In Australis.


    The moment her ne touched down, Juniper drove straight to Base One. When


    she arrived, arge crowd was gathered at the entrance, all d in hazmat suits and gas masks.


    "Specter."


    Seeing that their leader had arrived after the incident, the base manager rushed forward to give her a quick briefing. "The experiment was following standard procedure, but we don''t know which step went wrong. It caused a toxic gas leak..."


    "That''s enough," Juniper said, putting on her own protective gear as she listened. "Are all the researchers still inside?"


    "Yes, they are."


    The manager nodded respectfully. "The gas is extremely hazardous. They can''te out until it''s been dealt with."


    More importantly, this research was a key project for Subterra Vanguard, with tens of billions invested since its inception. If they left now, all their previous efforts would be for nothing. That was why the researchers refused to leave. Several were already on the brink of copse, their lives hanging by a thread.


    "This is absurd." Juniper shot the manager a harsh re, her voice a low growl. "Are their lives more important, or is this experiment? Get me a mask!"


    "Specter, you''re going in?" The manager''s eyes widened in shock. He took two steps back and shook his head. "It''s full of toxic gas. It''ll be incredibly dangerous for you."


    "So we just let them die?" Juniper stood her ground, her gaze as cold as ice and her tone unyielding. "Hand it over."


    The manager pressed his lips together, refusing to move.


    "Give it to her," Lue said, taking a mask and handing it to Juniper. She then instructed the manager, "Get me a set too. I''ll go in with her."


    "You wait here," Juniper stopped Lue. After securing her mask, she said seriously, "My trip to Australis isn''t a secret. Those guys from Subterra Vanguard headquarters definitely know. You stay here. It''ll be easier tomunicate if anything happens." "Juniper-"


    Lue knew exactly how dangerous the base was and feared something would happen to her. How would she ever exin it to Juniper''s brothers, or that stubborn old man Shanley?!


    "I''ll be fine," Juniper replied coolly before striding toward the base entrance.


    "Specter!"


    The others tried to follow, but Lue stopped them with a sharpmand. Don''t


    tin Spect ne


    way. Her face was pale, and her voice was hoarse. "She''ll be fine."


    For her brothers, and for Shanley, she believed in Juniper-she wouldn''t let anything happen to herself.


    Inside the base, the air was thick with smoke. Even with a gas mask, a faint, acrid smell still permeated the air.


    "Specter, why did youe in yourself?" a few of the senior researchers asked, stunned to see Juniper. Herlife was worth far more than the entire base. They couldn''t believe no one had stopped her.


    "Give me the situation," Juniper said, heading straight for theb without exnation.


    "Yes, ma''am."


    The researchers knew Specter''s personality. They understood that only she could solve this crisis They aftfell in line behind her, providing a methodical rundown of the events.


    "Right." Juniper pushed open theb door. A few more researchers were inside, still trying to pinpoint the cause of the leak.


    "Where are the sick ones?"


    "The infirmary." They immediately led her to another area.


    Juniper examined them and confirmed they were indeed poisoned, suffering from high fevers and difficulty breathing, with their conditions steadily worsening.


    "We can''t dy any longer. Get them out of here for treatment," Juniper ordered.


    "Specter, we can''t..." the researchers on the sickbeds protested, shaking their heads. "We''ve messed up this experiment so badly. We''ve let you down."


    They felt they had to stay and figure out what went wrong.