Falling from the Tree

"Tom! Megaloceros! No! No, no, no!"

Third Squad, Group A, Unit 1, Jefferies, fell from a tree--

--He was still shaken, caught in a moment of absentmindedness.

A powerful psychic shock seemed to have thrown him off balance. He had fallen from an observation post near the Aizong Mausoleum. Fortunately, the area around his hiding spot was soft grass, not exposed rocks, so he wasn't injured.

He quickly checked his gear: first, the fuses for the explosives in his weapon bag, then he inspected his firearms for malfunctions, and rechecked his identification markers and night-vision equipment. The Summoning Bell was still in receiving mode, getting updates from his teammates every five seconds.

Mr. Jefferies was an elite vanguard of Fast Knife and the squad leader of Third Squad, Group A. He was fully responsible for the mission to track Judas.

But at this moment, his mental state was not good--

"--What am I saying?"

"Tom? What am I saying? What was I thinking just now?"

His eyes were bloodshot, as if he hadn't slept well in a long, long time.

His mind was a mess, as if he couldn't remember anything, only a small portion of mission-related memories.

When the various groups of Third Squad were on missions, they were fully equipped. Their helmets covered part of their faces. Tom was the vanguard of Group A, Jefferies' right-hand man--

--As for the cry of "Megaloceros" just now, that's what confused Jefferies.

Because the squad leader's name was too long, and he often ran around with the tactical radio, the groups would tease him by calling him Megaloceros, the long Latin word for giant deer, because he had a pair of antennas on his head that resembled deer antlers.

When they reached Shambhala, the team members only needed to ring the