Chapter 922: Captured 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Lesley sighed. The mission felt doomed. She hadn’t expected the Floating Fortress to appear.

Still, if they couldn’t claim the mining site, they could destroy it.

She stared outside, watching the last of the zombie signatures fade from the eastern wall. The Skybreaker mech hovered for a moment longer, then began its slow ascent back toward the Fortress.

Kara broke the silence. “My stealth field has ten minutes left. After that, we’re exposed.”

Orlando glanced at her. “Then we wait for that moment… No point rushing while that thing’s still airborne.”

Lesley nodded. “Agreed. We hold this position until their guard drops. Once it does, we go ahead with the plan.”

Kara nodded… “Ten minutes is enough. Remind the squads of what they should do.”

Orlando checked his golem cores and nodded. “I’ll sync the Spirit Bombs to detonate on impact. The Fire Elementals will lead the charge. We’ll make it look like a full assault.”

Lesley clenched her fist as she looked at the Silver Mine Camp. “We need to time this perfectly. The moment the Fortress disappears, we hit them hard. Even if they could respond again, it will take time. Let’s just destroy the Spirit Stone Mine.”

Kara looked up. “And if they haven’t retreated?”

“Then we improvise,” Lesley said. “But based on their patterns, Shane’s team won’t linger. They’ll regroup at the base and leave the perimeter exposed for some time.”

Orlando grunted. “Let’s hope they’re predictable.”

Kara smirked. “They usually are.”

The minutes ticked by.

Outside, the battlefield quieted as the smoke thinned and the turrets cooled.

On the other hand, the Floating Fortress began to ascend, as it slowly faded into the clouds once more.

Lesley checked the timer.

“Stealth field dropping in thirty seconds.”

Orlando stood, activating his Cores… “Golems ready.”

He then sealed the lure casing and slipped it into the Stone Golem’s chest cavity. “Trigger set. Once it reaches the wall, it’ll activate automatically.”

Lesley stepped out of the tent as she activated her Dark Magician Set…

“Ten minutes are up,” she said. “Begin the operation.”

***

Kara stood up as he Field Stealth disappeared…

They could only rely on their Stealth Barriers provided by the Heavy Unit team. It wasn’t as effective as hers but it was better than none.

Orlando controlled his golems… “Deploying the Super Fire Elementals first. They’ll draw attention.”

Lesley tapped her comm. “Squads One through Nine, prep RPGs. Target the wall. Don’t aim for kills! Aim for chaos!”

“Begin!”

From the western hill, two massive figures surged forward.

Super Fire Elemental-Class Golems… Each over five meters tall!

Their limbs glowed red-hot, and every step left scorched ground!

FWOOM! FWOOM!

Flames erupted from their backs as they activated their Overdrive Mode, boosting their speed and igniting their outer body!

From behind, squads One through Nine opened fire.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

RPGs streaked across the battlefield, slamming into the outer wall’s barrier!

The impacts weren’t precise, but they didn’t need to be. Smoke, dust, and panic erupted across the perimeter. It also disrupted the targeting systems of the Mk.V!

The defenders scrambled as they swiftly raise their weapons…

And then, from the rubble, a Stone Golem formed…

But before it was even taken down by the turrets or Super Soldiers on top of the wall, it already exploded!

Boom!

Just like that, the strongest Zombie Lure was used!

“Here we go…” Lesley muttered.

Orlando grinned. “Let’s see how they handle a Lord-class… Well, I hope there’s a Lord-Class nearby.”

On the other hand, Kara and Lesley were already waiting near the edge of the barrier, waiting for a chance to infiltrate the Shelter and destroy the Spirit Stone Mine!

***

While the squads kept the defenders occupied with RPG fire and the rampaging Super Fire Elemental Golems, Lesley and Kara moved.

Thud!

The barrier crack they created was narrow… It was barely wide enough for a crouched figure, but it was real.

It was likely caused by earlier mortar impacts and by the Spirit Bomb detonations. Lesley then used her Aura Fist to open it a bit more before she felt satisfied…

Kara slipped through first, her cloak shimmering faintly as she activated her secondary stealth barrier. Lesley followed, her Dark Magician Set suppressed her energy signature to near-zero.

They scaled the unguarded section of the wall in silence, using grappling hooks and footholds carved into the stone.

As expected, the Shelter was still recovering… There were no alarms and no patrols in this part… The defenders were too busy reacting to the chaos outside.

Once inside, Kara activated her Spirit Sensor.

“Highest concentration is northeast,” she whispered. “Near that huge warehouse.”

Lesley nodded. “The original silver mine.”

They moved quickly, bypassing the various stations…

It was all thanks to Kara’s Super Stealth!

The deeper they went, the stronger the energy pulse became. They could already feel the Spirit Energy even from the outside…

Soon, they found it.

They entered the unguarded cave, and as they continued to move, they entered a cavern where the Spirit Vein pulsed beneath the rock. The Spirit Stones were exposed in places where miners had dug too deep. Around the cavern, crates of unrefined Spirit Stones were stacked along the corners, guarded by a few scattered sentries and exhausted miners…

Lesley raised her hand and Kara vanished.

The guards didn’t stand a chance.

One by one, they were silenced… No screams were heard whatsoever… Just quiet takedowns and suppressed strikes.

Lesley planted the first toxic crystal near the vein’s edge. Kara followed, embedding three more along the support beams and ventilation shafts.

“Nice… With these many, this site will be corrupted within 3 or 5 minutes,” Kara said. “The zone will become uninhabitable where mining will be impossible.”

Lesley nodded…

Soon, they moved deeper, planting the final batch near the central part where the Spirit Stones were processed.

The green toxic crystals glowed faintly… They were designed to release a slow-burning toxic mist that would seep into the vein itself in just five minutes.

So they have to leave soon.

Then–

Thwip…

Lesley’s eyes widened as she heard something… But without even sensing any enemy, a sharp sting hit the back of her neck.

“W-what?!”

Kara spun, reaching for her blade, but fell to the same trick!

Thwip…

Another dart hit Kara’s back! She was unable to fight back as she collapsed to the ground with her eyes wide open.