Chapter 351 Holy Legion (Five in One)

Inside the Dark Forest Star Sea.

Countless Imperial Army soldiers, in a dense mass, recklessly piloted their mechas and charged in.

Like rabid dogs, they clung to Commander Su Ming and the others, firing beams of light.

Whoosh whoosh~

One Iron Guard after another was blown up.

Then, these Imperial Army soldiers, piloting their mechas, charged up like madmen.

The mechas of both sides fought fiercely within the gray nebula!

Rumble!

Violent explosions continuously erupted, illuminating large swathes of the nebula.

“Don’t get bogged down, break through deeper!”

Officer Kafu, piloting the Shadow Killer, split open a Beast Tooth mecha and roared into the communication channel.

Everyone continued to desperately shake off their pursuers, flying deeper into the Dark Forest Star Sea.

However, those Imperial Army soldiers were like a persistent plaster, impossible to shake off, sticking to them again and again.

Each time they stuck, they entangled a portion of the people, like hyenas tearing a piece of flesh from their prey.

Seeing this, Rhine anxiously shouted into the communication channel.

“Squad leader, those bastards are catching up!”

Commander Su Ming turned his head and saw groups of Imperial Army soldiers catching up again, and he spoke coldly.

“Kaff, we’ll cover the rear! The rest of you retreat!”

“Alright!”

Officer Kafu responded without a moment of hesitation.

“Squad leader?”

Rhine and the others were also startled; they hadn’t expected Commander Su Ming and Officer Kafu to stay behind to cover the rear.

“Execute the order, go!”

Commander Su Ming gave the command without question, then piloted the Slayer to turn towards the pursuing Imperial Army.

It must be said that these Imperial Army soldiers were truly brave, completely unafraid of death.

At this moment, Officer Kafu also piloted the Tier 4 Mecha · Shadow Slayer to follow.

Crack!

Commander Su Ming sliced open a mecha with one strike, his Plasma Lightsaber like the Grim Reaper’s scythe, wildly harvesting the lives of the Imperial Army soldiers.

However, facing such a ferocious Commander Su Ming, the Imperial Army soldiers not only did not retreat but instead charged madly towards him.

“Brothers, if we take down their officers, we’ll be saved!”

“Fight him to the death!”

In the eyes of these Imperial Army soldiers, as long as they fought to the death and eliminated Commander Su Ming and Officer Kafu.

Their crime of losing the Heavenly Base Heart could be pardoned.

Commander Su Ming and Officer Kafu gritted their teeth and held on against the swarming enemies!

Every minute they held on, the people below could escape a greater distance, increasing their chances of shaking off the pursuit.

Time passed by second by second.

Officer Kafu saw that Major Chen Ying and the others were almost out of his scanning device’s maximum coverage range, and immediately shouted to Commander Su Ming.

“Go, Light Speed ​​Flash!”

“Alright!”

Commander Su Ming responded in a deep voice.

The two simultaneously increased their power output, and with a Light Speed ​​Flash, they instantly disappeared.

The next second, the two mechas appeared in the distance, then went full power, chasing after Rhine and the others.

Within the magnificent hall of Blood Prism Fortress.

Aus interrupted the relay image communication, his expression becoming extremely ferocious, his eyes bloodshot, his body muscles tense, like a provoked beast, exuding a dangerous and terrifying aura.

Deputy Legion Commander Kessas and the others, seeing Lord Aus so enraged, all lowered their heads.

“Go, call Mottley, Ouluo, and the others over!”

“Yes!”

Deputy Legion Commander Kessas immediately took the order, then turned and left.

Not long after, Legion Commanders Mottley, Ouluo, and Artud arrived in the great hall.

Aus’s gaze swept coldly over Mottley and the two others. He clearly knew one thing: the Emperor suddenly communicating with him definitely meant someone had impeached him.

And the only ones capable of doing that were these three Legion Commanders before him.

At this moment, Mottley, seeing Aus’s man-eating expression, sneered and spoke.

“Hmph, aren’t you very powerful? Can’t sit still now?”

“What happened?”

Ouluo asked with a slight frown.

“What could happen? The sky has fallen! I just received news that the Heavenly Base Heart was destroyed by the Federation Thirteenth Corps!”

Legion Commander Mottley said coldly.

Ouluo and Artud’s expressions suddenly changed when they heard Mottley’s words.

They knew better than anyone how important the Heavenly Base Heart was; it was built by the Empire at immense financial cost.

“That’s their incompetence!”

Aus glared fiercely at Mottley and retorted.

Mottley didn’t hold back with Aus, directly tearing off the pretense and saying.

“If it weren’t for your repeated stubbornness, would this situation have occurred? Now look! The Heavenly Base Heart is destroyed, how are you going to explain this to the Emperor?!”

“Shut up, I’m not in the mood to argue with you here, the Emperor has an order!”

Aus did not continue to quarrel with Mottley, and directly announced the imperial decree.

Mottley, hearing Aus say that the Emperor had an order, closed his mouth and did not continue to argue.

Ouluo and the others all looked at Aus with serious expressions.

“The Emperor has ordered the Star Annihilation!”

Mottley and the others’ faces suddenly changed when they heard Aus’s words.

Indeed, the saying came true: a common man’s rage spills blood five paces; a monarch’s rage leaves millions dead.

Now that the Emperor was angered, only star annihilation could conclude it.

“Yes!”

Ouluo and the others responded with solemn expressions.

“Go prepare, gather all troops!”

Aus waved his hand, giving the order.

Mottley and the others, after hearing him, turned and left directly.

— —

In the Dark Forest Star Sea.

Commander Su Ming, piloting the damaged Slayer, flew through the star sea with Rhine and the others.

They expended great effort and finally shook off the relentlessly pursuing Imperial Army.

Commander Su Ming looked around at the remaining people and found that only 832 were left, whereas when they first charged into the Dark Forest Star Sea, there were clearly over 1,200 people.

Just a few rounds of entanglement with the Imperial Army soldiers, and nearly a third of the personnel fell behind.

At this moment, Commander Su Ming noticed that besides the sacrificed Sun Lu, the avatars of several of his classmates had turned gray.

He said to Rhine in a deep voice.

“Rhine! Are Zhu Wei, Mu Di, Ni Duo, and Zhang Yan sacrificed?”

Rhine was silent for a few seconds before saying.

“Zhu Wei, Mu Di, and Ni Duo were sacrificed during the attack on the Heavenly Base Heart. As for Zhang Yan, he probably didn’t keep up, so he might still be alive.”

Ankajia and the others showed sad expressions upon hearing Rhine’s words.

Although what Rhine said was a possibility, even thinking with one’s toes, one would know that the probability was too small; basically, falling out of formation could be considered a default death.

“I understand.”

Commander Su Ming replied with a heavy heart.

Of their thirty classmates who joined the army, only twenty-five remained, with Zhang Yi still lying in the hospital.

For a time, the squad’s communication channel fell silent.

Several hours later, everyone continued flying through the Dark Forest Star Sea.

“Where are we in the Dark Forest now?”

“I don’t know, all directions are messed up.”

“The navigation device isn’t working at all.”

In the communication channel, everyone discussed with low morale.

Commander Su Ming looked at the surrounding gray nebula, his brows also tightly furrowed; there were simply no reference points here, and he couldn’t distinguish directions either.

The worst part was that the Fourth Generation Mecha’s electronic equipment wasn’t working very well here either.

At this moment, a hesitant voice of an officer sounded in the communication channel.

“Of-Officer Kafu, my mecha is almost out of fuel.”

“Mine too, only seven percent left.”

Instantly, voices rang out one after another.

Hearing this, Commander Su Ming immediately asked Rhine and the others.

“Rhine, how much fuel do you all have left?”

“Not much, we only have about ten percent left too.”

Rhine and the others replied.

“Damn it, stop flying for now!”

Officer Kafu immediately gave the order in the communication channel.

“Everyone stop.”

Commander Su Ming also spoke, following suit.

Upon hearing this, everyone piloted their mechas to stop, gathering together.

“Su Ming, do you have any good ideas?”

Officer Kafu took a deep breath and asked Commander Su Ming.

“I don’t have any good ideas either. The most urgent task now is to find a way to locate the main fleet.”

Commander Su Ming replied, finding it difficult.

“The problem is, did the main fleet escape?”

Officer Kafu asked with some worry.

Commander Su Ming and the others were also very worried upon hearing Officer Kafu’s words; if the main fleet hadn’t escaped, then they were doomed!

At this moment, a voice sounded in the communication channel.

“Officer, my mecha has a high-power communication device installed. I received the Tsar’s evacuation message, and they also seemed to be evacuating towards the Dark Forest, but I don’t know if they escaped.”

Commander Su Ming, hearing this, immediately spoke.

“Whether they escaped or not, we must find a way to locate the Tsar. If we cannot rendezvous with the Tsar, we will never get out of the Dark Forest Star Sea, and we will all die here!”

Upon hearing Commander Su Ming’s words, everyone’s morale became even lower. Although they had completed the mission and escaped.

Their current situation was even worse; the Dark Forest was so vast, where would they find it?

At this moment, Rhine suddenly spoke.

“Commander Su Ming, Officer Kafu, how much energy do your mechas still have?”

“Sixty-two percent!”

“Forty-three percent!”

Commander Su Ming and Officer Kafu replied simultaneously.

“Officers, why don’t you go alone? Our fuel truly isn’t enough. You still have hope of finding the Tsar. If not, you could also take a gamble and escape the Dark Forest.”

Rhine said to Commander Su Ming and Officer Kafu.

“That’s right, Officer Kafu, you should go, and we can give you our supplies.”

Everyone spoke up upon hearing Rhine’s words.

“Everyone shut up!”

Commander Su Ming, hearing this, immediately shouted.

Upon hearing him, everyone quieted down.

“We survived dangerous battles, are we going to give up now? Listen up, Officer Kafu and I will never abandon you.”

“But?”

“No buts. Everyone stay here, shut down your flight systems and unnecessary equipment, conserve fuel for life support, and Officer Kafu and I will go find the Tsar!”

Commander Su Ming said in a deep voice.

“Yes!”

Everyone responded upon hearing Commander Su Ming’s words.

Commander Su Ming and Officer Kafu then piloted their mechas, flying forward.

They activated their manual navigation systems, recording their flight path.

Half a day passed.

Commander Su Ming and Officer Kafu flew aimlessly through the star sea; gray nebulae were everywhere, and nothing could be seen.

Officer Kafu said hoarsely in the communication channel.

“Su Ming, do you think we can find the Tsar?”

“Hope is slim, but we have no choice. Anyway, we’ve already completed the mission. The worst-case scenario is just getting lost and dying here.”

Commander Su Ming replied very calmly, without fear or panic.

Officer Kafu was slightly moved by Commander Su Ming’s answer; rarely could anyone be so calm in despair.

He said to Commander Su Ming very seriously.

“Su Ming, it’s an honor to partner with you and fight side by side! You’re right, even in the worst outcome, it’s just sleeping together here.”

“Me too!”

Commander Su Ming replied with a wry smile.

Just then, suddenly, both their scanning devices simultaneously issued a warning, and five red dots appeared.

Commander Su Ming and Officer Kafu’s expressions shifted slightly, and they immediately piloted their mechas to turn and look.

Behind them, five old Second Generation Mecha · Beast Tooth suddenly emerged from the gray nebula they had just passed through.

Commander Su Ming and Officer Kafu immediately aimed their particle beam cannons, locking onto the enemies!

Just as the two were about to make their move, a tense shout suddenly rang out in the public communication channel.

“Don’t shoot, are you from the Federation?”

“Kaff, wait!”

Commander Su Ming immediately shouted to stop Officer Kafu.

“Alright!”

Officer Kafu, hearing Commander Su Ming’s words, ceased his attack.

Commander Su Ming gazed at the five old Beast Tooth mechas, and spoke in a low voice in the public communication channel.

“Who are you? State your identities?”

“We are not the Imperial Army, we are from the Holy Legion! My name is Beyer!”

“Holy Legion?”

“Yes, it’s a free organization dedicated to overthrowing the Dark Star Empire. By the way, are you from the Federation?”

Beyer looked at Commander Su Ming and Officer Kafu, asking with anticipation.

“That’s right, we are from the Federation.”

Commander Su Ming replied in a deep voice.

“That’s great! It really is the Federation.”

“It’s truly the Federation, their mechas look so powerful!”

Beyer and the others spoke with great excitement upon hearing Commander Su Ming’s words.

Commander Su Ming and Officer Kafu looked at these people, somewhat at a loss for words.

At this moment, Beyer excitedly asked.

“Respected Federation officers, what are your names?”

“My name is Su Ming, and his name is Kaff.”

Commander Su Ming simply introduced himself.

“Commander Su Ming, why did you all come to the Dark Forest?” Beyer asked curiously.

“We just destroyed the Heavenly Base Heart, and then the Imperial Army chased us into the Dark Forest,” Su Ming explained simply.

“What? You…you destroyed the nearby Heavenly Base Heart?” Beyer and the others were dumbfounded.

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?” Su Ming narrowed his eyes and asked. Although these people claimed to be from the Holy Army, he didn’t fully trust them.

If he found any issues, he would eliminate them immediately.

“No, Commander Su Ming, you are too amazing, you are simply our idols! That Heavenly Base Heart was heavily guarded! Ordinary people couldn’t even get close to it, yet you actually destroyed it!” Beyer and the others said with great admiration.

“It’s alright,” Su Ming replied calmly.

From the current reaction of these people, it seemed they really were from the Holy Army.

“Commander Su Ming, I see you’ve been going in circles; are you lost? If you need any help from us, just say the word,” Beyer asked enthusiastically.

Su Ming and Kaff exchanged glances, and finally, Su Ming spoke, “We do need help. We were chased by the Imperial Army and fled into the Dark Forest Star Sea in a hurry. Our fuel and supplies are almost exhausted!”

“Oh, I see! If you don’t mind, you can come to our base,” Beyer invited directly.

“Your base?”

“Yes, we have a habitat base in the Dark Star Sea, not far from here.”

“Alright, then we’ll go back and call our people!” Su Ming’s eyes flickered for a moment, then he agreed.

“No problem, we’ll go with you!” Beyer replied excitedly.

“Let’s go!” Su Ming and Kaff immediately led them towards their troops.

Along the way, Kaff switched the communication channel to an encrypted one and said to Su Ming, “Is this a bit risky?”

“We have no choice. We urgently need supplies now. Once our people run out of fuel, their life support systems will stop working, and they will die!”

“I understand!”

“Of course, this doesn’t mean we trust them. Once we arrive at their base, Kaff, you and your men must not leave your mechas. If anything seems off, take them out,” Su Ming instructed Kaff.

“Understood!” Kaff replied in a deep voice.

On the other side, Rhine and the others floated in space, waiting for Su Ming and Kaff to return from their reconnaissance, while also talking on the communication channel.

“How long has it been? Why hasn’t the squad leader returned yet?”

“What’s the rush? How can a search be that fast?”

“I’m just worried something happened to the squad leader,” Ankajia said with some concern.

“Don’t worry, even if something happens to us, nothing will happen to the squad leader,” Rhine had great confidence in Su Ming.

Just then, Anqi suddenly shouted excitedly, “Look, Su Ming and Kaff are back!”

Upon hearing this, Rhine and the others looked up towards the distant starry sky and saw the Slayer and Shadow Killer. However, they also saw five Beast Tooth mechas following behind.

“What’s going on? Why are there five Beast Tooth mechas following Su Ming?” Ankajia asked, bewildered.

“Could it be that the squad leader and Officer Kafu were taken hostage?” Ha Miao scratched his head and said.

“If you can’t speak properly, don’t speak! Those five broken mechas can’t even take me hostage, let alone Su Ming and Kaff?” Rhine retorted impatiently.

At this moment, Su Ming’s voice sounded in the public communication channel.

“Everyone, we’ve found comrades from the Holy Army. Now, everyone activate your mechas; we’re going to their base!”

Instantly, the communication channel erupted.

“Holy Army? Sounds familiar!”

“I have some impression; it seems to be a very famous resistance organization within the Dark Star Empire!”

“The predecessor of this Holy Army seemed to be the Dark Star Empire’s ace army. Later, they seemed to be dissatisfied with the Emperor’s rule and raised the banner of rebellion.”

“The enemy of our enemy is our friend!”

“That makes sense!” Major Chen Ying spoke up.

“Stop discussing, hurry up and follow!”

“Alright!” Everyone activated their mechas and flew towards Su Ming and the others.

“Wow! So many high-grade mechas, as expected of the Federation!” Beyer and the others exclaimed in surprise as they saw so many mechas flying towards them.

Su Ming heard this and a strange expression appeared on his face. He didn’t know why, but he always felt that these Holy Army people seemed a bit inexperienced.

However, Su Ming didn’t show it and instead said, “Mr. Beyer, we can depart now.”

“Alright, follow us!” Beyer snapped back to attention and immediately led Su Ming and the others towards the distant starry sky.

Several hours later.

Su Ming and the others followed Beyer into a huge gray nebula. They flew continuously within the gray nebula, then arrived at an asteroid field.

They kept flying inward, constantly passing through floating asteroids.

“Your base is here?” Su Ming asked, observing the surrounding asteroids.

“Yes, our base is right here. Don’t laugh, there’s nowhere else to hide outside, so we can only hide here,” Beyer said to Su Ming with a wry smile.

“Understood. This location is quite good, very hidden,” Su Ming gave an objective evaluation.

“That asteroid ahead is our base,” Beyer said excitedly to Su Ming and the others at this moment.

Su Ming looked over and saw a giant asteroid with a diameter of five hundred kilometers floating in the starry sky ahead.

On the surface of this giant asteroid, there were five old Second Generation Mecha · Beast Tooth guardians.

These five Beast Tooth mechas were stunned when they saw the swarm of mechas flying over.

However, it was a good thing they saw Beyer and the others flying at the very front, otherwise, they would have definitely sounded the alarm.

“Xilong, look who we brought back,” Beyer shouted excitedly.

“Beyer, who are they?” Captain Xilong asked, a bit stammering.

“They are from the Federation. Guess what they just did?” Beyer replied excitedly.

“How would I know?” Captain Xilong replied, bewildered.

“They just destroyed the Heavenly Base Heart in the nearby star sea! Isn’t that amazing!” Beyer said to Xilong and the others with great excitement.

“You’re not kidding, are you? They really destroyed the Heavenly Base Heart?” Xilong and the others’ eyes widened, and their jaws almost dropped to the ground.

“Why would I lie to you? I’m not talking to you anymore; I need to take them to see the Legion Commander!” Beyer led Su Ming and the others towards a rough opening on the asteroid’s surface.

Su Ming and the others followed closely.

Soon, they entered the opening and went into a rough passage.

The rock walls of the passage were uneven, and a lamp hung at intervals, indicating very rudimentary conditions.

Rhine looked at this scene and secretly said to Su Ming on the encrypted channel, “Squad Leader, I was a bit suspicious earlier that they were the Imperial Army trying to trick us, but seeing how rudimentary this place is, I feel these people should truly be from the Holy Army.”

“Say less. And even if they are the Holy Army, don’t let your guard down,” Su Ming instructed Rhine.

“Understood!” Rhine replied seriously.

Not long after, Su Ming and the others, guided by Beyer, passed through a wind barrier and flew to the end of the passage.

They passed through the inner passage opening and arrived at a large, rudimentary hangar.

The walls around the hangar were mostly exposed rock, without even metal frameworks.

As for the equipment on display, it was very old and rusty, like a pile of scrap metal.

In addition, there were about a hundred dilapidated mechas scattered around, half of which were modified First Generation Mecha · Iron Disciple, and the rest were Second Generation Mecha · Beast Tooth, but each one was older than the last.

“You can park your mechas here,” Beyer said to Su Ming and the others.

Su Ming then controlled the Slayer mecha to slow down, leaned against the wall, and slowly sat down.

Hiss, hiss~ The mecha scraped against the ground, creating a shower of sparks, and finally stopped perfectly in its designated spot.

Rhine and the others also parked their mechas.

At this moment, inside the hangar, members of the Holy Army walked over, looking bewildered at the Slayer and other mechas.

“Oh my, am I seeing this right?”

“Fourth Generation Mecha!”

“And three red moons, three red stars on it!”

“Who are they?”

Just then, Beyer opened the cockpit, climbed out, and took off his helmet, revealing a freckled face. He excitedly shouted to his companions, “Uncle Wuge, I brought friends from the Federation back!”

“Federation? Are they that Federation unit that invaded the Dark Star Empire?” a dark-skinned, thin middle-aged man wearing old Second Generation Exoskeleton Armor asked in surprise.

“That’s right!” Beyer said excitedly.

At this time, Su Ming and Rhine and the others opened their cockpits and jumped down, while Kaff and the others remained inside their mechas, showing no intention of coming down.

“Hello everyone!” Su Ming greeted Wuge and the others politely.

“Hello,” Wuge and the others replied, looking very nervous.

“Uncle Wuge, I’ll take them to see the Legion Commander first,” Beyer said to Wuge.

“Go ahead,” Wuge replied very reservedly.

At this moment, Beyer turned to look at Su Ming and asked, “Commander Su Ming, aren’t the others coming along?”

“No need, just let them stay here,” Su Ming replied with a smile.

“Alright then, follow me!” Beyer didn’t think much of it and led Su Ming and the others towards an old elevator platform.

Soon, Su Ming and the others stepped onto the old elevator platform, and Beyer pulled a lever.

Clang!

Accompanied by a rough grinding sound, the elevator platform began to shake and ascend.

Not long after, the elevator platform rose through the rock ceiling, and the view instantly opened up, revealing a hollowed-out cave with a diameter of ten kilometers.

Inside the cave were box-shaped houses built from scrap metal, and crude processing factories emitting black smoke.

On the rock walls on both sides of the cave, there were exposed, old-fashioned square life support mechanical devices, which constantly emitted harsh noises, like the engines of tractors.

At the same time, dim lights hung from the metal beams on the cave ceiling.

A pungent odor permeated the murky air.

However, even with such rudimentary conditions, a great many people still resided here.

A group of naked children happily chased and played.

Many Holy Army personnel, dressed in old clothes, operated old transport vehicles, pulling collected raw ore along the winding streets.

“Hurry up, deliver the ore to Factory No. 4.”

“This is our home. Come with me, I’ll take you to see the Legion Commander!” Beyer led Su Ming and the others further inside.

Su Ming and the others followed behind Beyer, curiously observing their surroundings.

Along the way, they encountered diligent workers who greeted Beyer one by one.

“Beyer, you’re back!”

“Who are those people behind you? They look so unfamiliar!”

“Yeah, are they new?”

“They don’t look like it; their equipment is so good!”

“They are guests from the Federation,” Beyer replied proudly.

“The Federation? You really found people from the Federation?” Many Holy Army members showed surprised expressions upon hearing Beyer’s words.

Su Ming also felt a little puzzled by their reaction; these people seemed unusually friendly towards them.

“That’s right, I won’t chat with you anymore; I need to quickly take them to see the Legion Commander,” Beyer said to everyone.

“Go quickly!” Everyone replied.

A moment later, Beyer led Su Ming and the others to the center, in front of an unremarkable metal bungalow.

He directly pushed open the door, led Su Ming and the others inside, and shouted excitedly, “Legion Commander!”

Su Ming surveyed the living room furnishings of the house; there was only a table and a few metal chairs, very simple, but impeccably clean.

“Beyer, what are you shouting about?” At this moment, a somewhat short woman with a high ponytail, a slightly chubby face, and lively eyes walked out from the inner room.

“Fia, I wasn’t calling you,” Beyer replied indifferently.

Fia was about to scold Beyer when she suddenly saw Su Ming and the others and froze, then called out nervously, “Who are they?”

“What’s wrong, Fia?” At this moment, a beautiful woman with fair skin, blue hair, amber eyes, and wearing a black trench coat walked out.

“Legion Commander, look at them!”

Fia said nervously.

Norfleen looked at Commander Su Ming and the others, a hint of surprise in her eyes.

Just then, Beyer quickly introduced them to Norfleen.

“Big Sister, this is Federal Officer Su Ming!”

When Norfleen heard that the other party was from the Federation, she slightly bowed to Commander Su Ming and the others.

“Hello, Officer Su Ming, I am Norfleen, Legion Commander of the Holy Legion’s 163rd Legion!”

“Hello.”

Commander Su Ming replied politely.

Rhine and the others showed surprised expressions when they heard Norfleen’s self-introduction.

The Legion Commander of the 163rd Legion, the Holy Legion has so many formations, that’s amazing!

At this moment, Beyer eagerly said to Norfleen.

“Big Sister, Officer Su Ming and his team are super amazing, they just took out the Heavenly Base Heart!”

“Ah? Is that true? Heavenly Base Heart is heavily guarded, and there’s also a fortress.”

Fia said with a hint of disbelief.

“It’s true, but we destroyed it by surprise attack.”

Commander Su Ming calmly explained.

“Even if it was destroyed by a surprise attack, that’s still very impressive. Korgis, who guards the Heavenly Base Heart, is an extremely difficult big shot.”

Norfleen shook her head and replied.

“That guy, he’s already been killed by our squad leader!”

Rhine boasted directly.

When Fia and the others heard this, they looked at Commander Su Ming in shock.

“You killed Korgis?”

“Cough, cough, he should be dead.”

Commander Su Ming coughed and replied modestly.

“Officer Su Ming, you are truly extraordinary. May I ask what brings you to us?”

Norfleen calmed her surging heart and asked respectfully.

“It’s like this, after our attack on the Heavenly Base Heart, we were pursued by the Imperial Army and hastily fled into the Dark Forest, losing contact with our main force. We are now seeking your help.”

Commander Su Ming spoke directly and to the point.

“Officer Su Ming, please speak freely. As long as we can help, we will not refuse.”

Norfleen stated her position without hesitation.

“We need mecha fuel and supplies.”

Commander Su Ming also spoke directly without being polite.

“How many mechas? What models?”

Norfleen looked at Commander Su Ming and asked.

“Over eight hundred, mostly Second Generation Mecha Iron Guard.”

Commander Su Ming gave an approximate number.

Norfleen and the other two fell silent when they heard Commander Su Ming’s words.

Commander Su Ming was not surprised to see Norfleen and the other two remain silent. Supplies for so many mechas would be extremely expensive, and anyone would be reluctant.

But he had no other choice now, so he could only say sincerely.

“Please help us, Miss Norfleen. Of course, we won’t let you supply us for free; we can pay you.”

When Norfleen heard Commander Su Ming’s words, a complex expression appeared on her face. She was about to speak.

Just then, the door was pushed open, and a cheerful young man called out.

“Legion Commander, dinner is ready!”

However, he froze as soon as he finished shouting, looking at Commander Su Ming and the others in surprise.

He hadn’t expected the Legion Commander to have guests.

Norfleen turned to the young man and said.

“De Yin, I know.”

“Okay!”

De Yin quickly left.

“Officer Su Ming, since you’re here, let’s have a meal together.”

Norfleen turned to Commander Su Ming and the others, inviting them.

“Okay! Then we’ll impose.”

Commander Su Ming did not decline or refuse, as he needed to negotiate supplies with Norfleen and gather some intelligence. Therefore, dining together was the best option.

“Come with us!”

Norfleen then led Commander Su Ming and the others away.

Soon after, Norfleen led Commander Su Ming and the others to an open area.

Simple metal tables were set up there, packed with people.

Norfleen led Commander Su Ming and a few others towards the main table.

Along the way, the Holy Army personnel looked curiously at Commander Su Ming and the others.

Soon, Commander Su Ming and his group arrived at the main table, and De Yin and others brought out lunch.

Bowls of sticky porridge made from synthetic starch, and a small plate of pickled salted meat.

But that wasn’t the main point; the main point was that all the porridge was rationed, and Norfleen and the others each had one bowl.

Therefore, the space in front of Commander Su Ming and the others was empty.

“De Yin, is there no more food?”

Norfleen turned to De Yin and asked.

“Legion Commander, you didn’t say beforehand, so there’s no food.”

De Yin replied somewhat awkwardly.

Upon hearing this, Norfleen and the others pushed their bowls towards Commander Su Ming and his group, apologizing.

“Conditions are limited, please understand.”

Rhine and the others looked at Commander Su Ming, exchanging glances.

Commander Su Ming was also rendered speechless.

So he pushed the bowl back to Norfleen and said.

“Uh, Lady Norfleen, you should eat it.”

“Does it not suit your taste?”

“No, it’s not that. We’re actually not too hungry, right?”

Commander Su Ming took a deep breath and forced a smile, replying.

“Right, right, right!”

Rhine and the others quickly echoed.

“No need to be so polite!”

Norfleen pushed the bowls back to Commander Su Ming and the others.

Commander Su Ming and the others looked at the porridge in front of them, their expressions growing more awkward.

Just then, Commander Su Ming suddenly noticed a group of children gathered nearby, staring longingly at their bowls.

One boy, about seven years old, was still licking the spoon in his hand, looking at him with longing eyes.

When Commander Su Ming saw this, he instantly couldn’t hold back and handed the bowl to the boy.

Seeing this, Rhine also handed his bowl to them.

These children happily took the bowls and ran off!

“Oh, these little brats, they’re so thoughtless!”

Beyer, seeing this, grumbled angrily.

“It’s fine.”

Commander Su Ming replied awkwardly.

He had always thought Norfleen and the others were unwilling to help him, but he never expected them to be so poor that they couldn’t even afford food.

And yet he had opened his mouth to ask them for supplies for eight hundred mechas.

Commander Su Ming immediately felt that he was being unusually excessive.

Rhine and the others also felt very ashamed.

“Officer Su Ming, when you get hungry, I’ll have someone make more.”

Norfleen said softly to Commander Su Ming.

“Thank you! Um, Miss Norfleen, how are things for you in the Dark Star Empire? Is it difficult to get by?”

Commander Su Ming took a deep breath and asked.

“Alas~ Yes! Not just us, but the citizens of the Dark Star Empire are also in dire straits. At least we have something to eat, but many people don’t even have food and starve to death.”

Norfleen said with a complex expression.

“That bad?”

Rhine and the others said in surprise.

“Actually, it wasn’t that bad at first. When the Dark Star Empire first became independent, although life was very difficult, at least people could survive. But as time went on, the situation became worse and worse! At first, we thought it was because treacherous officials were in power, and some even risked their lives to see the Emperor. Later, we even raised the banner of ‘cleansing the ruler’s side’ to try and eliminate those treacherous officials. But then we found out that wasn’t the case.”

Fia said angrily.

“Then what was the matter?”

Commander Su Ming asked curiously.

“Later, we discovered that the biggest problem came from the Emperor; he was the root of all disaster.”

Norfleen explained calmly.

“That’s right, it’s that old immortal guy, he’s been alive for over a thousand years and still hasn’t kicked the bucket!”

Beyer cursed through gritted teeth.

“Ah? Your Emperor has lived for over a thousand years?”

Rhine and the others replied in shock.

“What’s so surprising? Hasn’t your Council Speaker also lived for over a thousand years?”

Fia replied as if it were common knowledge.

“It seems so.”

Rhine and the others paused slightly, but upon closer thought, it seemed the Council Speaker really had lived that long.

“So you want to overthrow the Emperor?”

Commander Su Ming pondered for a moment and asked.

“That’s right, we want to overthrow the Emperor and return to the Federation. Actually, we are one family. Before the Dark Star Empire was established, we were also part of the Federation.”

Beyer said with great longing.

Rhine and the others asked with strange expressions.

“You want to return to the Federation?”

“Of course, we dream of it! How good the Federation is!”

Beyer and the others said wistfully.

When Commander Su Ming heard this, he touched his forehead and gave a bitter smile.

It was ironic, to say the least. Within the Federation, many people were dissatisfied with the Council, yet here, they yearned to return.

But it was also normal. No matter how bad the Federation’s system was, at least the people at the bottom still had food to eat and a way to survive.

The nobles of the Federation were still bound by law.

As for the Dark Star Empire, only the nobles lived well; the common people had no human rights whatsoever, and no one cared if they died, let alone aspiring to rise up.

For a moment, everyone fell silent, and the atmosphere became heavy.

“Alas~”

Commander Su Ming slowly sighed, then slowly spoke: “Um, Legion Commander Norfleen, could I ask for your help?”

“Please speak.”

“Could you send people to help search for our mothership, the Tsar?”

“That’s no problem, I’ll arrange for people right away. You all rest well here.”

Norfleen quickly stood up and replied.

“Mm, be careful when searching, don’t be mistaken for enemies.”

Commander Su Ming instructed with some concern.

“Understood!”

Norfleen nodded and replied.

—

The next day, Starlight City · Su Family Villa · In the living room.

Su Zhentian, Su Yao, Su Ying, and other sons sat at the dining table.

Anko the butler and Su Fu waited nearby.

They were having breakfast while watching the projected television.

The television was broadcasting the latest news.

A female anchor with short hair, dressed in professional attire, reported with a serious expression.

“We interrupt this program for an important news update: The Federal Thirteenth Corps recently launched a surprise attack on the Dark Star Empire’s second-largest energy reserve hub, the Heavenly Base Heart, successfully destroying it and inflicting unprecedented heavy damage on the Dark Star Empire.”

“Damn it, well done!”

Su Zhentian exclaimed excitedly upon hearing this information.

Su Yao, standing nearby, also showed a very surprised expression, saying in disbelief.

“I didn’t hear that wrong, did I? The Thirteenth Corps, which entered imperial territory, not only wasn’t annihilated but also destroyed the Dark Star Empire’s Heavenly Base Heart? That’s incredible.”

“Isn’t this Thirteenth Corps newly formed? How are they so strong?”

Su Ying asked, frowning deeply.

“Young Master, although the Thirteenth Corps was recently formed, it doesn’t mean its combat power is weak. It mainly depends on who was selected to form it. The Federation might have recalled many retired elite officers when forming it.”

Anko the butler offered his insight.

“Well said! Damn it, it’s such a pity they didn’t conscript me back! I’ve long wanted to invade the Dark Star Empire and teach those little brats a lesson.”

Su Zhentian said with great regret.

When Su Yao heard Su Zhentian’s words, his expression immediately changed slightly, and he quickly advised.

“Father, you’ve been retired for so many years, it’s not suitable for you to return to the battlefield.”

“Big Brother is right. And Thunder Group still needs you to lead the way. If you go to serve, what will happen to the company?”

Su Ying and the others quickly spoke up, trying to dissuade Su Zhentian.

The family company’s situation was already not very good; if Su Zhentian were to serve and completely disregard it, that would be disastrous.

“Shut up, damn it! Can’t you have some ambition? You’re always so timid about everything. If I’m not here, are you all dead?”

Su Zhentian angrily scolded his sons.

Su Yao and the others remained silent upon hearing Su Zhentian’s words.

“Alas!”

Su Zhentian also sighed helplessly.

In fact, it wasn’t that he was unwilling to delegate authority, but that to this day, none of his sons had been able to fully take charge of the company.