Yuan took his seat at the emergency meeting room of the Exploration Brigade. It was the middle of the night and a few of the captains who had unusual sleeping patterns were unable to attend. In the main seat was Senior Captain Shinwa and his underdog who was simply known as Pon Chanchu.
The last of the attendees filed into the room, circling around the main table. Murmurs arose but ceased at the activation of the volumetric display, which showed a panicked looking Bufanura, frozen at the moment.
SC Shinwa spoke gravely.
"This is an emergency meeting to gather the three major brigades.
In recent months, Dynasty explorers have been appearing more and more frequently. We have been gambling our resources, thankful that they have not yet detected our plans. So far, we have relied on our core concealment program to maintain a low profile, and I would like to extend my deepest thanks to all of you.
I would like to thank you, each and every one of our brothers and sisters who have quietly dedicated themselves to the Kingdom, and it is your efforts that still keep us grounded.
However - I also have to say that the days ahead will be increasingly difficult. Everything that was once painstakingly accumulated is being eroded little by little by time and fate. This pains me. But we will never give in.
Tonight's emergency meeting was called because - our comrades in the SGB (Shinwa Gum Base) have just been found brutally slaughtered."
A fierce roar broke out in the room, expectedly, among the other officials. Panic rose exponentially. Yuan took a look around him, his friend Shui Ren, who had arrived late, bowed his head in disbelief. Yuan moved closer to his close friend, drowning out the arguing behind them.
"What next Shui? Who expected the Dynasty to gain such a ground? How have they even gotten that far?"
It was then that an even graver realization had hit the room. Senior Captain Shinwan had been waiting for this moment.
If the Dynasty had managed to make it to the SGB, that meant that they had an endless amount of long-distance transportation amulets at their expense. Logically then, an invasion could happen any moment if the Stronghold Kingdom's whereabouts could be determined.
That was where the real horror set in.