The first expedition team to the bottom area of the ruins has been assembled.
Nan Yingjian, who arrived belatedly, was the last member of the expedition team to arrive at the ruins base, but he immediately took over the position of captain of the expedition team. Before that, the original captain was Yin Cheng.
Of course, the captaincy that Nan Yingjian took over was only temporary. She would leave the team on her own after leading the team through that corridor, and then the responsibility of the captain would still fall on Yincheng's shoulders.
As old partners, it goes without saying that Yincheng and Nan Yingjian have a tacit understanding with each other, but this time they are bringing Bai Jin and the others with them.
These three people are not soldiers and have no cooperation with each other.
So Nan Yingjian decided that two people would be responsible for one, and the others would be responsible for support to prevent accidents.
Qi Xinlan and Li Shuran had no objection to this arrangement, but Bai Jin and Nan Yingjian were not on the same page.
As soon as the two met, they were at odds with each other, "praising" each other and each other's relatives and friends.
If Xue Ming hadn't appeared in time, the two men might have fought.
Fortunately, Nan Yingjian's mind was not on the quarrel at all, and the matter was settled. However, Bai Jin still refused to accept Nan Yingjian's arrangement. She had to rely on her own ability to pass through the time-space dislocation corridor at the entrance.
…
"I've never been so angry with anyone, what's wrong?" Yincheng was about to leave tomorrow morning, so Yincheng went to Nan Yingjian to ask about what happened during the day.
Nan Yingjian was packing her things. Looking at the big and small bags, she seemed to be going on a trip instead of going on an adventure.
"I just can't stand her eldest lady's behavior and whatnot. Why do you really think we can't touch their Bai family!" Nan Yingjian's temper was really bad today.
Yin Cheng grinned: "That's what I say, but she is also one of the members, so she has to take the overall situation into consideration."
Nan Yingjian packed up her clothes, then raised her head, looked at Yincheng with her hands on her hips and said, "Okay, we'll go our separate ways after we go in, and I won't be able to see her anymore. You can take care of yourself."
Yincheng sighed upon hearing this and asked tentatively: "Can't you really say that?"
"say what?"
"Don't pretend to be confused. What special mission did Han give you?"
Nan Yingjian was a little displeased when he heard this and said, "Whose surname is Han? That's your immediate boss, please be careful what you say!"
Yin Chengque didn't care: "That's not the point. Now I just want to know why I want you to go again. Didn't you die once before?"
After hearing this, Nan Yingjian burst into laughter: "Why did you die once? It was in the bunker space, not in reality. Besides, without me to lead the way, do you know how to find the 'Forerunner Cloud Atlas'?"
"have no idea."
"Well, that's it."
"But what I want to ask is not why you went down, but where are you going?" Yincheng was a little anxious.
This is the first time Nan Yingjian has seen Yincheng like this.
She was stunned for a moment, and then said: "I will talk to you about this when I come back. I can't talk about it now."
"Why?!"
"Oh! Why why why! Why have you become so mother-in-law, like a woman!? Do I need to report to you where I am going? Ah?" Nan Yingjian was a little angry.
Yin Cheng looked at Nan Yingjian silently, nodded after a long time and said: "Okay, then... take care of yourself..." With that, Yin Cheng left.
When Nan Yingjian was left alone, Nan Yingjian clenched her fists several times and sighed deeply.
…
Early the next morning, there were still three hours before departure.
Bai Jin, who hadn't slept all night, put on her pajamas and arrived at the place where Li Shuran had shouted stupidly before.
Looking at the still sleepy Frahaiya Prairie, Bai Jin took a deep breath, made a trumpet with her hands, and then shouted loudly into the distance: "Ah~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~”
In the morning light, Bai Jin's voice sounded far, far away.
Nan Yingjian, who seldom slept, glanced at Bai Jin's back, snorted coldly, and carried the box to the submarine.
Yincheng also got up early. He ran around the base for more than ten laps as usual, and then went to the locker room sweating profusely.
I met Li Shuran at the gate of Yincheng.
Li Shuran looked at Yincheng in surprise and said, "Major? Do you still retain the habit of running in the morning?"
Yincheng didn't want to talk to him at first, but then he thought about how he might have to get along with this person for a long time. It wouldn't be good to ignore him completely, so he nodded and said, "Yes, turning off all auxiliary systems can make me feel better."
I’m still alive.”
Li Shuran said "Oh" clearly, then smiled and said: "Actually, you don't have to work so hard. If you want this sense of reality, there are many ways."
"Oh? Really?" Yincheng probably guessed what he was going to say next, so he said it for him: "Is it hypnosis?"
However, Li Shuran shook his head and said with a smile: "Hypnosis is only a short-term experience. In fact, the simplest way is to turn on your pain system."
"Pain sensing system?" Yincheng was a little surprised.
"Yes, I think...as a border guard officer, you must often fight against various enemies. Under normal circumstances, the enhanced soldiers on active duty will enhance their combat effectiveness by turning off or artificially suppressing the perception of the pain system. This
Although this method of improving combat effectiveness is good, it can easily cause psychological barriers to soldiers, the most common characteristic of which is that they lose the concept of life."
After hearing these words, Yincheng gained something, but he had no intention of continuing to chat with Li Shuran.
"Well, that's a good idea, thank you for your suggestion.
"Said Yincheng and went to the locker room.
Li Shuran didn't bother, just smiled and said: "You're welcome."
…
By around eight o'clock, almost everyone had arrived except Qi Xinlan.
After contacting the ruins, they said Qi Xinlan was not inside the ruins.
The sudden disappearance of an important member caught everyone off guard.
After repeated confirmations with the administrator of the ruins several times, Yincheng confirmed that Qi Xinlan left the ruins at around 11 o'clock last night, but judging from the records, he did not come to the base after leaving the ruins.
"I have already reported the situation here to the superiors. I think we will know where he went in a while." Xue Ming's face didn't look good.
Yincheng looked even more indifferent.
This operation has not gone smoothly since he arrived at the base, and now he has "lost someone" inexplicably, which really hurts morale.
Bai Jin was also very anxious. She asked Xue Mingdao: "Minister, what should we do if we find him?"
This issue is very critical. The original plan was indeed made by backup personnel, but at that time I did not expect to lose an experienced archaeological expert.
Xue Ming frowned and pondered for a while before saying: "Don't be anxious, wait for the feedback results from the star system first."
Bai Jin said: "But Minister, the entrance to the ruins is not accessible at any time. If we miss this 'window period', we may have to wait a year or even longer next time!"
Of course Xue Ming also knew that. He looked at Bai Jin and then looked at the crowd and said, "What are your opinions?"
Yincheng said: "emmmmm... Without Professor Qi, there will indeed be a lot of trouble, and the harvest may be reduced a lot... But this 'window period' issue... I agree with Bai Jin's opinion, we can't waste this opportunity.
.”
Xue Ming looked at Nan Yingjian again.
As the current leader of the expedition team, Nan Yingjian looked absent-minded. She did not even join the channels of several people.
Xue Ming frowned and asked, "Colonel Nan, what's your opinion?"
Only then did Nan Yingjian come back to her senses. She looked at Xue Ming, then at the others, and then asked a very strange question: "Have you... asked about the smell of blood in the air?
"
"Bloody smell?!" Yincheng sniffed hard. His perception system had also been strengthened, but he did not smell the bloody smell.
"No? Where did the bloody smell come from?!" Yin Cheng asked.
Nan Yingjian stood up and looked towards the north side of the base. Far, far away from the base was the ancient mountain range covered with ice and snow - Galloland.
She frowned and stared at the mountains in the distance.
Everyone's attention was also diverted.
Xue Ming reacted quickly. He had already notified the Interstellar Army and asked them to pay attention to the changes in the Galloland Mountains.
Judging from the real-time feedback image information, the Galloland Mountains have not changed much. They are as quiet as a giant that will never wake up, except for the occasional avalanche, which seems to be snoring.
Xue Ming looked at the time and reminded: "Colonel, we don't have much time, we have to make a decision as soon as possible."
However, Nan Yingjian just walked towards the north of the base step by step, as if something in the distant Galoran Mountains was calling her.
Bai Jin glanced at Yincheng, who immediately understood. He stepped forward to stop Nan Yingjian and said, "Hey, Xiao Jian, wake up! Are we done yet?"
Nan Yingjian raised her head and glanced at Yincheng and said: "I'm awake, don't remind me." After saying that, she bypassed Yincheng and continued walking forward, and changed her form as she walked. Her vision module changed to
distance mode.
Others did not see as far as she did, but they vaguely felt that the mountains in the distance were changing.
Li Shuran was the most "ordinary" one in the team, but he was the first to recognize Nan Ying Jianxian. He said seriously: "It's the smell of blood, a very strong smell of blood... It seems like something is coming."
near……"
Everyone was shocked when they heard this.
Yincheng was the first to react. He said to the adjutant: "Quickly, notify the base and enter the alert mode to guard against any suspicious targets approaching the base!"
After the first two incidents, the adjutant's response was much faster, and he made arrangements immediately.
The base's alarm sounded, various defense facilities on standby were awakened, and the six sets of warp cores that provided energy for the base's outer AT protective force field also began to operate.
Bai Jin felt that the "companions" in front of her were overreacting. She asked, "Hello!? What's wrong with you? Aren't we studying whether to continue the expedition plan?"
Hearing these words, Nan Yingjian stopped. She turned back and looked at Bai Jin coldly and said: "We are looking for a way to salvation, not a way to escape. You don't want to be on Gaia as soon as you leave."
It ceases to exist, right?”
Bai Jin was stunned. It was obvious that she didn't understand.
But Xue Ming already had clues.
He frowned and said: "What's going on? An abnormal psionic energy waveform reaction was detected in the Galloland Mountains?!"
This was not meant for those present to hear.
But everyone heard it clearly and knew what it meant.
Bai Jin seemed to believe it now, but she was more curious about how Nan Yingjian could smell the "bloody smell" without using any detection equipment.
After Yincheng heard Xue Ming's words, he quietly asked Nan Yingjian: "Could it be the alien queen that attacked the border defense force more than ten years ago?"
Nan Yingjian shook her head: "It's not her. She doesn't have the ability to enter the hinterland of human territory without being noticed."
Yincheng was not only unhappy when he heard this, but became even more worried: "More troublesome than her?!"
Nan Ying Jian
After looking up at Yincheng, he smiled and said, "What? Are you scared?"
Yincheng chuckled: "Afraid? What do I have to be afraid of? But we all know that this kind of battle with an excessive disparity in strength is too hopeless. Even if we find her, we can't stop her. Wouldn't it be very sad?
"
Nan Yingjian was not so pessimistic. She whispered: "If that's true, then she can't appear so far from the entrance."
Yincheng was stunned for a moment, then he understood: "Uh? You mean... it also wants to enter the bottom layer of the ruins? But it can't go in directly?"
Nan Yingjian didn't explain much. She looked at the time and said, "We still have three hours, and we have to resolve the battle as soon as possible."
"Um, are you sure our strength is enough to deal with her?"
Nan Yingjian nodded: "I'm sure. Of course, the premise is that she dares to step into the Furahaiya Prairie."
Yin Cheng didn't understand this sentence, but he didn't want to ask anymore. When he was with Nan Yingjian, Yin Cheng rarely took charge of command. This habit has been retained for many years, and it is the same now.
"Okay, I'll listen to you."
"Well." Nan Yingjian said, turning back to everyone: "All non-combatants should go hide for a while. The scene outside will be very scary later."
Li Shuran was the most conscious one. After hearing this, he immediately turned around and headed towards the entrance of the underground fortress of the base.
Bai Jin didn't move, she asked: "What on earth is it? Why do you all seem to be facing a formidable enemy?"
Nan Yingjian ignored her. She looked up at the sky and said to Yincheng: "I heard that the Mysterious Investigation Department has found all thirteen Brilliant-level mechas?"
Yincheng also looked at the sky. After confirming a direction, he raised his hand and sent the coordinates, and said: "Twelve stations to be exact. The whereabouts of the first knight Bai are still unknown."
"Well..." Nan Yingjian couldn't help but feel nostalgic when she heard Bai's name.
Bai Jin was ignored by these two people at the same time, and she was absolutely furious.
"Hey! Did you hear me?!"
Nan Yingjian lowered his head and looked at Bai Jin and said, "I heard it, and I'd like to remind you by the way, you'd better get out of the way, otherwise you'll be smashed to death, which would be a pity."
Bai Jin was stunned: "What? You said..."
Before he finished speaking, Bai Jin was forcibly taken away by Xue Ming's men.
Without this noisy young lady, Nan Yingjian could finally concentrate on preparing for the next battle.
Xue Ming looked at the rising level of psionic energy waveforms in the detection data and asked Nan Yingjian: "Did you already know that this operation would attract many unwelcome guests?"
Nan Yingjian shook his head: "To be honest, I really don't know. Maybe you should ask Han Kongwen directly instead of me."
Xue Ming was a little helpless, so he immediately contacted Han Kongwen.
Han Kongwen, who was already at the Interstellar Army Command Headquarters, only gave Xue Ming one reply: "Stand your position and wait for support."
After receiving these eight words, Xue Ming finally came to his senses - it turned out that the base itself was a bait...
"Heh..." Xue Ming sneered.
Nan Yingjian also smiled, a little sympathetic and a little self-deprecating.
"How are you? Do you understand what's going on?" Nan Yingjian asked.
Xue Ming nodded: "Probably, I only know that we are just a bait now. If we don't work hard, we will definitely be eaten."
Nan Yingjian laughed when he heard this.
Yincheng on the side couldn't laugh. He already knew Han Kongwen's character.
This woman has been elusive since Victory Day.
No one can figure out what little tricks this woman who has apparently given up her supreme power is doing behind the scenes, especially in the past ten years or so.
Ever since Chu Yunlan was arrested, all kinds of bizarre things have happened one after another.
Just like the Percival Dome incident at the end of last year.
A huge underground organization flourished under the eyes of the top management, and even found out how to release the "destructive power" of the factor before the Supreme Academy of Sciences.
In this incident, the person most responsible is actually not Hong Yan, let alone Zhang Yi.
It should be Han Kongwen who manages the supervisory agencies of the entire Glorious Republic and has the highest authority certificate and the right of passage in the ocean of original numbers.
Looking at it this way, when Lin Sen left, it was Han Kongwen who was responsible for cutting the big cake on Victory Day.
But what on earth is she doing?
Xue Ming didn't see through it, neither did Xiao Qing, and Yincheng, Nan Yingjian and the others... were even less likely to see it through.
…
In an ancient palace thousands of miles away in the Frahaya Prairie.
Everyone, headed by Zhang Yi, gathered in front of a huge golden round table.
Like the former Knights of the Round Table, everyone looked at each other and could see joy and desire on each other's faces.
But no one spoke, because the most important seat in front of the golden round table was still empty.
Everyone is waiting.
Zhang Yi is waiting.
Meili is waiting.
Xue Yi and Wei Yining, who have been missing for a long time, are also waiting...
Everyone is waiting...
After a long time, the door of the golden palace was pushed open.
A man wearing a white trench coat walked slowly.
When everyone saw the figure, they stood up one after another, with admiration and awe in their eyes.
When he passed by Zhang Yi.
Zhang Yi spoke eagerly: "Sir, the steps towards the advancement of civilization have begun to take shape. It's time to make a desperate move."
The man called Mr. did not even look at Zhang Yi. He walked straight to the empty seat and did not sit down. Instead, he stood and quietly looked at the painting on the golden round table.