Naturally, Fang Senyan’s mere display of this support ability earned him the respect of the others. These people marveled that none of those selected were truly incompetent, while Paul became intensely interested in the seemingly clumsy giant, Ramtas, bombarding him with questions.
Though his War Metal Golem was powerful, beyond its inconvenient mobility, it possessed an even greater flaw: it required a continuous drain on Paul's MP—it was a bottomless pit! No matter how formidable Paul was, he couldn't sustain himself like Zi, clad entirely in deep-green or dark-gold equipment, exuding absolute confidence.
It was a case of every family having its own difficult scripture to recite. Fang Senyan envied Paul’s massive construct for its ferocious, invincible charge, sweeping everything aside with a rod that was large, thick, and long, while Paul envied Ramtas for being convenient, easy to maintain, capable of standing guard, repelling insects, and being so considerate.
After the two conversed for a while, and Bokan finished setting up the preliminary structure of the temporary base, the group conferred, then rekindled their bonfire, adding a special additive. A thick plume of brownish-red smoke immediately rose again, signaling the others to come.
While waiting, the group gathered and naturally began discussing the Mushroom Rock collapse.
As coincidence would have it, Vasily and Paul’s descent was far less brutal than Fang Senyan’s; they managed a smooth landing using the helicopter’s vertical takeoff and landing method. Their landing spots were less than fifty meters apart, so they converged upon landing.
They had also tested it: the magnetic field interference here was indeed too intense. Unless a Hornet aircraft flew directly into outer space, any low-altitude flight or even routine cruising would subject the instruments to agonizing fluctuations in magnetic force. A slight lapse in attention could easily result in an air disaster.
Their landing site was not far from Mushroom Rock. Logically, the two should have reached the location the same day by traveling together. However, Paul had dismissed that idea for a simple, yet entirely sufficient, reason.
Because he had noticed some very unsettling omens.
As is widely known, Paul had made a significant profit from modifying spacecraft, so it was easy to deduce that his own Hornet craft must have been maximally upgraded, boasting superior performance and added features.
During the landing, Paul, unlike the sweat-drenched and flustered Fang Senyan, was composed, sipping coffee with his legs crossed. Thus, he subconsciously spared a few extra glances for Mushroom Rock and casually aimed the camera lens toward the area requiring closer attention.
After landing, Paul replayed the recorded footage multiple times, finally confirming that atop Mushroom Rock, he had spotted several terrifyingly massive skeletons! These bones were so colossal they could rival the skeleton of a blue whale! Furthermore, some bones were still covered in remnants of fur, while others had completely decomposed.
The terrain of Mushroom Rock, as the name suggested, made one immediately understand the situation. Therefore, the probability of those massive creatures climbing to the summit while alive and then committing suicide there was practically zero.
This brought forth a crucial question: How did they get up there, and how did they become skeletons?
The sequence of events was not captured by Paul’s camera, so he couldn't draw a definitive final conclusion. However, he and Vasily concluded that the giant skeletons atop Mushroom Rock must have been extremely powerful in life.
Consequently, they disregarded the Alliance's orders and fled directly away from Mushroom Rock, eventually following the dense smoke plume to this location.
Fang Senyan also viewed the recording of the colossal remains. It was evident that whatever brought the owners of these skeletons up there must have been winged creatures, and besides possessing immense strength, they were likely social and skilled at coordinated work—those giants were probably "carried" up there by being airlifted... Moreover, to kill those massive beings, the abilities of these winged creatures must have been incredibly potent...
The only piece of good news now was that the terrifying explosion at Mushroom Rock had been devastating, destroying nearly half the summit. Unquestionably, the flying creatures living there had suffered a catastrophic disaster; even if some survived, they would likely be incapable of paying any attention to Fang Senyan's group.
At this moment, Ramtas suddenly walked in, making gestures toward Fang Senyan. Fang Senyan immediately stood up and looked out. He instantly noticed a column of reddish-ochre smoke rising on the distant horizon...
Two million seven hundred thousand kilometers away, at the "Bridgehead" base formed by the Little Eagle vessel.
Major General Mongo and Major General Fei Ji stood ramrod straight in their crisp uniforms, seemingly afraid to even breathe, as if their respiration might constitute sacrilege or disrespect.
Before them, a holographic projection showed an old man seated in a wheelchair. This elder wore the uniform of an Imperial Admiral. Though paralyzed, his aquiline nose and seemingly hazy eyes projected an invisible pressure.
This was true even though the old man was merely a holographic image.
“How… is… the… mat… ter… pro… gress… ing?”
The Imperial Admiral spoke with a slow, measured cadence, a deliberate drawl, yet every syllable landed like a bomb designed to shock the mind, even the body. What is the reaction of an ordinary person when a bomb descends from the sky and smashes directly in front of them? It is certainly a blankness in the mind.
Major General Mongo, the primary person in charge, stepped forward cautiously. “The individuals have departed. According to the intel provided before they entered Planet Epross, none of the twelve Hornet aircraft were lost in the asteroid belt. The physical fortitude of these contractors indeed far surpasses that of our strongest warriors. Actual measurements indicate that the acceleration they achieved while breaking through the asteroid belt was sixty-one times the limit bearable by our most powerful fighters!”
The Imperial Admiral narrowed his eyes. Behind him hung a detailed map of the Milky Way galaxy, suggesting that perhaps only the vastness of the galaxy itself could serve as an appropriate backdrop. “Hmph, truly powerful. It is a pity those Noah Spaces are entirely autonomous and beyond our control! They only agree to extremely limited cooperation with us. Otherwise, why would we need to recruit warriors from the past? If we had known, our ancestors should never have scattered those seeds discovered on the far side of the Moon back then... Never mind that matter; I require the latest intelligence.”
Major General Mongo respectfully stated, “The latest intelligence is that personnel at the Little Eagle Base managed to photograph the designated landing zone during a lull in a magnetic storm. A mountain formation there, known as Mushroom Rock, experienced an extremely violent collapse for unknown reasons. Mushroom Rock was the designated rendezvous point we set for the contractors beforehand.”
The Imperial Admiral’s eyes showed contemplation. He suddenly asked, “How much time do they have left?”
Major General Mongo replied, “According to historical records of the Iron Blood Alien activities, there are eight days remaining before they deploy their warriors to Planet Epross for trials. Judging by the combat power displayed by the contractors, eliminating those warriors is certainly not impossible. However, the Iron Blood warriors eligible for trials on Planet Epross are nobility among their kind. Any heavy casualties will inevitably draw attention. Therefore, it can be stated with near certainty that if they fail to complete the reconnaissance mission within eight days, they will have no chance of returning alive.”
“Eight days, hmm?” the Imperial Admiral murmured. He pondered for a moment, then looked toward Major General Fei Ji beside him. “I hear you became entangled in the disputes among the contractors this time?”
Cold sweat immediately broke out on Major General Fei Ji’s forehead. He dared not say much, not even offer a defense, only standing rigidly straight. “I was wrong.”
The Imperial Admiral said coldly, “Do you know where you went wrong? Accepting favors is not the great offense! Mongo also embezzled seven million cosmic credits at Alpine Station Seven, but accepting favors is one thing, doing the job is another! Embezzlement and bribery are not the issue, as long as you complete the task well, that is your reward! But if you mess things up due to your stupidity, that is a double offense!”
Both Major General Fei Ji and Major General Mongo suddenly felt their backs drenched in cold sweat, daring not utter a syllable. The Imperial Admiral snorted, “If this mission fails, Fei Ji, you can go claim a Lieutenant Colonel rank for yourself!”
Having said that, the Imperial Admiral’s holographic image flickered and finally vanished. Mongo and Fei Ji exchanged a look, venom clearly visible in their eyes. They knew the other was already plotting to sabotage them behind the scenes, having completely abandoned pretense. Both turned simultaneously and left the communications room...
On Planet Epross, two million seven hundred thousand kilometers away, Fang Senyan and the others were naturally unaware of this unfolding farce, nor did they know they only had eight days remaining.
Facing the call of the distant smoke plume, the five of them still prioritized the bigger picture and decided to meet up. Since the other party summoned them, they must have had a compelling reason. Although Roni’s injuries had only recovered halfway, traveling was not an issue.
However, only when Fang Senyan’s group arrived at the hastily constructed camp did they realize the situation there had deteriorated to a degree far exceeding their worst expectations!