Chapter 226: Capital Operation: A High-Stakes Arrival

Capital Military District Air Force Base.

The roar of jets filled the air as a pristine white Yun-30 taxied onto the runway; its massive frame resembled a portly swan.

Inside the open belly of the aircraft, nine Third-Stage Awakened kept glancing toward the runway.

“Is that guy not here yet? Didn’t they say he’d be joining our operation?”

“It’s already 9 o’clock. We’ve still got four hours to reach the Instance zone. There’s hardly any time left!”

A young man with a longbow leaned close to the Captain’s ear, his voice edged with worry as he shouted.

The noise at the airport was deafening; they had to raise their voices just to be heard.

“Let’s wait a bit. He should be on his way!”

“And when he does show up, mind your tone—don’t call him ‘Committee Member’ or ‘Night Commander’!”

“His rank is way higher than ours now!”

The Squad Captain gave a resigned glance at his troops. He knew none of his men meant any harm, but some things had to be observed. Yenir’s status was sky-high now—especially since word had it he was incredibly arrogant. It was best not to provoke him.

After being scolded by the Captain, the young Third-Stage Awakened with the longbow muttered under his breath, his eyes flashing with discontent:

“Captain, I’m just anxious…”

“Look, our Night Commander isn’t even training or syncing with us. If he’d arrived earlier, we could have exchanged more ideas.”

“We’re entering an Intercontinental Instance here—he shouldn’t be clueless about the details!”

Their worry was genuine.

While they never doubted Yenir’s strength, even the mightiest Awakeners can falter inside an instance. More often than not, a single misstep can lead to complete disaster.

Under normal circumstances, their squad would have trained and fought together for at least six months to build cohesion.

Not to mention mastering all the relevant tactics and gathering intelligence on Awakeners from various battle zones.

An airdrop like Yenir’s was as rare as a scorpion’s droppings in the entire history of their operations.

“Coordination, what coordination…”

“Our orders came clearly from above—in this mission, our only task is to ensure his safety!”

“Task number two: he is the priority!”

“Even if the mission fails, we must bring him out alive! To put it bluntly, everything revolves around him!”

Captain Ming Luo sighed in exasperation. After continuous briefings from higher-ups, he was just as astonished.

“They changed it again!?”

“But Captain, aren’t we entering the Intercontinental Instance to secure resources!?”

“I understand we need to protect him, but if the mission fails, what’s the point of all this? Doesn’t the higher-ups realize how critical this is?”

Faced with the astonished looks from his squad, Ming Luo was momentarily at a loss for words.

Indeed, the orders had shifted once more.

From the perspective of those top brass, even a failed instance would serve as an experiment. As long as Yenir maintained his overwhelming strength, there would be plenty of resources to vie for later. Thus, under no circumstances could he be harmed.

“But…!”

Before he could finish, a sudden commotion erupted at the far end of the runway. At the Air Force Base, heavily armed troops swiftly formed their battle lines.

A reinforced black vehicle rolled in steadily, and several Third-Stage flight escorts could be seen in low-altitude flight along the way.

Moreover, even some high-ranking officials at the base appeared as if by magic, their faces beaming as they eagerly awaited the arrival.

“He’s here!”

“Holy crap… are we really giving this much importance?”

Inside the cabin, nine members of the Special Operations Group exchanged astonished glances as they watched Yenir step down from the vehicle. Their expressions turned grim when their eyes briefly fell on the Middle-Aged Man accompanying him.

Having long clashed with Awakeners, they instantly detected the dangerous aura hidden in the Middle-Aged Man.

It wasn’t about his rank—it was that he’d taken countless lives!

“Don’t worry, that’s his Guardian. If things go smoothly, he’s at least a high-level Third-Stage!”

Captain Ming Luo explained in a low voice, his eyes filled with awe.

Meanwhile, Yenir, who had just disembarked near the transport aircraft, noticed the stares from inside the cabin. After a slight nod, he leaned over to whisper to Liang Lie.

It seemed these Third-Stage fighters were going to be his teammates for the instance.

“Committee Member Yenir, wishing you a smooth journey and a successful mission!”

“Lord Yenir, it’s an honor to serve alongside you in this operation. I’m Captain Hu Yun.”

After exchanging a few words with Uncle Liang, Yenir smiled warmly and shook hands with a few others without further ado.

“Much appreciated.”

“I have a mission to attend to; please excuse me, everyone.”

Without wasting a moment, Yenir quickly took his seat in the cabin, his eyes swiftly scanning his squad members.

All aboard were donned in specialized Combat Uniforms. Although plain white props, they effectively concealed the equipment’s appearance while offering a modicum of camouflage.

At first glance, their style was consistent with the legendary uniform Yenir wore.

Unlike the effusive officials from above, these men were clearly reserved and inarticulate.

A palpable aura of grim determination permeated the space.

After the cabin door closed and the plane started taxiing, the lingering silence was finally broken by Ming Luo. After a brief hesitation, he extended his hand:

“Commander Yenir, I am Captain Ming Luo, leading this team.”

“Would you like me to introduce your team members?”

He felt oddly uncomfortable.

Facing a man like Yenir, whose background he could only guess at, Ming Luo found himself utterly perplexed. With Yenir’s status so evident, he dared not treat him like one of his mere subordinates.

“No need for formalities, Captain Ming Luo. Just call me Yenir.”

“So, there are ten of us, right? Thanks for the introduction.”

Yenir smiled, his demeanor devoid of airs. In fact, when it came to dealing with high-ranking officials, he preferred working alongside the frontline fighters. He sensed that while the entire squad was somewhat wary of him, it wasn’t out of malice—it was just unfamiliarity.

Seeing that Yenir was easier to engage with than expected, Ming Luo blinked in surprise and then visibly relaxed.

Once his expression settled, he quickly began to brief the group:

“Alright, Yenir, here’s the situation. Our operation will be conducted at a port east of Jinan.”

“There’s an instance portal in that area—we’ll be entering through it!”

“Our team consists of ten members. I, along with Zheng Cheng, are Third-Stage Mid-level, while the rest are all at the beginner level.”

“Among the beginners, three are ranged specialists and four are melee fighters. I’m responsible for assault; I wield a Dual-Type: Strength and Agility role, while the distinguished Zheng Cheng handles reconnaissance with his rare Dual-Type: Agility and Intelligence.”

“Our mission is to complete the task and secure Spirit Energy Ore as much as possible. If we manage to eliminate other battle zone Awakeners along the way, that’d be ideal—but the mission remains our priority.”

“Of course, your safety is our top concern as well.”

As Ming Luo continued, Yenir’s eyes narrowed, immediately spotting a glaring issue.

Though the squad’s composition seemed balanced at first glance, it had one fatal flaw.

They lacked a proper tank. Both Third-Stage Mid-level fighters were elite tactical operatives roped in from military units—not specialists in controlled front-line engagements.

Whether facing mutants or rogue Awakeners, a solid frontline tank to absorb damage and manage crowd control was essential. But this squad simply didn’t have one!

And what about Zheng Cheng?

Yenir slightly turned his head to regard the taciturn Middle-Aged Man.

Gloved and with a gaunt face,

he wondered if his dual-type was one of Speed and Willpower. It was indeed rare, though Yenir sensed his Willpower wasn’t as high as his own…

“What about the intel on other battle zone Awakeners? Which zones are they from?”

Without dwelling on it further, Yenir’s expression remained calm as he asked directly.

A defect in the team’s setup wasn’t a big deal—his abilities could compensate for everything! As long as no high-level Third-Stages appeared, he could steamroll through the instance single-handedly!

Startled, Ming Luo stared at the outstretched hand from Yenir, clearly not expecting him to request such data right away.

Wasn’t the instance information supposed to come first? Or had this guy already reviewed everything?

In his puzzled state, Ming Luo didn’t waste any time as he handed over a thick bundle of files to Yenir.

“This time, we might face several different battle zones…”

“Korea, Japan, North Korea, Southeast Asia… a total of six different factions will be joining.”

“It’s safe to say this is one of the most intense operations in recent years…”

Ming Luo managed a wry smile as he passed the files containing data on seventy to eighty people—explaining why they had all been so apprehensive.