With a creased map in hand, Percival trekked alongside Soren to a nearby abandoned mine.

At the mine's entrance, they stumbled upon a covert mark of White Tiger etched into the rock face, its meaning unclear yet undeniably significant. And there, scattered nearby, lay a cache of critical documents belonging to CK.

"Base, this is Soren. We've found the mark," Soren hollered into his headset.

A different voice crackled back, not Micah's as expected, but that of the HQ commander. "Copy that. Proceed underground."

Exchanging a glance, Percival and Soren strapped on their oxygen masks and descended into the bowels of the earth.

Markers bearing White Tiger's emblem appeared sporadically along the mine's tunnels-faded, but a trail they could follow nonetheless.

As they ventured deeper, the air grew thin, and a faint, metallic scent of blood wafted from the depths.

Suddenly, a clod of earth tumbled from directly above Percival.

"Run!" Percival barked, his eyes dark with urgency.

With lightning reflexes, Soren signaled to the team behind them, and the third squad retreated in a disciplined dash toward the exit.

Then, a thunderous collapse echoed from behind Soren.

"Captain!" He yelled.

"Get out of here. That's an order!" Percival's voice crackled through the headset as Soren could only glimpse his silhouette through the narrowing gaps in the debris.

"Captain, I'll get you out!" Soren halted along with a few others.

Percival's voice was icy. "Get lost. After you're out, find Vivienne!"

Leopold and Thomas, sensing the gravity of the situation, called out, "Captain, report your status!"

"Mine... Collapse... Get out..."

voice faded

their teams back toward Percival's last known location. However, before they could get close, a helicopter buzzed overhead, raining down bullets like a hailstorm. Leopold and Thomas fought back while retreating to HQ. But unfamiliar with the terrain, the front squad often stumbled into collapsing tunnels, with some members falling into

boosted their firepower and rescued

at HQ, Micah shouted into the mic, "Wolf, unidentified forces are attacking

his useless headset, shouting to Soren, "Comms are jammed. There's a signal blocker somewhere. Go support

Soren knew

chance was to escape and return with reinforcements for

vowed, "Captain, wait for my

though not without injuries-broken limbs and, for

crackled back to life with Micah's voice

his teeth, Soren radioed, "HQ, Wolf's comms are down. Send me the coordinates of the hostile

to down the

and relayed

squads swiftly ended the fight, downing two helicopters,

with casualties among

bandaged, relayed Percival's location

rifles from the other members and strapped them on, his voice a mix of anger and resolve. "First squad, anyone who can still move, on me." Thomas echoed the

follow, dizziness from blood loss nearly

"Go back to report and heal. Or the captain will have

with a cane, stormed over, nearly collapsing. "Everyone, back

captain is still in there!" Leopold roared,

but his dear friend who grew up with him. There was no way

men. They're heavily wounded, and their lives matter, too.

aside and took Soren from Thomas. "Get him treated, then

news. "Deputy director, it's the

grabbed the handset.

before proceeding. Do you not understand 'stand

to enter the mine. When were we told to

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