Wilson had dispatched several helicopters, which now hovered in the distant sky like a dark swarm of bees. Ethan sensed the looming danger.

“They’re coming again, guys,” Ethan shouted as he dashed toward the tank cannon.

Aria brought the dried ammunition to the entrance of the cave. Although the rounds had been stored for years and had become damp, her drying method seemed to have reactivated them. Balancing two rounds in each hand, she carried four over at once. Ethan glanced back at Aria.

“This woman’s strength is incredible. I can’t underestimate her again,” Ethan muttered to himself.

Leander was loading the shells into the cannon when a plane flew in, causing a deafening explosion. Sand and dust were thrown up, shrouding the entrance in thick smoke and debris, causing part of it to collapse. Aria quickly pulled Ethan back, narrowly avoiding falling rocks and fragments. The explosion shook the entrance, causing more dirt to fall, further narrowing the opening.

“We need to retaliate quickly,” Ethan said as he carefully aimed the machine gun at the approaching helicopters. His aim was precise, and one helicopter exploded mid-air. The second helicopter also fell victim to Ethan’s accurate fire.

“Nice shot, Ethan!” Aria exclaimed, her voice filled with admiration.

Inside the Omega Fortress, Wilson watched the live footage of his helicopters being shot down, his fists clenched tightly as he bellowed, “Kill those three clones! Make sure they are wiped out completely, or don’t even think about coming back!”

Wilson’s voice was filled with menace. He knew that if the three clones reached the human world, it would cause chaos, displease the buyers of the clones, and, more importantly, if the authorities discovered the illegal cloning technology, even the Omega Fortress in the desert would be destroyed.

Jason, frightened by Wilson’s wrath, left the office with his head hanging low.

Outside the office, Jason’s face twisted into a scowl as he said through gritted teeth, “Send a few more jeeps for ground assault.”

Unaware of the greater danger approaching, Ethan and the others were still reveling in their recent success. As they discussed the details of the downed helicopters, a rumbling sound from the distance, accompanied by rising dust, caught Ethan’s attention. He picked up the binoculars and spotted a jeep.

“Damn, they’ve changed their strategy. Several jeeps are approaching us. Our tank shells won’t be able to hit those serpentine-moving jeeps,” Ethan shouted, panic evident in his voice.

Seeing this, Aria ran back to the ammunition storage room, frantically searching. Leander followed her into the room. Aria was attempting to lift a box from the top shelf, but it was out of her reach. Leander, using his height advantage, successfully retrieved the top box.

Aria pried open the box with a knife, revealing a layer of rifles wrapped in oil paper.

“But where are the bullets?” Aria asked anxiously.

“Maybe in the second box. Leander, get down the second box,” Aria instructed. Leander complied, and Aria opened the box to find the ammunition. They each took a few rifles and headed back to the entrance, where Ethan was still using binoculars to monitor the enemy movements. Aria handed Ethan a rifle.

“Take this,” Aria said. Ethan was astonished by how Aria always managed to come through at critical moments. Although unfamiliar with the rifle, he attempted to aim and shoot, hitting only the jeep’s windshield. The enemy retaliated, but fortunately, the advantageous position of the cave entrance successfully blocked the bullets.

Ethan fired a second shot...

When no sound came from the jeep outside, they emerged from the cave. Ethan approached the vehicle to check inside. The occupants were all dead.

“I admit, that was a wild shot,” Ethan said, a look of relief in his eyes.

After a while, Ethan proposed his idea.

“Staying here will only be more dangerous. We should leave in this jeep,” Ethan suggested.

Aria and Leander agreed. They placed the rifles on the seats, with Ethan driving toward the bustling city of Los Angeles. A few hours later, as they left Death Valley National Park, the scenery changed. They saw lush green vegetation along the roadside, a sight they had never seen before.

“I came to this world to see the sunlight and the blue sea…” Aria said happily in the car, waving her little hands with childlike innocence.

Ethan continued driving until they finally saw the city skyline, with skyscrapers towering and streets bustling with life. They arrived at the vibrant Grove shopping center, parked the jeep, and got out, taking in the lively atmosphere. Among the crowd, a large screen displayed a jewelry advertisement that caught their attention. The woman in the ad looked exactly like Aria.

Ethan turned to Aria, who was staring at the screen in shock.

“That’s her. That’s the person I was cloned from,” she said softly, her voice filled with complex emotions.

The mystery that had troubled her was finally solved, but she didn’t understand why her original self had cloned her, nor did she know if she was a good person or a bad one.

Ethan noticed a group of men in black clothing coming down the escalator and felt a shiver run down his spine. “Wilson’s men, they’ve caught up with us. We need to escape immediately,” he said urgently.

Just as they were about to leave, Aria’s face contorted with pain, and she crouched down, clutching her stomach in apparent agony.

Ethan turned to help Aria. Before he could speak, a similar pain shot through his own abdomen, forcing him to double over.

“Is it the compressed rations? Did we eat something bad?” Aria asked, her face pale.

They looked at Leander, who seemed unaffected. Aria squinted at him. “Why aren’t you in pain?”

Leander remained unusually calm. “It’s not the rations. Every clone at Omega Fortress has a monitoring device implanted in their stomachs. Wilson activated it to make you uncomfortable. That’s how they track us.”

Ethan, who had always been suspicious of Leander, couldn’t help but ask, “How do you know?”

“I’ll explain everything in due time. Right now, we need to find a clinic to remove the chips from your stomachs,” he said, glancing at the approaching men with a steady and resolute expression.

“Get in the jeep now,” Leander urged.

They staggered to the jeep, Ethan and Aria enduring the pain. Leander jumped into the driver’s seat, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

“Wait,” he said, pressing the gas pedal. As Wilson’s men arrived at the parking lot, the jeep roared to life and sped away.

One of the tall men in black took out a tracker, watching the jeep speed away, planning the pursuit route.

Leander skillfully navigated the jeep through traffic, the cityscape blurring around them. Ethan and Aria’s stomach pains intensified, but they knew they had to endure. Smith’s driving was precise and agile as they maneuvered through the city streets.

“We need a clinic,” Ethan grit his teeth, “Find a discreet place.”

Leander nodded, scanning the roads. He made a sharp turn and wove through alleys and narrow streets until he finally spotted an inconspicuous clinic between two buildings.

“There!” Leander pointed. He parked the jeep in an alley, and they rushed inside, nearly collapsing from the pain. The clinic was dimly lit and sparsely furnished. As they burst through the door, a weary-looking doctor glanced up.

“We need your help,” Leander said.

“These two need immediate surgery to remove the implants from their stomachs.”

The doctor’s name was Klein. He appeared uninterested in the details of the patients’ conditions, merely nodding and donning a surgical gown.

“Follow me,” he said, leading them to a secret operating room with a coded lock.

The surgical lights hung overhead, their large, round shades casting harsh, blinding rays, each beam seeming to cut through the space like a blade. The entire operating room was filled with a cold, clinical atmosphere.

“Get on with it,” Aria said, looking at Ethan, who shivered under the glare of the surgical lights.

“Be brave, Ethan. Don’t act like a child,” Aria scolded.

Dr. Klein swiftly administered anesthesia to Ethan and Aria.

“Doctor, am I going to die?” Ethan shouted, while Aria rolled her eyes at him.

Minutes later, the effects of the anesthesia began to take hold. Dr. Klein worked quickly, making a small incision in their abdomens. The room was filled with the metallic smell of blood and the low hum of surgical instruments. He carefully extracted the tiny chips from their stomachs, holding them up to the light.

A few minutes later, they awoke to their conversation.

“Doctor, is this heaven?” Ethan asked as he began to regain consciousness.

Before Ethan could fully awaken, Dr. Klein pressed the button on the operating room door. The door emitted a faint creak in the weak light of the room, then slowly closed, leaving the room in silence. A figure appeared from the gap in the door, like a shadow drifting in the dim light. As the door closed completely, the figure slowly emerged, seemingly materializing from the hidden light.

Her silhouette was elongated under the surgical lights, casting an intangible sense of oppression. Her demeanor exuded a calm and resolute determination. Ethan and Aria looked closely, and to their surprise, it was Sherry, Wilson’s most trusted assistant!