Chapter 25: Exploration Unit 13

By a hair’s breadth, the Grey Eagle Squad left the reanimated statues farther and farther behind, drawing ever closer to the city’s central idol. At last, they reached one of the passageways connected to the enormous statue. It was even larger than they’d imagined—wider than three rivers side by side—and the pitch-black entrance vanished into unknown depths.

Curiously, in contrast to the terrifying horde behind them, there appeared to be no sign of bronze statues within the tunnel. As the entrance loomed closer, Red hovered at a distance, watching his teammates dash inside the passage, and finally felt a wave of relief. His supernatural ability was about to fade, his wings gradually becoming transparent.

“Let’s regroup with them,” he said. Red finally landed, only to see five uninvited guests beside his own teammates at the base of the passage—the Defense Bureau’s squad!

Clad in their standard uniforms, they looked up at the commotion above, and Red’s gaze locked directly with theirs. At their head was the plant-based superhuman who’d previously demonstrated his extraordinary abilities—fortunately, the fire user was absent.

Red’s pupils contracted sharply when he saw Gina standing expressionlessly before the Defense Bureau squad, her protective shield still firmly in place.

“Relax. There’s no need to be so tense,” the plant super said amiably to Ye Mi.

He was about one meter seventy, matching Gina’s current height, with an average build, Caucasian features, a nearly lipless upper lip, and vivid emerald green eyes brimming with life.

Ye Mi was abruptly reminded of Ian’s research report—some superhumans underwent many changes in line with their own abilities.

Red and this plant controller were both prime examples.

“If I wanted to attack, your shield wouldn’t stop me. I only wish to discuss cooperation,” he continued. As he finished speaking, Red approached, giving Ye Mi a meaningful glance. “Gina, he’s telling the truth. Lower your shield. I’ll talk to him.”

Ye Mi lowered her eyes and withdrew her power. She felt nothing but distaste for everyone in the Defense Bureau. If it weren’t for their overwhelming strength, she’d have struck them down already.

“I’m Red, captain of the Grey Eagle Squad,” he announced, stepping forward to shield his teammates.

“Anders, captain of Team 13, Defense Bureau Exploration Division.”

Facing the Grey Eagle Squad’s wariness, Anders showed no irritation. “Captain Red, I’m sure you’ve noticed by now—those bronze statues in the city have come to life.” Red nodded.

“To get this far, you must be capable,” Anders said coolly, though his next words inevitably betrayed his arrogance. “But surely you know—the trial’s difficulty will only escalate, becoming more perilous. For a civilian squad that relies on cheap tricks, it’ll be nearly impossible to make it out alive.”

Raj clenched his fists in anger. Damn OC Corporation—no one who’s emerged from this place has ever been anything but detestable. Yet, they couldn’t deny the overwhelming strength of the other side.

Grey Eagle Squad had made it here through incredible hardship, relying primarily on Red’s flight ability. If that was called cheap trickery, they had little room to argue.

Ye Mi’s expression remained serene as she sized up the Defense Bureau members. They were impeccably equipped—each wore a belt hung with the company’s latest weapons, not to mention the advanced prosthetics and sophisticated devices that ordinary civilians could never obtain. There were prosthetic eyes worth millions, with built-in AI for data analysis, motion tracking, combat assistance—even the ability to interface with other cybernetic enhancements via a central chip. All of this far surpassed what a civilian squad, dependent solely on mutation, could muster.

Red obviously knew this as well. Even though Anders had shown no regard for their pride, he couldn’t find grounds to refute him. His jaw was tense, Adam’s apple bobbing. “Captain Anders... I’ll consider it.”

Following the Defense Bureau meant nothing more than becoming their expendable pathfinders. What good could possibly come of it? Red was well aware of this.

“Consider it?” Anders chuckled, dripping with sarcasm. “I’m afraid you won’t have that option.”

At his words, the Defense Bureau squad spread out in a practiced semi-circle, half-surrounding them. “Either cooperate, or—”

“We’re competitors,” Anders declared, making no effort to hide the cold gleam in his eyes or the threat in his voice. “And with competitors, there’s only one outcome—mutual destruction.”

A chilling aura pervaded the air. There was simply no choice. Even knowing how ruthless the Defense Bureau could be, how perilous cooperation would prove, Red had no means of resisting them in that moment.

Survival was all that mattered.

He sighed in resignation. “...We’ll cooperate.”

Anders smiled, satisfied. “A wise choice.” He snapped his fingers, and the Defense Bureau operatives stowed their weapons. “Now then, Captain Red, your squad will take the lead.”

Red said nothing; the tunnel was oppressively silent, footsteps echoing through the vast darkness.

Grey Eagle Squad walked at the front, the Defense Bureau trailing behind at a distance of five or six meters.

Raj sidled up to Red, voice hushed. “Captain, are we really just going to play scout for them?”

Red kept his eyes fixed on the black tunnel ahead. “Bear with it for now. We have no choice—they outnumber us and have better gear. We’d lose in a straight fight.”

“Understood.” Raj knew the stakes well enough, but he needed the captain’s reassurance to steady his nerves.

Within the enormous passage, aside from occasional treacherous moss underfoot and the intermittent drip of water, the place seemed utterly empty.

“Captain Red,” Anders called suddenly from behind, his voice echoing in the tunnel. “You saw that red light, didn’t you?”

Red’s pace didn’t falter. “What red light?”

“Don’t play dumb.” Anders laughed, the sound gratingly sharp. “The whole city saw that pillar of light—you expect me to believe you missed it?”

Ye Mi felt the stares of the Defense Bureau agents boring into their backs, sharp as needles.

“Oh, that,” Red shrugged. “We saw it, but have no idea what it was about.”

Anders clicked his tongue, clearly unconvinced. “Then why did you arrive later than us? You took off long before we did.”

The tunnel fell silent for a few seconds, broken only by the sound of footsteps.

Ye Mi sensed Raj’s back suddenly tense with anxiety.

He was worried Anders had guessed they’d already found the treasure.

That was the last thing Grey Eagle Squad wanted—the possibility that Team 13 would covet their prize.