Chapter 352: Holy Army 2 (Five-in-one)
by SunflowerInside a meteorite stronghold in the Dark Forest Star Sea.
Su Ming woke up groggily from the iron bed, his head feeling heavy and dizzy.
He saw Ankajia sitting on a nearby chair, propping her chin with one hand, continuously yawning.
Su Ming slowly sat up and spoke tiredly.
“Ankajia, why don’t you go to sleep?”
“I’m just not at ease, so I’m watching!”
Seeing Su Ming awake, Ankajia explained to him.
“Hmm, where are Rhine and the others?”
Su Ming looked at the other empty iron beds and asked.
“They went back to the hangar.”
Ankajia stood up, stretched, and replied.
Hearing this, Su Ming got out of bed and said to Ankajia.
“Let’s go to the hangar. You can take a nap in the cockpit then.”
“Okay!”
Ankajia nodded in agreement.
Su Ming led Ankajia out of the room and walked towards the hangar.
Half an hour later, Su Ming and Ankajia took a mechanical platform down into the hangar.
The entire hangar was bustling, with Holy Army personnel moving things around.
Su Ming led Ankajia towards the Slayer’s parking bay.
As he approached, he saw a group of Holy Army personnel repairing the Slayer, with welding sparks flying everywhere.
Rhine and the others were gathered, watching.
“Rhine!”
Su Ming called out, somewhat bewildered.
“Squad Leader, you’re here!”
Rhine and the others heard Su Ming’s call and came over.
“What’s going on?”
Su Ming asked, utterly confused.
“Well, the Holy Army personnel said they could repair mechas and wanted to help you fix yours.”
“Wait, they can repair it? And they have the materials?”
“Uh, we thought the same. But your mecha was so badly damaged, and it couldn’t function without a leg, so we decided to try anything.”
Rhine explained to Su Ming.
After listening to Rhine, Su Ming walked closer to take a look. What he saw made his head ache.
The Holy Army’s mechanical repair technicians had welded an iron pillar to the Slayer, serving as its damaged left leg.
The entire mecha looked odd, like a person with a prosthetic limb.
Seeing Su Ming staring at the Slayer without a word, Rhine tried to comfort him.
“Squad Leader, it’s free, so we can’t demand too much. Just make do with it; at least the mecha can stand.”
“Alright.”
Su Ming took a deep breath, calming his turbulent emotions.
At this moment, his stomach rumbled with intense hunger, so he asked.
“Rhine, is there anything to eat?”
“Yes, I’ll get it for you right now!”
Rhine immediately ran towards his mecha.
Soon, Rhine returned with a large bag of sealed jerky and mineral water, handing them to Su Ming.
Su Ming unscrewed the mineral water bottle, took a sip, then tore open the jerky and began to eat.
At this moment, Holy Legion personnel, who were carrying materials and walking by, saw Su Ming eating jerky and their eyes widened.
Some directly weren’t looking where they were going and bumped into their companions in front.
“Why did you bump into me?”
“Sorry.”
Su Ming stopped and looked at the Holy Legion personnel, asking.
“Do you want some?”
“Uh, wouldn’t that be rude?”
Although these Holy Army personnel refused, they unconsciously made a swallowing motion.
Seeing this, Su Ming said to Rhine.
“Rhine, is there more?”
“Yes, we have plenty of supplies in that regard.”
“Go get some.”
“Okay!”
Rhine and the others immediately returned to their mechas to get them.
Soon, they came back with a pile of jerky. Su Ming directly grabbed a handful and threw it to these Holy Army personnel.
“Wouldn’t this be rude?”
These Holy Legion personnel replied, flattered.
“It’s just a little food, nothing rude about it. Try our local specialty.”
Su Ming reassured them.
“Then we won’t be polite.”
They all tore open the seals and shared the food among themselves.
“Wow, it’s so delicious!”
“The texture of this meat, why is it different from what we usually eat?”
“Yeah, it’s super delicious, I’ve never eaten anything this good in my life.”
The moment they tasted the jerky, they became excited like children.
Rhine and the others watched this scene, feeling a bit emotional.
Within the Federal Military Department, jerky was the most common supply, and its price was even cheaper than nutrition bars.
Su Ming silently finished the jerky in his hand and calmly asked Rhine.
“Rhine, is there any news about the Tsar?”
“Not yet. The Holy Army personnel who went out to search haven’t returned.”
Rhine shook his head and replied.
Su Ming heard Rhine’s words and, though he didn’t speak, grew increasingly worried.
As time passed, the hope of finding the Tsar would become even more remote.
At this moment, an old Third Generation Mecha, leading a group of Beast Tooth mechas, flew into the hangar from the passage entrance.
“Su Ming, they seem to be back!”
Rhine said to Su Ming excitedly.
Su Ming turned his head to look at the leading Third Generation Mecha and was also stunned. Upon closer inspection, he could barely make out that this Third Generation Mecha was a Gun Knight, but this Gun Knight was the earliest model from three hundred years ago, truly an antique among antiques.
At this moment, that Gun Knight led its subordinates to the parking bay and docked.
Click~
The cockpits opened one by one.
Norfleen jumped down wearing Second Generation Exoskeleton Armor, and Beyer and the others also disembarked.
Su Ming then led Rhine and the others towards Norfleen and her group.
At this moment, Kaff and the others, seeing Norfleen and her group return, also hurried forward.
“Lord Su Ming.”
Norfleen saw Su Ming and his group approaching and greeted them.
“Miss Norfleen, have you found any trace of the Tsar?”
Su Ming didn’t bother with pleasantries with Norfleen and her group, directly asking.
Norfleen and the others fell silent for a moment upon hearing this, then replied with disappointment.
“Sorry, Lord Su Ming, we haven’t found any trace of the Tsar.”
“This is troublesome.”
“Lord Su Ming, listen to me. We didn’t just search the nearby star sea. I also inquired with other companions in the Dark Forest Star Sea, and no one has seen the Tsar. Therefore, your mothership might have been sunk by the Imperial Army. You should prepare yourselves for this.”
Norfleen sighed and said to Su Ming and the others.
“This…”
Kaff and the others felt a sense of despair upon hearing this news.
Su Ming calmly analyzed the situation. Norfleen’s possibility was not unfounded. Although the Tsar had retreated, it didn’t mean it necessarily escaped.
After all, even after they rushed into the Dark Forest Star Sea, the Imperial Army still caught up and killed so many of their people.
“Although this is just my personal analysis, the possibility is very high.”
Norfleen rationally said to Rhine and the others.
“We understand, Miss Norfleen. Can you lend us a Level 4 ship then? A transport ship would also work.”
Su Ming exhaled slightly and said to Norfleen.
Norfleen heard this and shook her head, replying.
“Sorry, we don’t have any Level 4 ships. The best we have is a Level 3 transport ship, and we all rely on this ship to survive.”
“Level 3 ship? Then we’re doomed. Without a warp drive, it would probably take a thousand years to fly back to the Federation from here, wouldn’t it?”
Rhine said, bewildered, after hearing this.
“No, a Level 3 ship simply cannot cross the star sea.”
Su Ming was also utterly helpless; he felt like he was truly stuck now.
“Sorry, we are really too strapped for cash, but it’s not without a solution.”
Norfleen replied apologetically.
“What solution?”
Su Ming looked at Norfleen with great curiosity.
“Our Deputy Legion Commander has a Level 4 transport ship. I can take you to him and try to borrow the ship. However, I can’t guarantee that Deputy Legion Commander will definitely be willing to lend it.”
Norfleen said to Su Ming.
Hearing this, Su Ming still wanted to take a chance and immediately asked.
“That’s great! When do we go?”
“Now, actually. We also need to return to the main stronghold to purchase some supplies.”
Norfleen showed no signs of delay.
Hearing this, Su Ming said to Kaff and the others.
“Kaff, all of you wait for me here. I’ll go with Miss Norfleen.”
“Are you sure you’ll be okay going alone?”
“It’s fine, I’ll just bring the Slayer mecha.”
“Alright!”
Kaff and the others, seeing Su Ming say this, didn’t say anything more.
Norfleen then turned to Beyer and the others and said.
“Prepare the transport ship, and call the brothers.”
“Okay!”
Beyer quickly responded.
Soon after.
Su Ming, controlling the repaired Slayer mecha, followed Norfleen’s mecha out of the meteorite stronghold and into the outer star sea.
At this moment, a dilapidated transport ship was suspended in outer space.
The entire transport ship was about 5 kilometers long, with various patches on its armor plating, and some sections of the armor were even warped.
Su Ming took a deep breath. He used to think the Fatty was bad enough, but he never expected there to be something worse.
“Let’s board the ship!”
Norfleen finished speaking and piloted her mecha towards the transport ship’s boarding ramp.
“Okay!”
Su Ming followed closely behind.
Half an hour later, Su Ming and Norfleen secured their mechas and arrived at the transport ship’s central control room.
The entire central control room was very spacious, with an old-fashioned linear control panel filled with various mechanical buttons.
At this moment, Fia and Beyer and the others were sitting at the control panel, conducting the final pre-departure checks.
Soon, several yellow alerts popped up on the old electronic screen.
“Warning: Hydraulic device #2912 malfunction.”
“Warning: Sensor device #K221 abnormal.”
“Big Sister, preparations are complete, we can set sail.”
Beyer said to Norfleen.
Su Ming’s mouth twitched slightly as he looked at the alerts.
Although he wasn’t in command and didn’t know how to operate a ship, he wasn’t blind and could understand the text displayed. Dozens of fault codes, yet Beyer and the others said they were ready.
However, Su Ming still restrained the urge to question them, as he wasn’t the only one on the ship.
“Then let’s depart!”
Norfleen gave the order decisively.
“Alrighty!”
Beyer and the others began to activate the ship’s thrusters.
The entire ship immediately began to vibrate violently.
Seeing that Su Ming’s expression didn’t look very good, Norfleen comforted him.
“Don’t worry, this transport ship may be old, but it’s fine for travel.”
“Okay.”
“Mr. Su Ming, you can rest a bit. We need to travel for over seven hours to reach our destination.”
“It’s fine, I’ll just sit here and watch.”
Su Ming shook his head and replied.
He trusted Norfleen and the others now, but he truly couldn’t compliment their equipment.
“Alright!”
Norfleen nodded slightly in response.
Seven hours later.
In the Dark Forest Star Sea.
A dilapidated Level 3 transport ship traversed through a grey nebula.
The moment the ship emerged from the grey nebula, it entered a vast asteroid field.
Inside the central control room, Su Ming and Norfleen stood side by side at the observation deck, watching the asteroids whizzing by in the star sea.
Su Ming asked with considerable interest.
“Is your legion’s main stronghold also in an asteroid field?”
“Yes, and please don’t laugh, but we don’t have the capability to build complete bases, so we can only rely on natural asteroids to build our habitable strongholds.”
“That’s good. Asteroid fields have complex terrain, making them suitable for concealment.”
“I think so too.”
Norfleen nodded slightly in agreement.
At this moment, Su Ming saw several patrolling Beast Tooth mechas fly by. These Beast Tooth mechas even waved at the transport ship.
“We’re almost there; the stronghold is just ahead.”
Norfleen said to Su Ming.
“Hmm!”
Su Ming gazed silently.
A moment later, in the distant star sea, a meteorite with a diameter of over eight hundred kilometers came into view.
The surface of this giant meteorite had numerous holes dug into it, which were then reinforced with metal casting.
The massive meteorite resembled a beehive.
At a glance, he could also see several old Level 3 transport ships and dozens of mechas entering.
Norfleen saw this scene, and a hint of confusion appeared on her fair face.
“What’s wrong?”
Su Ming asked, keenly sensing the anomaly.
“It’s nothing, I just feel like there are a lot of people returning to the base today.”
Norfleen shook her head and replied.
“Oh.”
Su Ming nodded slightly in response.
Half an hour later, the Level 3 transport ship successfully entered the dock within the asteroid base.
Soon, Exit 1 opened.
Norfleen led Su Ming and the others off the transport ship.
Su Ming turned his head to look around; compared to Norfleen’s dock, this dock was much larger in scale, and the equipment was relatively more complete, with at least the main structure covered by metal frames.
At the same time, the entire dock was very lively, with more than a dozen Level 3 transport ships docked, and returning Holy Legion personnel everywhere.
“Norfleen!”
At this moment, a joyful voice came.
Su Ming turned his head to look, only to see a woman with a gray trench coat, a graceful figure, and a square face, approaching with several men.
“Kaizhen, you’ve also come to the base?”
Norfleen replied with surprise.
“Of course I’m back! Rennis, the Deputy Legion Commander, is holding an awards ceremony later, and we all rushed back specifically for it.”
Kaizhen explained to Norfleen.
“Awards ceremony? For whom? Did something big happen?”
Norfleen replied with great surprise.
“You don’t know? Our base has made a great contribution, achieving a historic feat!”
“Don’t know? What feat?”
Norfleen replied in confusion, then suddenly realized that perhaps she hadn’t received the notice because she had been out searching for the Tsar during this time.
“Oh, have you heard about the destruction of the Heavenly Base Heart?”
“I know about that, what about it?”
“Tukler of the 78th Regiment participated in this operation, and he assisted the Federal forces in completing this feat. You should know, this is the greatest achievement our base has ever had.”
Kaizhen explained to Norfleen.
“So that’s how it is.”
Norfleen and the others were also very surprised to hear this.
Su Ming was also very stunned, not expecting the destruction of the Heavenly Base Heart to be related to the Holy Army?
“I have other things to do, so I won’t chat with you anymore.”
Kaizhen then bid farewell to Norfleen.
“Okay, you go on ahead.”
Norfleen nodded in response.
“See you later.”
After Kaizhen finished speaking, she left with her subordinates.
At this moment, Beyer could not help but ask Su Ming.
“Lord Su Ming, did we really assist you in destroying the Heavenly Base Heart?”
“I’m not entirely sure about that, but it should be true.”
Su Ming replied after some thought.
Although they had launched a surprise attack on the Heavenly Base Heart by themselves, it was clear that Vickers and his team had intelligence support.
Not only were they well aware of the Heavenly Base Heart’s defenses, but they had also prepared the Dark Forest route in advance.
All these signs indicated one thing: someone was assisting them.
And as the local power in this area, the Holy Army was capable of obtaining such intelligence.
“Oh my, Tukler of the 78th Regiment is about to take off!”
Beyer said in surprise after hearing Su Ming’s reply.
“Don’t discuss it, Beyer.”
Norfleen said to Beyer.
“Okay.”
Upon hearing Norfleen speak, Beyer fell silent.
At this moment, Norfleen said to Su Ming.
“Lord Su Ming, let’s go purchase some things first, and then we’ll go find Deputy Legion Commander Rennis to borrow a ship later.”
“No problem, no rush.”
Although Su Ming was eager to return to the Federation, he wasn’t in such a hurry that he couldn’t spare a moment.
“Okay!”
Norfleen then led Su Ming and the others towards the nearby Elevator 3.
Not long after, they took Elevator 3 and arrived at the surface of the upper cavern.
The internal cavern of this base was even larger, with a diameter of a full fifty kilometers.
Within this cavern, various crooked tin houses and processing plants were densely packed.
The entire area was an enlarged version of Norfleen’s base.
However, this area was much more prosperous than Norfleen’s area. There were open-air stalls everywhere, selling all sorts of things.
“Black Shell Brand engine oil, freshly made!”
Numerous vendors were vigorously hawking their wares.
Su Ming watched this scene and asked Norfleen with some curiosity.
“You even have vendors here?”
“Yes, although we are all from the same legion, it’s impossible for everyone to just eat from the big pot! That wouldn’t be dynamic. Our legion actually encourages business, but prices cannot be too expensive.”
Norfleen explained to Su Ming.
“This model is good.”
Su Ming praised sincerely.
“Mm.”
Norfleen then led Su Ming forward.
Soon, they arrived in front of an open-air stall, where bags of synthetic powder were displayed.
The person tending the stall was an old man with yellowed teeth and a gaunt appearance; he greeted Norfleen very warmly.
“Lady Norfleen, you’ve come to purchase something.”
“How much is the synthetic powder now, Uncle Kunou?”
Norfleen nodded slightly, asking politely.
“Still three grades: the good one is 500 Dark Star currency per ton, the medium is 400 Dark Star currency, and the low grade is 100 Dark Star currency.”
Kunou directly quoted the prices to Norfleen.
Beyer and the others all looked at Norfleen.
Norfleen pondered for a moment and said.
“The medium grade, give us 200 tons.”
“Okay!”
Kunou immediately nodded in response.
At this moment, Fia handed a backpack to Norfleen.
Norfleen opened the backpack and pulled out stacks of wrinkled paper money, handing them to Uncle Kunou.
Uncle Kunou took them and counted them one by one.
Norfleen waited quietly, and soon Uncle Kunou finished counting the money, saying with a smile.
“The money is correct.”
“Beyer, you and Uncle Kunou will handle the handover and send the synthetic powder to the transport ship.”
Norfleen then arranged.
“Okay!”
Beyer immediately nodded in response.
“Let’s go, let’s buy something over there.”
Norfleen then led Su Ming and Fia, walking along the road towards the front.
Su Ming quietly followed behind Norfleen.
A moment later, they arrived in front of a shop. This shop was clearly much more upscale than the street stalls, with a dedicated freezer cabinet at the entrance.
Rows of meat blocks were placed inside the freezer cabinet.
“Kaistin!”
Norfleen called out.
“Coming, oh! Isn’t this Norfleen? What day is it that brought you here?”
A burly, bearded middle-aged man, with a low-quality synthetic cigarette in his mouth, walked out from inside.
“I want to buy some good meat.”
Norfleen said with a slight smile.
“No problem, it’s rare for you to come and purchase, I’ll give you the lowest price! How much do you want to buy?”
Kaistin said very loyally.
“I want to buy 1000 catties.”
Norfleen hesitated for a moment before saying.
Fia, who was beside her, was stunned, looking at Norfleen in disbelief. She wanted to say something, but the words caught in her throat.
“Buying so much? Have you struck it rich recently?”
Kaistin was also very surprised.
“Um, Kaistin, can I discuss something with you?”
“Go ahead.”
“I want to use this to pay.”
Norfleen picked up a box and handed it to Kaistin.
Kaistin took it and opened the box, a look of surprise appearing on his face.
Su Ming glanced sideways, and although he couldn’t see very clearly, he still caught a glimpse: the box seemed to contain an exquisite necklace.
He immediately realized that Norfleen might have specially come to buy meat to entertain him.
Thinking of this, Su Ming suddenly felt very embarrassed and quickly spoke.
“Miss Norfleen, what are you doing?”
“It’s nothing, Mr. Su Ming.”
“That won’t do, Mr. Kaistin, can federal currency be used here?”
Su Ming then asked.
“federal currency?”
Kaistin was also startled upon hearing Su Ming’s words.
Norfleen quickly explained to Kaistin.
“It’s like this, my friend, he does business in the Lost Land, so he holds federal currency.”
“Oh, I see! I was wondering! No one has paid with federal currency in decades, but it’s the same! Dark Star currency and federal currency are both the same, with a 1:1 exchange rate, I accept both here.”
Kaistin said with a smile after listening to Norfleen.
In fact, whether it was the Federation, the Dark Star Empire, or the Apocalypse Divine Kingdom, they all stored large amounts of rare metals as collateral in the Holy Land, Saint Jocks Star, to ensure the value of their currencies.
Therefore, the currencies of the three forces were all recognized by the Holy Land, Saint Jocks Star, and the exchange rate was uniformly 1:1.
“If it can be used, that’s great, do you think this is enough?”
Su Ming then pulled out his wallet, directly drew out a ten-thousand-denomination federal currency note, and handed it to Kaistin, asking.
Kaistin took the money Su Ming handed him and was instantly dumbfounded.
“Ten thousand denomination?”
Norfleen and Fia were also stunned, looking at Su Ming in disbelief.
Especially when they saw the large stack in his wallet, their expressions became very unnatural.
“Is there a problem?”
Su Ming asked calmly.
“Wait, let me see! This is my first time seeing this denomination, I wonder if it’s real or fake?”
Kaistin kept flipping through the banknote, afraid it was fake.
Su Ming looked at this scene, a strange expression on his face.
As it turned out, Kaistin looked for a long time and still wasn’t reassured, so he directly called out.
“Old Ji, come over here quickly!”
Immediately, the owners of the surrounding shops came over one after another.
“What’s going on, Kaistin?”
“Come over and help me see if this banknote is real or fake?”
Kaistin said to everyone.
“Wow, a ten-thousand denomination? Who’s that rich?”
“Let me see, how unusual!”
“And it’s federal currency!”
The owners of these shops gathered together, helping to examine the banknote.
Su Ming waited helplessly, not expecting a single banknote to attract so many people to examine it.
Norfleen said to Su Ming with a hint of apology.
“Sorry, no one here has ever used such a large denomination for transactions.”
“It’s nothing.”
Su Ming squeezed out a smile and replied.
Fortunately, after these shop owners finished their examination, they unanimously gave their answer.
“It’s real, all the anti-counterfeiting marks are there.”
Kaistin then said with a beaming smile.
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.”
“It’s nothing, is this money enough?”
“If you want ordinary meat, it’s definitely enough, but if you want better quality, it’s still a tiny bit short.”
“I want the good stuff, money is not an issue.”
Su Ming replied very calmly.
Fia, who was beside him, looked at Su Ming with eyes full of admiration upon hearing his words.
“Lord Su Ming, this isn’t good, to make you spend so much?”
Norfleen said, feeling a bit uneasy.
“There’s nothing wrong with it.”
Su Ming waved his hand and said.
“Norfleen, don’t be so polite with him. When did you find such a rich and handsome boyfriend? Your taste is good!”
Kaistin said, chuckling.
“Don’t talk nonsense, we’re not boyfriend and girlfriend.”
Norfleen was also startled, and glanced back at Su Ming.
It was then that she noticed Su Ming was indeed quite handsome, and his demeanor was very distinguished.
“Alright, I won’t say anymore, come with me, I’ll take you to the breeding farm.”
Kaistin said, chuckling.
“Okay!”
Su Ming and Norfleen nodded in response.
The three then followed Kaistin out of the shop and walked towards the breeding farm.
Approximately twenty minutes later, Kaistin led Su Ming and Norfleen to a large breeding farm constructed with simple tin sheets.
Before even entering the main gate, Su Ming was met with a strong, foul odor.
“Come in with me, I don’t usually bring people here.”
Kaistin said as he led the three into the breeding farm.
Upon entering the breeding farm, they were immediately met with huge iron cages, inside which were creatures three meters tall, covered in coarse gray bristles, with long pig snouts, red eyes, and two protruding tusks from their mouths.
“Blackheart Pig!”
Su Ming said with a stunned expression upon seeing these creatures.
“What Blackheart Pig? These are Pig Dwarf Beasts, these are good stuff.”
Kaistin said irritably.
“No, are you selling us this kind of meat? If you eat too much of this stuff, people will go crazy.”
Su Ming asked with a dark expression.
These Blackheart Pigs also existed in the Federation; the low-quality meat circulated in the Federal market came from these creatures.
Eating too much of this meat would make people’s minds extremely agitated, eventually even leading to madness. Of course, there were corresponding medicines for treatment, but they were very expensive.
The meat Su Ming and the others ate was from normal domestic pigs; although they weren’t fed natural feed, they also didn’t have these defects.
“I know, the body structure of these Pig-Man Beasts is very special. They eat everything, and even poison can’t kill them.
They concentrate all the toxins in their heads, and then go mad! The crazier they get, the better the meat quality!” Kaistin explained to Su Ming.
“You knew, and you still sold it to us?” Su Ming looked at Kaistin, puzzled.
“What’s there to be afraid of? This kind of meat only has side effects if you eat a certain amount. Who’s so extravagant as to eat it every day? You can’t even reach that amount! And don’t worry, what I’m selling to you isn’t this.” Kaistin explained to Su Ming.
“Oh, then what are you selling us?” Su Ming breathed a slight sigh of relief after hearing Kaistin’s words.
“I’m selling you this one!” Kaistin pointed to a Pig-Man Beast kept separately not far away.
Next to that Pig-Man Beast, there was also a large feed processing machine.
At this moment, a worker operated a mechanical forklift, lifting the carcass of a five-meter-long moth and throwing it into the feed processing machine.
Rumble!
As the processing machine roared, piles of insect powder poured out with a rustling sound.
Workers poured these insect powders into the feed trough of that Pig-Man Beast.
That Pig-Man Beast frantically ate the insect powder.
“You feed it insect powder?” Su Ming’s mouth twitched slightly.
“That’s right, don’t underestimate this insect powder, it’s high in protein! Let me tell you something unpleasant, if it weren’t for the ample money you gave and Norfleen’s influence, I wouldn’t sell you something this good.” Kaistin said to Su Ming.
“Then what do you feed the other Pig-Man Beasts?” Su Ming keenly noticed something amiss.
“Them? They’re all fed those corpse powders.” Kaistin directly pointed to the bags of corpse powder in the corner.
“Corpse powder? What is that?” Su Ming asked with a slight frown.
“Corpse powder is made from the bodies of dead monsters, humans, and other corpses. It’s also called low-quality synthetic powder.”
“You feed them corpse powder?”
“That’s right, it’s always been fed like this. Is there a problem? Corpse powder can be eaten anyway, it’s just that if you’re unlucky, there will be some extra rewards.” Kaistin said as if it were commonplace.
When Su Ming heard this, his face turned as black as charcoal. He had seen many storms, but his stomach instinctively felt like it was churning.
From Kaistin’s words, Su Ming completely understood how bad the bottom layer of the Dark Star Empire was.
Even the personnel in the Holy Army had to eat corpse powder, not to mention the ordinary Imperial citizens, who were even worse off than livestock.
“Cough, cough, Mr. Kaistin, do you sell vegetables here?” Su Ming coughed and asked. He really couldn’t bring himself to eat that stuff.
When Kaistin heard Su Ming’s words, his eyes widened, looking at him as if he were insane, then he said to Norfleen, “Lady Norfleen, your friend must be crazy, wanting to eat vegetables. Imperial lords can’t even get that, where would I get it? Have you ever eaten it? I haven’t had a single bite in my life.”
“I haven’t either.” Norfleen also said with a complex expression.
Su Ming’s face showed an awkward expression when he heard this.
“If there isn’t any, then this pig will do.”
“There’s no hurry, brother. Have you really eaten vegetables? What do they taste like?” Kaistin asked curiously.
“There’s nothing special about the taste, it’s just a bit refreshing.” Su Ming explained helplessly.
“Amazing! It seems you really are a big shot. But it’s normal, I should have known you weren’t an ordinary person from the moment you casually pulled out one million federal currency.” Kaistin gave Su Ming a thumbs up.
Norfleen saw this and advised, “Mr. Kaistin, please do not mention anything about Sir Su Ming to outsiders too much, lest it cause unnecessary trouble.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t speak carelessly. I’ll have this pig taken to be slaughtered now, and once the meat is portioned, I’ll send it to you.” Kaistin replied to Norfleen.
“Thank you for your trouble, then we’ll be leaving first!” Norfleen then led Su Ming and Fia away.
Soon, they left the farm and walked on the dirty road.
Fia couldn’t help but ask, “Sir Su Ming, is the Federation really that good? They don’t even eat Pig-Man Beast meat? And do they really have vegetables?”
“It’s not that exaggerated, but the conditions are better. They indeed don’t eat Pig-Man Beast meat, and as for vegetables, I only eat them occasionally.” Su Ming explained tactfully.
“Oh, that’s so good, how great would it be if we were also born in the Federation!” Fia said with immense envy.
When Su Ming heard this, he hesitated for a moment and said, “Since you dislike the Dark Star Empire so much, why don’t you leave?”
Norfleen sighed and explained to Su Ming, “We also want to leave, but it’s not that simple. We all have families behind us, what would happen to them if we left? And where would we go if we left the Dark Star Empire? The Neutral Countries aren’t much better, and they’re also living from hand to mouth. As for the Federation, you can’t just enter it whenever you want.”
“That’s true.” Su Ming replied with a sigh after hearing Norfleen’s words.
“Moreover, if we all leave, then our compatriots will have even less hope, and will only be able to live in perpetual darkness. Therefore, we can only strive to resist.”
“You are right.”
“Let’s not talk about these heavy topics. I’ll take you to find Deputy Legion Commander Rennis.” Norfleen adjusted her mood and said with a slight smile.
“Okay!” Su Ming nodded.
Norfleen then led Su Ming towards the center.
Half an hour later, they arrived at the entrance of a dilapidated three-story metal building in the center.
The gate of this metal building was guarded by a team of personnel wearing exoskeleton armor.
“Captain Debisa.” Norfleen walked forward and greeted the guarding captain.
“Norfleen, why are you here? Is something wrong?” A burly man with a pockmarked face replied unexpectedly.
“I’m here to see Deputy Legion Commander Rennis. Could you please announce me? Just say I have something to discuss with him.” Norfleen politely requested.
“Please wait a moment, I’ll go announce you.” Captain Debisa then hurried inside.
Su Ming, Norfleen, and the others waited quietly.
About five minutes later, Captain Debisa hurried out and said to Norfleen, “Norfleen, Legion Commander Rennis said he’s a bit busy right now, and a commendation ceremony is about to be held soon. If it’s not an urgent matter, he asks you to come see him after the ceremony.”
When Su Ming heard this, he nodded slightly to Norfleen, indicating that they could find Deputy Legion Commander Rennis later.
Norfleen then asked Debisa, “Captain Debisa, we’ll come to see Sir Rennis later. Also, where is that commendation ceremony being held?”
“It’s at the central plaza. Many Legion Commanders are here this time, so it should be very lively.” Debisa replied to Norfleen.
“Okay, then we’ll go first.” Norfleen then led Su Ming and Fia away, heading towards the central plaza.
Soon after, Su Ming and the two arrived at the central plaza area.
In the central area of the plaza, a simple square podium was set up.
Below and on both sides of the podium, long metal chairs were placed, filled with a dense crowd of people.
“Wow, so many people! It hasn’t been this lively in a long time.” Fia said excitedly.
“Let’s find a place to sit.” Norfleen led the two and found an empty chair to sit down.
At this moment, Su Ming heard the people from the Holy Army next to him discussing excitedly.
“Legion Commander Tukler is truly amazing, I didn’t expect him to pull off such a big feat without a sound. He really brought us honor.”
“Indeed, I used to think that guy was full of hot air, but it seems I was shallow.”
“I think so too.”
“By the way, Deputy Legion Commander Rennis’s health has been getting worse recently, and I heard he’s about to step down soon. Don’t you think that with Tukler accomplishing such a huge feat, the position of Deputy Legion Commander will surely be his?”
“Definitely, he’ll win the election easily.”
Listening to the crowd’s discussion, Su Ming was also a bit curious about this Tukler. What kind of person was he?
At this moment, the noisy scene suddenly quieted down.
Su Ming looked up and saw an old man with a hunched body, white hair, a face covered in black spots, and a kind demeanor, walking onto the square podium set up in the center of the plaza.
He picked up the microphone and said in a deep voice, “Everyone, today is a very special day. Our Holy Legion has been silent for so many years, and finally, we have accomplished an event that can be recorded in history! Now, please welcome Legion Commander 78 Tukler to the stage to share the ins and outs of this event, as well as his experience. I hope everyone will actively learn from him!”
Clap, clap!
Everyone applauded enthusiastically.
At this moment, a middle-aged man wearing second-generation exoskeleton armor, with a large nose, a full beard, shiny hair, and a proud expression, walked onto the podium with vigorous steps.
Legion Commander Rennis then handed the microphone to Tukler.
Tukler took the microphone and proudly faced the crowd.
“Hello everyone, now I will tell you how I coordinated the operation…”
Su Ming observed the man curiously, listening to his speech with interest.
He hadn’t expected to see their contact person here.
One must know that their ability to launch an attack was largely due to this person.
At this moment, Tukler on the stage was also giving an impassioned speech.
“Everyone, listen to me. In fact, the reason this matter could succeed was not an overnight achievement, but the result of my long-term planning and painstaking efforts! Initially, I accidentally met the Thirteenth Corps Legion Commander of the Federation on the Star Cluster Forum. We had a great conversation and felt a mutual appreciation! That’s when the idea of attacking the Heavenly Base Heart came to me.”
“I never thought that Heaven would not disappoint a diligent person, and the opportunity came so quickly. The Thirteenth Corps entered the Imperial territory so soon. So I put in a lot of effort and finally contacted the Thirteenth Corps Legion Commander. After that, I waited patiently on the edge of the Dark Forest Star Sea, and finally, I met them. For this, I personally led them into the Dark Forest Star Sea, guiding them to avoid various dangerous creatures within the Star Sea…” Tukler spoke passionately.
The more Su Ming listened, the more something felt wrong. He said in a deep voice, “That’s strange.”
Norfleen and Fia were also slightly startled, turning to look at Su Ming and asking, “What’s wrong?”
“What he’s saying isn’t right. We did receive intelligence support, but no one led us. We completed it independently.” Su Ming said in a deep voice.
“Are you sure?” Fia’s eyes lit up as she asked.
You know, all the Legion Commanders were participating in the election for the position of Deputy Legion Commander. And so far, Norfleen’s reputation and public image were among the top. It was just unexpected that this guy had achieved such a great accomplishment. Now that they found out he had a problem, how could they let him go?
“I’m sure.” Su Ming replied with certainty.
When Fia heard this, she immediately stood on her chair and shouted loudly, “You’re lying!”
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