I spent a full five years in the Pennsylvania coal mines, which most people would consider a high-risk environment, yet in the single month since arriving on this damned planet, the number of dead people I’ve witnessed firsthand has already surpassed the total from those five years—no, the sum of everyone I’ve seen die in my entire life!

"Dollars are lovely, but dead men have no capacity to turn them into beer, psychedelics, or women for later enjoyment!"

"On January twenty-third, we finally reached our destination, a place called Triangle Beach. According to the Bayes Detector, the reserves of Pandora Superconducting Ore Crystals here should be astonishingly high, and it’s an open-pit mine to boot. The detector's readings never lie, but we couldn't find even half a theoretical vein... Alright, alright! Headquarters’ damn experts told us this must be because they are distributed over too vast an area, and with our current refinement technology, extraction is impossible. Not worth mining on a large scale."

"Screw all the experts’ mothers’ c*nts! We risked so much, lost seven lives on this journey, only to get this lousy answer? However, I did manage to pick up a single Pandora Superconducting Ore Crystal from a nearby river. Its purity looks quite high, and there seems to be quite a bit of this stuff around. I’m going to sneak this back for appraisal. If it really is a high-purity crystal, then this is the first pot of gold in my life. To hell with the team, discipline, and the RD Corporation!"

"January twenty-fifth. We set off again. To prevent my unreliable brain cells from forgetting something precious, I’ll record the coordinates of Triangle Beach: it was located at [BLANK]."

"January twenty-seventh. We’ve actually been conscripted! Our expedition team, which has trekked for two solid weeks without rest and lost seven men, is being called up! And it looks like the destination requires us to cross the Hell's Gate Highlands. Good heavens, I know that area is home to a powerful Na’vi tribe with a population exceeding four hundred. Their tribal name is the Mossaq, which translates to 'Venomous Arrow'—and more importantly, this savage tribe is completely untamed!"

"January twenty-ninth. Yes, I confirm it. I refuse to accept this exploration order. I’ll gladly forfeit six months' salary for this refusal. Let those dollars go to hell."

"Life is still the most important thing. I have a premonition that the vast majority of them will never return alive. Their bodies will end up beneath tree roots, inside the stomachs of beasts, impaled on stakes drying game, or mixed and swallowed by the fangs and tongues of Na’vi natives. As for me, remaining aboard this Valkyrie transport ship, I am certain I will live to return to Hell's Gate!"

"..."

Reading this, Fang Senyan began to nod slightly, while Mogensha expressed surprise: "Damn it, people still use pens to write diaries in this era! I thought they would be using 3D holographic imaging by now."

Fang Senyan said calmly, "Images are ultimately illusory. A diary can even be passed on to family as a relic. More importantly, you can't expect them to have sufficient electrical power while trekking through the jungle. In the most desperate moments, a scorched branch can serve as a temporary writing tool to record the situation."

Footsteps sounded outside the door. Fang Senyan subtly closed the diary and began fiddling with the weapon Mogensha had just acquired. A member of the Illumination Society passed by, poked his head in, and his gaze swept suspiciously over the surroundings before finally landing on Mogensha’s uniquely styled new weapon. He gave a look of envy before walking away.

Next, Fang Senyan wanted to venture outside again—especially to the area where the mysterious object had been dismantled. Learning even a little more about the enigmatic life form, the Ey (Mother), would be beneficial. Mogensha, on the other hand, was looking for any potential 'scraps'—and 'scraps' here didn't just mean dying beasts, but also Contractors.

As they walked, they noticed very few Contractors remaining from the Western Sector battle. They were leaning against the walls, panting heavily, filled with the relief of survival. The greatest irony was that most Contractors who had exchanged for the M-Exoskeleton system died the fastest! The Banshee Pterodactyls descending from the sky seemed to have a particular, obsessive hatred for these mecha-monsters, making them primary targets. Once an M-Exoskeleton system fell, it was nearly impossible to get back up under the relentless assault of the beasts.

When they reached the ship's proximity to the external corridor, even they couldn't help but shudder: Blood! So much blood! Every step they took seemed to splash through vast pools of gore. That piercing crimson color seemed to make one’s heart tremble, and the mind felt flooded with that fresh, hot ichor! Even the surrounding people, objects, and scenery appeared soaked in a thin, transparent reddish hue! The air itself carried a faint, metallic scent of rust.

Limbs and beast carcasses littered the area, but it was clear the continuous influx of beasts had overrun the upper levels, forcing the defending Contractors to retreat step-by-step into the ship. Although the surroundings were silent now, viewing the carnage, the shrieks of the Contractors and the roars of the beasts seemed to echo involuntarily, intertwining into a desolate sound belonging only to Hell.

It had been an indescribably brutal battle. There were no vanquished, no prisoners, and certainly no mercy. The weak became food; only the strong survived. Mogensha, leading the way, spotted a bloody hand—so mangled that bare, broken bone was visible—twitching slightly on a table within the corridor.

Then, a shaggy paw suddenly snatched up that injured hand. The sounds of chewing, bone crushing, and whimpering blended together. A severely wounded and starving Viper Wolf lunged out sideways. Despite the horrific gash in its abdomen spilling its intestines, it greedily continued to tear great chunks from the Contractor’s remains, its bloodshot eyes seeming ready to weep fluid.

Mogensha fired a three-shot burst. The searing bullets first struck its maw, blasting out a spray of blood and forcing it into a backflip. Then, two more bullets plunged into its body through the abdominal wound, colliding and detonating inside, finally killing it completely. Looking at the scene of carnage ahead, he couldn't help but mutter, "Damn it, are there any survivors left here?"

After Fang Senyan stepped outside, he surveyed the surroundings, then looked up at the sky, letting out a long, deep breath: "That woman, Zi, is formidable. She managed to see through the mission's traps and followed me here. Although the Illumination Society lost more than half its personnel, their core members remain intact. In the upcoming conflicts, they will undoubtedly take the leadership role!"

Mogensha thought deeply for a moment: "Zi has always been an exceptionally strong and astute woman. I recall it was because of her that the Metal Mentor drastically left their previous team to form the Symbiote Assembly. Furthermore, I saw the Illumination Society’s Yuan Zhan operating the computer earlier; he seemed to obtain some crucial intelligence. It should concern the coordinates of the Hell's Gate base. If the Illumination Society has no sincerity in cooperating, they wouldn’t share this data with us."

"Hell's Gate coordinates...?" Fang Senyan’s brow furrowed, and he nodded. "I understand."

Humanity had discovered Pandora for decades now. Developing this dangerous, beautiful, and resource-rich planet was certainly not easy; thorough preparation was essential. The foremost prerequisite for this was establishing a permanent base.

Because the distance between Pandora and Earth was so vast, transportation costs were terrifyingly high. Therefore, nearly all metal components, weapons, and firearms would have to be locally prospected, mined, refined, and assembled on Pandora itself. After decades of painstaking construction, this base was finally beginning to take shape.

Since humans lived here surrounded by toxic air and Pandora's various ferocious creatures, their existence resembled life in Hell; thus, they named their settlement Hell's Gate (Hell’s Gate). Its official designation was: "Resource Development Administration Extra-Solar Colony-01."

Yuan Zhan had previously confirmed that the communication devices on this Valkyrie transport were destroyed during the landing. This meant the RD Corporation personnel at Hell's Gate likely had no knowledge of what happened after the landing, and their attitude towards this group should remain friendly. This implied a large number of missions, side quests, and a significant extension of their stay in this world. Consequently, the coordinates of Hell’s Gate held immense value.

Fang Senyan nodded and proceeded according to the original plan toward the location where the mysterious substance had been rapidly decomposed. Because of the overwhelming number of corpses and bloodstains along the way, quite a few Contractors were already examining the area when he arrived. The grassland there, although trampled by countless beasts, had inexplicably grown even more lush. Moreover, a strange odor, one Fang Senyan had never smelled before, permeated the air.

After lingering there for less than five minutes, Reef suddenly contacted Fang Senyan via the team channel: "Zi has proposed two demands. Both seem fair; should I agree?"