| 009 | Northern Plateau

"Set up a defense perimeter!" 2nd Lieutenant Campbell ordered after hopping out of the Black Hawk. He looked at their surroundings with a scrutinizing gaze. Meanwhile, the marines swiftly scattered into their respective positions.

Following the Marines were the expeditionary research teams. They stepped out of the transport helicopters with grace and observed the rough terrain of the northern plateau.

They held their briefcases tightly in their fingers and slowly placed them on the ground. Afterward, they slowly took out vital and sensitive equipment for the resource deposit inspections.

Some marines took out various crates and rapidly constructed a temporary tent for command and control along with communication. 

They also dispersed barbed wire fences in the defensive perimeter for extra defense.

The Black Hawks turned their rotors off and the pilots calmly waited for the entirety of the operation to end. It was still morning, and the day had just begun for the task force personnel.

"Sir, the COC Tent has been built!" A marine reported with a salute. Campbell nodded at the guy and walked towards the spoken tent.

Inside it were various old communication hardware that could be easily abandoned during an emergency evacuation.

A communication officer was operating the hardware and immediately turned it on. Buzzes resounded throughout the tent as Campbell coolly waited to hear the high command.

After a couple of seconds, a voice escaped the communication hardware.

*2nd Lieutenant Campbell, congratulations on your successful landing and construction of the temporary COC tent. As said before, the limit of this operation is five hours.*

*After that, results must be given and the task force must return to the port. Be careful of any dangers that might tread in your area. Our personnel haven't finished sketching a topographic map of the island.*

*Apaches are ready to support when called upon. Bravo Task Force has also successfully landed in the eastern grassland. Good luck in your operation, 2nd Lieutenant.*

It was the Fleet Admiral's voice, and he reminded the 2nd Lieutenant of the mission along with the warnings he had given the platoon leader.

"Affirmative, Fleet Admiral Shepherd. The area is currently secured and fences have been set up. The apex of the northern plateau seemed to be empty of anything, but the marines will maintain our vigilance."

2nd Lieutenant Campbell reported while his bluish irises pointed at the beautiful scenery of the vast evergreen forest of the island. Beauty always hides its venom.

One must not be blinded by it.

"Sir Campbell, the resource deposit inspection has begun." A research personnel stood before the tent and relayed the true beginning of the operation.

Campbell turned to look at the research personnel and nodded in understanding. But he also asked an important question to the researcher.

"How long will the inspection take?" The operation had five hours as its limit. They needed to complete it within this duration for the mission to be concluded a success.

The research personnel thought about it for some time and soon answered the 2nd Lieutenant with confidence.

"It should take 3 hours at most for a complete inspection. Of course, this is under the assumption of no complexities during the period of the inspection."

"If complexities do appear, an hour might be added to the time scale."

While the research personnel was confident, he mustn't ignore the truth. They trusted their capabilities as researchers, but the world was as complex as it was simple.

"I see… Thank you for your service. The Marines and I will be defending this position until the inspection is completed." The 2nd Lieutenant said with a smile.

The research personnel merely nodded and took off to do his own job. Campbell was left alone in the tent, thinking about what should be done if certain circumstances emerged.

After some time of thinking, he shook his head as he realized that there was no need to waste his time on imaginary situations. The orders given to him were clear.

Protect the inspecting research personnel and take them out of the location safely.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Taking this into account, Campbell walked out of the tent and started helping the Marines in their duties of defending and surveying the area.

On the other hand, the expeditionary research personnel started digging through the hard surface of the northern plateau with a drilling tool. It was necessary, but it also made loud resounding noises.

"The rocks of this plateau are a lot harder than usual."

"Well, we can investigate its composition after returning to the Port of Dawn."

"I guess so, I'll take a sample."

One of the research personnel took out a plastic bag and placed a rock dispersed by the drilling of their equipment inside of it. 

After zipping the plastic bag, he allocated it into one of their empty briefcases.

Two hours passed…

The drilling continued for some time as the research personnel inspected the results of their inspection every half an hour. The results of the drilling were surprising, to say the least.

"It's totally different from an hour ago." One research personnel remarked. They might have discovered a new mineral from the results they were receiving.

"That's right, but this place is a gold mine, metaphorically and literally." The reason was that there were tons of veins underground. It was the best they had seen In their careers.

"There's a reason why the Fleet Admiral considers this as another world." The leader of the expeditionary research team grinned at the results of their inspection.

"However, what about that strange-looking mineral?" One of the research personnel questioned. As said before, the results of their current drilling were different from an hour ago.

It was mostly because of the strange-looking mineral they had discovered in their inspection. It was totally different from the known elements in their knowledge as it exuded excellent properties rarely gained by a single material.

"I have reported to 2nd Lieutenant Campbell about it." The leader responded to the question while also securing the strange-looking mineral they had discovered.

"Nonetheless, a mineral with greater tensile strength than tungsten, while also being harder than chromium, and lighter than titanium. This is a great discovery that could revolutionize us."

The expeditionary leader felt enamored by its improbable yet real existence. Such was the result of the new world, and it made the curious researchers wonder about its mysteries.

How much knowledge could they gain from this new world? What were its secrets? If magic does exist, will they be able to do it? And if they could, how could they do it?

There were tons of questions within their minds, but they could only patiently wait for such wondrous questions to be answered. After all, it was merely the beginning.

The story of the United Navy had just begun.

Meanwhile, in the COC tent was the 2nd Lieutenant of the Marines. He had finished reporting the recent discoveries of the expeditionary research team during their drilling and mineral inspection.

*That mineral your task force has discovered sounds interesting, 2nd Lieutenant Campbell. I want you to bring samples of it back into the Port of Dawn for research.*

*At any rate, it looks like you have accomplished your mission in their northern plateau. Since the operation has been completed, your return is expecte-*

Out of nowhere, the transmission from the other side got cut off. 2nd Lieutenant Campbell froze for a moment and became dumbfounded. 

It only took a second for him to return back. Campbell turned his gaze towards the communication operator and questioned.

"What just happened?"

"Communication was interrupted from the other side, Sir. It seems that something must have happened for the Fleet Admiral to promptly break the transmission." The communication operator explained.

A couple of minutes later, the voice of the Fleet Admiral escaped the grasp of the hardware.

*2nd Lieutenant Campbell, are you there?*

"This is 2nd Lieutenant Campbell, Fleet Admiral. Did something happen?" Campbell questioned whether a problem might have emerged in the command center.

*An assault just occurred on the Bravo Task Force, 2nd Lieutenant. The situation in the eastern grassland is compromised. According to their reports, a herd of gigantic scaled-skin boars charged at them out of nowhere.*

*It wouldn't be problematic if they were normal wild pigs, but sadly, they were far from normal.*

*The assailants are the same size as a pick-up truck, making them problematic. It's also been proven that they love sponging bullets. Only grenade launchers, 50-caliber guns, and anti-tank launchers could take them down with ease.*

*Fortunately though, the Bravo Task Force managed to retreat with reliable data. No deaths occurred, but some were slightly injured in the encounter.*

*After deliberation, we have concluded that Apaches will be sent to support your Exfil. Have the Black Hawks get their rotors running and immediately leave the area.*

*Apache's estimated time should be five minutes.*

*Take care, 2nd Lieutenant Campbell, Out.*

The news given by the Fleet Admiral made Campbell astounded. But he quickly regained his bearing and furrowed his eyebrows.

Local wildlife on this island were stranger than they had previously thought. To think there would be giant wild boars with scaled skins. 

"Relay the orders of the Fleet Admiral. I want us to Exfil in three minutes!" Campbell ordered the communication operator to relay the orders.

Their situation was bad, especially with the confirmed existence of alien wildlife.

"Understood, Sir." The communication operator nodded and scattered the orders throughout the Alpha Task Force.

With the news of the rapid Exfil, the marines swiftly fortified the defensive positions even more while the expeditionary research personnel worked on the clock to take back their sensitive and expensive equipment to their briefcases.

They didn't know why they were being withdrawn so quickly, but something bad must have happened in the operation.

Both the research and military personnel were in no rank or status to question the orders of the 2nd Lieutenant. Especially when such orders came from the Fleet Admiral.

However, things could only become even more complicated.

After all, in the outskirts of the northern plateau, a predator stalked the Alpha Task Force with its predatory gaze. It hid amongst the dead bushes of the plateau's base. However…

There was no way it could escape from the scrutinizing gaze of the Marines. 

*Bang!*

And so, it began.

The play of the hunt and the hunted.