The Squad

After Conrads ordered a full retreat, the captain instructed the crew to move to the bridge if the path to the bridge command room had been cleared, and to take cover if it had not.

At the same time, the attacking squads were instructed to return to the roads closest to the command center, maintain order, and establish defensive lines to prevent the command center from being attacked by the Zerg during the retreat.

Before Knox Squad could even reach their designated position and set up surveillance, they received news that Conrads had gone missing, and that more than half of the Lashudia Clan fleet had either exploded or gone missing...

While they were still stunned by the miraculous turn of events, news came that the Coalition Army high command had decided to surrender after some discussion.

They had only just arrived at their designated location. Having received no further instructions, the squad rested there, checking their weapons and equipment, and replenishing their ammunition and energy, in case something unexpected happened.

However, this time there was no extraordinary twist; it was both unexpected and reasonable. The Zerg accepted the surrender of the Coalition Army. Immediately afterwards, a large number of spider-like monsters suddenly appeared from nowhere.

The squad, who knew the Zerg unit catalog by heart, immediately recognized what it was and, in their nervousness, almost opened fire. Fortunately, Knox reacted quickly and stopped his team from acting impulsively.

The Spider War-Bug seemed to ignore them, passing right by the robots they were controlling. The swarming insects came and went quickly, disappearing at the end of the passage in no time, leaving Knox Squad feeling like they were in a dream.

However, they quickly realized that the direction was where the bridge command room they had been defending was located. If these insects went there, something bad would probably happen soon.

Sure enough, not long after, the captain announced that all units should disarm, and the order to assemble in the main hall was broadcast over the ship's intercom. At the same time, their Personal Terminal also received similar messages.

Since the captain had issued a similar message before the surrender, there are probably only a few crew members still wandering around. Knox Squad is one of them.

Although the robots controlled by the team were stationed at the main traffic artery, their true forms were not there.

In a dimly lit compartment, several high-end-looking, well-made, and meticulously painted sealed compartments, lined up in a row, silently opened their lids.

Several Komok sat up one after another, shaking their heads as if trying to shake off the discomfort caused by the sudden change in their physical state. Fortunately, advancements in technology allowed them to quickly adjust.

The group of eleven men and one woman stood silently facing each other in the room.

"Captain, should we follow the captain's orders and go to assemble?" After a long silence, team member Tuli broke the silence.

Knox scratched his head. This decisive, ruthless man was also somewhat at a loss. The world was changing too fast, and his previous experience was completely useless. He was just as confused as his teammates.

"Captain, you need to make a decision as soon as possible, because the Zerg have only given us twenty-five minutes, and twelve minutes have already passed. It will take at least nine minutes to get from our position to the command bridge. That means you have at most four minutes to think and make a decision." The Zerg are not open to negotiation, which is why the captain did not try to build rapport with the Wolf Striker or try to bargain, but instead issued the order directly.

Does anyone know when these Zerg guys started keeping track of time?

Therefore, a countdown was issued along with the assembly order. To make the crew feel a greater sense of urgency, the captain kindly deducted five minutes from the countdown.

Gale's words caused Knox's forehead to start sweating. The Mok race was not one to sweat easily, but when they did sweat, it meant they were in an extremely abnormal state.

"What do you all think?" Knox suddenly had a flash of inspiration. This crucial decision should be made through a democratic vote. He couldn't risk other people's lives by acting on his own will.

"Since the captain has issued this order, it must have been after careful consideration. I think we should obey it," Gale spoke first.

"A soldier's orders are to be obeyed, but generals will not obey your orders, so I will listen to you, captain." Cassidyro smiled honestly and kicked the ball away.

"Why should we surrender? We can still fight! We still have weapons! As long as we unite, we can definitely teach the Zerg a lesson!" Kari, whose machine had been repeatedly destroyed by Zerg traps, was extremely unwilling. He hadn't avenged himself yet; how could he surrender to the enemy?

"So what if you teach the Zerg a lesson? The little advantage you gain won't change the course of the war. Perhaps your childish actions will even harm your people." Gale rebuked Kari without any politeness.

Whether the Zerg will take their anger out on others, they don't know. The Zerg's nature is currently only vaguely apparent. However, the personality of each intelligent individual within each race is different. A race's nature can only represent a general direction, only the personality of the majority of individuals. Even if the Zerg as a whole doesn't take their anger out on others, who knows if they might encounter an exceptional individual?

If they risked destroying some Zerg units, it might lead to resentment from their Zerg forces already assembled on the command bridge. These were all unknowns, and Knox and his team dared not gamble with that.

They don't care about their own lives, but it would be so wrong to cause suffering to their entire clan.

Gale's words successfully weighed on one side of the scales, leading Knox to make a decision.

"Let's go! Assemble on the command bridge." As he spoke, Knox was torn by inner conflict, his mind racing, his mouth dry, his head buzzing, and he felt as if he had lost his soul.

He shook his head, forcing himself to stay alert, and walked to the door to issue commands. The cabin door opened silently, and Knox was the first to step out. The squad members followed in silence, the group heading towards the command bridge in a daze.

Unbeknownst to them, a faint glow flickered in the corner of the ceiling behind the door after they left. However, they did discover some Spider War-Bug and Tentacle Trap along the way. But their bodies were not the robots they were controlling; their only weapons were small-caliber energy emitters at their waists. Furthermore, their sizes were vastly different, making them utterly incapable of resisting these creatures.

With two minutes left in the countdown, the squad arrived at the bridge command center. There was no inspection or body search, and the squad members joined the main force with their weapons.

Although those weapons might be completely useless, their presence still reassured the team members quite a bit.