Chapter 131: The Gift

"Doctor, when can I be discharged?" David, bored and restless, asked as soon as his attending physician walked into the room.

He had checked his own bone density and healing progress; his fractures had already knitted together. Thanks to the advanced medical facilities and top-tier medication, his recovery had been incredibly rapid.

"Mr. David, I was just about to inform you. I’ve just reviewed your latest scan results, and your body has fully recovered. You are free to be discharged whenever you like," the doctor replied with a smile.

"That’s fantastic!" David jumped off the hospital bed, shouting with excitement.

If it hadn't been for his father, Hans, showing up several times a day to keep a close watch on him, he never would have been so obedient about staying in the hospital.

Just as David stepped off the bed and began gathering his things to leave, he heard a commotion outside. The door to his room swung open, and he saw his father, Hans, his aunt Bertha, and little Edith, who rushed toward him. He scooped her up and lifted her high into the air.

"David!" Jim and Daly entered right behind them.

"How did you guys get here?" David greeted them with a smile.

"Myron and DeQuincy wanted to come too, but they’re in class right now, so we came ahead," Jim said, stepping forward to give David a hug.

Daly also stepped up to embrace him. Since the day David had risked his life to save them, their bond had grown significantly.

"Your armored hovercar is parked outside. There’s a discharge gift from your father inside—though, technically, it’s your own spoils of war!" Jim said with a wink.

"Spoils of war?" David’s curiosity was piqued.

In the aftermath of that day's battle, standard procedure dictated that the police exoskeleton would be confiscated by the authorities; it bore official police markings and was never meant to circulate among civilians. Even the Grade 2 heavy sword would have been seized as evidence due to the severity of the case. As for the rest of the battle, he had primarily used a long-range sniper cannon, which effectively made it a military operation. The standard protocol for military operations was to surrender all high-value salvage, leaving behind only items of little consequence. He couldn't imagine what the gift might be—could it be that the police had decided not to list the Grade 2 heavy sword as evidence?

"David, the paperwork for Naan City has been finalized. You can head there tomorrow, so spend today catching up with your friends," Hans said, taking little Edith from David’s arms and smiling.

In truth, Hans knew perfectly well that David had likely offended some powerful organization; otherwise, there wouldn't have been a series of targeted attacks against him. The scale of this recent operation was something Peran City had never seen before. For a high-ranking police officer like Kush to go as far as kidnapping two military children just to threaten David—Kush couldn't possibly have been unaware of the consequences. Hans suspected the "Elixir of Immortality" was at the root of it, which was exactly why he was so anxious to get David to the safer environment of Naan City.

Once they left the hospital, David saw his Type-2 Land Tiger armored vehicle. He opened the door, and the three of them climbed inside.

"David, we're going to pick up Myron and DeQuincy, then find somewhere to hang out!" Jim said, taking charge of the navigation.

David started the vehicle, set the destination, and stopped worrying about the driving, turning his attention to the cargo in the back. The Type-2 Land Tiger ascended thirty meters and sped toward their destination.

David saw four exoskeleton storage cases: the Land Lion, the police exoskeleton, and two other sets of spoils—a heavy-duty exoskeleton and a lightweight, agile one.

"Jim, what’s going on? Wasn't the police exoskeleton supposed to be confiscated?" David asked, looking at it in surprise.

"The police certainly wanted to reclaim it, but my father stood his ground. He told them this was a military-related case and that the military would handle it themselves—there was no room for the police to interfere!" Jim said, mimicking his father, Lieutenant Eaton.

"Besides, they’ve already scrubbed the police markings and repaired the damage for you," Daly added.

"Even though an armored pilot can only operate one suit at a time, having spares is always a good thing," Jim said, gesturing to the heavy and agile suits. "These two have been modified to fit your current frame, with room for minor adjustments as you continue to grow."

"I won't stand on ceremony with you guys then," David said, beaming at the suits. These were special-issue models; even if he didn't use them, they were excellent collector's items.

"The Land Lion was damaged too severely, so my father wrote it off as a military loss, turned in the wreckage, and got you this brand-new one," Daly said, pointing to the final case.

"I’m very satisfied with this gift!" David had been worried about how to repair the Land Lion, as it was his first suit and had been nearly destroyed the moment he first wore it.

"These are things you earned; they aren't just gifts. But man, you really have a lot of Grade 2 weapons," Jim said with a hint of envy, scanning the pile of weapon cases in the back.

David noticed all his gear was accounted for, including the box for his Grade 2 spear. Aside from the Grade 1 heavy axe he kept at home, everything else was here.

"Wait, why is there an extra case?" David asked, pointing to a box at the bottom.

"Haha, this is the real gift!" Jim laughed, pulling the case out and handing it to David.

David opened it. These standard-issue cases were designed specifically for heavy weaponry. As the lid popped open, a deep, azure glow emanated from within—it was a Grade 2 battle hammer.

"Jim, if you give this to me, won't your father get in trouble?" David asked, despite his delight.

"Not at all. The battle five days ago was classified as a conflict between mercenaries and the military, not a standard operation. You were invited to assist, and the spoils are distributed based on contribution. Honestly, you probably got less than you deserved," Jim replied.

In reality, there was more Jim wasn't saying. Lieutenant Eaton had reported David's performance to his superiors, and the military was highly impressed by David’s willingness to assist military pilots while injured. Regardless of David's combat ability—and there were plenty of military snipers—it was his attitude toward the military that had won over the brass. That was why the Grade 2 battle hammer had been allocated to him. It was a heavy, Grade 2 weapon, and its value far exceeded that of a standard Grade 2 item. Even in the Peran City military, only five pilots possessed Grade 2 weapons, and those were military property, not personal gear. This battle hammer was so massive that it would have taken the materials from nearly ten Grade 2 insects to forge. The handle was detachable, allowing it to be used as a long-handled hammer for exoskeleton combat or a short-handled one for daily use.

"I suppose I should say thank you!" David’s joy was overflowing.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Jim playfully shoved him; between them, "thank you" felt far too formal.

"I never thought you’d turn into an armored pilot so quickly, and a brutal one at that—taking down a Subversion-grade pilot with nothing but a spear!" Daly remarked with a sigh of admiration.

"Just luck," David said, unable to reveal the truth.

In police files, Kush was classified as a Subversion-grade pilot, though he preferred police work over joining the Special Operations Force. Only David, who had fought him, knew that Kush was far more than just a typical Subversion-grade pilot. He had played every card he had to survive that fight. If Kush’s goal hadn't been to capture and interrogate him, David would have been dead. Through that battle, David truly realized the gap between himself and elite pilots. While he had the Shadow Servant to bypass the need for years of combat experience and training, the physical disparity in raw power ultimately capped his potential.