…
Back in the forest, Ling Xuan led the group of soldiers forward through the darkened terrain, her steps steady and her expression calm while the men behind her moved in a cautious formation with their weapons ready.
Their eyes constantly scanned the trees and shadows for any sign of movement. Whenever they came across a small group of monsters, they dealt with them immediately, gunshots echoing through the forest for brief moments before silence returned again. And after the monsters fell, the soldiers would move in quickly to harvest the cores from their chests before continuing onward.
They advanced deeper until they passed the area where the platform had been, and the moment Ling Xuan saw the broken structure ahead, her steps came to a stop so suddenly that the soldiers behind her halted as well.
