A strong gust of wind blows into the visor of Nikolai's grey hazard suit as some dust began to build up on the transparent polymer. He trek through the overgrowth of the ruined cityscape of some neighbourhood up in the hills. So far, it has been a good ten minutes since that unknown call and there has been no signals or even inkling of signals that his on-board computer could detect. Granted, this wasn't the best or the worst computer either, as it's only suited for their current needs in the Live Exam and nothing more was given to it. So it ain't surprise if the unknown caller is actually still calling, just on a frequency his computer in his suit just couldn't grasp on.

  Which is why Nikolai takes a shortcut through the ruined neighbourhood, as unlike the urban areas down the terrain, the roads and streets of a suburban area is still intact in a sense. Making it easier to walk than climbing through rubble and ending up in a state like Jhonn.

  As long as Nikolai continue this path, he'll get there a bit faster where the coordinates of the unknown caller is potentially at. The coordinates have been updating so he wouldn't missed it even if he tried too, but if a person ever get lost on a blunt piece of information like that, then it of itself, is a kind of a reward for being so directionally inept.

  Suddenly, his HUD then open up as Cecilia is calling him through their private channel. "(Hey, aren't you going a bit far from the map?)" Cecilia asked him, most likely she spotted him not through some map, but through the scope of her sniper somewhere. Which sometimes makes Nikolai a bit nervous of her indifference of using a gun as a makeshift telescope so openly, or the fact that the barrel is literally pointing at him. "(Just investigating something, would you do me a favour and help me cover my tracks?)" Nikolai asked in a overly sweet tone as a groan was heard from the other side of the channel.

  "(Yeaaaahhh... you sure this isn't another beating of that rich kid and his goonies? Cause from what I could see, you got yourself a good ground to snipe them like the last incident...)" She replied as Nikolai heard her drinking something sharply. Most likely that disgusting, tasteless nutrient dense ration juice she keeps around.

  "(Unfortunately for you, I already have a good laugh out of him awhile ago. I'll tell you about that later, but for now, can you please cover for me? I'm just going to be quick about this. Really.)" Once again, he used a overly sweet tone as Nikolai could already imagine the face she is making of listening to his voice, which she definitely finds it gross. Putrid even.

  "(... Fine, fine... I can. There is nothing for us to do here anyway except getting some extra curricular points. Though, you definitely owe me one. Better buy me that expensive cake I told you about in the tram.)" There was some hustling on her side of the channel, indicating she changed positions from using her scope to spot Nikolai, to look at somewhere else like a bird of prey. Just as a point rised up from their toll on Nikolai's HUD. "(Anywayyyy... what are you even looking on about? Didn't we already investigated all the interesting spots here a year ago... or was it 2 years ago? Whatever, point taken, tell me the details.)" Cecilia asked eagerly as Nikolai then stopped and began to set up his spotting gear on a point that overlooks the ruined city.

  "(I'm not yet sure, but there seems to be a broken transceiver. Heard any unkown callers awhile ago?)" Nikolai asked, knowing it is bit of a white lie, but he is technically saying the truth as Cecilia replies with a no. "(I don't know if the other guys heard it from their frequencies, but it's nothing major. Most likely a malfunction from a transceiver of the drones, but I just want to check it out.)"

  Once again, technically not lying, because it is a possibility that Nikolai was just overthinking of the alien situation too deeply. Cecilia seems suspicious, which is not a surprise, but she bought it warily with a warning. "(Just make sure you better delete the memory data of the suit after we're done. Or else Sir Takamiya will be having a word with you.)"

  With that, she cuts the channel off as Nikolai sighed. It's true that there are no trackers on them, simply because it is a security measure. If ever, the aliens did come and a incident occurs, the computers would locked out and prevent them from accessing its contents. One of which, is the absence of a tracker which would directly lead to the instructor and thus, the whole city if it wasn't blocked. However, recording data is still present on the suit's camera on the top. Which though inconsequential to the finding of the city, it is still a liability to his classmates and the staff present in the area. This of course, included their voice logs in that data extraction.

  "That should do the trick." Nikolai said as he looked at the scouting equipment on auto mode, which is normally not recommended for the aggressive style he and Cecilia do their scouting for points. Especially on a stationary asset at that. But since Cecilia's covering for him, he might as well help her out while he's out, while also making sure his score isn't suspiciously stagnant, as that's a clear sign for being caught red handed that he's up to something once the data is collected. "And... there. Perfect."

  Nik is busy (^-^)

  Is what is written on the sticky paper. With that out of the way, he then rushed out towards the destination of the coordinates with a chuckle that escaped from his lips of the ridiculous note. Knowing that the only person who can read it is Cecilia.

  The trek, was much more difficult than Nikolai thought. As tempted he was to take off his hazard suit, he must not. Not because the surface has began to decrease in it's oxygen supply, but rather to avoid the ailments of possible diseases that came with the aliens from their dead bodies that now seeps in the air and ground. Added by the fact of fallout from the bombings and usage of the IPMs, the possible artefacts from the clouded sky, and of course, let's not forget weapons fire from the aliens. It is a lot to take in, but better safe than sorry, as the hazard suit, despite it's looks, can shrug off a hit or two from energy based projectiles of the low concentrated variety. In return, making them a very bad match up for kinetics, and thankfully, the aliens are almost all energy based in their weapons.

  "If I have known damn well about this, I should have picked up my hiking boots for this!" Nikolai complained as he swats a branch away with his basic thermal knife. "I swear, these engineered lab plants are a hazard. No wonder it was only reserved for agriculture. No way these can grow normally in Pagoda!"

  Still, his complaining doesn't change the fact it is very uncomfortable to go unprepared in a forest environment. Thankfully, the suit has a basic climate control system, so Nikolai is well in the goldilock zone of temperatures. Though none of that will help him thread through the gigantic trees that rival the buildings he saw earlier. Heck, they even are growing on the remains of the city as Nikolai saw a chunk of a building being lifted by vines and branches so thick, it's like a rock was disguising itself like a tree while skewering buildings for breakfast. "This really just let me feel my love-hate relationship with the Boundaries even more than it already is... Though, I don't think I have even made it to this deep either to proclaim that..."

  Nikolai has only reached a kilometre or so deep in the Boundaries, as he never had a reason to go deeper. Except for that one Live Exam about camping, but even then, that was only two kilometres deep, and he is now about approaching five kilometres. And with the way how stupidly gigantic the trees are, even for Pagoda Trees that are native in Venture, it just made the world even darker than it already is with the clouded sky. Tempting Nikolai to turn his suit lights on, but decided against it to keep his visibility from potential enemies low.

  "Wow, I'm actually starting to regret my actions." He joked to no one in particular as silence came to view to the city overtaken by nature as wildlife continue to flourish. "I'm surprised you guys weren't wiped out by the bombings, guess these trees are just tough." Nikolai said as he tapped a thick root of the tree that was about his height. "Reminds me of the instructor's thick skin..."

  Well, they are slightly denser than normal trees, but not exactly twice as tough. They only just gone up by size, and thanks to it's bioengineered traits, cut one down, and by the next week, a another giant takes it's place. Its like a hydra from the old myths from Earth that never dies despite how many times the Hero cuts it. It just keeps on coming back from the dead with more heads. Its kind of awe inspiring in a way, knowing nature can always flourished on its own... until that message was ruined, because the whole forest was man made, genetically edited bio life.

  "Am I this nervous that I questioned a tree's existence for no apparent reason?" He asked no one in particular as he sighed to himself. He wants to talk with Cecilia, which would at least keep him company in this curiosity hunt of his. However, Nikolai doesn't want to bother her, as he already asked her a favour, and the last thing Nikolai needs is a pissed off Cecilia for distracting her, or a Cecilia that is eager to claim another favor from him. Either way, both options are out of the window. As he also risked letting his private channel frequency be caught potentially, by the unknown caller.

  Crack!

  "Hm?..."

  Nikolai then looked at his foot with a shadowed look on his face to see a old discarded head piece of a militarized Peacewalker. Clearly, it's not new, its features show that it has been there for good while. The durable metals on its head are showing signs of decomposition, and with how brittle the plastic shell was, it must have been a very early converted model. "This place... must have been a slaughter..."

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  Now that Nikolai takes a good look again at the nature around him, he soon discovered that there wasn't only one, but dozens of the same model with other assets being buried, half buried, or grown into one of the bioengineered trees. However, there was no signs of bodies from either side. Most likely taken for examination or burial, though frankly, not much is known what the aliens does with the bodies, but it is probably the same. Either way, for Nikolai to see an actual aftermath of a combat zone for himself and without guidance from the instructors, was a feeling he can't describe.

  It's like looking at something he shouldn't, but at the same time, he must to learn something from it. With a silent action, he then clasp his hands together to make a silent prayer, though he isn't as religious as Cecilia, he still believe the faith he belonged to as he stood still for a few seconds before withdrawing his hands.

  "May the Seeker guides you."

  Nikolai then sighed and takes a seat on one of the fallen debris of the hanged buildings of the forest. He then commanded the suit for water as a straw has erected inside his helmet. Taking a sip of the disgusting ration juice, he looks at his HUD for the origin of the unknown caller. And it seems to be he is in the actual spot where it was called upon. It really was just a malfunction of some drone, maybe like a ghost's last whisper or of the sorts. "Well that was anticlimactic."

  There was no other way to put it, all that effort for naught. However, it did satisfy his curiosity as his doubts was cleared, though that was a lie, not all doubts were clear. The unkown caller irks his mind like a plague, but it at least makes it easier for Nikolai to move on from that moment of mystery, despite the answers he currently got. At least he got a cool place to hide into if he gets the chance to do another Live Exam. "Save the coordinates. Let's see here... 4, 981m from... what the?..." However that sense of the missing puzzle came in fast as Nikolai takes a gulp of his saliva.

  On the map given on the HUD, is the topography that the surface would've been covered in trees that hides the ground. Showing the varying elevation levels of the trees. With the average size of the bioengineered trees are 137m above the ground level on his current location. However, that's just the median and not the representation of all the trees. There in his area, about a rough radius of 2km, is a suspiciously even out 137m tall trees. Which is naturally impossible, even if the odds are in it's favor, it ain't that precise of a flat surface unless of course, was artificially made that way.

  The computer on board may not be the most advance, but it got the latest data of the topography in the area. Which begs the question, how in the world did the survey team didn't even not noticed it?! This is cleary a distortion field of some kind, a basic one at that, but it could fool a lot of instruments, but not to any person with experience or AIs with a process power so far from human speeds. Even more so when multiple traps similar to it have been set up by the military, in successful decisive chokepoints in the alien's hotspots... Then a realisation hit him.

  "Wait a second... is this... a trap?"

  But for what exactly, Nikolai wondered as enemy lines are so far from here. Yet at the same, that's a dumb question, as similar traps have been erected in the perimeter, but they are not as sloppy as this one which could give it away to any alien with a brain cell that it is a trap... "Wait... no way... there's no way..."

  But what if it was on purpose? However, then again, if the survey team didn't noticed such obvious of a hiccup this kind of distortion field is, then it is done on purpose by his military to lure the dumb aliens in the trap... yet at the same time, they wouldn't make it as sloppy to do it, and let's say it wasn't noticed, then that means there is a obvious area where the aliens could locate where Fort City Naha is with that trap made obvious.

  Nikolai bit his lip as he thinks deeply. On one hand, he could call upon Cecilia or the instructor about this. However if he was wrong, then that means he'll be most likely not just expelled but be punished for breaking the rules and potentially risking the aliens finding their city. Thus, hurting Cecilia and his parents in the aftermath. However, if he didn't and just assume it's a trap and ignore it, there is high possibility the aliens instead get them first and not the other way around. Worst part is, if he indeed tries to explore it and the aliens are actually there, he'll dead before he can even turn off the distortion field and his classmates would be located. Thus the same scenario would happen... Now the question is... what path should Nikolai take?...

  ". . ."

  With a silent confirmation to nobody in particular with a nod. He then takes a step forward as he unholster the short range direct thermal weapon from it's charging bay and set it's focus to linear. If Nikolai will want to hit something, then it doesn't matter how devastating it is if it can't hit it, especially with it's 5m range. With another silence from him, curiously, Nikolai walks forth as he marched to what may be possibly certain death for him as he dialed his coordinates again for more than one area where it might be possible where the signal is. And as he dialed it up, he began to trek hastily.

  One coordinate after another, Nikolai found nothing. To the point it makes him anxious as he hurriedly tries to find it, as despite his time limit to go back was rather long, the knowledge that something so close is so dangerous and may be even potentially disastrous for them, makes Nikolai rushed his procedure. Yet as he goes on and on with haste, nothing appeared. Which many doubts cross his mind that he was becoming like a madman, however it is only natural he couldn't find it, it is a disruption device, so it being hidden is no surprises there. Just where is it? "My curiosity will definitely be the death of me one day, just didn't thought it has come this close though."

  Yet as a whole 30 minutes passed, making it a total of a hour and 12 minutes since he began to locate the source, in which he found none. Nikolai cursed under his lips for the third time now as he stop for a moment to catch his breath. After taking a moment, he then leaned into one of the gigantic roots for support and drank some disgusting ration juice as thoughts rolled out.

  "Should I risked it and call Instructor Takamiya instead?" He asked himself. With the way things are going, he's never finding that distortion device. At this point, Nikolai was weighing his expulsion and punishment as less of a problem if he could only confirm the imminent threat in his surroundings is true or not. "No, don't jump to conclusions yet, just need to think about this calmly. Distortion devices are not easy to hide, they are sized like a average small truck. It must be in the open to make use of it's capabilities much more efficiency... I just need that one clue... any clue! I just need a..."

  Then as he looked up, noticing the ruined building being lifted up by the thick vines and branches earlier, a thought came upon him that should have been obvious from the start. With a smack from his visor, he got himself together and retracts the straw. "I'm not sure... but there is one way to find out."

  It is only natural Nikolai didn't thought of the distortion device or even the unkown caller be located on top of the trees, simply put, it is too tall and with that amount of height, heavy equipment are needed to lift anybody up. In the human biology, either a helicopter or even a crane hauler. For the aliens who are attacking from the sky, ships or some aircraft is needed. The unifying factor being, vehicles are used and vehicles can be detected by both sides if they are large enough. And as far as Nikolai concerns; trucks, helicopters and spacecraft are not tiny by any means. Especially by sensors by either side, but since there is no way it can be mounted underground, top is the only other option.

  And after five minutes of struggling, thanks to the basic thermal knife, he got to the top much faster. There, Nikolai's efforts are rewarded as he found something far more than just a distortion device.

  "By the Holy Seer..."

  What Nikolai saw, is a crash site that the trees mold around it like a deep wound being healed with scars being left behind by it's wake. However, not fully healed yet as clearly if the distortion field wasn't activated, this would be spotted right away. Questions swirled around Nikolai's head, all the same questions that just expanded more and more. However, before anything else, he needs to check it out. As no matter how Nikolai looks at it, it is not a human ship. But a alien one, barely clinging into the trunk of the gigantic trees around it.

  And with a determined breath, Nikolai composes himself as he began to carefully balances himself towards the crash ship. Hoping that his decision will not end in a disaster that couldn't allow him to forgive himself.

  "[. . .]"

  [Am I correct in you're assessment?]

  "[. . .]"

  [. . . Vital Signs Detected. Sector B-21, Live Exam Site. Area G-25, Xeno Escape Shuttle. Movement is detected approaching the vessel, I recommend activating the scout drones to discourage the citizen from entering the Area.]

  "[. . .]"

  [. . . I see, however base on the possibilities of such scenario, I am not convinced of dangerous endeavours being handed to a citizen who is not involved in this operation. There is a difference in trust of the individual, and the capability of that individual to fulfil their task.]

  "[. . .]"

  [. . . Very well. I may not recommend this course of actions, but it does not hamper Phase 3 of Operation Invicta. So I am willing to give some tight rescheduling, despite the intermission. However, if they do succeed in the role we have unwillingly thrust upon them, then our chances of succeeding Phase 3, will be accelerated for it's already passed due date.]

  "[. . .]"

  [Understood. The xenos are currently looking into the current situation at the same time as us, just as how the original operation would have been, I will proceed to give some time towards the new opportunity being given to us. Until then, will anybody be rejecting the notion?]

  [Voting in Progress...]

  "[. . .]"

  [Voting in Progress...]

  [I agree with you're opinion. However, I have no right to reject it despite my position in power. As long our chances grow by even a percent, with our current situation, desperate measures must be fulfilled. Understand that what we are doing is for the greater good of Humanity.]

  [Voting Finished!]

  [YAY (83.9%) NAY (16.1%)]

  [Understood. Everyone, begin operations.]