Several armed soldiers waited at the barracks. .net

The silence was tense. Everybody could feel the weight of responsibilities pressing down on them. Some tried to shake off the nerves by regulating their breathing; some were praying; and others looked fine at least, but they might just be good at hiding their nervousness.

After a while, the entrance of the tent flapped open. A person who’s wearing the same uniform with a badge representing an authority higher than them walked in. He looked sternly at the tensed soldiers and said,

“Well, boys, it’s time to nut up or shut up.” He grinned.

The soldiers did their best to hold their snickers back. They were expecting a more serious opening speech from this person, so they couldn’t help it when they heard this instead.

“In all seriousness though, I believe that you all received your briefing already, so I won’t nag even further. You should already realize by now how important your task is to our future. If it hasn’t sunk in yet, let me know, and I’ll help you realize it in a more intimate manner.” The officer’s eyes narrowed by the end of his words.

That was a thinly-veiled threat. None of the soldiers dared to say anything. The officer was right anyway; they were already informed about the contents of this mission. They had a lot of time to marinate on the idea and even had the choice of whether to participate in this mission or not.

If that didn’t make them realize just how important this was for the race, then they don’t deserve to wear their uniforms.

“I like the look on your faces.” The officer grinned. “Now, get up! All of you. We’re going to the transmission site.”

“I’ll stress this again. Once you land on the other side, it’s do or die. You have no time to relax or adjust unless you achieve the first checkpoint in your mission. Am I clear?”

“Sir, yes, sir!” They all replied in unison.

They talked while moving, and it didn’t take long before they arrived at the designated transmission site that will take them to where their mission will take place.

On the site, they saw several silhouettes standing on a higher platform overlooking the transmission array. The soldiers couldn’t figure out who they were, but they knew that these people were important to the army, so they didn’t dare to look too long.

Several men wearing lab coats were already there, waiting for them. They’re doing last-minute checks on the transmission array, making sure that everything is working the way it’s supposed to.

When these people parted and made way for them, the soldiers took this as a sign to step into the array. The soldiers took a deep breath and pressed the switch on their chests. Upon doing so, the switch unfolded into a series of metal plates that covered them from head to toe. It looked like they’re wearing a suit of armor now, but this one isn’t as heavy as traditional armor.

It offered the same amount of protection against harmful substances without the burden of weight; this also allows the soldiers to move silently while having decent protection.

The one who’s standing at the very forefront of the squad looked at his teammates; he checked them one by one to see if everything was in order. Once he received a clear from everybody, he turned to the operators and gave them an okay sign.

One of the operators began the countdown. The soldiers braced themselves, and once the countdown ended, they all felt the world spinning around them.

The transmission felt like forever, but in truth, it only took a couple of seconds at most. When their senses returned, they found themselves in the middle of a dense black fog. The visibility of their new surroundings was already shit, and the darkness of the skies just made it worse.

Sadly, none of them had the luxury to complain. The instructions of the officer were still fresh in their memory. The soldiers wasted no time and immediately began moving according to their mission as soon as they landed.

The squad leader saw this and maintained his silence. He just warily scanned their surroundings, searching for any possible threats nearby that might compromise this mission.

His squad moved as quickly and quietly as they could. Thanks to the armor they’re wearing, they didn’t have to be wary of the maddening corruption in their surroundings. Lord knows that without this plate armor, they’d all be driven insane by now with how dense the corruption in this area is.

The first checkpoint on their mission was the initial construction of the outpost. This required them to build a silvermist formation that would not only protect them but also obscure the location of their outpost, making it difficult for demons to hinder their mission.

If they failed to do this, then they could all forget about returning to Azure Terra. This is the reason why the officer earlier said that this is a do-or-die moment; the squad could only relax a bit after they’re done with the initial set-up of the outpost.

Suffice it to say, everybody worked under immense pressure. Everybody felt each second of this mission lasting for forever, which might be caused by their tensed nerves. Fortunately, all of them were disciplined and have trained for this mission for an extended period of time. Nobody has made a mistake yet.

Clatter!

Everybody jolted after hearing this sound. They looked at each other briefly and discovered that it wasn’t any of them who made the sound. Those who were setting up the base shook in nervousness but didn’t dare to stop their movement. If anything, they urged themselves to hurry.

As for the others, they scanned the surroundings warily, making sure that they’re ready to pull the trigger at the first sight of the emerging threat.

The squad leader inwardly cursed this wretched fog of corruption for lowering the visibility of the area. Because of it, they can’t see anything further than 15 meters around their immediate vicinity, which is a little too close for comfort.

Then, after what felt like years since their arrival, the sound of crisp clicking and whirring refreshed their souls. This sound was very familiar to them, so much so that their bodies immediately relaxed after hearing it before they realized what was happening.

This was the sound of the Silvermist Formation rousing to activity, something that they’ve heard hundreds of times recently; that’s why it’s familiar to them.

The squad wasted no time and entered the safety of the formation. Once they saw the obscuring silvermist blending with the nearby corruption, they all felt a wave of relief flooding through their veins.

“Don’t take off your masks yet. Wait until the corruption’s completely flushed first,” the squad leader ordered.

Nobody refuted this. After all, they’re not blind; it’s plain to see that they’re absolutely safe yet. His reminder was a lifesaver.

With the first checkpoint of their mission completed, the squad has more time and freedom to complete the rest of their mission checklist. However, none of them really felt like spending any more time than necessary in this hellish place.

So, instead of taking a brief rest, the soldiers began working towards the next goal, which is to set up the communication network so that they could begin reporting their status to the HQ.

This time, the squad leader himself was hands-on in this set-up. Some equipment needed a security clearance that only he had, after all.

Despite being protected and hidden within the silvermist formation, the soldiers still felt tense. They’re not really in a hurry this time, but this place just makes them really antsy.

Again, after what felt like hours, the initial setup for the communication network was made. Now, they just need to let it run for at least an hour and a half before trying to connect to the HQ. The wait is necessary because the machine they’re using will release signals that enemies might be able to detect if they use it too early.

“While we wait for this, let’s work on something else. Divide yourselves into two; the first group will work on the transmission site, and the second group will work on making this zone habitable for us.”

The squad leader assigned himself to the first group since, again, some of the equipment they need to accomplish this needs his clearance. As for the rest, they began expediting the flushing of corruption that still remained in the outpost. Not too fast, though, since the conversion rune could only absorb a certain amount of corruption inside.

They began setting up tents, temporary rooms, etc. Basically, they are turning this area into a proper military outpost as they go.

At this point, the scanners have already registered dozens of threats lurking around the outpost. Their numbers were mind-numbing. Fortunately, they’re now inside the formation and were hidden from their senses; otherwise, they would’ve attracted at least hundreds by now.

Once the initial preparations were done, the squad leader breathed a sigh of relief. He then checked the time, and to his surprise, he found out that only an hour had passed since they arrived in this hellish place.

I could’ve really fooled him because, to him and his squad, it feels like they’ve been here for years.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep