Hold on!

Three struggling captives, who appeared to be technicians based on their attire, were immediately escorted away. The remaining prisoners were lined up for the Deacon's inspection.
The physically robust individuals were taken away by the two researchers at the front, while the rest were sent to the dungeon to await being turned into wetware.
The two researchers exchanged a furtive glance, then subtly adjusted two data entries on their tablets before speaking simultaneously:
"Uh... Lord Deacon, please wait a moment. These two seem to have decent physical metrics. Sending them to the Great Cathedral might be a waste."
"That's right. Look at their data."
One researcher hastily held out the tablet to the Deacon.
"Oh?"
The Deacon scoffed coldly and gently tapped his gemstone ring.
The two researchers collapsed to the ground, clutching their chests and convulsing in agony. Their mouths gaped open, but they could only gasp for air, unable to scream.
The Deacon watched the scene with cold disdain, his voice dripping with frustration and disappointment. "Hmph! You yellow-skinned rats from the Eastern Continent! You never learn. You'll never remember the King's teachings."
Only after a full minute had passed, when the two researchers were about to pass out from the pain, did he touch another ring, halting the torture. His voice was icy as he asked, "Do you remember now?"
"Uh... we... we remember... they... they're not human... they're... they're sin... filth..." the researchers forced out the words.
"I hope this memory lasts longer than a moment."
The Deacon smiled, then gestured to the guards beside him. The two captives who had been risked so much to save were promptly transferred to another group.
Only after the Deacon had long departed did the two researchers stagger to their feet, supporting each other. They wiped the tears and snot from their faces before whispering to each other:
"Ahem... At least we saved two more..."
"Good thing this stupid pig can't understand the data... but this isn't a real solution..."
"Let's think of something. We should talk to those two in the surgery room. If they're willing..."
"No! I've seen how they perform surgeries. Do you know the look in their eyes? It's pure excitement and enjoyment!"
"Sigh... We can only hope Little Glasses can escape. But what if it's just some desolate wilderness out there?"
"Don't give up. There has to be a way."
"Right!"
"Hold on! I'm coming to rescue you right now!"
Xiao Bai, who had been silently observing, spoke urgently.
"Even if I spend my entire life walking on thin ice, there will still be moments when righteous indignation burns within me!"
He had nearly chosen to anchor.
Fortunately, he regained his composure in time, avoiding that reckless action.
"This won't work. Charging in blindly, even if I could slaughter all those humanoid creatures, they'd be dead by then."
"And this Anchor can only observe, not intervene..."
"Calm down! Calm down... The more desperate the situation, the more we must avoid impulsive actions driven by fleeting emotions."
Xiao Bai's air intake hissed sharply, like a deep breath, as he forced himself to calm down.
"After the Anchor locates a target, we have ten days to decide whether to anchor down. After that, we'll be forcibly detached. I need to use this time wisely and devise a solid, feasible plan!"
"First, I need to identify the biggest challenge. The mecha there pose no real threat; a single full-power barrage would annihilate them. The real danger lies in those self-destruct devices..."
"These humanoid creatures clearly know their defenses are minimal and would crumble under a direct assault. That's why they've gone to such extremes, deploying over 5,000 self-destruct devices—enough to obliterate the entire base in an instant."
Xiao Bai stared at the array of self-destruct devices, his scalp prickling with unease.
"So sounding the alarm might not be the best choice. The entrance to this place must be extremely well-hidden and difficult to locate, and any attempt to investigate could alert the enemy. Otherwise, it would have been taken down long ago. And to make matters worse, I can't even observe the situation outside..."
"Once the authorities get involved, I won't be able to 'anchor' here anymore."
"Better to rely on myself for now. As long as I can evade the radar and global scan early warning systems, slip inside, and send the leaders to the Second Dimension first, the rest should fall into place."
"I'll save as many of the captured as I can. Some might be out of reach, but as long as I avoid a Russian-style rescue, that's acceptable."
"So the immediate problem is..."
Xiao Bai paused, glancing down at his body.
Even crouched down, he was still a large, conspicuous target. Sneaking in quietly would be... challenging.
He had no real experience with stealth missions. He could manage Brotherhood-style infiltrations, but proper stealth operations were completely foreign to him.
After a moment's thought, Xiao Bai logged into the Tavern, found Silver Gun White Horse, and sent a message:
"Brother Li, I have a few questions about infiltration tactics."
After waiting a few minutes, a response came through:
"Huh? Weren't you working on a confidential commission? Why are you asking about this?"
"I encountered a bit of a special situation..."
"Is that so? I'm not an expert in this field, but I can introduce you to someone who is. Hang on, I'll ask around."
"Alright, thanks a lot, Brother Li."
A moment later, the other person sent over a Tavern business card for Xiao Bai to add as a friend, along with an additional note:
"This guy's easy to persuade. Remember to call him 'Teacher' a few times."
Xiao Bai thanked the person, agreed to play a few rounds of Virtual Battlefield together after finishing his current task, and then greeted the Tavern user with the ID "Bayek":
"Hello, Teacher Ba?"
"My surname is Zhou. I picked this ID after a game character... Now, tell me about your situation."
"Well, I need to infiltrate a heavily guarded base... Rest assured, this isn't illegal or anything!"
"I believe you. A Specially Appointed Rese archer for the Fire Thief? That's a title I've never seen before... So go ahead and be more direct. Are you up against the Children of the Abyss? The Hundun Society? The Doomsday Brotherhood? The Anti-Order Alliance? Or perhaps... Black Fortress Security?"
Listening to the other person rattle off these names like items on a menu, Xiao Bai was completely stunned.
It felt like S3 had already started, and he hadn't even known about it.
After a moment's thought, he chose to answer truthfully:
"It's the Children of the Abyss."
"Hiss.. . So it's the most troublesome one. Their cyborg pilots are still a formidable challenge, especially since they use entirely American equipment. Their data links are even more advanced than Lao Li's—much harder to hack. Let's start with the numbers, then."
"They have nearly 300 people."
Xiao Bai stated the enemy's numbers first, but before he could mention his own, the other person interrupted:
"You need at least 30 elite operatives, rank 4 or higher, along with dedicated electronic warfare and bomb disposal teams."
"Uh... I'm sorry, Teacher Zhou, but I'm the only one on my side..."
"Ah???"

Chapter end