of their lives, or be relegated to commanding a second-line unit.
This was something the three of them found hard to accept. If it were a time of world peace, it would be fine. They could live off their military merits at home or do something else.
But now, Reid's side had a lot of battles. If they had to play support every time, watching others go on a killing spree while their own hands itched, it would be too unbearable.
So, during the drinking session, the three of them began to pour out their grievances. The meaning was simple:
"Boss, our three brothers' Mobile Suits seem a bit outdated. How about you help us get new ones?"
Reid looked at the three guys taking turns pouring him drinks, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Was the Amazing Kampfer really outdated? That depended on who you compared it to.
In Reid's current elite squad for otherworldly missions, even after multiple technological upgrades, the Amazing Kampfer's performance was still among the weakest.
It used to have the Delta Plus for company, but now that Salya and Hilda had both switched machines, the Amazing Kampfer was naturally left alone at the bottom.
And this Mobile Suit was indeed having a hard time keeping up with the main force's pace.
Because the Amazing Kampfer was built relatively early, and Reid himself hadn't put much effort into it, subsequent upgrades were limited to replacing the armor with AC Universe Gundarium Alloy and installing a Lambda Driver.
It wasn't like the even earlier Immortal Aegis, which had been almost completely overhauled inside and out, with only its external appearance remaining the same.
So Reid decided to give in to the three of them. After all, under the stimulation of alcohol, and with four "balls" pressing in on him from both sides, Reid felt he was about to lose control.
You see, Flay had survived the first war, and she was now in a rapid growth spurt.
Her height and figure changed noticeably after just a few days. She already had the makings of a nation-toppling beauty, and now she was growing directly in the direction of a vixen.
Meanwhile, Hilda was full of little moves, using all the tricks she learned at Arzenal for seducing young girls on Reid.
Reid felt that if this continued, he would either die from drunkenness or from holding it in. He quickly took a bathroom break to call Ange for a rescue; at the very least, she could carry him back.
Because even if he was going to "harvest" Flay and Hilda, two fresh cabbages that his family had already approved of, Reid didn't want to do it while drunk.
You see, when a man is truly drunk, the state of "lust after wine" doesn't really exist.
That might be possible when one is tipsy, but once you're drunk and dizzy, you can't even walk straight. How can you expect to do anything else? (The author doesn't know if there are any exceptionally gifted individuals, but on this trip, I drank every day. As someone who can't hold his liquor well, I just wanted to sleep after drinking. A girl from Zhuhai asked me for a second round, and I just gave up. But afterward, I kind of regretted not getting her WeChat.)
So in the end, Reid could only break out of the pincer attack from his left and right, run over to Gaia's Trio, casually sling an arm around one of them, and pat his chest, guaranteeing that as the brothers who had followed him from the very beginning, it was no problem for the three of them to get new Mobile Suits. Then he rambled on, asking about their family situations, stalling until Ange came to his rescue.
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