"Pirates? Navy???"
Shin stared blankly at the Gundam in front of him. What kind of pirates and navy were fighting in the desert? What kind of Middle East timeline was this?
Besides, what kind of pirates were brazen enough to fight the navy head-on? Was it a Somali pirate battle against the Mongolian Seven Warlords?
"This is a sub-test world under the affiliated Parallel Universe 0013," the female voice turned into an electronic tone, stating flatly.
"This is a special world very different from the one you live in, Mr. Shin, and everything that happens here will loop indefinitely over a long period. So, it doesn't matter how much destruction you cause here."
"...Okay, I guess there's nothing I can't accept."
Shin sighed softly. The things that happened today were absurd and fantastical, but he didn't seem to have a choice but to accept them.
His life was in the system's hands, or rather, the moment this strange, unknown thing could speak freely in his mind, his life and death were no longer his own.
To put it harshly, in many system novels, the protagonist seems to be in control, but when an unwelcome guest moves into your body and you can't get rid of them, you are no longer in control.
Did he have a choice? No. A smiling host who refuses to leave your body and a host who tells you to kill yourself if you refuse are essentially the same.
"Mr. Shin, you've misunderstood. We, Mysterious Items Co., Ltd., are not a black-hearted company like the Main God Space. For official employees, we will never arbitrarily strip away the company's valuable life and property. As your terminal system, I will always ensure Mr. Shin's personal safety."
The flat system electronic voice seemed to become a little more serious.
"Product review tasks range from low to high. The butterfly effect caused by the products you are given each time will become your professional review score. Once you reach a certain level, you can get a promotion, allowing you to review more advanced products from our company."
"Your current product review rank is: E. You can exchange for some small, non-lethal Mysterious Items."
"You call those three things small, non-lethal Mysterious Items?"
Shin pointed speechlessly at the Barbatos Gundam in front of him, and the other two even more dangerous items.
Undoubtedly, the Planet Killer and the Death Star were infinitely more powerful technology products than the Barbatos Gundam, but he would never choose those two.
What could he do with two planet-destroying weapons? Reviewing a planet-destroying weapon would definitely mean his enemies also had at least the ability to cleanse the planet's surface.
Moreover, as a proud member of the "mouth hammer" (keyboard warrior) community, Shin knew very well how awful the Planet Killer in Warhammer was. If he boarded that undefeated flagship, he might come out with ten extra arms.
The Death Star was also not a good thing. If he chose that, his review task would probably be a battle against the Jedi.
"This is your first review task, so we have unlocked high-level Mysterious Item products for you," the system said lightly.
"Unlocking a certain level of product gives you the opportunity to enter a review world of that level, though this is only for C-rank and above. This trial product cannot be taken out of Parallel Universe 0013. Alternatively, you can unlock and purchase the qualification once you reach the corresponding rank, and then you can use it normally."
"So if I had chosen the Planet Killer, I'd be at Cadia Gate right now?" Shin joked, feeling relieved. "Or were you planning to throw me directly into Terra to face the entire Solar Fleet?"
"Not necessarily, but the possibility is quite high. Who knows which Terra it would be? I remember a reviewer chose the first option, thinking they were going to review the Terra with Originium disease, but they ended up going to another Terra without oceans—time is money, Mr. Shin. Please start your first product review quickly."
The system urged him lightly. Shin looked up at the tall and mighty Barbatos Gundam, swallowed hard, his hands and feet trembling slightly with excitement.
Gundam, Kamen Rider, Stand—these are always the eternal romance of men.
However, there was an even more critical issue.
"Reviewing... I don't know how to operate it!" Shin said helplessly.
You can't expect a normal twenty-first-century college student to know how to pilot a Gundam. Moreover, the Gundams in Iron-Blooded Orphans aren't something you can just pilot.
The prerequisite for operating this thing is linking to the Alaya-Vijnana System, which requires a surgery with over a 70% mortality rate. Simply put, it involves embedding signal link devices into your spine to achieve a brutally direct brain-control link to the Gundam.
"Please rest assured, we have made all necessary preparations for the product we are reviewing."
The system said lightly, and Barbatos's hand stretched out. Shin sighed and walked up, being slowly dragged toward the cockpit in its chest by the massive Gundam.
The silver-gray cockpit was simple and straightforward: joysticks, engine throttle, control panel, monitoring equipment—and many complicated buttons above that he didn't understand.
Shin sat down nervously. The moment he did, a sharp, piercing pain shot through his spine.
!!!
His face went pale, and he violently lifted his head, but the pain that went straight to his heart instantly dissipated. In its place, memories rushed into his brain.
Orphan, shooting, killing, Mars, sunset, a pale old man... battlefield, Gundam, blonde lady, a single thought leading to a failed war, decapitation, blood, death...
In that instant, the memories of Mikazuki Augus flooded into his mind!
It wasn't a brutal memory infusion, but closer to shaping a false persona for him, as if reconstructing the soul of that war orphan within Shin's body.
The main will of the soul remained Shin, but... he gained some other thoughts and memories.
His hands trembled slightly, yet he gripped the joysticks with remarkable familiarity. Crimson blood dripped from his eye sockets and nostrils. Dragging the cables inserted into his spine, Shin licked the blood from the corner of his mouth.
K-k-k-k-k-k~
Accompanied by a heavy grinding sound of steel, the sleeping wolf king slowly stood up. A crimson light flashed in those eyes, like a demon descending, the massive mace-hammer in its hand gleaming with horrifying metallic light in the yellow sand.
"Who is the enemy... where is the enemy..."
Shin softly, using a calm tone mixed with indifference, said, raising his head. The wolf king also lifted its fierce head, the crimson light trailing like a long streak of fire.
"I see them, the enemies..."
The main camera had captured a group of people fighting 14,000 meters away.
One side wore white and blue uniforms, some with white capes on their backs embroidered with the word 'Justice.' They looked like a regular army. The leader wore a light purple striped suit and a dark blue shirt, a tie, a mohawk, and a beard. His hair and beard were dark purple. He was swinging a sword around and flying in the air by stepping on nothing, which was very unscientific.
The other group was dressed casually and ordinary, disorganized but fierce-looking. The leader had orange, trident-shaped hair and was shirtless, wearing only a cape. He looked like a professional boxer, but his hands seemed to be wrapped in scorching magma. Shin watched him grab a soldier from the other side and instantly melt him into ash.
"Neither side looks like good people," Shin commented. The regular army looked somewhat decent, but the leading officer didn't seem normal. The other side was even worse, dressed completely like pirates.
"Since they're both enemies, it would be best to deal with both sides, but I can only deal with one. What should I do..."
Shin grabbed his face in distress, then closed his eyes and pointed his finger at the two groups projected on the main screen.
"Bael decides who I target. Chocolate said that anyone who dares to disobey me, who possesses Bael, must be out of their mind."
His finger stopped on the trident-haired man dressed like a boxer. Shin nodded, gripped the joysticks, and lowered his stance.
"Gundam Barbatos Lupus Rex, deploying!"
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