Chapter 2845: Return to Support Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The mutant worms had started fighting each other?! It seemed like the new swarm of ants had no interest in the ship? Then it was best to ignore them for now. The bombardment continued! The concentrated energy cannons kept firing at the Bone-Eating Fungal Ant swarm. Huh? Suddenly, a player noticed figures gradually crawling out from the pitch-black cave entrance. There were people! They were players! Inside the ship’s main control room, the operators immediately adjusted the surveillance cameras to focus on the players emerging from the cave below the ship. It was Fang Heng! Along with Wayne, Wu Xiao, Arkley, and a group of mercenaries. It really was them! Zoran waved his hand and ordered, "Open the transition passage below! Bring them up, immediately!" "Yes, sir!" Fang Heng led the players as they crawled out from underground. D*mn... The players had never seen such a terrifying and bloody battlefield before. The constant barrage of energy cannon fire roared in their ears, the pungent stench of blood filled their nostrils, and dismembered mutant worm limbs flew everywhere. "Buzz... Buzz..." Wu Xiao took in the surrounding battle and was secretly astonished. Mr. Fang’s summoned creatures had incredible combat strength! They were actually holding the line! The players gripped their weapons tightly and stayed on alert. Moments later, beams of transition light rose from the ship above. Everyone turned their eyes to Fang Heng. "No rush, let’s wait a bit," he said while giving Arkley a nod. "Understood!" Arkley gestured to several of his trusted players, who immediately turned around and went back down into the pit. Inside the ship, Captain Zoran watched Fang Heng and his group’s actions with a frown. "Captain, what are they waiting for? Transitioning consumes a lot of energy." "No rush, let’s wait a little longer." Zoran also found it strange and signaled his subordinates to remain patient. What were they waiting for? A moment later, Arkley’s players began laboriously hauling crates from the cavern floor back to the surface. The soldiers in the monitoring room were instantly filled with astonishment. Crate after crate? The operators zoomed in on the crates. Ore? So they had actually dug an underground passage all the way here? And they had brought so much!? The operators turned to Zoran, their eyes filled with shock. At first glance, the crates were packed with high-tier spirit gemstones! Not raw ore, but refined gemstones! How had they managed that? Zoran’s eyes also reflected surprise as he stared at the screen for a long moment. So much ore... Did they possess some kind of rapid refining technique? Quickly regaining his composure, Zoran said, "What you have seen and heard must not be leaked outside. Understood?" The soldiers immediately straightened and saluted Zoran. "Yes, sir!" It took over ten minutes before Arkley and his team finished transporting the S-level crates back to the ship. Only then did Fang Heng lead Zaka and the others aboard first. The interior of the ship was eerily quiet, with only a handful of guardian soldiers present besides the lone figure of Captain Zoran standing there. Wu Xiao waved and greeted, "Captain Zoran." Zoran’s gaze lingered on the crates behind Fang Heng and his group for a moment before turning to face them. He spoke in a deep voice, "Hmm, you’re back. And it looks like you’ve brought quite a lot with you." "We got lucky and managed to obtain a batch of spirit gemstones." "Good work." Under normal circumstances, Zoran would have been overjoyed at Fang Heng’s haul. But right now, he wasn’t in the mood. Wayne asked, "Captain Zoran, we heard that the ship ran into trouble, so we rushed back immediately." "That’s right. The ship needs your help. You’ve probably received the notification already—the ship is under attack. Some parts of it have sustained damage. We’ve just activated the emergency barrier, but its energy consumption is extremely high and won’t last for long." Hearing this, Fang Heng couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. The Western District Federation was completely unreliable. He had spent all this time outside gathering a huge amount of spirit gemstones to exchange for contribution points, and now that he was back, everything was falling apart? They couldn’t even protect their own base? Wayne asked, "Captain, do you have any plans?" "The Federation’s military reinforcements will arrive gradually to help us fend off the mutant worm swarm. Additionally, a battleship is currently transitioning into our world to provide support. All we need to do now is hold out for a little longer." Hold out a little longer? Wait for another battleship to reinforce them? The more Fang Heng listened, the more unreliable the Western District Federation seemed. He had already witnessed the strength of these battleships. Would just one more really be enough to defeat the swarm? Su Guantong thought for a moment before asking, "Captain, the mutant worm swarm’s attack this time seems unusual. What caused it?" "This concerns the Western District Federation’s classified information. I cannot disclose it to you." Zoran glanced at Su Guantong before continuing, "Currently, there are numerous urgent special missions available inside the ship. Completing them will earn you additional battlefield contribution points from the Federation. We also need a large supply of energy crystal ore. If you can obtain some, I will negotiate with the Western District Federation to secure more contribution points for you. Time is short—get to work. This is a great opportunity for you." As he finished speaking, a soldier hurried over and whispered something into Zoran’s ear. "Excuse me." With that, Zoran quickly left with his soldiers. The group exchanged glances. Su Guantong was the first to break the silence, "Something’s not right." "Huh?" Wu Xiao blinked, puzzled. "Isn’t this just a case of the ship being attacked by the swarm? What’s wrong with that?" Wayne checked the mission list and walked over, saying, "Did you notice? Besides us and the Federation soldiers, there aren’t any other players on the ship." Wu Xiao was momentarily speechless. "The ship being attacked is true, but right now, players could be using the ship’s barrier to attack the swarm without taking any damage. Staying on board is the best way to earn more contribution points. So why aren’t any players here?" Arkley frowned and guessed, "Are they scared? Did they run away?" "I don’t think it’s that simple," Su Guantong said, pursing her lips. "The ship’s external defensive barrier is intact, but the overall damage exceeds 30%. How did that damage occur?" Wu Xiao, still confused, instinctively asked, "How did it happen?" The group fell silent. The captain was hiding a lot from them. Which was understandable—after all, they were just Federation contractors. Fang Heng walked up to the exchange screen and saw that the system was still purchasing spirit gemstones, along with grandmaster-level psychic skills available for sale. He let out a small sigh of relief. As far as he was concerned, there was no need to overthink things. A professional contractor should know when to shut up and ask fewer questions. If the client collapsed, so be it. As long as he got his payment, that was all that mattered. With the ship on the verge of destruction, the priority was to transport the ore as quickly as possible, exchange it for contribution points, and secure a master-level psychic skill before it was too late.