William settled down on his bunk bed, looking up at the empty ceiling while his eyelids slowly grew heavier by the second.
Finally, exhaustion claimed him into slumber as he dreamed of future battles alongside his newfound companions. Maybe the squad with the worst performance wasn't as incompetent as he had thought.
Unfortunately, the peace was interrupted by a loud blare from the emergency alarm.
William snapped awake in an instant, startled by the sudden alarm blare. His eyes searched wildly across the room to see his teammates' reactions, but they were equally as confused as he was.
William: "What's going on? Are we in trouble?" William asked with a panicked face as he immediately jumped off the bunk bed.
Suddenly, Eliya stood up from her bed and approached the center of the room. Her expression was grim and serious.
Eli: "Squad, we've got a situation. The dispatcher wants us to report to the briefing room. It's urgent, do not be late." Eliya explained. She then turned away from the squad and made her way out of the dormitory first.
Mia sighed, knowing exactly what would happen next.
Mia: "Looks like we are on a mission. Probably some lame stuff about saving some underpopulated village from being overrun by monsters or something." She gathered her gadgets from the floor and secured them in her trunk.
Grog placed his hand on William's shoulder, giving him gentle reassurance.
Grog: "Come on, pal, duty calls." He encouraged William.
William nodded understandingly as the squad made their way to the briefing room. He couldn't help but feel uneasy about the mission — after all, this would be his first deployment in an actual operation.
When they reached the room, the dispatcher and Eli were already waiting.
Dispatcher: "You're late. Now pay attention."
"Yes, ma'am!" the squad said in unison.
Dispatcher: "A group of miners was currently trapped inside the Ruby Vein. We've lost contact with them, and the chance of encountering monsters is high."
The dispatcher turned on the projector to show the map of the vein — she pointed at a specific area in the south.
Dispatcher: "This is where they lost contact with their expedition overseer. It is most likely that the connection was cut off by those monsters." She pressed the button again, and the screen changed once more.
Dispatcher: "Your mission is to go inside the vein and search for the lost miners. Avoid any engagement with the enemy whenever possible. The steep and rocky terrain would make it impossible to rely on HB Type 4, so you would have to walk on foot."
Suddenly, Cliff raised his hand to ask for permission.
Dispatcher: "Speak." She approved.
Cliff: "If we can't bring the armored vehicle down, then what's my purpose?" he asked with a straight face.
Dispatcher: "Someone needs to guard the Hollow Breacher. We can't leave an armored vehicle unattended far away from base without the driver."
Cliff closed his eyes and nodded.
Dispatcher: "Anyone else got a question?"
Mia raised her hand and stepped forward.
Mia: "Yeah, uh... why us specifically? And why only us? The vein is as big as a deep cave, and we could easily get lost inside. Not to mention, our GPS doesn't work underground." She questioned.
Dispatcher: "Why? Because you are the only available squad near the Ruby Vein at the moment. The other squad is busy fending off Hollow Corrosion and stopping the monsters' invasion. We need to respond fast, so we can only count on you."
Mia sighed and fell back in line.
Dispatcher: "Enough questions. Gear up and be ready for the mission. I'll be waiting at the hangar." She commanded, then walked out of the briefing room.
Eli: "You heard her, let's go."
The squad nodded and went to the armory — picking up weapons and utilities according to their assigned roles. But something felt off to William, as if something was missing.
Then, he remembered.
William: "Wait, hold on! Where is Shou? I haven't seen him yet." He turned to his squad, but no one said anything.
Suddenly, he saw a man leaning back against the corner of the armory room, wearing a cap and holding a sniper rifle.
Shou: "I'm right here." He said with a cold expression.
William: "When did you get here? I didn't see you or anyone else enter the room."
Shou: "Use your eyes, kid. I've always been with you since the briefing." He responded dismissively.
William: "Since the briefing? When did you—"
Out of nowhere, Eli hit the locker as all eyes fell on her.
Eli: "Enough idle chatting! We are here to go on an operation, not a school trip! Move your asses to the hangar. Now." Eli intervened, her voice filled with commanding presence.
The squad obeyed her orders and made their way to the hangar — gear at the ready.
There, the dispatcher was already waiting beside a particularly large vehicle that resembled an APC — on it was written 'HB Type 4'.
Dispatcher: "Squad, you will now set out for your mission in the Ruby Vein. Remember, stick together and do not try to be a hero. Now get inside, and may God have mercy on your souls."
The back of the armored vehicle slid open as the squad saluted before taking their seats and positions.
Cliff got into the driver's seat and closed the door as the runway staff issued the departure signal. The hangar opened wide as the vehicle roared to life — thus, the real mission began.
—Loading the next chapter...