Logically, Zoe Pierce admitted that Miles Sherman might be right.

But in a situation like this, she couldn’t bring herself to retreat at such a critical juncture.

If they left now, their entire investigation into Wesley White would be for nothing. At the very least, they needed to find out what role he played here, besides just being a merchant buying ore.

Given the massive quantity of these Energy Mines, it was impossible for him to be completely unaware.

The official standpoint was definitely different from theirs.

She moved to stand next to Erin Xavier, looking at him without a word.

When Erin Xavier saw Zoe Pierce siding with him, his expression clearly brightened. Both of them waited for Miles Sherman to speak. Or rather, it seemed that even if Miles was the only one to disagree, it wouldn’t affect them.

Because they could just choose not to listen.

Under their combined gazes, Miles Sherman backed down.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose and conceded, "But we have to tell Teacher Chapman."

"The risk is too great. We need an exit strategy." This was different from what they had initially thought. It wasn’t just them against Wesley White anymore; it was them against the entire Planet B36.

The worst-case scenario was that they would be discovered.

These enemies could already disregard the lives of Betas to continue researching their impractical Mechas. Miles didn’t think such people would spare them.

Zoe Pierce also relented, nodding in agreement with his decision.

"Miles, we all have Mechas," Erin Xavier reminded him. "If they can use Mechas to fight an S-Class Alpha, then I’ll just accept my fate and surrender without a fight."

At this, Miles’s expression grew even more serious.

"You may not be afraid, but what about Zoe?"

"If they find out that Zoe Pierce can pilot a Mecha, have you ever thought about what they would do to her?"

An Omega, who shouldn’t be able to pilot a Mecha, suddenly can. He didn’t even have to think hard to know things would spiral toward the worst possible outcome.

They would definitely use Zoe Pierce for experiments.

Miles’s words served as a successful reminder to Erin Xavier. Erin’s expression sobered, and the wild arrogance in his eyes lessened.

This was indeed a problem that couldn’t be ignored.

"I’ll be careful." Hiding was her shield, a way to avoid getting hurt. Zoe Pierce understood Miles’s concern.

Seeing that they both understood him, Miles’s expression softened. "Don’t worry. We already filed a report before coming to B36."

Although Adrian Chapman felt their trip was a bit too loosely planned, he figured a short break was normal since they had just completed a mission, so he reluctantly approved it.

Otherwise, they never would have been able to come to Planet B36.

"I just set up an emergency signal," Miles explained. "If we run into any trouble, I’ll send a signal to Siren Star immediately."

Once a top-level signal like that was sent, he was confident that Adrian Chapman would have to take it seriously.

*

「Planet B36 Xenobeast Tide Monitoring and Research Center.」

A wavelength that had been flat and stable began to fluctuate slowly.

The few Betas on duty at the monitoring center watched the wavelength on the screen slowly increase its amplitude, their expressions growing tense.

The research institute’s internal comms line was already open. Soon, a voice echoed throughout the center: "This is the Planet B36 Emergency Response Center."

"Xenobeast Monitoring and Research Center reporting. We’re currently detecting a Xenobeast Tide within the territory at coordinates 33°45′30″S."

He watched the wavelength’s frequency accelerate, his face growing grim. "Projected to be a medium-sized Xenobeast Tide. Estimated time of arrival: 30 minutes."

"The coordinates are in an uninhabited area. No civilian evacuation necessary."

The voice on the other end paused, then said quickly, "Understood. The alert has been issued."

"Continue to monitor the Xenobeast Tide closely and report any changes."

Researcher: "Understood."

The fluctuating wavelength was like an electrocardiogram, each tremor like a beat on a human heart. Even though they had seen it many times, watching it always made everyone tense up.

As Nathan Lockwood and his group were searching for a way in, they suddenly heard a strange, deafening roar from the sky.

The sound was extremely close, a sudden ROAR that crescendoed upward. Dozens of Mechas swarmed out into the sky, followed by scores of fighter jets, ascending rapidly and streaking past like meteors.

They weren’t the only ones who saw it; Zoe Pierce and her group, a short distance away, saw it too.

"Something’s happened." Otherwise, no one would deploy so many Mechas and fighter jets in the middle of the night.

’Could a Xenobeast Tide really have broken out?’

Miles Sherman stared at the sky where the Mechas had already vanished. "Planet B36 must have more advanced detection equipment."

Observing Xenobeast Tides has always been a top research priority. The earlier the prediction, the better the preparations to avoid losses.

If Planet B36 could develop Mechas that Betas can pilot, they must have corresponding detection methods. Otherwise, even if the officials made a prediction, it would be meaningless to them.

"Not necessarily. Sabotage is also easy," Erin Xavier replied.

After all, breaking a detection machine would be incredibly easy for them, though most people wouldn’t do something like that.

...

"Go." The previously sealed mountain gate opened, and dozens of armored vehicles streamed out from a cave of seemingly endless depth. Nathan Lockwood directed Julian Chambers, coordinating their cover with his Perception. The three of them successfully slipped into the cave.

The vast, hollowed-out cavern was just as he had imagined, with metal support pillars installed in critical locations.

Robots were heading deeper inside.

It was then that Julian Chambers realized just how formidable Chase Shaw was. Despite his large frame, he moved without a sound, even controlling his breathing. He was like a stalking black panther, light on his feet, ready to pounce on his prey at any moment.

His own stealth skills weren’t bad, but they were still imperfect compared to the other two.

The three of them hugged the dark, unnoticeable corners of the cave as they moved slowly forward.

Nathan Lockwood scanned their surroundings the entire time, his fingers silently tapping on his Intelligent Brain. A 3D map of the mountain range began to form, and he perfectly replicated the areas they passed through on the blueprint.

Soon, they heard human voices.

"Another Xenobeast Tide. A few more people are going to end up unconscious after this," one man, dressed in a researcher’s uniform, sighed to the person next to him.

The person next to him chugged some water. "Instead of worrying about that, why don’t you think about how we can improve it?"

"Hasn’t the frequency of Xenobeast Tides been way too high this year?"

"I just have a bad feeling." He pointed to his constantly twitching eyelid. "See? It’s twitching again."

"That’s normal. You haven’t slept in 25 hours. We’re on our way to get some rest now. It’ll stop twitching once you close your eyes," the other person said.