CHAPTER 852: CHAPTER 852: THE MYSTERIOUS FLEET

The sea was billowing with waves, and majestic warships were cutting through the waves.

They were the Fleet of the South Sea Union, and also the only organized naval combat force on these waters.

The flagship leading them was the Harpoon Cruiser, distinguished by its remarkable achievements in the civil war.

Behind the cruiser, four destroyers were trailing.

Apart from the homeland defense forces, the South Sea Union had mobilized almost all available warships. Even beyond their naval forces, there were three submarines lurking beneath the surface.

Originally, the Union contributed significantly to the unification of the South Sea Union, and now that the Alliance was in trouble, the South Sea Union naturally would do whatever it takes to help their brothers.

Although the survivors on the southern sea islands were not interested in the disputes on land, they knew very well that the Legion’s ambition was far beyond just one old provincial territory.

They would gradually test the Eastern Survivor Forces’ limits and continuously push forward, exploiting the Academy and enterprises’ weaknesses, thus compressing the living space of the civilized world.

The South Sea Union would not let the Legion succeed, as helping other suffering survivors was indeed helping themselves.

However—

The opening of this battle was not optimistic.

Inside the "Harpoon" bridge, President Li Minghui, dressed in military uniform again, squinted slightly at the radar and sonar signals on the screen.

"...Haha, it seems we have some trouble."

Five hundred kilometers away, there were as many as twenty signals consistent with warship characteristics flickering in and out.

These ships’ hulls were coated with radar-absorbent materials, clearly of high technical content.

Moreover, just as they detected the other side, it was evident that the other side had also noticed their presence and was cautiously maintaining a distance, circling toward the northeast.

Their intention was clear, and it was to escort the transport ships traveling between West Sail Port and Evernight Harbor.

According to the original plan, the South Sea Union Fleet was to head to the sea route between West Sail Port and Evernight Harbor to blockade the ports and surrounding waters.

However, it now seemed this task was not going to be so simple...

Li Minghui pondered for a moment, picked up the communicator on the console, and promptly ordered.

"Release the reconnaissance drones!"

The communication channel quickly responded.

"Yes!"

Following the order, the "Reef" destroyer traveling alongside raised its launch tube at the front, "thumping" out a wisp of white smoke, launching a sword-shaped missile into the airspace ahead.

After flying some distance in the air, the missile unfolded its wings to both sides, soaring like a petrel into the clouds, swiftly approaching the signals on the radar.

Inside the bridge, Li Minghui stared intently at the radar screen with those twenty flickering signals, his hands resting on the console.

Time ticked by, and the atmosphere inside the bridge was exceptionally tense.

Naval warfare was much more monotonous than ground warfare, with not many fancy tactics; discovering the enemy could be a momentary action, being discovered by the enemy could also be a momentary action, and a tiny mistake could turn the efforts of tens of thousands into sunken scrap iron.

The weapon operator’s palms were sweating, but the clenched fists did not leave the console.

This war was not as simple as they initially imagined, bombing a few fish in the Poluo Sea and returning home with medals.

Especially for them, this was not a battle to protect their homeland but to protect someone else’s. If the result ended in death, it was uncertain if anyone would remember their efforts.

It was at this moment that these young men finally understood their "big brother" Union’s feelings back then.

Betting one’s life for a shared destiny was not an easy endeavor...

The drone continued to fly forward, trailing the fleet’s sailing track for dozens of kilometers.

Li Minghui grabbed the communicator again, ordering in a calm voice.

"Activate the active radar!"

Upon the order, the drone opened a hatch on its underside, releasing a fist-sized pod.

Electromagnetic signals fanned out forward, completely enveloping those twenty or so flickering signal sources.

Just then, an astonishing scene occurred.

The moment the feedback arrived, those twenty or so flickering signal sources abruptly vanished from the radar screen!

"...Our drone has not detected any enemy vessels! Request further instructions!"

Bewildered expressions appeared on each face, and the officers inside the bridge all froze simultaneously.

Including Li Minghui.

His pupils slightly enlarged for a moment but soon contracted again.

"It’s most likely electronic warfare..."

Standing beside Commander Li Minghui, the captain of the Harpoon Cruiser said with a frown.

Li Minghui nodded, grabbed the communicator, and continued to order.

"Turn off the active radar and switch to optical cameras... Let’s take a closer look at the target."

"Yes!"

An echo came from the communication channel, and the "Reef" destroyer controlling the drone quickly complied.

After flying further in the air, the reconnaissance drone soon approached the target sea area, and as expected by Li Minghui, the whole sea was empty except for the billowing waves.

At this time, it seemed the other side had detected their drone deployment action, and the signals that used to appear on their shipborne radar were also gone.

Li Minghui furrowed his brows tightly, contemplating for a moment before speaking.

"It should be submarines..."

The adjutant standing beside him swallowed a mouthful of saliva, nervously asking.

"Shall we send a submarine to take a look?"

Sending a submarine to scout ahead is considered one of the routine operations. It can retreat faster than a destroyer, especially in deep seas. It’s quite challenging to hunt down a submarine determined to escape.

However, just as he finished speaking, the captain of the Harpoon Cruiser interrupted him without hesitation.

"Better not do that; it might be a trap. If I were their commander, I would certainly have set up an ambush nearby!"

At this moment, a staff officer standing by suddenly spoke up.

"Is there a possibility... that they actually don’t know where we are?"

The crowd began to murmur.

Li Minghui pondered for a moment, nodded, and said in a deep voice.

"I was just considering this possibility. We initially detected the signal with passive sonar, and it’s very likely that they used bait to deliberately create noise."

The reason they probed this way is highly probable because they are in a similar situation.

Both parties are aware of each other’s existence but are unclear about the other’s specifics.

However, in this way...

"This probing should be considered a stalemate."

It seems there are always people better, and heavens beyond.

One has to admit, the opponent he encountered this time is much more challenging than Charles, making it unrealistic to rely solely on the art of command to toy with others.

However, this may not be entirely a bad thing.

Evenly matched opponents keep each other restrained; the other side probably doesn’t want a misfire either.

After all, even nominally, this is a war between the Western Legion and the nations of Poluo Province.

Before the Legion tears off the mask and declares war on the Alliance, the South Sea Union fleet would at most block the ports and raid strategic facilities belonging to the Western Legion, sink a few supply ships, but would never boldly bomb the port.

This war hasn’t escalated into a full-scale war.

And as a supporting party, they have no reason to actively escalate this war.

"It’s difficult... We’ll have to see what our allies say."

Li Minghui took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it with a lighter.

It seems there won’t be a fight today.

The opponent is waiting for them to take the bait while trying to make them fire the first shot.

The staff officer frowned, still mulling over it.

"The tricky part now is... we still can’t determine whom these ships belong to."

Li Minghui’s deputy looked at him.

"Does it matter?"

The staff officer nodded.

"Of course it matters... If it’s the Western Legion, we need to watch our backs closely."

Currently, in the south sea area, there’s just one destroyer and one submarine. Besides these, they have to rely on the air force from the Ring Island and those land-based missile launchers.

But relying on those things alone is not enough.

There was a brief silence on the bridge, followed by the resumed murmured conversations.

Although the Eastern Legion has reached a private agreement with the Alliance, the other two legions have yet to express their stance.

"... I heard the Western Legion is in the New Continent."

"Hmm... The other side of this planet."

"Has anyone been there?"

"As far as I remember, no... Too far from either the east or west, no supply points along the way, and the port location is uncertain."

"Wonder how they’ve developed over there..."

"If only we had a satellite to take a look."

Watching the discussions among the people, Li Minghui did not participate, just silently smoking.

The captain standing by sighed after a long period of silence.

"If only ’Haiya’ were still around."

It had been the only battleship in the South Sea Union, the only airship designed against the legion... However, the militant elements within turned it on their own people.

But on the other hand, Shelter No. 70 did indeed make them stick to themselves for too long.

Those airships based on starship cores are no longer the legion’s only reliance.

They have just stepped out of the island now...

...

On the other side, at the forefront of the battlefield, the 17th ten thousand troops under Ten Thousand Leader Olet had already taken Sulak County in the northwest of Lion State, opening a breakthrough to the north.

The defense line organized by Poluo Country’s first, first ten thousand troops was like paper, initially bombarded into disorientation, then encircled and divided by the armored troops serving as the vanguard.

The Southern Legion excelled in using artillery, with armor merely as a supplement.

Even so, for Poluo Country, which practically has no tanks, the hundreds of ’Conqueror No. 10’ in the breakthrough direction could still be called a steel torrent.

The first to enter Sulak County was the 171st thousand team commanded by General Ross.

In the local culture of Poluo Province, ’Sulak’ means the lion’s head, and this surname is also a prominent family occupying vast tracts of fertile land, with tens of thousands of tenant farmers.

Ross wasn’t sure whether the surname ’Sulak’ came first or if it was the weird slang ’lion’s head,’ and he didn’t really care.

As a conqueror, he only cared whether the locals cooperated with his conquest.

If they didn’t cooperate, he wouldn’t mind hanging this "Lion’s Head" on the wall displaying trophies.

However, amusingly, when his troops entered this area, they encountered no resistance and were instead warmly welcomed by all the "Sulak".

The largest village in the county had a man about sixty years old leading a group of people standing in the middle of the road.

He wore a luxurious robe, resembling an elder among his people. His hair was graying, and his aged face was full of joy, as if wholeheartedly welcoming the arrival of the Weilante people.

Seeing these people without guns, Ross waved his hand, signaling the armored troop carriers to follow the tanks into the town, while he got out of the jeep and walked with several officers to the old man.

Seeing the Weilante officer approaching, the old man trembled and took two steps forward, almost wanting to kneel.

"Sir... you have finally come! Those heavenly lords have caused us so much suffering!"

There was no exaggeration in his words; the minions under those heavenly lords killed nobles at sight and robbed money and grain, scaring him into hiding in the mountains for half a month. It wasn’t until he heard Anush was dead and the heavenly army scattered that he dared to return with his family.

Indifferent to what had happened here, Ross glanced at him.

"Are you the noble here?"

The old man chuckled and quickly nodded his head.

"Indeed... I am Cham Sulak, a viscount personally enshrined by His Majesty, and the lands within a hundred miles are considered part of my domain."

Ross did not waste words with him, merely gave a nod to the officer nearby and tossed a list into the old man’s hands.

Looking at the stunned old man, the officer succinctly said.

"We are from the Southern Legion, invited by your Majesty Akbar to help you eliminate bandits in the north. Your Majesty demands that you cooperate with us fully, or face punishment according to national law."

"Additionally, we need food for 100,000 people, primarily flour, supplemented by meat and other supplies, which we request you prepare."

Hearing this number, Cham was taken aback, nearly collapsing to the ground.

"One hundred, one hundred thousand?!"

Not only was he shocked, but the "Sulak" followers behind him were equally dumbfounded, whispering in fear as if facing the apocalypse.

Observing this chattering group of mice, Ross impatiently pointed to the list in the old man’s hand.

"There’s a price on the list. Prepare according to our requirements, and we’ll pay you."

Though often mimicked by looters, they were not looters themselves.

For lands of value, they did not intend to disrupt the existing production relationships, even offering small incentives from other colonies to buy off the locals.

Of course, once this war was over, they’d reclaim the investment in time, while the local survivors would repay the short-sightedness and fleeting sweetness with generations of toil and sweat.

Hearing these big-nosed individuals offer payment, Cham breathed a sigh of relief, his pallor replaced by a joyful smile, nodding and bowing as he spoke.

"Rest assured! Our county is rich in produce, with no shortage of food! There are other counties nearby; I’m sure the supplies you need can be gathered!"

Ross nodded, not wasting time on the man, sending him away while assigning patrol tasks to his subordinates.

The Legion’s supply line had been attacked by the Alliance Air Force, and the planned supplies to the front couldn’t arrive on time.

They needed to rest here briefly until logistics caught up before advancing.

Sulak County was a good position, suitable as a supply transit point for the front line.

Perhaps they could build a temporary port on the western shoreline to ease the logistical pressure on West Sail Port.

While Ross was assigning tasks to his subordinates, he suddenly noticed a group of men and women, half-naked, kneeling by the roadside.

All of them were young, in their early twenties, without exception tied up with ropes.

The fifty or so people looked like livestock tied in a pigsty, their faces pale and numb, making one wonder if they were alive if not for their breathing.

Ross raised his eyebrows, looking at Cham, who was dutifully trailing beside him.

"Who are these people?"

Seeing the Weilante inquire about these people’s identities, Cham immediately answered with an ingratiating smile.

"Sir, these scum are the Sky Bandits! They’re no good, trying to incite us against you!"

Sky Bandits?

Ross was briefly stunned, taking a moment to realize they referred to the "heavenly army," then squinted his eyes.

Speaking of which, these people still owed them a blood debt.

"Take them outside and execute them."

"Yes!"

The centurion beside him saluted and marched with his subordinates toward the kneeling group with murderous intent.

The people followed them obediently, soon collapsing to the ground amid gunfire.

Thick blood stained the earth red as the walking corpses became real corpses.

A group of onlookers hid in distant fields, consisting of serfs and tenant farmers from nearby estates.

Never having seen such a bloody scene, they watched curiously, their faces half fearful yet half excited.

The Weilante soldiers, having finished shooting, grabbed a few onlookers, handed them shovels, and told them to find a place to bury the corpses for rest in peace.

The people hastily nodded, not asking for compensation, and began digging pits in the execution ground with effort.

Some even secretly reached out, slipping some blood-stained soil into their pockets while digging.

Witnessing all, the Weilante soldiers standing by couldn’t help but sneer, a hint of undisguised scorn in their voices.

"...It’s really a waste to leave this fertile land to them to manage."

Another Weilante soldier shrugged while carrying a rifle and chuckled.

"But no one gave them this land. If I remember correctly, this was once a zoo. They climbed mountains and crossed ranges to get here themselves."

"Hahaha!"

"If I were their ancestors, I’d surely regret it. It’s better to die in the desert than look like this."

In response to those brazen taunts, the slaves digging pits remained silent but did not feel any discontent.

These were the remnants of the Prosperity Epoch; what did they have to do with them?

Only in situations where they needed to boast would they mention that their ancestors once came from the center of the prosperous world, including praising General Lowell for his unmatched achievements in the icy wilderness, and mocking how pitiful the tribes outside the Jubar Mountains were, chased around by the three-headed, six-armed Variants.

Yet sometimes they would spit on Lowell, reject the War Construction Committee for abandoning them, and resent the Prosperity Epoch for not leaving them a shred of inheritance.

Just as sometimes they remembered they were Poluo people, and other times distanced themselves from Poluo people or any other kind of rats.

Some people turned memories into boots to tread farther, some turned memories into clothes for a pleasing appearance. Creatively, they turned memories into pillows, tossing and turning only to sleep peacefully... and indeed, they sleep peacefully nowadays.

Standing aside, Peter smoked silently, not joining the soldiers’ discussion, just feeling irritated.

He didn’t care at all what these people’s ancestors were like, nor did he care who this land belonged to; he just wanted to fight their real opponents quickly.

Whether it was the Alliance or the enterprise, at least send a decent opponent!

Fighting these unarmed people brought him no sense of pride at all, instead he felt shame.

Especially that shimmering figure in the courtroom, it was always vivid in his mind.

Recently he often had nightmares, dreaming he returned to that courtroom but stood in the defendants’ seat, while the jury stood behind him, filled with people who were already dead.

Among them were Weilante people, and some others whose noses weren’t as high.

Though that was just a dream, it still left him in a cold sweat.

It was then that the centurion’s voice called out from afar.

"Peter, done digging yet?"

Startled back to reality, Peter hastily replied.

"Almost done!"

The centurion continued to call.

"Don’t mind those slaves, let them dig on their own, quickly rejoin the troops!"

"Yes!"

Responding, Peter crushed his cigarette butt into the ground with his foot, led his soldiers quickly back to the team.

Nearby, an eagle-eyed slave spotted the discarded cigarette butt. Once they were gone, he rushed to grab it and stash it in his pocket, even breaking into a fight over claiming first dibs or sharing with those who saw it.

The scene of them rolling in the mud, blood-red and absurd, was both laughable and poignant.

Meanwhile, haste-driven telegrams from Tiandu were sent to Jinjaron Harbor and various places in Poluo Province, informing every inch of 4 million square kilometers about the War outbreak news.

On that day, Survivor Daily of Jinjaron Harbor published another urgent special edition, unusually using blood-red bold letters.

"Brazen Invasion! Southern Legion at war without declaration!"

The bleeding red letters were reminiscent of the pilots’ and soldiers’ blood.

"Outrageous!"

Sitting in his study, Ah Xin cursed fiercely, slamming the newspaper onto the table.

He seldom lost composure in this way.

But at this moment, he couldn’t suppress the flame of anger inside.

And it wasn’t just him angry, but thousands upon thousands standing were.

From the port district, Tulip Street, Knight Road... to the reed marshes at Everflow River Port, anger was etched on every indignant face.

Some chose to bow their heads, while some defiantly raised their chins.

They were likewise Poluo people.

And they were awakened!

Standing on the street, Su Ni tucked his textbooks under his arm, contentedly watching the youth among the crowd.

When he was sixteen or seventeen, he didn’t have such a commanding presence; if memory serves, he was likely playing with seagulls by the dock, skipping classes, and basking in The Sun.

He was immensely thankful for the choice he made back then, boarding that ship to Jinjaron Harbor, becoming a public school teacher, and happening to read an article titled "Red Soil," bringing it to share in the classroom.

It wasn’t some world-shaking feat, just a minor incident occurring after nap time.

Yet he never forgot the radiant light kindling in those young eyes.

The hope breaking through the soil was budding now!

That was the seedling he nurtured by his own hands—

"We sent off our Emperor, yet the Legion wants us to kneel! Tell me! What’s your answer?"

The youth standing high shouted until his voice was hoarse, and the response was a thunderous roar.

"Never!!!"

His frail arm raised high in the air, but he wasn’t alone, for soon stronger arms lifted up in solidarity.

Among them were those with long sleeves, short sleeves, and sleeveless.

Fingers clenched into fists, upholding a piece of the sky.

"What should we do?"

"Fight them!!!"