"It will take us about three years here, and the other Erosion Zone probably won't be much different."
"In this situation, to withstand the invasion of the Erosion Zone, we need not just one or two, but at least twenty-three Seventh Tier!"
Twenty-three, the number of Erosion Zone on Blue Star!
After the words were spoken, the command center fell silent, and everyone frowned deeply.
This matter may not seem urgent, but it feels like an overwhelming force, making it hard to breathe.
Shen Heng glanced around at the group of people, whose expressions were solemn, but only in a solemn way, and said:
"Chief, you don't seem too surprised by this?"
"Hehe," Zhou Zhenguo chuckled, drawing Shen Heng's attention.
"You just got back, so you don't know yet, right?"
"Regarding the crystal you submitted last time, the Research Department has conducted studies and, after sending people to investigate recently, has confirmed that that crystal does indeed help stabilize the space within the Erosion Zone."
"We had already speculated in this direction before, so we weren't surprised by this development."
"I don't understand yet; I'm not sure how stable it can be, or to what extent."
"It's still a bit beyond our expectations that it's only been three years," Wang Yuanshan chimed in from the side.
Shen Heng looked over, and heard him continue:
"We originally thought that it had taken nearly two years from the forced delivery of the Darkwing Heavenly Spine Beast to the appearance of the Erosion Zone."
"This time, even if the Ruins Realm wants to stabilize the Erosion Zone and allow Seventh Tier Calamity Beast to enter, it will probably take several years."
"After all, before it was a forced delivery of one, this time, the goal is to ensure a stable, Seventh Tier Calamity Beast can enter. The difficulty is definitely completely different, but I didn't expect this..."
He sighed and continued:
"Three years is enough!"
Shen Heng nodded slightly.
He wasn't surprised by the timing, but he also wasn't entirely unsurprised.
Hearing this timeframe, I also felt a strong sense of pressure.
Zhang Weijun took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over everyone's faces.
"Alright, now let's talk about how to deal with this..."
He paused, seemingly lost in thought, before speaking again:
"Subsequently, the places where the Calamity Beast stabilized the Erosion Zone in this way, thereby further accelerating their invasion, were collectively referred to as Anchor Point."
"Now, let's discuss how to handle these Anchor Point!"
Everyone nodded slightly.
Shen Heng explained the situation of the Calamity Beast at the Anchor Point, and then sat down to listen in.
He really didn't have any good solutions for this.
Soon, the group began discussing the matter, ranging from a surprise attack by the inspectors alone; to a coordinated operation between inspectors and ordinary soldiers; to whether a location could be provided for a direct missile strike; and finally...
After a long while, the discussion gradually subsided.
Zhang Weijun then gave a summary.
"So, there are two feasible options: one is to have the inspectors act alongside ordinary soldiers, and the other is to have the inspectors carry more powerful weapons, is that right?"
"Well, the base can't spare too many people. Sending only members of the Supervision Bureau would be too much of a stretch. As for a direct missile attack, the location is too far away and doesn't have very clear coordinates, making it difficult for the missile to hit the Anchor Point accurately," Zhou Zhenguo nodded.
"Between these two options, let's choose the first one. Sending ordinary soldiers over will provide more firepower coverage and also reduce the pressure on them," Wang Yuanshan said from the side.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhenguo nodded slightly in agreement.
However, Zhang Weijun did not say anything; he lowered his head and pondered.
Just as everyone was wondering what was going on, he finally raised his eyes.
"No, use the second one!"
Zhou Zhenguo and Wang Yuanshan frowned slightly, just as they were about to say something, when they heard Zhang Weijun speak:
"If we only deal with that one Anchor Point, then sending ordinary soldiers along is indeed the best method. However, if we only deal with that one point, the Calamity Beast will immediately react and take corresponding measures. In that case, dealing with other Anchor Point will become much more difficult!"
Should we leave it for now?... Shen Heng was slightly taken aback, his mind racing.
"What do you mean? If we don't deal with this Anchor Point, the difficulty won't increase later?" Wang Yuanshan frowned slightly.
"No, we need to proceed cautiously. First, we need to survey the entire terrain of the Erosion Zone, as well as any potential Anchor Point, before we begin treatment," Zhang Weijun said clearly.
"This way, we can finish processing one Anchor Point and immediately start processing the Anchor Point, aiming to complete the process before the Calamity Beast can react."
Wang Yuanshan frowned, still not fully convinced.
Zhou Zhenguo then placed his hand on the table, his eyes calm as he said:
"But that would put too much pressure on the members of the Supervision Bureau!"
"This is war, not some simple mission. No matter how much pressure we face, we have to step up!" Zhang Weijun said in a deep voice.
Zhou Zhenguo did not reply, but slowly shifted his gaze to Shen Heng.
"How are things, Shen Heng? Do you think you can hold out?"
After leaving the command center, Shen Heng walked on the road.
" Ringing Sound, send a message to the team group chat: 'Get ready, we're leaving tomorrow!'"
"The message has been delivered!"
Ringing Sound quickly responded from the wristband.
The reply came very quickly, just two seconds later.
"No, we just got back, why are we going out again tomorrow?" Zhou Xuan complained.
The others did not reply, but they were also paying attention to the news.
"Tomorrow's mission is a little different; it's to explore the entire Erosion Zone in preparation for the battles to come," Shen Heng said.
"The entire territory?" Zhou Xuan's weak voice came from his wristband. "This isn't something that can be resolved in a day or two, is it?"
"Yes, I estimate it might take at least one or two months!" Shen Heng said.
"I... never mind, fine, I'll call my mom later and tell her!"
"The phone...?"
Shen Heng stopped in his tracks, his gaze fixed on the massive Light Gate to the side.
Emerging from the Erosion Zone, Shen Heng stood in mid-air, gazing at the setting sun in the distance.
Although there is a distinction between day and night in the Erosion Zone, there is not much light or the Sun; even during the day, it is gloomy.
This was the first time Shen Heng had seen the sunset since entering the Erosion Zone.
He gazed into the distance for a while, then his gaze shifted to something closer.
Small black dots are surrounding the Light Gate in the Erosion Zone.
Despite knowing the probability was small, the defenses were still established.
Without looking any longer, Shen Heng looked away.
" Ringing Sound, contact Mother!"
"Connecting, beep, beep..."
Soon, the communication was established, and a familiar voice came through the wristband.
"Hello, is this Xiao Heng?"
"Yes, it's me, Mom. How are you? Have you eaten?" A smile unconsciously appeared on Shen Heng's lips.
"Yeah, I just started eating. What about you?"
Not yet, wait a bit!
"You need to eat early, you're working so hard..."
As the sun set, Shen Heng stood in mid-air, communicating with his mother.