"If you have any questions, you may ask."
The Technology Division official's emotionless voice scraped across Ryan's nerves like a cold scalpel. Questions? He had a bellyful of questions he wanted to scream out! He wanted to smash his fist into the sanctimonious man's face and ask if treating people's lives as experimental data gave him a sick thrill.
But he didn't move. The captain's gaze, heavy as bedrock, emanated from his side, suppressing the "Crimson" core within Ryan that was about to erupt in fury.
Just then, Gestalt Iron-Gray took a deep breath and stood up.
"Sir," his voice deeper than usual, like two pieces of metal grinding together, said.
"Regarding the mission objective area, Tier 1 'Withered Bone Forest Sea,' the official danger assessment of Gamma-3 in the Federation database has some undisclosed gray areas."
"Are there any stably active 'Heart-Scar' level targets in that region?"
"Heart-Scar."
The word made Ryan's eyelid twitch. It was a term that circulated among frontline Harmonizers, representing extreme danger and an ominous presence. Behind every "Heart-Scar" was a soul driven mad and twisted, and one or more squads completely wiped out.
The Technology Division official pushed up his rimless glasses. The gaze behind the lenses showed no fluctuation; he seemed to be listening to a technical report that had nothing to do with him.
"Captain Gestalt, your question is very professional."
He paused deliberately, his cold gaze inadvertently sweeping over the still-silent Shen Kai.
"Regarding 'Heart-Scar' level presences, the energy field in that region is complex."
"There are indeed records of... 'unconfirmed high-energy reactions.'"
"However, based on the currently analyzable data, it is not yet possible to define them as stable 'Heart-Scar' level presences."
The official's tone shifted, and the coldness in his voice nearly turned to frost.
"The Deep Sector environment is unpredictable. Any accident is possible."
"The core of the 'Pathfinder' squad's mission is exploration, cartography, and investigation."
"Should you encounter an irresistible threat during the mission, Federation regulations permit you to act at your own discretion based on the actual battlefield situation."
"The highest operational principle is to prioritize ensuring your own safety first..."
"...and, second, ensuring the complete recovery of the 'Courier-7B' drone and the observation data it has recorded."
"Prioritize preserving the observation data."
That sentence was like a poison-tipped needle, stabbing viciously into Ryan's heart. He saw the captain's tightly pressed lips and instantly tensed jawline. Clearly, the lives of the squad members were less important to those high-ups than Shen Kai's core data.
"Understood, sir," the captain replied in a deep voice. He gave a standard military salute before sitting down.
The briefing was over.
The Technology Division official and the "Gray Dove" operative, who hadn't said a word from start to finish, left first with the "Messenger" drone and its cold, glowing blue indicator lights.
The heavy alloy door closed silently behind them.
BANG!
Ryan could no longer hold back. He slammed his fist on the alloy conference table in front of him, making the standard-issue water cup jump. The Crimsonflame Lizard scale pattern overlay of his "Enhanced Sentinel" interface seemed to glow faintly red on his arm, reflecting his rage.
"Boss! This is blatant!"
"They're using us as bait, as lab rats!" he finally exploded. The air seemed to take on a scorched quality—a manifestation of his emotional "Crimson" core.
"Especially Chengkong! They don't care if we live or die; they just want his 'Prime Core' data."
"His 'Prime Core' data!"
"Ryan!" Gestalt's low voice cut in, carrying an undeniable command to stop. "Watch your words! This is an order from the Federation!"
"Order? Bullshit order!"
The captain's reprimand did not quell Ryan's anger; instead, it burned hotter. He shot to his feet, his face contorted and red with fury.
"How did Sergeant Jones and the others die?"
"Wasn't it because of those damned intelligence errors and 'controllable risk assessments' made by those big shots in their comfortable Bedrock City offices?"
"Is it finally our turn?!"
"Ryan, please calm down."
The medic, Sakuraba Nadeshiko, stood up and walked to his side. Her voice was gentle yet persistent. She reached out and lightly pressed Ryan's right arm, which trembled slightly with anger. A cool flow of "Jadeite Green" core energy quietly streamed out, attempting to soothe his agitated "Crimson" core.
But at that moment, this small comfort seemed pale and powerless to Ryan.
He ignored Nadeshiko and looked out the window. Shen Kai hadn't spoken a word the entire time. He simply walked slowly to the briefing room's one-way viewport and gazed out at the unchanging gray sky of Bedrock City through the thick, reinforced glass.
That transcendent calm sent a wave of inexplicable irritation through Ryan.
Why? Why could he be so calm? Didn't all of this start because of him?
But the angry thought was fleeting. He knew it wasn't Chengkong's fault. He hated the big shots who toyed with them and saw them as disposable.
Just as the team atmosphere reached a freezing point, the captain's voice broke the silence again. It carried deep fatigue and the resolve of a veteran under heavy pressure.
"Everyone, go prepare."
Gestalt stood up, his gaze sweeping over each team member in turn before finally resting on Shen Kai. His expression was complex, showing worry, scrutiny, and a trace of indescribable expectation.
"In one standard Earth hour, the transport will be waiting for us at Underground Hangar Bay One."
"This mission is extraordinary, so I need all of you to be focused one hundred and twenty percent."
"Once we enter the Ash-Gray Frontier, all actions will be under my command."
"Strictly adhere to amendments three, seven, and twelve of the Standard Operating Regulations of the Circumpolar Federation Deep Sector Intervention Forces."
"Remember—"
He paused, speaking each word with deliberation.
"Our primary objective is to come back alive."
"Every single one of us must come back alive."
Shen Kai turned around and met the captain's heavy gaze. He nodded lightly.
Ryan forcefully suppressed the raging fire and resentment in his "Crimson" core, waiting for the moment it would explode on the Ash-Gray Frontier.