Command communications channel.
"What?"
Half-Human Mech Deep Sea thought he had misheard.
"There may be a new nest built by Blade Beasts beneath Fortress No. 76? That's impossible! Unless the Blade Beasts have developed a new burrowing variant that can move through strata more than two thousand meters underground while resisting immense crustal pressure! Could such an underground passage even exist? And if this new variant exists, why didn't it come support the Young King Insect? It would only need to burrow deep underground and destroy the route—we wouldn't be able to pursue it!"
Dongfang Zhenghong spoke quickly. "I don't want to believe that conclusion either, but the ones who raised this possibility were Wang Zheng and Wu Man."
Outside the Command Vehicle.
More than a dozen medium and large multirotor aircraft had already taken off, towing the mechs and armored vehicles of the emergency mobile forces below them as they sped toward the fortress.
Fortunately, the operation to encircle and suppress the Young King Insect had gone smoothly. The emergency mobile forces stationed at all three locations had not been needed, and two Tactical Nuclear Bombs had taken out the immature King-Class Blade Beast.
And now, these emergency forces could rush back to the fortress. They only needed another two hours and twenty-five minutes of travel before they...
Dongfang Zhenghong said grimly, "Report the damage to your three Mechanical Arms."
"Ling Tong's Mechanical Arm suffered an electromagnetic impact. The two of us have external mech armor protecting us, so our main bodies are fine. She needs maintenance."
Deep Sea spoke quickly.
"Have our Supply Vehicle convoy move toward the fortress. We'll catch up from behind.
"Maintenance will take at least half an hour. Ling Tong will activate her spare Mechanical Arm, while the two of us head over first.