11: Expedition begins and the Death Crater

The six-hour rest period passed in the blink of an eye.

The Moon Base stirred like a waking steel behemoth, entering the final phase of pre-war preparations. The prism tanks and grizzly tanks had completed maintenance and ammunition loading, their engines emitting low roars, as if they were beasts ready to pounce. Ten American Soldiers meticulously checked the firearms in their hands, the clinking of ammunition belts sounding crisp. Five Rocket Troopers circled at low altitude, conducting final equipment calibrations. And that Chrono Legionnaire stood silently at the edge of the formation; the heavy chronosphere device made him seem out of place, yet he exuded a reassuringly powerful aura.

Sun Zheng stood before the Command Center's main screen, confirming the operation plan one last time. On the map, a clear route extended from the base, pointing directly towards the area marked as the "Crater of Death" in the northwest. The high-definition maps transmitted earlier by the Rocket Troopers showed that the crater's rim was steep, its interior deep and riddled with hidden fissures, and the signal source seemed to originate from within one of the largest caves.

"Commander, all units are ready," A001's voice came through the communicator, steady and strong.

Sun Zheng took a deep breath, opened the full army communication channel, and his voice clearly reached every soldier's ear:

"Attention everyone, this is Sun Zheng."

"Over the past few days, we have repelled two attacks from an unknown enemy, defending our homeland with blood and steel. But that is not enough! Passive defense will never bring true security!"

"The source of the threat is in that crater! We must take the initiative, uncover the mystery, and snuff out the danger in its infancy!"

"This is not just reconnaissance; this is a declaration! A declaration to the starry sky that we are here, we are taking root, and any enemy that tries to destroy us will be crushed by our steel torrent!"

"Expedition Team, move out!"

There was no rousing accompaniment, no noisy cheers, only the roar of engines and the hum of jetpacks. The steel torrent began to move: prism tanks took the lead, grizzly tanks covered the rear, infantry were spread out on both sides of the convoy, and Rocket Troopers maintained aerial vigilance, advancing steadily toward the target direction.

Sun Zheng sat back in his command chair, the screen split into several views: the main tactical map, the camera feed from the lead tank, and the overhead perspective from the aerial troopers. His heart rate quickened slightly; this was his unit's first organized expedition away from the base, and its significance was extraordinary.

The convoy traveled across the silent lunar surface, leaving long tracks behind. The scenery along the way was monotonously desolate, but Sun Zheng dared not relax in the slightest, ordering the flying troops to expand their reconnaissance range and remain vigilant against any possible ambush.

Halfway through the journey, everything was normal. Just as Sun Zheng began to relax slightly, the Rocket Trooper responsible for high-altitude reconnaissance suddenly sent an alert:

"Reporting to Commander! An anomaly has been detected! Approximately three kilometers southeast of the crater rim, there are regular geometric structures on the ground! Suspected artificial structures, but they resemble neither our style nor the Scrin style!"

The image transmitted back showed several semi-spherical dome structures faintly emerging from a flat expanse of lunar dust, most of them covered by dust, appearing ancient and dilapidated.

"Another ruin?" Sun Zheng frowned deeply. How many secrets did the far side of the moon hide? He ordered the convoy to temporarily change direction and approach cautiously for reconnaissance, but to maintain a safe distance.

Observing through the high-magnification camera, the dome structures had a simple architectural style, carrying a sense of ancient vicissitude. They were definitely not products of modern human technology, nor did they resemble the organic-mechanical aesthetic of the Scrin.

"Scan the structures, analyze the materials and age," Sun Zheng commanded.

The scanners of the prism tanks and Rocket Troopers focused on the ruins. The preliminary analysis results were astonishing: these structures were made of some unknown alloy, and their age was frighteningly old—at least over one million years!

"Over a million years ago... there was another civilization on the Moon?" Sun Zheng felt a chill. This discovery was more chilling than the threat of the Scrin.

He temporarily suppressed the urge to explore this new ruin, marked its coordinates as "Ancient Ruins-01," and relegated its priority. The most important goal right now was still the Scrin signal source.

The convoy readjusted its course and continued toward the Crater of Death.

The closer they got to the crater, the heavier the atmosphere became. The massive shadow cast by the mountain looked like a giant mouth swallowing light. Radiation readings also began to fluctuate slightly.

Finally, the expedition team reached the edge of the Crater of Death. Looking down, the interior was bottomless, as if countless eyes were hidden within the darkness.

"Signal strength increasing, confirmed to be inside a horizontal cave about 500 meters below," the flying troop reported.

"Find a safe route, prepare to descend. All units, maintain maximum alert!" Sun Zheng issued the order, his palms slightly sweaty.