by <unknown>
Even with the large influx of newcomers in the Mercenary Group, only the dozens of players that had followed him from the start were close to the standard of 2-Star. The requirements to promote were strictly set this time. Judging by the current progress of the players, Han Xiao estimated that most players would be at the level of 1-Star to 2-Star in this version. No player would be able to reach the highest level during this version. After all, this was a long-term plan.
Inside the room, Han Xiao leaned against the back of his chair, propping up his feet as he muttered to himself, “The formal planning for the Mercenary Group is just getting started. Let’s take it slow.”
As long as he gathered enough players, the capability of the players would be equivalent to his own influence. He had enough patience to wait for the players to slowly mature.
Beep beep!
At this time, his communicator let out an emergency notification.
Opening the virtual screen, Han Xiao gave it a quick glance. It was an urgent news alert stating that the DarkStar fleet had opened attacks on several other planets with the Mutation Disaster!
Han Xiao immediately narrowed his eyes, his expression turning grave as he sat up straight.
“It has finally begun…”
Chapter 535. Impending Crisis |
It had been two months since the outbreak of the Mutation Disaster, but DarkStar had not made a move. Thus, many people had felt as though something was amiss. After staying silent for so long, DarkStar had finally taken action and set out their fleets to attack three different calamity planets.
This news immediately created a huge reaction, and many of the galactic residents knew that the show was starting. As the archenemy of Godora, it was obvious that DarkStar would not let go of such a good opportunity, and the final piece of the puzzle had finally appeared.
Currently, there was no evidence to show that the Mutation Disaster was a conspiracy initiated by DarkStar, but this was no longer important. As long as DarkStar interfered in this matter, Godora’s largest opponent would definitely be DarkStar.
DarkStar attacked three calamity planets in one go, and the local Godoran disaster relief squads fought an intense battle. However, because they were caught off guard and the size of their fleets were small, the three Godora disaster relief squads suffered huge losses.
Logically speaking, the civilizations of those three calamity planets should have been completely vulnerable before DarkStar. However, DarkStar did not destroy those three planets but seemed to have their sights set on the disaster relief squads. After causing some destruction, the DarkStar forces retreated before the Godoran reinforcements could arrive.
The outcome of the ambush was that almost seventy to eighty percent of the disaster relief squads was destroyed, and the situation that had stabilized was thrown back into chaos.
Because of this, Godora raised their defenses and sent out their regular army to the different calamity planets to stop DarkStar’s ambush. But even so, they were not able to stop DarkStar in their tracks.
The second wave of ambushes took place soon after, and another few calamity planets were the targets.
The same scenario unfolded again. Despite Godora raising their defenses, DarkStar had also strengthened their attacks, and a galactic battle broke out between the two parties.
The spaceships crashed into each other with their protective shields flickering. The explosions of the spaceship’s cannons flickered in the dark space like new stars being formed. The bright ray from the laser cannons was like a rainbow bridge in the pitch-black space.
After a huge battle, DarkStar retreated in time again, and the battle did not develop into an all-out war. Godora’s fleet suffered a loss again, and all the disaster relief efforts went to complete waste.
Most of the time, DarkStar only hid in the dark to scheme against Godora; it had been a long time since their last head on battle. With DarkStar coming out from their nest again, it was no longer a small skirmish, and Godora immediately felt the pressure.
While Godora did have the advantage in terms of strength, Godora’s territory was large, and their fleet was stationed around the different bases of the Garton Star System. The spare forces that they could mobilize were not sufficient to suppress DarkStar, and Godora was not clear about the size of DarkStar’s forces either.
The most frightening part about DarkStar was the fact that they were hidden in the dark. It was impossible to predict their actions beforehand, and Godora had a huge headache because of this. If they did not know what DarkStar’s next target was, they would not be able to make any targeted arrangements and could only defend passively.
In the past two ambushes, DarkStar seemed to have targeted the disaster relief squads, but Godora would not pull back their disaster relief squads just because of that. If they did, it would seem as though they are afraid of DarkStar, and Godora would never show such an attitude to their enemy. Furthermore, since they had already begun their disaster relief efforts, if they gave up halfway, it would be a huge hit to their reputation. Besides, the situation had not yet reached such a stage.
After so many years, both parties were finally in confrontation again. The entire Garton Star System was shaken, and this became the most watched affair in the Garton Star System.
…
“DarkStar will not stop like that and will continue launching their attacks. We will definitely meet them sooner or later.”
In a conference room of the Sanctuary, Nagakin narrated the situation with a solemn expression. In the entire conference room, only Han Xiao was familiar with the situation. Both Bennett and the leaders of the Six Nations listed to Nagakin by the side.
The moment DarkStar launched their first ambush, this matter became serious. A few days ago, a Godoran fleet had suddenly descended to guard Planet Aquamarine. There were currently 120 Godora battleships waiting outside the atmosphere of Planet Aquamarine, waiting to defend against DarkStar’s ambush.
Nagakin could no longer be bothered about disaster relief or recruitment. Defending against DarkStar was his priority. He had approached Han Xiao to discuss the matter many times over the past few days, and they were currently holding a meeting to inform both the Sanctuary and Six Nations to be on high alert. Of course, the Planet Aquamarine civilization would not be able to put up a fight in a galactic battle, but Nagakin wanted them to be mentally prepared for the possibility of being ambushed at any time.
“Because of our disaster relief efforts, we can only defend passively, and the situation is not to our advantage. DarkStar’s motive is very likely to make use of our thin defense line to attack our weak points and slowly chip away at our forces. We can’t know what DarkStar’s next target will be,” Nagakin said with a deep voice.
Han Xiao nodded. This was indeed DarkStar’s motive, but it was only a small part of their plan. DarkStar’s Mutation Disaster plan was targeted at weakening Godora’s strength. Not just their military strength but also to shake the stability of their rule. They would only ambush the calamity planets but will not destroy the low-grade civilizations. If they destroyed the civilizations, Godora would not need to carry out any more disaster relief operations. DarkStar’s motive was to hold Godora back.
The faces of Bennett and the others were solemn. It was impossible for them to be anxious as there was no use for them to be anxious.
“How are you planning to deal with the situation?” Bennett asked.
“The War Bureau has redeployed troops from the other Star Zones, and the second and third wave of reinforcements are on their way. The heads want us to continue our disaster relief effort while keeping our guard up…”
Nagakin frowned slightly. In truth, the upper echelons had thought of migrating all the refugees on the calamity planets. However, there was a huge hidden danger in doing so. They would not be able to detect if the Mutation Source entered the spaceship together with the refugees. As such, this plan was temporarily shelved, and the War Bureau decided to fight Dark
Star head on.
Some of the more aggressive generals even felt that this was a chance. DarkStar was always in hiding, and it was extremely rare for DarkStar to make an appearance. Thus, they felt that they needed to make use of this opportunity to bait the DarkStar fleet and strike them with a heavy blow. Thus, the War Bureau decided to deploy further reinforcements.
“In the end, we can only choose to wait,” Nagakin said solemnly.
In truth, he had hidden another order from the upper echelons. If their forces were not a match for DarkStar’s fleet, the upper echelons requested them to make a strategic retreat and preserve their strength. If the calamity planet was destroyed because of this, Godora could only express their regret.
Han Xiao shook his head. DarkStar’s ambush was completely random, and even he was not able to predict when it would come. Even if he knew DarkStar’s plans, he did not have the strength to block them.
If DarkStar’s fleet come, I will have to join in the battle as well. This time, it wouldn’t be a battle on land but a galactic battle… Han Xiao mused to himself. The danger of a galactic battle was far greater than a battle on land. It was no longer a battle between Supers but a battle between fleets. He would also have to face great pressure.
After the meeting was over, Han Xiao gathered all of his officers and requested for them to be on high alert. On top of that, he also got them to unload the materials in the spaceship’s storeroom into a secret underground base in the Sanctuary.
The spaceship that he had rented was a model that was built for cruising, and its combat capability was not great. He was not prepared to send those rented spaceships into battle. Not to mention the fact that they would not be of much use, he will suffer a huge loss if the spaceships ended up being destroyed. However, he had other plans for the spaceships.
As such, the BlackLight Stealth was the only spaceship that his mercenary group could send out. While it was little, thankfully, its quality was high.
The members of the Sanctuary also got into action. They scattered the refugees and decreased the population density of the Sanctuary. On top of that, they constructed a few basic defensive measures. However, with their lack of technological skills, they could only leave everything up to luck. While the refugees did not know what was going on, they all listened to orders obediently. The atmosphere of the entire Sanctuary became extremely tense.
The players did not know what they were about to face next. Han Xiao still remembered that, in his previous life, whenever they suffered from an ambush, the mission progress of the Main Storyline Mission [Mutation Disaster] would fall greatly. With the players’ current strength, it was difficult for them to contribute much in a galactic battle.
If DarkStar doesn’t come, that would be for the best. Han Xiao let out a sigh.
…
A concealed DarkStar squad was moving slowly in the galaxy. This was a high mobility armed squad, and their flagship was not a DarkStar mothership but a command ship called ‘Blood Gal’. There were more than two hundred battleships surrounding the flagship, and the majority of the battleships were assault ships with immense firepower.
In the busy command center of the battleship, the fleet commander Nakapu had his arms behind his back as he looked at the projected star map. This gaze was emotionless, and he was cold to the point that he did not seem to have any emotions.
Not too long ago, he had led his fleet to launch two different ambushes and destroyed more than a hundred Godoran battleships. In those ambushes, his loss was less than half that figure.
Nakapu’s fleet was made up of the elites of DarkStar, and their strength was not to be underestimated. He was following his orders and on his way to the next ambush target.
“How many more days until the destination?” Nakapu asked calmly.
“17 hours and 26 minutes,” the navigator replied.
In the holographic projection, the star map of Star Zone 9 could be seen. The target planet was currently flashing in red.
Planet Aquamarine!
Chapter 536. Raid (1) |
The Andrea Continent, once the territory of the Germinal Organization, had borne the majority of aftermath of the war of the old era. The expedition of the Six Nations to this land had caused the surroundings to deteriorate further, with the radiation level shooting past the warning line. The lands were blackened, the surroundings were desolate, and all the wanderers that had previously been living in this area were shifted to the other three continents. Andrea had become largely uninhabited, with only a few mutant beasts still surviving within.
The ruins of the Germinal Organization lay on that continent, the once magnificent base having turned into a black pile of scorched earth. The central base had also vanished, leaving only a black hole, and the underground base had been completely obliterated. By the side of the circle was a black line radiating outward, extending over hundreds of miles.
Due to the excessive concentration of nuclear radiation, the Six Nations had only sent some drones to explore the ruins after the explosions. Nothing valuable was left, and there were no signs of life. Everyone had died under the frenzied series of nuclear strikes.
As such, the Six Nations did not bother wasting their resources to clean up the mess. Over the past couple of years, the original base of the Germinal Organization had become filled with thick ash and dust, and the little shrapnel that had been shot out during the explosion bore signs of erosion. Death and defeat hung heavily in the atmosphere.
Yet, in that area where even mutant beasts could not survive, a silhouette stood in the very center of the Germinal Organization ruins. While it could be described as a ‘silhouette’, it was actually merely a blackened skeleton. It was as though the steel-like flesh and blood of the person had been incinerated in the explosion a few years ago, but the charred skeleton remained somehow, not turning into powder. Even after such a long time, it did not decompose into ash. Only the body of a Super had this sort of toughness, far beyond that of ordinary humans.
It was obvious that the signs of life in this corpse had long since disappeared, and the gray dust floating in the air drifted in and out of its hollow eye sockets.
It was such a corpse that was slowly coming back to life. It gradually took one step after another, limping with a lump of black gelatinous substance attached at the cervical vertebrae. It extended out threads akin to roots, entwining the limbs along the bones as if it was a puppeteer, using the corpse to practice like a marionette.
This black gelatinous substance was the mutation source. It had already passed through its ‘infant stage’ of only being able to passively extract energy. It could now actively pursue energy, as well as constantly swap its hosts, as it crossed mountains and waded through the oceans to finally reach the Andrea continent, benefitting from the senses of the countless lives it occupied. The energy present there was not only huge, it also contained the highest amount of radiation energy present that could be easily absorbed by it.
The Germinal Organization’s ruins were a death zone, with all the previous hosts of the Mutation Source dying within. It had no other alternative except to continuously drag its current body over to the ruins. The skeleton that it was controlling had been the only corpse left in the Germinal Organization ruins, that of the Germinal Organization’s Leader. During the explosion, because the Leader had been situated in the underground base, the various layers had shielded him from most of the impact. In addition to the strength of his body, his bones had been preserved, while the rest had long turned to dust.
At a molecular level, the nuclear radiation in the Germinal Organization ruins was continuously being absorbed by the Mutation Source. On the microscopic level, one could see that the speed of cell division had increased by over a hundred times, and the proliferating cells were constantly being integrated into its body, improving its control. Energy was constantly being transformed and synthesized.
In the past plot, Tyne had become the original carrier of the Mutation Source when
he first escaped from prison. However, because he had been captured by Han Xiao to be reformed, without this powerful ‘tool’, the Mutation Source had wasted a lot of time on the road.
However, in the past plot, it had also not possessed as wonderful a ‘nurturing cradle’ as the ruins of the Germinal Organization.
The skeleton slowly staggered as the Mutation Source absorbed as much energy as it could like a man dying of hunger and thirst. The radiation levels, thus, slowly decreased at a level unseen to the naked eye.
…
Nakapu’s fleet was suspended at the rear of a barren planet. The distance from there to Planet Aquamarine was extremely short, with only one short-range jump needed. This was the closest sector one could go in stealth mode. Any nearer, and the stealth system would no longer be able to hide from the military radar of Godora. The fleet would also expose its location.
This area was similar to being in the deep sea. With one’s field of vision comprising only of darkness, only the flow of water could be used to determine if enemies were approaching. The closer the distance, the more obvious the disturbance in water would be. Gravity was not unlike the flow of water; get too close, and stealth would lose its effectiveness. This was dependent on the reconnaissance capabilities of the spaceship’s equipped radar.
As longtime enemies, DarkStar was clear of the capabilities of Godora’s military equipment while constantly raising the bar for their own stealth cloaking abilities.
The interior of the command ship was bustling, as everyone scurried to perform final preparations for the attack. Nakapu was confirming various intel from the scouts sent out.
“What is the number of defense forces that Planet Aquamarine currently possesses?”
“There are a hundred and twenty regular Godora frigates in outer space. This is a medium-sized fleet. It should be a force sent from the Nadban military base.”
“Any intel from the ambush troops?”
“Yes, they said that in addition to the escort fleet, there are more than a dozen space shuttles of the Godora disaster relief team. The leading team is a senior officer of the war bureau, Nagakin, a pugilist at the Calamity Grade.”
