The Japanese side was pressing urgently and willing to cover all associated costs. Immediately after the mission briefing concluded, the Chinese authorities specially allocated an Airbus A330. That very afternoon, it transported the group of players to their destination at the highest possible speed: Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.
To avoid detection by the ever-present news media, the moment the plane touched down at Okinawa Airport, the players were swiftly ushered into several luxury buses disguised as tour group vehicles. They headed directly towards the area housing the Phantom Zone.
Of course, Luo Jie felt Japan's excessive caution was somewhat unnecessary. It wasn't a military deployment. No matter how bored the media might be, they wouldn't waste time digging for news on a regular civilian airliner carrying no celebrities or politicians.
After a long drive of over an hour, the convoy carrying over a hundred Chinese players entered the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture. As the surrounding buildings grew denser and more metropolitan, the traffic slowed the buses to a crawl.
Before long, the buses ground to a complete halt. Through the large front windshield, thousands of protesters were clearly visible, blocking the road ahead.
"What's going on? Why have we stopped?" The official representative dispatched by the Chinese military to oversee the mission, seeing the convoy immobilized, questioned the Japanese Ministry of Defense staff member accompanying them.
"Sumimasen! We sincerely apologize!" The Japanese staff member bowed repeatedly, sweat beading on his forehead, his expression helpless. "These protesters... most are families of the students and faculty who died during the Phantom Zone's initial activation. We gave an official explanation – terrorists releasing poison gas on campus – and even provided a death row inmate to take the blame. But somehow, they seem to have heard whispers of something else. They gather here periodically, demanding we reveal the 'truth,' spreading rumors about government conspiracies... and with the media involved, we can't forcibly disperse them. It's become a major headache..."
The Chinese representative nodded. He'd heard about this incident even before receiving the official briefing. Reportedly, this Highschool of the Dead Phantom Zone had first manifested right inside a high school campus in Okinawa. Its initial fifty-meter radius of purple mist had completely engulfed the main school building. Thousands of students and teachers were trapped within. Barely one in a hundred survived.
Thousands of people vanishing without a trace from a densely populated urban area, right inside a school... that kind of disaster would give any government nightmares for years.
After switching to military trucks disguised as supply vehicles, the Chinese players finally arrived inside the high school grounds after considerable maneuvering.
With the Phantom Zone's reactivation time still hours away, the campus was eerily quiet and deserted, showing no obvious signs of abnormality. The only oddity was the yellow police tape cordoning off the main building.
Normally, police tape hugs the edges of buildings or blocks entrances. This tape, however, formed a near-perfect circle, keeping a significant distance from the central structure itself.
None of the assembled players showed any surprise. They all knew this yellow line wasn't standard police tape. It marked the current boundary of the Phantom Zone, a warning to prevent ordinary people from accidentally crossing into the danger area.
Chieftain roughly estimated the cordoned-off radius and couldn't suppress a hint of schadenfreude. "Diameter's about a hundred meters now. No wonder Japan's MOD is sweating bullets."
Luo Jie nodded in agreement. The Japanese side truly had their backs against the wall. The school grounds were rectangular. East-West direction wasn't a huge problem, but the North-South width was only about a hundred meters. They could still contain the situation within the campus... for now. But if they failed to clear the Phantom Zone and the radius expanded again? Even if the Japanese government somehow managed to summon their goddess Amaterasu herself, containing the fallout would be impossible.
"Gentlemen, this way please!"
Guided by staff from the Japanese Ministry of Defense, the Chinese players were led into the school gymnasium. Here, they had their first encounter with the other force assigned to the mission: the Japanese player teams.
And to the astonishment of all the Chinese players, these Japanese teams were fully kitted out with their gear right there in the meeting hall.
Though specific attributes were invisible, the sheer visual impact and completeness of their equipment visibly outstripped what the Chinese players possessed.
They're trying to intimidate us right off the bat... Luo Jie sneered inwardly.
"These must be Japan's elite first-tier players, huh?" Chieftain muttered, his eyes covetously fixed on the imposing crimson suit of armor worn by one Japanese player. He couldn't tell its grade, but it looked incredibly solid. Most importantly, its fierce, imposing appearance dwarfed his own battered, second-hand leather armor. "Small numbers, but damn, that gear looks sweet."
A Chinese team captain nearby overheard Chieftain and chuckled softly, leaning in. "Buddy, you new to this? Didn't you know Japan's Phantom Zones opened a solid six months before ours? These guys probably have at least three more runs under their belts than we do. Of course their gear's better..."
Different players defined "veteran" differently. This captain had survived eight Phantom Zones and was preparing to ascend to Tier 2. In his eyes, Chieftain, with only four runs, wasn't much stronger than a fresh greenhorn just stumbling out of their first zone. Calling him "new" wasn't meant as an insult, just a statement of perceived experience.
The appearance of the Japanese teams sent a palpable wave of unease through the Chinese players. Setting aside potential competition, if these seemingly powerful Japanese teams had failed repeatedly to clear the Phantom Zone... what chance did they really have of succeeding?
"Night Owl," Dancer whispered beside Luo Jie, her voice low. Her role leaned towards support, making her less adept at gauging frontline combat strength than dedicated fighters. "What do you make of these Japanese teams?"
"Probably second or third-tier teams for Japan," Luo Jie replied, keeping his voice equally low. He played the role of the insightful rookie strategist, so he couldn't sound too definitive, even if his assessment was accurate. "Besides the gear advantage, their overall strength likely isn't significantly beyond ours."
This conclusion surprised Dancer. "How can you be so sure they're only second or third-tier?"