I started with a portal, then turned around and handed it over to the nation.

The smell of humus mixed with the earthy odor filled Lin Mo's nose.

The white light dissipated, and the surroundings transformed into a dark and oppressive swampy woodland. Beneath their feet lay soft, mushy mud; each step plunged into icy water that reached above their ankles.

The light was dim, and the tall, twisted trees blocked out the sky, with only a few spots of light filtering through the gaps in the branches and leaves.

The air was humid and sticky, and every breath carried moisture.

"Safety!"

"Establish a circular defensive line!"

"One team on alert, two team checking equipment!"

Lin Mo was still adjusting to the changing environment when a series of deep, rapid commands sounded around him.

None of the fifty soldiers panicked in the slightest despite the drastic change in environment.

Their bodies automatically entered combat mode the moment they stepped out of the portal.

Han Feng, the captain of the Snow Wolf Special Forces, a man with sharp eyes, made several tactical hand gestures to his team members.

The dozen or so Snow Wolf team members immediately formed three-person combat teams and lowered their profiles.

Like a ghost, they silently blended into the shadows of the surrounding woods, conducting reconnaissance outwards and expanding the safe zone.

"Tigers! Communications base station! Deploy within thirty seconds!"

A sergeant from the Tigers gave a loud order.

Without a word, the team members got to work, unloading the heavy equipment boxes from their backs with quick and efficient movements.

"Click!"

A folding satellite dish was unfolded and pointed at the sky.

Engineer Zhang Yi was kneeling on the ground, his fingers flying across the control panel as he connected thick cables to the main unit.

The device emits a slight humming sound, and the indicator light changes from red to green.

"Local area network setup complete! Communication channel established!"

"Drone ready for takeoff!"

Another team member opened the box, and a folding quadcopter drone was taken out, its rotors unfolding.

With a low buzzing sound, the drone ascended vertically, quickly soaring over the treetops and transmitting the aerial view back to the ground terminal.

The two mechanical dogs that rushed in first completed a preliminary scan of the surrounding environment.

Upon receiving the order, it was brought to a standstill, shutting down most of the power system to conserve electricity, leaving only the basic warning module in place.

Under Long Fei's command, the Eagle Special Forces quickly established a solid defensive perimeter around the Tiger Team.

The team members stood back to back, gun barrels facing outwards, using a tactical formation to guard the core area where preparations were underway.

Lin Mo stood in the center of the defensive circle. He looked around and a familiar sense of disorientation welled up in his heart.

He recognized this place.

That strange, crooked tree, and that black pool of water that emits a foul stench not far away.

This is the exact location where he was last teleported away by the system.

He quickly walked to Long Fei's side and spoke in a low voice.

"Team Dragon, this is it. The place I left last time."

He pointed in a direction.

"There's a village about a kilometer away. The girl I rescued last time is from that village."

Long Fei nodded in response. His bronze face showed little expression, but his sharp gaze swept in the direction Lin Mo was pointing.

"Repeat the system task."

Long Fei's voice was very concise.

Lin Mo immediately focused his mind and looked at the illusory panel in front of him that only he could see.

Main Quest: The Tauren's Provocation

[Mission Objective: Kill ten minotaurs within seven days]

[Mission Hint: They are symbols of brute force, dwelling deep within the rotting swamp, possessing tough skin and ferocious power.]

Lin Mo immediately took out paper and pen from his tactical backpack, squatted down, and quickly sketched on the paper by the light of a tactical flashlight turned on by a teammate.

The pencil makes a "scratching" sound on the paper.

Soon, the general outline of a creature appeared on the paper.

It had a bull-like head, two thick, curved horns, a humanoid body covered in coarse, short hair, bulging muscles, and held a huge stone axe in its hand.

He handed the completed drawings to Long Fei.

"Mission objective: Ten Tauren, to be completed within seven days."

Long Fei took the blueprints and stared at them for a few seconds.

He took a multi-functional terminal off his wrist and aimed it at the blueprint.

With a soft "beep," the terminal's camera completed the scan and took a picture.

"The images have been sent to the terminals of all units. Please check your inbox," Long Fei said into his headset.

Almost simultaneously, the communications officer from the Tigers' side reported again.

"Report! Local area network communication is stable, all channels are available!"

"Report! High-altitude reconnaissance footage from the drone indicates no obvious signs of large biological activity within a two-kilometer radius centered on us, according to thermal imaging!"

Long Fei raised his hand and controlled the communication channel of the headset.

"Snow Wolf, Snow Wolf, please reply upon receipt."

"Snow Wolf received." Han Feng's calm voice came through the earpiece: "Outer perimeter is safe, no signs of abnormal life, air sample collected."

After listening to all the reports, Long Fei remained silent for a moment, as if he was rapidly constructing a map of the entire battlefield situation in his mind.

He walked to a position where all team members could hear him, and his voice was clearly transmitted to everyone through the public channel.

"Situation report."

"First, the current landing location of the teleportation portal is the same as the location where 'Heavenly Gate' left last time. This proves that the teleportation mechanism is predictable."

"Secondly, in the event of force majeure during the mission, the primary task of all units is to protect 'Tianmen' and evacuate to this location."

"After the crisis is over, use this place as the final rendezvous point to wait for the next portal to open and join the subsequent troops."

A deep "Understood" came through the headsets of all the team members in unison.

"Third," Long Fei's gaze swept over everyone:

"The objective of this mission is to kill ten minotaurs. A brief image of the target creatures has been sent. They are large, intelligent, and armed; do not underestimate them."

He paused, then raised his hand and pointed in the direction Lin Mo had previously indicated.

"Attention all personnel, adjust direction, target 3 o'clock. 'Tianmen' provides intelligence: there is an intelligent life settlement one kilometer away in that direction."

"Our primary action is to conduct close observation and intelligence gathering to assess the threat level and contact value of the settlement."

"Now, adjust your formation and prepare to depart!"

"clear!"

A deafening response echoed deep through the woods.

The three special operations teams immediately began to adjust their formation.

The Snow Wolf team shifted from perimeter reconnaissance to becoming the vanguard of the team, clearing the way ahead.

The Tigers packaged communication base stations and other equipment, placing them in the center of the team to provide fire support and technical assistance.

The Eagle Team escorted Lin Mo, walking at the rear of the group, ready to deal with any unexpected situations.

The team of fifty men, like a sophisticated war machine, began to operate silently.

"Set off!"

With Long Fei's command, this armed force from another world embarked on its first expedition into that other world.

Overhead, the drones flew low, like silent eagles, leading the way and constantly transmitting real-time reconnaissance footage.

The soldiers' boots made a soft sound as they trod on the muddy ground, quickly disappearing into the depths of this dark, ancient swamp forest.