Having received precise instructions and concealed pathways directly from Ariana, my journey toward the Pale Dock has been remarkably seamless and efficient.
Prior to arriving here, I had certain tasks to attend to, and all necessary preparations have been completed.
Despite making a prior stop to prepare myself, the journey to this location was surprisingly swift and trouble-free. Even though I went through a place first to prepare myself, coming here wasn't time-consuming at all, and the travel here didn't cause any trouble.
"Ah…"
Ariana and Oliver's squad were both present, with the notable absence of the leaders themselves.
"Newbie, here," Freda called as she signaled her hands to move over.
I approached them with a meek run, joining their gathering while attempting to catch snippets of their conversation. Observing their gestures and subtle movements, it became apparent that they were as nervous as they could possibly be.
Even Ariana's squad is no different.
'Hoh, am I the only one calm here? I completely trust everyone to do their jobs here and some of them might have known for years, so what's with the long face?'
Suddenly, Freda clasped my hand, locking eyes with me in a manner filled with concern and seriousness as she issued a warning.
"Don't you underestimate this, Gin."
Observing the emotions Freda was conveying and the intensity of her message, I nodded in agreement, unable to resist acknowledging the gravity of the situation.
'I see now.'
It's not that they lack trust in their abilities or the capabilities of their comrades.
Horrors here are on a different level, and it seemed as if Ariana was subtly conveying a reminder to me.
'Experience…'
Is this what Ariana is trying to show me here?
"Attention!"
In hushed tones, both Ariana and Oliver arrived simultaneously, their voices carrying a suppressed urgency.
"This mission is very dangerous and risky, but we have enough of doing nothing while those on the second base are struggling to survive!"
With the same tone once more, Oliver continued.
"I'm requesting your trust as the Commander of this place. That's all I need," Oliver asserted, pausing with a cold expression. "However, if things go awry during this risky mission, pay no heed to everyone here, your team, or your squad leaders. Prioritize your safety."
…
The deathly silent water instilled an implicit fear among the people on this mission, enough to evoke nervousness even among seasoned veterans.
At the very least, they aren't being complacent. They approach this mission with the same gravity as any other, fully aware that a single mistake could bring an end to their lives.
Pale River
The river wasn't named for its translucent or see-through waters; in fact, it was quite the opposite. Nothing could be seen underneath, especially at night. Even your reflection was absent when gazing into its depths.
It earned its name because it lacked vitality, mirroring the lifelessness prevalent in every river within this swamp. Devoid of color and living creatures, there's no concrete explanation for this phenomenon, but it's as if it lost all its life once the Horror arrived.
Now, it's just like this.
Despite this route being a seemingly safe passage from the first to the second base, and having traversed it multiple times before, no one was letting their guard down. The looming possibility of a Horror suddenly appearing beside them kept everyone on edge.
'I wonder why, though.'
"Everybody, we're here."
A mere hundred meters away from our boats lay the sight of the second base's land. However, the docking point for our boats was nowhere to be seen. From miles away, it was evident that it had been destroyed.
Chunks and pieces were scattered around the river as we entered. The air was thick with the scent of blood, adding to the eerie atmosphere. Strangely, there were no corpses to be seen—neither Horrors nor humans.
As our boats landed on the shore of the second base, we sat in silence, waiting for something to happen. The only sound was the gentle lapping of waves, despite the absence of any turbulence.
"Newbie, tie our boats. We'll secure the perimeter." Ariana ordered calmly as the rest of her squad got off, all except me.
I reached for the rope in my inventory and proceeded to secure the boat near the wreckage. Despite the distance, the rope proved to be long enough. Assessing the sturdiness of the makeshift metal pole, firmly planted into the ground as taught in the academy, I found tying the boat to be a straightforward task.
To ensure extra security, I added another knot to make certain it wouldn't come loose easily. After completing the task, I regrouped with everyone. The other newcomer, from Oliver's squad much like myself, appeared to be performing the same job.
"Be careful, something is not right here." Oliver firmly advised everyone, "First, we will check the base. Salvage anything possible. Avoid any confrontation if you see any Horrors in sight. Our priority is to rescue the ones alive. Second, please be safe."
He paused, "To make things swifter, we will not move on each squad, instead, we will move separately."
"You're suggesting that we split apart?" Ariana asked.
"Yes. Even though it slightly drifted away from our original plans, I don't like to stay here longer too. The better we know the situation, the smaller casualties we will be making." Oliver answered, "We'll do a duo recon formation. Hey, newcomer, come here."
Oliver grabbed the cadet from earlier and announced, "Grab the people you are most comfortable with. Once we're done with our tasks, gather everyone here and we'll leave."
Oliver's squad began organizing themselves, as did Ariana's. Mandy and Ned paired up, while the inseparable twins, Alex and Alice, stuck together. This left Freda and Adrian to form their group since Ariana was coordinating in a manner similar to Oliver.
Well, in that aspect, I have no disregard.
"Ready your smoke and flare guns."
Once Oliver gave his one last order, each squad dispersed to their designated location.
We went to the left side of the second area while Oliver went to the right.
Given that the second area resembled a large, encircled chunk of land, similar to the other areas, we planned to utilize the corners strategically.
By advancing on opposite sides towards the middle point where the base was located, we aimed to avoid getting sandwiched in the center. Simultaneously, this approach allowed us to disseminate information effectively across both sides.
Four years ago, under Oliver's leadership skills, the second base of the Dreaded Swamps was successfully cleared. His adept leadership enabled them to subdue the area, and reconstruction efforts are well underway. Infrastructure such as power supply, temporary fields, and provisional buildings are starting to take shape.
It was the improved version of the first base.
However, everything took a grim turn three years ago when attempting to clear the third area. Oliver suffered a significant loss, losing the previous vice-commander, who also served as the vice-captain of his squad at that time. The expedition resulted in a devastating ninety percent casualty rate.
The looming threat from the Horrors in the third base sent shockwaves through the second base, leading to the cessation of numerous operations.
People are forced to go back to the first base.
The individuals who arrived were courageous personnel tasked with inspecting the power supply, as it constituted the sole electrical source available to the army in this location.
'Oliver isn't exaggerating. The plan is simple. Rescue, retrieve any information, and leave.'
We continued running, clearing position and informing each other about what he felt, heard, and saw.
On our squad, we pressed on, navigating positions, and keeping each other updated on our observations—sharing what we felt, heard, and saw.
Then we continued running still.
"Wait!"
It wasn't until Ariana screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice visibly marked by fear and trembling.
Almost immediately, everyone froze in their tracks following Ariana's shout. Her tone was intense and laden with suppressed emotion.
Initially, a hush fell over us. Then, just as Mandy was about to speak, Ariana intervened, her voice still quivering with unease.
"Can't you feel it?"
Rumble—!
"Tell me, everyone! Can you feel it!?"
"M-ma'am, we can't feel anything at all—"
Was it the lack of horrors, or the absence of corpses? If it's either of those two, we're already aware, but for her to be this agitated...
Phoo—!
The smoke signals were designed to convey instructions regarding the movements of the other side. These signals left a luminous trail as they ascended. Green indicated a blockage, yellow signified entrapment or inability to move, and red indicated the presence of a Horror.
Phoooo—!
However, the signal ascending into the sky on our right wasn't a smoke signal but a flare gun.
It only signaled one thing.
It's either a fusion of the three signals or... something unprecedented is unfolding at this moment.
Splash—!
In our peripheral vision, hundreds of silhouettes emerged from the shores of the swamp. Possessing sickening features and emitting frightening auras, unimaginable creatures—one couldn't fathom—were fixated on us.
Splash—!
Fear surged within my chest, but I clenched my fist, seized a flare gun from my side, and fired it skyward.
Phooo—!
'A bunch of them…'
With this multitude of horrors, they could easily wreak havoc across a vast region on their own. I'm not exaggerating.
Gulp—!
Immobile, speechless, and unable to grasp the unfolding events, we remained rooted in place as if our feet were glued to the sand dunes.
"When do we move?! Why aren't we moving?!"
Everyone had to calm their wits, but it felt like the situation was on the verge of exploding if someone made an unnecessary move.
'Ma'am Ariana!'
Our eyes yearn for her guidance, even though the burden of leadership seems overwhelming, given the immense pressure emanating from the expectations placed upon her.
Then she uttered words, speaking in a hushed tone that only reached my ears.
"These Horrors… something is wrong with them…"
Being by her side, I alone could discern the murmurings she shared.
"T-they are not… alive?"
Not alive?
What the hell was supposed to mean!?
'Ariana is not on her mind right now! I thought she was!'
It seems our fears didn't align with each other.
Tsk!
"R-"
I conveyed just a single word to them.
"Run!"
We sprinted towards the center of the swamp, clutching Ariana in my hand, who remained bewildered by the abrupt twists of the unfolding events.