Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

If I retreat, the other two teams might be in trouble.

But then again, the enemy's continuous reinforcements could mean the other two teams didn't apply enough pressure and have already retreated?

The biggest problem with no communication is that no one knows the choices their teammates made, making any decision they make potentially wrong.

[What should I do?]

Gregory hesitated for a moment.

However, the enemy wouldn't give them time to hesitate, as biologically enhanced soldiers from two different directions joined the battlefield.

His own troops were now facing four against sixteen...

Grinding his teeth, Gregory put on his spiked gauntlets, ready to join the fray, "Hold the line!"

He decided to trust his teammates and create an opportunity for the other two squads.

Moreover, the corridor was narrow, so if they just held on, the enemy couldn't really exploit their numeric advantage!

However...

"Thump, thump, thump!"

Soon after Gregory joined the fight, the corridor echoed with heavy and rapid footsteps, signaling that squad after squad of biologically enhanced soldiers had been notified to come in support.

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"Fuck!"

"Commander?"

"Retreat!"

With ample reinforcements from behind, the biologically enhanced soldiers could freely rotate, with teammates always ready to fill in, and even if the invading squad fought bravely, they almost couldn't achieve any real results under the endless cover provided by the enemy.

And their stamina... was being rapidly depleted.

Gregory had no choice but to issue the order to retreat.

...

"Commander, did you hear the noise up ahead?" the guy wholeheartedly carrying the quiver for Bai E asked, not quite trusting his own judgment, whispering to Bai E walking in front.

"..." Bai E remained silent.

[Even the cooks can hear it...]

He waved his hand, signaling everyone to remain silent.

The corner was just ahead; he could peek around it first.

...

"..."

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Bai E blinked after glancing around the corner.

Good news, he had run into the commander.

Bad news, the commander had stirred up a hornet's nest.

"Hoo~"

Taking a light breath, Bai E flicked his bow into position and stepped forward.

...

"Huff... huff... I can't do this anymore."

"Neither can I. I'll cover our retreat! Commander, just remember to bring people back for us! I'll hold them off for you!"

Retreat, of course, wasn't as fast as pursuit, so the decision to retreat left the invading squad unable to withdraw smoothly; one misstep could leave them all behind.

Gnashing his teeth, Gregory had the command for his four soldiers to cover the retreat on the tip of his tongue, yet found it difficult to issue.

Rationality told him this was the right choice, in case there was no backup...

Wait... are there still obstacles ahead?

The sudden appearance of a figure from around the corner in the corridor made Gregory's already tense mind instinctively jump; had these biologically enhanced soldiers arranged for someone to flank them from another route?

"There's still resistance ahead!"

"We're done for! Commander, we will protect you and master Spiritual Energy as we break through!"

"It's not right... his clothing seems off!"

...

Bai E raised his bow, placing two arrows on the string.

In the confusion, he didn't know if his teammates would walk into his arrows, but right now, it was the only way to stop the biologically altered soldiers from pursuing them so quickly.

So the primary target for the attack was... the ones on the lower ground.

Arrowheads pointed slightly downward, Bai E's gaze was sharp, he drew the bow fully... fire!

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Arrow after arrow flew swiftly, as Bai E continuously drew arrows, with his right hand dancing into a blur.

The squad, unaware and exhausted, only felt sharp gusts of wind pass by them; when the pursuers had black iron arrows sticking out of them, they finally realized someone was helping them from behind.

The steady veteran grouped with the supreme commander immediately recognized Bai E's familiar face and exclaimed with surprise, "It's brother B27!"

["Lucky Strike" charge +2.]

["Lucky Strike" charge has reached 201/100, current use count 2/2!]

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The figure stood there alone, silently shooting air-tearing arrows from a distance.

The wind it brought up fluttered past their ears, and not a single arrow went astray.

In an instant, the figure who nearly stopped the pursuers single-handedly gave the frantic squad a profound sense of reliability and safety.

"It's him..."

"He... is so powerful."

The commanding officer swept past without Bai E even batting an eyelid, simply stating calmly, "You go on and retreat first."

The damage caused by arrows brimming with force was one thing, but the powerful kinetic energy that accompanied a hit to the thigh or knee caps made the pursuing biomechanical soldiers involuntarily collapse in a heap.

The soldiers running past couldn't help but look back; at that moment, the somewhat unfamiliar figure of their comrade loomed large, holding the line alone...

Bai E slowly retreated while shooting, then quickly stowed his bow and left after turning a straight corner.

...

"How did you get in here?"

Only when they had retreated a safe distance and confirmed that the biomechanical soldiers were not pursuing did they stop and gasp for air. Gregory, who had preserved the most stamina, asked first.

Disobeying orders during a mission was a serious offense, yet if it weren't for their spiritual support, probably only he could have led the Spiritual Energy users back...

Bai E's squad's temporary commander responded promptly, "Minister Likok. He discovered an anomaly and insisted on coming in to notify you all."

So all eyes turned to the minister, but he wasn't looking at them. He clutched his computer, his gaze fixed on the screen's content, his expression tense.

"Minister?"

"Shh," Minister Likok, aware that the conversation had turned toward him, simply put a finger to his lips to calm everyone, "Wait a moment."

...

A brief silence fell. Without the key individual clarifying the reason, they could only speculate.

Until the "tap tap" of military boots approached from afar.

Bai E hadn't removed his boots, defying the order given to his comrades. His experience with stealth allowed him a certain level of nonconformity.

Spying the stalwart who had covered their rear, several soldiers resting against the wall instinctively straightened up.

"Brother, you're awesome!"

"Had we known you were this capable, we should have brought you along. Maybe we could've charged straight in just now!"

Bai E modestly smiled, "They're too numerous and tough to kill. At most, I could just slow them down—a complete kill would be tough."

"That's still pretty impressive! If not for you, we would all be dead back there," one of the soldiers said with a big grin.

"Yeah, if not for you, we'd likely all be done for... Damn, to think those biomechanical soldiers don't care about their homes, all of them waiting at the door for us!"

["Lucky Strike" charge +3]

Their world was simple, where skill was acknowledged openly, admiration was straightforward, and disdain was undisguised.

Having proven his strength, Bai E instantly earned their heartfelt respect.

"Alright..." Gregory interrupted their exuberance calmly, "We still have a problem at hand..."

He looked to the firepower operator he was relatively acquainted with, also Bai E's squad's temporary commander, "Did you encounter any of those biomechanical soldiers on your way in?"

With Minister Likok engrossed in his "important" research, they had to rely on the available information to roughly assess their current situation themselves.

The temporary commander glanced at the silent Bai E before nodding in response, "Yes! We ran into two groups, four each. Brother Bai E led us through them, and then we didn't encounter anyone until we met up with you."

"Did you come across any other squads or see signs they left?"

"No..."

"So they have indeed contracted their defenses," Gregory mused quietly to himself, "We need to make contact with the other two squads as soon as possible. Now that they've spotted us, being separated puts us at a disadvantage. Plus, we don't know the total number of those biomechanical soldiers..."

Gregory's last words were muttered to himself.

It was crucial for planning his next move.

After all, they'd already been discovered by the enemy. If the enemy's numbers were too great, a direct confrontation would be a losing battle. They might need to consider retreat.

"About a hundred or so," Bai E suddenly spoke up softly, "There might be some variance, but the difference won't be large."

"???" Gregory looked at Bai E with a puzzled face, "Are you sure?"

"I am sure," Bai E nodded expressionlessly, "We observed their cultivation and farming scale after your infiltration. Based on the consumption of normal humans, it could sustain about two hundred or so."

Gregory's eyes narrowed slightly, "And?"

"On our way here, we dissected some of the biomechanical soldiers' bodies and discovered they had two stomachs. Inside, we found a lot of undigested food..."

Even the bark and roots inedible for most humans they could digest to make up for the lack of staple foods.

Of course, the most important information came from the drop rates he saw on his panel.

Bound drop trait: The saying 'three mouths per pig' was truly useful. To fuel their bioengineered bodies, they consumed three times the food of an ordinary person.

Putting this all together, the scale of living biomechanical soldiers in this base was about 100.

...

...

["Lucky Strike" charge +10.]

All eyes turned to Bai E simultaneously, astonished, both former teammates and the infiltrating squad.

He hadn't discussed this with anyone, but now he had disclosed it decisively, clearly having been certain all along.

Gregory caught all their expressions in a glance, and his gut told him the truth.

Such meticulous thinking...

Strength... difficult to assess.

This soldier, who had joined through connections, shattered most of the accompanying team's perceptions completely along the way.

Was this the worth of the ace of the newest batch of man-made soldiers?

No wonder superiors, even those who helped him get in through the back door, insisted on placing this recruit with them...

"But even without the enemies we've already killed, there are probably still many left from a force of around 100," Gregory furrowed his brows, silently calculating combat strength, "If they continue to huddle and defend the entrance, it's going to be difficult for us to break through their line."

They had already witnessed the vitality of the biomechanical soldiers—how they could keep fighting for a while even after being stabbed in vital spots like the heart or even the head. If you factor in the cover from their comrades, killing their fighting force would seem improbable.

It's hard to fight our way in...

Could it be that we still have to consider retreat?