Just as their situation seed dire, the sound of hurried footsteps reached their ears. Another group of LADs erged from the shadows. As they approached, their leader shouted commands to her team.
Without hesitation, they sprang into action, burning down the flora, cutting off the violent branches, and bringing the injured soldiers to safety.
The rescue leader approached Shina with a nod of recognition.
"Looks like you had quite the encounter," said Tia Knight, the emblem of the 7th Special Operation Force on her chest blinked with a shining intensity.
Shina offered a weary smile behind her mask, appreciative of the unexpected help. "It’s been a rough week, that’s for sure."
While the rescuing team engaged in combat, the mbers of Shina’s group wasted no ti. Each mber fought with renewed determination, their earlier injuries and exhaustion montarily forgotten as they rallied together against the relentless onslaught of the nearby beasts.
Making their way back toward the first layer, Bing Shi couldn’t help but notice the state beyond the second layer.
It felt almost surreal to think that just a few kiloters deeper, a massive battle had unfolded, leaving behind a landscape of devastation — a sharp contrast to the lush surroundings they were currently moving through.
· · ────────── · ⊱❈⊰· ────────── · ·
As soon as Shina’s team stumbled upon the military vehicle, Shina and Leon flopped onto the ground like a pair of exhausted penguins after a marathon.
Shina’s team exchanged knowing glances before plopping down too — all agreed to postpone the dreaded task of writing reports to the higher-ups.
The other team leader’s eyes traveled from one mber to another, and a sense of guilt gnawed at his insides—out of ten people, only two people of his team remained.
A few stretchers were brought in to carry them to the nearby rescue facility.
When they were all lying down on the bed, Shina suddenly stirred and pushed herself up. Ignoring her own exhaustion, she dragged herself towards the other team leader, his battered form lying nearby.
Shina managed to reach his side, "You," she said softly, "Should consider avoiding such escapades in the future."
He looked at her, puzzled. "But you were the ones who—"
Shina raised a finger to her lips, "Let’s not dwell on the details. Just rember, next ti it’s better not to break protocol," She leaned closer, her tone conspiratorial, "Wearing a clown nose in exchange for your life should be a fair deal to you."
Her nearby teammates halfheartedly continued their feigned slumber, their lips twitched involuntarily. It was hard not to react when witnessing Shina’s knack for bending the rules to her advantage.
Who could bla them for venturing beyond the second layer without permission, breaking protocol, and disrupting the mission? They had witnessed the other group in trouble and simply couldn’t stand by idly.
· · ────────── · ⊱❈⊰· ────────── · ·
The next day dawned heavy with sorrow, the air thick with the weight of loss.
The soldiers gathered around an altar, where small candles flickered amidst offerings of flowers and symbols of their fallen comrades.
The sun’s feeble rays struggled to pierce through the overcast sky, casting a somber shadow over the scene.
The team leader with the scar stepped forward. His voice wavered as he spoke, emotion tugging at his words. "They were more than just comrades; they were our brothers and sisters. We shared our fears, our laughter, and our hopes. Now they’re a part of the realm they sought to uncover, and their spirits shall forever remain by our sides."
Tension gripped the air when the officers surrounded the team leader. Hands cuffed, his stoic expression betrayed nothing as he faced the consequences of his actions. He stole a glance at Shina standing not too far away.
In that fleeting mont, he would rather Shina report his actions to the officials, than let him venture beyond the second barrier and make him witness the death of his teammates, ’Had she made that decision to jump in ranks? To be deciphered as a hero and gain more power?’
Shina gave him a small salute before leaving the scene, and her team followed her lead.
As his eyes lingered on each mber of her team, he rembered their incredible strength. He couldn’t help but feel a mixture of pride and irritation as he bore witness to the force that Shina and her team represented—a force that was as inspiring as it was humbling.
· · ────────── · ⊱❈⊰· ────────── · ·
Shina’s team left the debriefing room after they had shared the invaluable information they gathered on the mission. The only thing they’ve kept a secret was the ability to see the invisible entities. (Their ladies’ capabilities were not sothing that should be spread around.)
As they passed by the training grounds, a few soldiers erupted into applause—the nods, smiles, and heartfelt words of gratitude painted the air as if Shina and her team were so heroes who returned from a great battle.
Was Shina and her team going to jump the ranks again?!
· · ────────── · ⊱❈⊰· ────────── · ·
Alain closed the door to the common room, sliding down in exhaustion. For him, higher rank equaled their lady finding more excuses to break bigger rules without consequences.
Douglas sat on the couch and held his head in between his hands, his legs shaking, "Is this what they ant by ignorance is bliss?"
They had witnessed how those beings were not rely creatures of the realm; they were manifestations of pure magical energies, given life and form by the very essence of the world they inhabited.
To get rid of them, they would have to sacrifice the very magic energy that fueled their realm, an unthinkable choice.
"The way they used the gas to find a weak spot in the barrier," Henry said, his voice carrying a mix of unease and speculation, "Suggests a level of intelligence we hadn’t anticipated."
Laura chid in, "And did you notice how their actions seed deliberate? Almost as if they were trying to gauge the strength of our team."
"What’s wrong Douglas?" Aria touched Douglas’s shoulder.
Douglas exhaled heavily, his brows furrowing as he struggled to put his thoughts into words. "I can’t shake this feeling. It feels like they followed us until the first layer."
"Beyond the first layer? But that’s impossible, isn’t it?" Aria’s eyes widened.
Henry’s gaze was distant as he recounted their encounter with the entities. "I know it sounds strange, but the way they moved, the way they seed to anticipate our actions... It was as if they had so prior knowledge of us."
Juliet’s brows furrowed as she absorbed his words, "You an they might have been observing us the mont we crossed the first barrier?"
"That’s what it felt like. When we crossed the second layer, it didn’t feel any more dangerous than crossing the first layer," Douglas replied, his voice tinged with a sense of urgency.
Aria’s mind raced to comprehend the implications. "What changed? Why are they acting now?"
"Could it be..." Bing Shi’s voice quivered with a mixture of anxiety and realization, her heart pounding like a drum against her rib cage, "Because of the powers I granted you?"
The words hung heavy in the air, charged with a tension that seed to electrify the atmosphere.
Bing Shi’s gaze bore into Leon, her eyes searching for any sign of confirmation or denial.
|"I didn’t know about them until they decided to show themselves to us."| Ru Quan admitted.
As the silence stretched, each heartbeat seed to echo louder in the space between them.
The power that had once seed like a blessing now carried an air of uncertainty, a double-edged sword.
Juliet’s voice held a sharp edge as she pressed further, "Did those powers awaken sothing? Sothing that these entities sense and seek?"
"They could perceive it as a threat," Bing Shi’s voice cut through the tension, "The magic you harness isn’t drawn from your surroundings; its origin is rooted in the depths of your ntal abilities. If the knowledge spreads that magic energy around us isn’t an essential ans of defense anymore, their very existence might be at risk."
’Did I make a grave mistake?’ Bing Shi’s thoughts filled with self-doubt as her words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of uncertainty.
Leon’s arm enveloped her shoulder in a reassuring embrace, "We will strive for the best outco, rember?"
Bing Shi managed a half-hearted nod, her mind a whirlwind of conflicted thoughts.
"There is no need to worry," Leon laughed as he cupped her face, "I’ll be here for you," he turned her face in her team’s direction, "And I’m sure they will be too."
Laura nodded, "Hey, maybe they’re not as aggressive as we think. Perhaps if we remain passive, those forest fairies——"
Suddenly, Sirens blared across the barracks, their shrill wails cutting through the air like a warning from the heavens.
"..."
Without hesitation, everyone sprang into action. The clang of tal against tal filled the air as they hastily gathered their equipnt.
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