Dragons begin with courage

"Very good." Manstein's voice came through. "Now, proceed with the first phase: mapping and exploration. Record all paths and anomalies. The goal is to locate and reach the core power zone of the Bronze City, or a location similar to the 'Throne Hall.' The 'Oxygen Devourers' prepared for you by the Equipment Department need to be placed there."

He paused, then continued explaining the tactical intent: "Although that dragon servant can move in water, since the Bronze City maintains an oxygen-rich environment, it most likely still relies on oxygen for metabolism. The alchemical potion inside the bomb will trigger a violent chain reaction of oxidation, instantly depleting the oxygen in the core area and even a wider area. Our goal is not to kill it with the explosion, but to force it to leave this fortress. Once it is exposed to open water... 'The Storm' awaits."

"Understood. But first we need to find our way." Caesar's gaze fell upon the deep passageway. "Before us lies a vast corridor, lined with statues of snakes with human bodies on both sides."

"The Path to the Sanctuary," Manstein responded immediately, accompanied by the sound of documents being rapidly flipped through in the background. "The Fragments of the Ice Sea mention that those who come to pay homage to the Dragon King must pass through this path. The statues on both sides symbolize the eighty-eight metal elements under the Dragon King's control. In the Dragon civilization, water represents flow and direction. The fragments state: 'Go downstream to reach the throne.' Use the tracking dye."

Caesar took out the fluorescent dye tube, broke it in half, and poured the bright yellow liquid into the almost still water at his feet. The vibrant color spread in the water, and after a moment, an extremely thin line of yellowish-green water, following the bronze floor, silently flowed into the depths of the tunnel, like a living guiding serpent.

The six exchanged a glance, and following the established triangular formation, with their weapons in a semi-activated state, they set off into the boundless darkness of the Bronze City, guided by the faint light.

Almost at the same moment, in the dark waters outside Bronze City.

Another group of uninvited guests, like ghosts from the deep sea, arrived silently.

Old Tang clumsily adjusted his diving suit, while Mai Shude had already completed all preparations. She took a deep breath, and the brilliant gold in her eyes ignited like a volcanic eruption, her deep and majestic dragon chant reverberating through the water.

Words of Power: Illumination of the Underworld.

In an instant, the light centered on her was eerily swallowed and bent. Her and her team's figures rapidly dimmed and blurred, eventually transforming into a moving black shadow thicker and deeper than the surrounding river water, like a living ink stain merging into a larger inkwell. Not only visible light, but even the most sophisticated sonar detection waves experienced abnormal attenuation and refraction when they touched this area.

"Maintain formation. My area of ​​effect is two meters in radius." Mai Shude's voice rang out directly into the team members' communicators, calm and clear. "The men from Kassel have gone in."

That almost imperceptible "shadow" easily bypassed any outer perimeter security measures that Kassel College might have set up, and following the faint water ripples and heat traces left by Ye Sheng and his companions, silently slipped into the bronze maw that had just swallowed six specialists.

Upon entering the city, Mai quickly checked the locator on her wrist. A faint signal was slowly moving across a simplified map representing the structure of the Bronze City. "Target locked. Teams A and B, proceed along the predetermined route to encircle and disrupt their advance, creating chaos. Team C, seek opportunities to directly destroy or seize bomb components; prevent them from planting the bomb."

She quickly gave the instructions, then turned her gaze to Old Tang, who seemed a little lost.

"As for you, number thirteen..." Mai Shude's lips curled into an enigmatic smile, which appeared somewhat eerie in the shadow of the celestial light. "Your mission is simple—free time."

"Free time?!" Old Tang nearly choked on his respirator, his voice distorting on the channel. "Boss, this isn't a tourist attraction! You're leaving me to wander around this godforsaken place alone?!"

"It means exactly what it says." Mai's tone left no room for argument. "Just wander around, look around, and take some 'landscape photos' with the underwater camera we gave you. You won't be shortchanged on your bonus." She didn't say anything more, and gestured to the team members, "Let's go."

As soon as he finished speaking, the condensed shadow, like ink drops scattered by water, swiftly and silently "flowed" towards Caesar's team, leaving Old Tang standing alone at the empty and eerie entrance to the "Path of the Sanctuary".

The bronze serpent-headed statues around him stared silently at him.

Old Tang looked up at the hideous snake faces, then looked down at the expensive waterproof camera in his hand, and a feeling of utter absurdity welled up inside him.

"This money...it's too damn magical to be earned, isn't it?" Old Tang muttered, scratching his head covered by his diving helmet. His fingertips touched the cold bronze wall, and an indescribable tremor ran up his spine. He finally took a step, and inexplicably, instead of following the unsettling shadow of Jiu De Mai, he turned into a dark side path on the way to the sanctuary.

The water was shallow, only ankle-deep. The bronze floor was engraved with intricate patterns, and stepping on it gave a strange sense of familiarity.

"Strange..." Old Tang stopped, his brow furrowed beneath his helmet. "Why do I feel like... I've been here before?"

It wasn't a scene from memory, but a deeper resonance, almost like muscle memory. Like fingers stroking piano keys, even if the sheet music is forgotten, the body remembers the position of the next note. The surrounding bronze walls, the humidity of the air, and even the undulations of the patterns underfoot all fit perfectly with some kind of "template" in his subconscious.

His heartbeat, after stepping deeper into the side passage, no longer merely quickened, but began to subtly synchronize with some distant and heavy rhythm. Thump...thump...as if from the earth's core, or perhaps from the depths of his own blood. He couldn't distinguish whether it was the excitement of exploration or the tension of being stared at by an unknown behemoth.

"Wang..."

A single syllable rang out without warning.

"Who?!" Old Tang whirled around, his back against the cold bronze wall, and drew his tactical dagger from his waist—the blade gleamed coldly under the spotlight, yet it couldn't penetrate the dense darkness ahead. His voice trembled, but he forced a show of bravado: "I...I'm a staunch materialist! Don't play dumb, I've taken more jobs than ghosts!"

That cowardly yet stubborn demeanor, if seen by an acquaintance, would surely remind them of another loser. Unfortunately, at this moment, only the silent bronze statue bears witness to his blustering facade.

"Damn, this money's really hot potato..." Old Tang swallowed hard, the sound of his Adam's apple bobbing clearly audible in the silence. He made up his mind: "Just take a few pictures, then go back to the door and wait. Safety first, safety first... I need to keep my life on my side to make money, otherwise, even though that idiot is on vacation, am I really going to take him on a crowded Greyhound bus and make him eat the cheapest burger? That would be too embarrassing for me, 'Bounty Hunter Ronald Tang'."