Victoria was tall and serious. Although she dressed like any other Secret Service agent, wearing the same white shirt and black body armor, a glance at her revealed a difference.
She was intelligent and purposeful, associating only with those who were valuable and worthy of her association. She could be described as a sophisticated egoist, or even as representing the current generation of American elites.
Bella had proven her worth, yet lacked a clear personal identity, so she was categorized as someone worth investing in and observing.
Victoria Hand had a wide network of contacts, including those in education, politics, and the military. She excelled in college, had many friends, and was a renowned athlete. Whether she truly loved sports was a question of fate.
After graduation, she cultivated a wide circle of friends. While not as globally connected as George W. Bush, she certainly had a wide network.
Bella was still naive about college, so Victoria Hand shared her own experiences and offered valuable advice that would benefit her future.
After nearly a day of arduous trekking, the large force finally entered Sapalpa Canyon the following morning.
After two hundred years of erosion, the canyon now lacked any trace of human life. Just as the Indian chief who cursed with his own life had said, he had returned the land to nature.
Trees obscured the sky, and half-meter-high weeds grew everywhere. The survivors, along with the agents, numbered over a hundred. Their arrival shattered the canyon's tranquility, sending insects fleeing their homes. A dormant consciousness was slowly awakening.
They were out to cause trouble. The agents had no desire for natural harmony with the canyon's insects. The Indian chief's curse would erupt on the night of the full moon, and before then, they needed to build a sturdy shelter to defend against the boundless insect swarm Bella had described.
The agents debated the level of defense: some believed a few sturdy rooms would suffice, while others argued for a fortress-like camp. Finally, Victoria Hand posed the question to Bella.
"How large do you think the swarm will be?" "
How would I know?" That's a curse, a magical realm. It can't be considered using common sense, like the food chain or climate.
Bella pulled out her notes. "Look at this paragraph! This is the description the missionary, the owner of the notes, heard from someone else. He said the sky was completely obscured. 'Indians' isn't right. We now call them Native Americans! The blood of the Native Americans dyed the river red. 'Colonists' isn't right. Um, they should be called pioneers! After using civilized means to persuade the Native Americans to leave, the pioneers were attacked by countless insects
." After being corrected by Victoria Hand, Bella had become very particular about the use of these words. No one cared what she thought in her heart, but she still had to be careful in public.
"This fortress can't be too strong. If it keeps that unknown enemy out, all our efforts will be in vain! But it can't be too weak either. Aside from the bait, the survivors will have to face the unknown enemy directly. The rest of the survivors will also have to face the insect swarms brought on by the curse."
The core message was, the defense level can't be too strong, but it can't be too weak either.
Don't let us be killed by the Indian curse before the death arrives. That would be ridiculous.
In modern society, with its abundance of machinery, the speed of building some houses is incredibly fast. Entering the canyon in the morning, by evening, a medium-sized complex was complete.
The agents had generators, providing a limited supply of electricity, but water was scarce. Conservatively, they estimated they would need to stay here for at least two days. Even if they could buy water from a distant town, it wouldn't be wasted.
No one raised a voice at this moment; everyone was quietly on guard, awaiting the arrival of the unknown enemy.
Whispers were inevitable. While the threat to their lives forced everyone to temporarily abandon their unrealistic fantasies, the arrival of so many people in such a desolate place was bound to spark discussion.
Bella didn't explain. With officials present, why would she need to interfere? Just try to fool them!
Victoria Hand, of course, was a real talent. She brushed off the survivors' concerns with excuses like, "An invisible killer can't kill in the forest," and "The enemy can't use high-tech equipment in this complex environment."
Death itself wasn't something for ordinary people to know. Even to Bella, who knew the truth, Victoria Hand referred to it as an "unknown enemy."
To give Death an opportunity, the agents deliberately placed numerous safety hazards throughout the building.
Broken ropes, leaking electrical appliances, loose ironwork, and all sorts of death traps were set up. From Death's perspective, the survivors were prey. But from another perspective, Death was also prey!
If the insect swarms unleashed by the curse didn't come into contact with the Death, it would be a disaster. However, if hundreds of thousands or millions of insects swarmed in, they wouldn't be able to withstand them. Balancing the two, ensuring the Death and the curse perfectly matched, would be a real test of the survivors' control.
"The records say the curse is activated at night, when the moonlight is brightest. Perhaps we can set up a few key moments?"
Bella wasn't entirely sure. The information in the missionary's notes was hearsay. Those who had personally experienced this Indian curse had died, so who knew when it would be most potent?
Victoria Hand frowned. She had experienced her fair share of supernatural events, and it wasn't like she was completely clueless.
It was precisely because she understood that she felt this timing was difficult to grasp.
"Let's formulate two plans. First..."
"No need to go to all that trouble. If you're prepared, I'll initiate the curse."
Storm Ororo had been playing second fiddle, but at this crucial moment, she stepped in and solved a crucial problem for everyone.
Storm wasn't very old, looking no more than twenty years old. Bella really wanted to approach her, but she kept a straight face and kept her distance from everyone, leaving her no chance to speak.
Now was a good opportunity.
Bella volunteered, "I was the first person to predict the plane crash. I'll be the bait."
Victoria Hand disagreed, suggesting that a professionally trained agent serve as bait, while Bella and the survivors could hide behind them.
Read 100+ Advanced Chapters At Pa Treon.
p@treon.com/Ficthoria
(End of Chapter)