Chapter 281: A Sudden Twist at the Portal

“The instance is about to end!?”

“Why now!?”

In an instant, a sudden anomaly captured everyone’s attention.

Along the frontline, hundreds of Awakeners fixed their gaze on the portal, each face etched with shock and suspicion.

Under the assumption that Yenir and the others had perished, the portal was not expected to fluctuate for another month.

After all, everyone could see the Japanese and Korean Battle Zone would be busily scavenging for resources, only emerging at the last moment.

“Did they come out early from Japan and Korea? Our side’s fighters are dead, so the instance just ends automatically?”

“Or… did someone manage to survive and escape!”

Though hope was slim, many Awakeners still stared nervously at the swirling vortex, clenching their fists tightly.

“Even one survivor would be awesome!”

“They must come out alive!”

Fear. Tension.

The unstable portal seemed different from before, and with the system’s settlement prompt delayed, no one knew what awaited inside.

Under extreme anxiety, some Awakeners squinted, almost unwilling to look; they feared the empty scene that would follow once the portal closed.

Snapping back to reality, Chen Ming, who had been air-dropped in, turned in astonishment and furrowed his brows, a hint of suspicion rising in his heart.

He wasn’t a fool. Although he doubted anyone could emerge, the current situation was clearly off.

Almost subconsciously, though not expecting much, he spoke in a low, steady tone:

“Don’t hold your hopes up high.”

“Big hopes lead to big disappointments. I bet the operation in Japan and Korea went too smoothly – they loaded up with ore and just walked out.”

“Maybe they came out early so they could send their forces to the border.”

“Seventy Third-Stage fighters against ten? There’s no chance.”

Hearing Chen Ming’s words, the spark of hope in many hearts was suddenly dashed.

Yes…

What were they even daydreaming about…

But just a few seconds later, a dazzling flash erupted from the quivering vortex, and a staggering figure staggered out.

In that instant, every Awakener’s eyes grew wide, and many hearts skipped a beat.

Could that be!?

Amid the strobing brilliance, the figure unmistakably resembled Ming Luo.

“That’s Ming Luo!?”

“He actually came out!?”

Stunned and amazed.

Freshly out of the instance, Ming Luo seemed in shock, clutching his head while incredulous shouts filled his ears.

What the heck!?

Why is everyone getting so worked up!?

Though he knew his exit would shock everyone, seeing the sheer astonishment on their faces, he couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly.

They’re already freaked out?

Soon, when the others emerge – not to mention the ore that nearly crushed them – won’t these people lose their minds?

“Ming Luo!? Are you the only one who came out!?”

Regaining their senses, amidst exuberant joy, several high-ranking Third-Stage fighters from among the hundred Awakeners dashed over to Ming Luo, bombarding him with questions.

They gripped his shoulders tightly, their eyes wide as if in a dream.

The tension was palpable.

Ming Luo had emerged – but did that mean more survivors were on the way!?

Especially since Yenir wasn’t supposed to be alive, or was it that only Ming Luo managed to escape?

“Huh?”

Shrinking back, visibly unsettled by everyone’s excitement, Ming Luo instinctively began,

“There are still…”

Before he could finish his sentence, a series of beeps echoed and one after another, figures began pouring out of the portal.

It wasn’t until the last figure emerged that every Awakener’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Holy crap!? That is…

Yenir! That final Youth – isn’t it Yenir!?

“One… two… seven… nine!!”

They stuttered in disbelief.

Amid the Military commanders who had surrounded Yenir and his team, it was as if they were in a dream, trembling as they counted the survivors.

Realizing that a total of nine had survived, everyone was left in stunned excitement, their faces nearly bursting with joy.

“Nine survivors!? You all actually made it – nine of you!?”

“Oh my God, am I dreaming!?”

Their adrenaline-soaked nerves jumbling their spirit energy, they could hardly believe the reality before them.

In their wild imaginations, even having one survivor was a luxury. Now, with nine survivors, how could they not be ecstatic?

But as a system prompt echoed, their pounding hearts confirmed it was all true!

“Ding. Instance complete.”

“Current survivors: 9.”

..

Roaring cheers filled the entire frontline like a tidal wave.

Once confirmed by the system, the previously oppressive atmosphere vanished completely.

The cheers pierced the sky.

Meanwhile, Chen Ming, who had earlier lost his composure, now stood frozen, dumbfounded, staring at the intact squad as if witnessing a miracle.

What the heck!?

Only one died? Everyone else made it out unscathed!?

And judging by their condition, it’s as if nothing happened – not even a scratch. They all looked as spirited as if returning from a holiday!

Weren’t they supposed to be overwhelmed by seven battle zones? Wasn’t a large number of elite forces involved this time!?

Mouth agape, Chen Ming couldn’t fathom what had just unfolded.

Unlike Chen Ming, the few high-ranking figures from the Special Operations Group were already solemnly gathering around Yenir and his team.

“It’s enough that you escaped!”

“As long as you’re alive, it’s a win!”

“Thank the heavens! I was so scared you’d all perish in there!”

“Is anyone injured? Do you need medical attention!?”

“Medical team! Get over here – don’t just stand there! Quickly check on our heroes!”

Their hands trembled slightly.

One high-ranking member of the Operations Group, who had already braced for the worst, grabbed Yenir’s arms tightly and examined him up and down.

Everything was just fantastic.

Days of constant worry and fear vanished in an instant.

Though he noticed that Yenir and the others appeared unharmed, the thought of Yenir having narrowly escaped a deathtrap made it clear how perilous it had been.

One missing person might have been killed by the enemy!

Before he could ask further, Yenir suddenly coughed lightly with a strange expression on his face:

“The medical team doesn’t need to come over.”

“Get ready, everyone – come help secure the ore.”

Huh?

At his words, the others paused, not quite understanding Yenir’s meaning.

But moments later, as they watched Yenir seemingly dragging something within the vortex behind him, a few high-ranking members exchanged bewildered glances, a thought striking them hard.

“Wait a minute…”

If the task isn’t completed, there’s no way to exit.

Even though Yenir managed to escape with some utility items, the rest of the team definitely couldn’t.

That would mean…

Not only did Yenir and his team survive the enemy’s ambush, they also successfully completed the task!?

Yet, recalling Yenir’s earlier instruction to get ready, the group couldn’t help but feel puzzled. Before entering the instance, each member was equipped with a storage device loaded with ore – with a capacity sufficient for hundreds or even thousands of tons!

Even if a single task yielded a massive haul, ten such runs wouldn’t fill it up.

“Yenir, did you lose your special ore-storage device?”

“Alright, we’ll help you out. How much did you manage to bring back? Is it at least ten tons!?”

Excitement mounting, even the high-ranking Third-Stage fighters carrying their battle swords didn’t mind Yenir’s seemingly overblown worries – they assumed he had lost his storage device, and that all the retrieved ore was still in the Settlement Space. They spoke up, probably to share the joy and boost morale.

A wave of emotion washed over them.

Watching Yenir struggle to haul everything back, several of them felt a pang of sorrow.

It was hard to fathom just how many hardships Yenir and his team had endured to not only escape but also complete the mission… and even bring back resources.

Reaching this level of achievement, the difficulty was beyond imagination.

Just as they were about to step forward, Ming Luo, with an unusual expression, tugged at one of the Military commanders:

“That Commander Wang…”

“Call everyone over. This time, the numbers might really be a bit too high…”

“You guys… it seems a bit insufficient…”

Huh?

Commander Wang looked at Ming Luo in astonishment as he tried to interject. What a joke – he was a Third-Stage fighter. Carrying tens of tons on his own was a piece of cake.

Even if there were more, would it really be enough to crush him?

The next second, a torrent of blue energy exploded from the unstable portal.

“Boom!!”

Like a dam bursting, an avalanche of spirit energy ore cascaded down, burying everyone in its path.

“Holy crap!!?”