Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

"A black hole... a vortex..."

Minister Likok murmured some incomprehensible words to others.

His gaze slowly drifted up from the computer and fixed on the distant silver-grey building.

A touch of confusion appeared on his chubby face, clearly the product of an urgent processing of information derived from the computer analysis...

"All interceptions?"

"Absorption?"

"How could that be?"

"It doesn't seem like a technological method..."

"It's not disturbance, but...being 'eaten'?"

Mumbling to himself, Minister Likok suddenly froze, a possibility leaping into his mind causing his plump body to quiver violently.

The tremor spread rapidly throughout his body, the panic born from within triggering a surge in his hormonal secretion.

It was visible to the naked eye, even the tips of his fingers trembled rapidly.

"Impossible!" Likok clenched his teeth hard, trying to combat the fear leaping out from his heart, "Impossible!"

The sudden emotional breakdown of the minister made all the soldiers abruptly focus their attention on him; one of the soldiers anxiously asked first, "What is impossible?"

"Impossible! Impossible!" Minister Likok just kept repeating the word, rising to gather his things, "Let's go!"

His hand, which had been gathering things, paused and shook his head in self-contradiction, "We can't leave!"

"It's not confirmed yet... it's not confirmed yet..."

Biting his fingers subconsciously out of nervousness, Likok once again sharply turned his gaze toward the silver-grey base, "We need confirmation!"

"What has happened exactly? Minister Likok!" a soldier with heavy firepower approached Likok, looking him sternly in the eyes, attempting to grasp the truth.

After a brief moment of panic, Likok had already calmed his mind. He just looked at the man and then slowly swept his gaze over all the soldiers present, his tone serious, "Would you... dare to disobey orders?"

"Is it that the higher-ups inside encountered some danger?"

"We have orders to ensure your safety," the soldiers questioned, confused.

Looking into the eyes of the soldier who had spoken, Likok asked, "But what if I say that I'm going in now?"

"The higher-ups said, before they send back a message..."

"He can't send a message back now."

At least not via radio.

Likok insisted firmly.

He couldn't be certain yet whether the soldiers who had gone inside had all encountered disaster, but it was quite possible they were not yet aware of the situation they had fallen into or what adversary they were facing...

All he could say was that if things were as he imagined, then they were more likely doomed than not.

Faced with the unknown, people often conjure the worst possible scenarios.

Some soldiers, remembering their superior's secret last words, hesitated, "But if none of them can come back, our mission is..."

"To take me away?" Likok shook his head with a wry smile.

This emergency evacuation plan had been agreed upon before departure: if the internal threat proved too terrifying for even a single message to be conveyed by the entering soldiers, then they would immediately retreat.

They couldn't afford to lose everyone here given the risks on the journey back. It didn't matter if all the soldiers died; the military could not allow Likok, an expert in information technology, to be lost as well.

Naturally, Likok was aware of all these prearranged agreements, but at this moment...

"Without having gathered any information, even if we return, what can we do?"

Facing this terrifying, unknown lair, should they send in the real top experts next time? It's still uncertain whether the military had the courage to go all in.

Or... to abandon this project completely?

Likok was not content with that.

He had to go inside and see for himself whether his thoughts were correct before he could completely give up hope!

"Tell me, what is your answer! Soldier!"

Throughout the journey, Minister Likok seemed to be a man of few words, and the occasional eye contact with a soldier usually ended with a peaceful smile from him.

But just now, this urban information specialist, occupying a high position, revealed the presence due to someone in authority.

There was silence all around, no soldier daring to take the initiative to defy the orders of a superior.

Likok's voice grew firm as he pressed further, "Do you join me in going in to assist your possibly still living comrades and superiors, or do you continue to wait here for a notification that's doomed to never come? I might be able to help them if I go in! Tell me your answer, soldiers!"

Bai E silently went to the corner to pick up the quiver he had brought with him.

He didn't know what had happened, perhaps some terrible accident had occurred.

But after a journey fraught with difficulty, wouldn't it be too much of a pity not to take a look inside? His mission target was within reach; to walk away without seeing it through felt too unsatisfying.

He was certainly going to follow the minister on this.

Bai E's silent action seemed to give the other soldiers an implicit signal to follow, as they each went in search of their weapons of choice...except firearms.

"Bring your machine guns, and explosives like grenades and dynamite."

Minister Likok's eyes were steely, looking at the normally genial and stout figure now emitting a formidable aura, "If things really come to that point, I'd rather destroy the server than let the worst-case scenario unfold!"

That was the main objective of this mission, and now he'd rather destroy it than face a worse outcome... Minister Likok making such a decision indicated that the situation he predicted might be catastrophically bad.