XO Office, 4th Floor Main Building, Harley Quinn MOA.

0920, 12 April 2024

Grapass was an old slave who spent half of his life teaching Amstel Language to the children of nobles in Lionel Region. Until finally, six months ago a group of people bought him and a dozen other slaves.

He and the other slaves were then taken to a camp behind the Desolate Land's entrance.

Grapass still remembered the horror in his heart, when he first walked into the camp of people who bought him.

At that time, he thought he would be used as bait to hunt the Gray Wolf or Black Eagle. But slowly his horror turned into curiosity after he saw that the clothing, equipment, and tents of the people who had bought him were very unusual.

What's more, those people treat him and the other slaves with great respect. Grapass returned to his old profession, but this time his students treated him like a free human. They even called him Teacher Grapass, and he got a huge salary and nice accommodation.

Their tents in a matter of weeks also turned into a giant complex called Harley Quinn. Under Harley Quinn, Grapass heard there was another giant complex. However, he did not have permission to enter it.

Among his students, Grapass was most impressed by one person. The student's name was Vex, who loved to wear a T-shirt with puppy pictures.

According to Vex, her only daughter was a puppy lover, and somehow Grapass could feel that Vex looked very sad every time he touched the puppy pictures in his chest.

Vex arrived at Harley Quinn for the first time last January. After that, he went back and forth, and only started settling in Harley Quinn three days ago, right after the name TF Amethyst used by people in Harley Quinn.

However, even though Vex only attended his class 3-4 times a month, he was the first student to graduate from his class. And not only graduated but was able to speak like the rural people or the nobles in the city fluently.

Now, Grapass only needed to accompany Vex to chat to help him master some local accents on the Amstell Continent.

Grapass smiled before saying, "Ser Vex, just a little more and you will master the accents on the southern Amstell Continent."

"It was all thanks to Teacher Grapass' help."

Vex handed Grapass a Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical Watches before adding, "Sorry, only now can I thank Teacher for the help."

Grapass spontaneously refuses the Hamilton Watches. "Ser Vex, TF Amethyst has given me freedom and a new life. So, it's more than enough."

Vex smiled before saying, "Teacher, please don't hesitate. This watch is not a luxury product, but represents the spirit of the place where I come from and I want Teacher to have it."

In the end, Grapass accepted Vex's gift, and the two of them were chatting over tea.

Then, Nate entered the room with hasty steps. "Vex, we have a situation."

Vex nodded slightly, then turned to Grapass. "Teacher, sorry it looks like the lesson has to stop here."

"Understood."

Grapass then got to his feet, and after giving a small bow to Vex and Nate, he quickly left the room.

- - - - -

Camp Terry

As soon as Captain Stark's report came, Harley Quinn immediately sent reinforcement elements. The entrance leading to the underground tunnel was widened, while a security perimeter was set up to ward off Gray Wolf and Black Eagle.

The emergency compound was named Camp Terry, and when Vex arrived, he was greeted by a salvo of M230LF trying to repel a flock of Black Eagles.

While shaking Vex's hand, Colonel Meyer said, "We've already taken down five Black Eagles leads, but other flocks are still coming."

"Then, we will continue to take down every incoming herd's leads."

Vex then followed Colonel Meyer to the command center tent, where a geologist from Brazil named Elias Carlos was preparing a drawing desk.

Colonel Meyer casually said, "Carlos, please enlighten us."

"Sure." Carlos nodded slightly before starting to explain, "So far we only know the tunnel leads to the north and south. No idea how far, how many levels, or how many branches.

Fortunately, the tunnel walls are made of a dense, hard, dry layer. So radio waves can work well in the tunnel."

Vex raised his hand before asking, "Are we going to do paperless cave mapping?"

"Yes, but not as instant as you see in the movies. We still have to send an exploration team down the tunnel."

Carlos held out a stick 1 m long, made of polymer, and there was a big light and a micro emitter at the top of it. Then, with a sparkling face he resumed his explanation.

"Allow me to introduce Disto Beacon. This tool will help the mapping process using radio waves, as well as being a relay for communication networks. The explorer team just needs to stick it along the tunnel with a distance of 200 meters or at every turn.

Then, the computer will do the basic mapping. But for more in-depth results, specialists should be sent to do the mapping and analysis manually using a compass, clinometer, drawing board, shovel, and other primitive tools."

Colonel Meyer then turned to Vex. "I've prepared an explorer contingent. We just need goals and priorities."

Vex tapped his fingers on the table before saying, "The priority right now is to find out whether this tunnel is a threat to Harley Quinn or not. After that, we'll decide what to do next."

""Understood.""

Colonel Meyer and Carlos replied calmly and in unison.

- - - - -

The Exploration Contingent prepared by Colonel Meyer consists of 80 CQB Company personnel, divided into 8-man squads, where 5 teams would move north and the other five move south.

Each team would bring 30 Disto Beacons, and enter the tunnel at 15-minute intervals.

Right at the tunnel entrance, Carlos placed the first Disto Beacon. After confirming that the Disto Beacon was functioning properly and connected to the mapping computer, Carlos nodded at Vex.

Vex then glanced at the exploration team before saying, "Well, good luck and don't get lost down there."

""""Sir."""""

All of the exploration team personnel smiled slightly, and the operation began.

The first team to move south was Sierra One, led by Sergeant Kurt. While the first team to move north was Utah One, led by Sergeant Marco.

The first two teams immediately entered the tunnel, and it wasn't long before both of them were out of sight.

*****