"It seems Headquarters doesn't believe we can eliminate the Drought Fiend, or even that we're trapped in the Ancient Ruins."
Chen Xianzhi looked grim and somewhat worried: "Could Headquarters really be facing a formidable enemy?"
"What kind of enemy?"
Jia Weixin's face was livid: "They even said they encountered a hostile native race, and a fight hasn't even broken out yet. Maybe Headquarters is currently embroiled in infighting, with all sorts of differences in opinion. If it really was a critical moment, their attitude wouldn't be like this, they would be very sincere. Even if they couldn't send the Firepower Flying Disc over, they would be very tactful about it, not so overbearing like now."
After all, soldiers in the field are not bound by orders from above.
Not to mention, we're separated by what must be thousands of miles now, being so aggressive would only offend people, and it's obvious they're doing it on purpose.
Headquarters is full of talent, like Space Teleporters and Superpower Users who can summon storms, there's no shortage.
If it really was a life-and-death moment over there, they'd likely find a way to send people to rescue us from the Ancient Ruins. Even if they had to use us as cannon fodder on the front lines, it would be better than deceiving and offending like this.
He's even thought that Headquarters might come under the guise of delivering resources, to forcibly take the talents away. Anyway, his ambitions aren't that big; he just wants to get through the current crisis.
And if they were willing to send Firepower Flying Discs over, with Space Teleporters, it wouldn't take long at all.
But he never expected them to fool him like this.
Is there really some special reason?
"Could the person responding from the other side be a muscle-headed brute who rose through strength?" Chen Xianzhi couldn't understand their behavior either.
Jia Weixin was silent, unsure himself; after all, he wasn't one to rely on his brains.
Headquarters was teeming with talent, but to him, no matter how talented they were, surely they wouldn't ignore a Creator Conceptual Superpower User.
"Why don't we call the Chief to ask?" Chen Xianzhi suggested.
"I don't know where he is," Jia Weixin shook his head.
Chen Xianzhi was speechless, how could he not know where his own superpower was?
Noticing his expression, Jia Weixin's mouth twitched, even more speechless himself.
At this moment, an old man appeared out of nowhere in front of the metal table, looking at the red font on the return receipt with a solemn expression.
"Chief..."
"Greetings, Chief."
Jia Weixin and Chen Xianzhi hurriedly saluted.
The old man looked at the text on the return receipt, pondered for a moment, then said sternly: "Headquarters likely wants us to stay away; it's dangerous there, it might be under surveillance."
"Surveillance?"
Jia Weixin and Chen Xianzhi's faces changed.
Is the situation that severe?
...
When the Drought Fiend first emerged, the Earth Alliance fled in a fan shape.
Half a year later, the two most outer regions of the fan-shaped route are probably separated by thousands of kilometers now.
At the same time, nearly ten thousand kilometers away from the thirteenth team, on the edge of a vast volcanic group.
Here lies a very large safe zone, enveloped entirely by dark clouds, with torrential rain pouring endlessly.
Though the rain was evaporated by the terrifying heat before hitting the ground, it still took away a lot of heat, allowing the safe zone to maintain an environment where ordinary people could survive.
Currently, inside this vast safe zone, in a large conference room.
A group of Earthlings sat on one end of a huge conference table, including Asians, Caucasians, and Africans.
At the other end of the huge conference table sat a group of people with no hair on their heads.
This group's skin was darker, mostly wheat-colored.
Moreover, whether man or woman, none of them had hair, and each radiated a searing heat, distorting the space around them.
This group called themselves the 'Volcano Race.'
At this moment, at the end of the large conference table on the Earthling side, a mixed-race middle-aged man put down a pen that used blood as ink, glanced indifferently at his Earth compatriots on either side, and sneered: "Another group trying to scam resources, no need to bother with them."
Others on both sides of the table gave either a mocking smile or a look of disdain.
"There have been more and more freeloaders lately."
"The team is too big, hard to manage."
"A thousand Firepower Flying Discs, they have such gall, asking for resources without any contribution, where in the world is such a free deal?"
These high-ranking individuals spoke nonchalantly, their expressions unchanged.
From the Volcano Race on the opposite side, someone asked with a smile: "What if it's really a Conceptual Superpower User? Aren't you worried about offending talent without cause? Offending talent at this time seems unwise."
"Haha, our Volcano Race friend likes to joke, our Alliance has strict ranks, no one would dare to overstep their bounds. Besides, just a mere Conceptual Superpower User, offending them is no big deal." The mixed-race middle-aged man replied with a slight smile.
He thought to himself, his previous responses would only offend the thirteenth team, not any potentially existing talent.
This is called the art of language.
"Indeed, we Earthlings aren't lacking for one Conceptual Superpower User. Does the Volcano Race have few Conceptual Superpower Users?" a blond, blue-eyed middle-aged man asked curiously.
"No matter how talented a superpower user is, they are weak before they're fully grown, no need to overly value them," said a black man nonchalantly, seemingly unconcerned.
On the other side.
Seven or eight Volcano Race members, radiating heat all over, showed strange expressions, unclear whether these Earthlings were speaking the truth or lies.
One of them laughed: "The Earthlings, so full of talent, have indeed broadened our Volcano Race's horizons. We'll surely visit often in the future. I'm quite curious about your Earthlings' Conceptual Superpower Users."
"It's a rare thing to pique the curiosity of our Volcano Race friends," the mixed-race middle-aged man smiled slightly.
The Volcano Race member chuckled, stood up.
Other Volcano members stood up as well.
"Then, today's visit ends here. In five days, we welcome the Earth Race to visit our Volcano Race," the leading Volcano member said, then turned to leave.
"See our guests off," the mixed-race middle-aged man said with a smile, then led the others in personally seeing the guests out.
Despite their courteous demeanor, missing no necessary etiquette, they all appeared very calm.
Everyone wore an expression of confidence, even though the Volcano Race had shown palpable hostility, and they had openly pointed out this hostility before.
This only made the Volcano Race uncertain about the Earthlings' confidence, hesitant to draw any conclusions.
Finally, after the Volcano Race envoys completely left the vast safe zone, everyone returned to the conference room.
Back in the large conference room, all the Earthling high-ups suddenly burst into a flurry.
"Did the thirteenth team really find a Creator Conceptual Superpower User?"
"Is it true?"
"Do they have a chance to annihilate the Drought Fiend?"
"Should we go bring them back?"
The upper echelons who had been so calm moments before were now all agitated, anxious expressions on their faces.
The mixed-race middle-aged man, who is currently the acting president of the Alliance, said gravely: "The Volcano Race's probing is becoming more obvious. They come with ill intentions; for now, we should not do anything that might make them think we're weak."
"Then... what about the thirteenth team's plea for help, how should we respond?" a blond, blue-eyed middle-aged man asked.
If the thirteenth team didn't have a Conceptual Superpower User, they might have simply ignored it, as before.
But the presence of a Conceptual Superpower User made them hesitant to make a quick decision.
Everyone looked at the acting president, as it was he who responded to the thirteenth team, surely with reason behind his actions.