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

Lin Mo looked at Forging Stone Iron Fist's hearty face, then at the dark red-patterned ores on his stall, and shook his head resolutely.

He didn't say anything, but squatted down and took out the remaining buckets of instant noodles and several packs of AD calcium milk from his backpack, arranging them neatly in front of the old blacksmith.

Then, he pointed to the food on the ground, and then to the ore, his eyes firm and showing no sign of backing down.

If you won't exchange it, I won't take it.

Looking at his stubborn expression, Forging Stone Iron Fist was initially taken aback, but that astonishment quickly turned into a smile mixed with respect.

He had lived half his life and this was the first time he had ever seen someone act like this.

He let out a heavy sigh, which sounded like a compromise, yet also like a sigh of praise.

The old blacksmith stopped insisting and bent down to personally select a few pieces of fire-patterned steel with the clearest patterns and the most uniform texture from the pile of ore.

He took a few more pieces that were already half-forged and whose internal structure was visible, and pushed them all in front of Lin Mo.

Lin Mo carefully collected each of the samples into a collection bag.

He carefully packed all the sample bags into his backpack, and the heavy weight on his back made him feel at ease.

Without further delay, he turned and strode quickly toward the corner where a composed figure was studying a map.

"team leader."

Long Fei looked up and saw Lin Mo return. His gaze lingered on Lin Mo's bulging backpack.

He glanced at the villagers, who were content and savoring the taste of instant noodles, and a subtle smile appeared on his lips.

"nailed it?"

"Reporting to the captain."

Lin Mo's voice was very low, but you could still hear the excitement in it, and his breathing was a little rapid:

"I obtained the formulas and samples for two kinds of medicines, as well as a few pieces of the special ore used by blacksmiths."

He took off his backpack, unzipped it, and showed Long Fei the neatly categorized and clearly labeled sample bags inside, as if presenting a treasure.

Long Fei's eyes lit up instantly.

He bent down, his gaze sweeping over the plants, sap, and minerals one by one. A hint of joy appeared on his usually serious face.

He could almost picture Professor Sun and his group of mad scientists at the base, dancing with glee.

"Well done."

Long Fei straightened up and patted Lin Mo's shoulder hard, the force making Lin Mo sway.

This was not just praise, but affirmation.

"You've done a great job, kid."

He personally helped Lin Mo pull his backpack up and handed the achievement back to him.

Then, Long Fei straightened up, his joy quickly subsiding, and he reverted to being the calm and dignified commander he once was.

He picked up the tactical headset hanging on his shoulder and pressed the call button.

"Tiger Team, rest in place and be ready to respond to any emergencies. Eagle Team, take over perimeter security from Snow Wolf Team. Snow Wolf Team will replace Eagle Team at 2:00 AM."

"All personnel will take turns resting to maintain their combat effectiveness."

Several short, firm responses rang out in the earpiece:

"Tiger received."

"Received, Azure Eagle."

"Snow Wolf received."

The order was given, and the atmosphere in the house, which had just been filled with the warmth of daily life, instantly became tense.

Night completely enveloped the valley.

The villagers of Fernwall Village surrounded the replaced Tigers team members and enthusiastically offered them their best food.

But the soldiers simply accepted it silently, keeping their weapons in the most convenient positions, their vigilant eyes never leaving the dark windows.

Time passed quietly in its cycles. At midnight, the Eagles emerged from the darkness like ghosts, silently taking over their posts.

At 2 a.m., after a short rest, the Snow Wolf team set off again, disappearing into the deeper night.

The whole process was quiet and efficient.

The next day, dawn broke.

The morning sunlight shone through the cracks in the wooden house, dispelling the chill inside.

Li Na is changing the dressing on the nail.

As she carefully unwrapped the last layer of bandage, her hand froze in mid-air, and she stopped breathing.

Yesterday's deep, bone-revealing wound is now just a faint pink mark.

The wound has completely healed, even the scabs have fallen off, and the new skin has a healthy glow.

"This...how is this possible..." Li Na's voice trembled, a mixture of shock and disbelief.

Several awake team members gathered around, and when they saw the nailed arm, they were all stunned and speechless for a moment.

Nail raised its hand and stared blankly at its arm, as if it weren't part of its own body.

He tried to move around a bit, then clenched his fist tightly, the muscles in his arm bulging instantly, full of power.

"I feel like... I could kill a cow!" Nail's voice was a little loud with excitement.

Just then, Long Fei's calm voice rang out in the room; he had already given the order to return via his headset.

"Attention all teams, assemble outside the village entrance in one hour to prepare for the return trip."

"Snow Wolf received."

"Tiger received."

"Received, Azure Eagle."

After three responses, the soldiers immediately sprang into action, checking their equipment and organizing their backpacks.

However, in the midst of this peaceful impending departure, an unexpected event occurred.

"Beep beep—Team Leader Long! Emergency!"

Suddenly, the urgent, distorted voice of the drone pilot from the Eagles team came through the tactical headset.

The room fell into a deathly silence; everyone froze in their tracks.

Long Fei's face darkened. He strode to the drone operator's screen, his voice unusually calm: "What's going on?"

"A goblin patrol has been spotted five kilometers away, at the three o'clock position from the village!"

Long Fei's heart sank. He stared intently at the twenty-odd scattered, moving infrared dots on the screen, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints.

This distance is too close.

"Quantity?" His voice was devoid of any emotion.

"Reporting to Captain Long, initial observation indicates there are approximately twenty of them, forming a standard small patrol team."

Long Fei's brain worked at lightning speed, and he made a decision within seconds.

He abruptly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the team members who were already fully prepared and ready to go. His voice was decisive and cold, reaching everyone's ears through the command channel:

"Combat orders."

"Snow Wolf Team, Eagle Team, with all mechanical dogs, launch an immediate attack! Objective: lure the goblin patrol in the opposite direction of the village!"

"Remember, don't wipe them out. Make a big commotion to lure them away. Don't let them suspect the existence of the village!"

"Tiger Team, escort Lin Mo and immediately move to the designated extraction point! Establish a perimeter of one kilometer around the teleportation portal's target location, ready to provide support at any time!"

He paused, his voice leaving no room for argument:

"Mission objective: Divert enemy attention and cover our safe withdrawal! Avoid close combat. Return immediately upon completion of the mission!"

"Did you all understand?"

Clear, short responses simultaneously came through the communication channels of all three teams, like the sound of bullets being chambered:

"Snow Wolf understands."

"The eagle understands."

"The tiger understands."