The destroyer finally arrived at the flagship and activated the shield neutralizer. They opened the hatch, allowing the four teams to successfully infiltrate the flagship. With only a single Calamity Grade Super within, they were bound to die.
Han Xiao did not sit idle, instead controlling his Giant Soldier to slice up the spaceships around him into pieces.
It was not long before the flagship could not withstand the impact and exploded!
However, the four teams had already evacuated, boarding Han Xiao’s Giant Soldier once again, and they broke out of the enemy lines.
While Han Xiao had succeeded in destroying the flagship, the armor value of his destroyer had almost reached zero. If not for his team that remained outside harassing and restraining, he would probably have lost his destroyer to the sheer firepower.
However, this small setback had reversed the situation on this minor battlefield. Under the continuous attacks of the team, the enemy troops began to retreat.
Han Xiao was just about to give pursuit, but at this time, he suddenly received a new mission notification.
(Partial Campaign: Retreat]
Mission Requirements: Retreat immediately, and conserve as much of team as possible
“Why are we retreating now?”
Han Xiao jumped in shock, casting his eyes out on the tactical screen. His pupils shrank.
On all the minor battlefields, only his one had gained an advantage!
The situation on the frontal battlefield had deteriorated rapidly. The large force of Section Zero was penetrated by Bloodshed Land, and more than two thousand warships had been destroyed. The main force of fifteen Calamity Grade Supers had suffered eight deaths, with seven injured.
All eight Vanguard Officials of the Bloodshed Land had entered the fray!
“No wonder I didn’t even encounter any of them!”
Han Xiao’s heart sank.
With the main force being destroyed, even if he had an advantage on his side, it would not help.
Section Zero had battled Bloodshed Land for the first time and lost!
…
On the main battlefield, a burning arc flew through the flagship of the organization. There were corpses everywhere, and blood flowed like a river.
Puchi.
Hunting Blade pulled out his war blade, and Sevitt’s body fell heavily. There was a huge hole in his side, with his internal organs already gone, and his blood had almost dried out. He was deader than dead at this point.
“This should be the last one. Let’s go. The battleship is about to explode.”
Hunting Blade wiped his blade and spoke through the communicator at the side of his armor toward Fosters, who was near the hole at the hull of the ship.
Fosters was looking through a hole to the distant battlefields. The horrible vacuum suction did not affect his body one bit.
“Black Star is not on the frontal battlefield. He should count his blessings.”
Fosters’ eyes gleamed coldly.
Chapter 656 - Danger Is Equal to Opportunity
After retreating based on the command and moving far away from the fortress planet of Bloodshed Land, Han Xiao then learned of the number of casualties on the frontal battlefield.
“Such heavy casualties?”
After Bloodshed Land defeated the Alliance Fleet in the frontal battle, they had returned to their bridgehead and symbolically pursued the defeated frontal units of Section Zero for a while. However, because Han Xiao had been victorious on his minor battlefield, he had easily led his people to retreat, and the enemy did not pursue them.
Han Xiao had won a small victory, but it was a pity that this would not affect the overall war.
Despite the defeat in their war, Han Xiao’s tactical mission was considered completed, awarding him with millions of experience and more than two hundred Contribution Points from Section Zero as well as the Purple Crystal Civilization.
The defeated Alliance fleet stopped on a barren planet to rest. The atmosphere within was sorrowful and solemn, with many of the allies pulling long faces at the deaths of their comrades.
The dead Grade A Supers had practically exploded together with their flagship. The Arc Light Organization had lost Sevitt, and the surviving members had grieving expressions.
Just two days prior, Sevitt had still been smiling as he requested them to help out, but now, even his bones could not be found. Thinking of this, Han Xiao could not help but sigh. However, he did not disturb the surviving members. Instead, he assembled his Officers to count the losses of his own fleet. Very quickly, the result came.
“We only lost 34 battleships, and there were no casualties from the high-levelled combatants. The situation is still good.”
Han Xiao sighed in relief.
The Purple Crystal Civilization would compensate the various forces for their losses, or else there would be no one willing to cooperate with them. The battleships that Han Xiao had lost would also be replaced. In addition, he would also receive an additional reward from the department.
With some lingering fear, Herlous said, “I just went around to ask, and we actually have some of the lowest casualties within Section Zero. Our allies even lost a few of their Calamity Grades… I didn’t know it would be this dangerous.”
“Indeed, this was out of our expectations.” Han Xiao nodded. He was experiencing the situation before it had taken shape in Version 3.0, and this secret war was where the game versions were moving toward. However, he had currently only seen the background of the plot and was not clear on the specific details.
As for the victory of Bloodshed Land, Han Xiao was not surprised. If the Purple Crystal Civilization could topple them so easily, there would have been no need for Version 3.0.
During Version 3.0, Bloodshed Land had already built many bases across multiple planets, and a game of tug-of-war had been established between them and Section Zero. Han Xiao could guess that during the version update, Section Zero would definitely be at a disadvantage.
What he was surprised about was that, for the first battle, to have a death count of ten Grade As on their side was a little unbelievable.
If so many people would die in every war, it would not take a few months for all the Supers in Section Zero to die off. Bloodshed Land would also have heavy casualties, so both sides would lose out.
Beep beep!
Han Xiao suddenly received a communication request from Ralph.
After connecting, Ralph’s voice came through, sounding hoarse and full of static. “Black Star, how bad is the situation?”
After receiving the news of the failure in the war, Ralph could not help but contact Han Xiao to ask about the details.
“Extremely bad…”
Han Xiao recounted everything he knew and conveniently emphasized that his battlefield had an advantage.
Hearing this, Ralph got worried. “This is the only good news I’ve heard in the last hour. However, you cannot determine the outcome just by yourself.”
Han Xiao shrugged in response. He did not care; in any case, he would still receive his due compensation, so he did not lose out in any way.
“The objective of Bloodshed Land is to kill all our Grade A Supers. They’re trying to showcase their strength,” Ralph said.
Han Xiao’s eyes shone, and he immediately understood the intentions of Heber, secretly exclaiming to himself how ingenious this idea was.
Bloodshed Land had seized the greatest weakness of Section Zero-a lack of unity. This was a common problem among allied forces. Because each Grade A Super was the core of their own respective organizations, the eight vanguard officials had rushed out to kill all those top tier combatants so as to make the people within Section Zero fear the repercussions of their actions.
Every collaborator of Section Zero did not really care whether Purple Crystal held onto their territory. They had no territorial fondness, unlike the Purple Crystal Civilization, and were only there because of the benefits. Winning or losing the war wa
s irrelevant to them, and the only thing they cared about was whether the benefits outweighed the losses.
If they battleships received damage, the Purple Crystal Civilization could compensate them and even reward them, allowing them to receive the resources of the Star Cluster Civilization. However, if their Calamity Grades were killed, there was nothing they could do about it. The Purple Crystal Civilization was unable to replace the loss of their high-level combatants.
This was the difference between Section Zero, which was in a state of disunity, and the cohesive Bloodshed Land, and it was a weakness that they could not change.
No wonder Bloodshed Land fought so fiercely.
Han Xiao groaned secretly. He did not care if the secret war was successful. In his previous life, the Purple Crystal Civilization had been destroyed, and only when the Crimson Dynasty had come to an agreement with the Federation of Light did they finally put a stop to all the wars that they had incited.
Before both Universal Civilizations completed their benefits exchange, no one would bother about the secret war between Klent and Purple Crystal. The Crimson Dynasty was Klent’s backer, so as long as Klent was not driven away, the Crimson Dynasty would split off a part of the land belonging to Purple Crystal and give it to them. This was Klent’s strategy and the result of his past life.
Han Xiao’s motive for joining Section Zero was not to help Purple Crystal win the war but rather to exchange his contributions for Cutting-Edge Knowledge.
If his losses were kept to the minimum, he did not mind keeping strictly to his designated tasks to complete the missions, slowly increasing his favorability to (Reverence).
Even if the broader picture was affected, as long as his ‘stocks’ in Purple Crystal continued to rise, he would still receive more attention and respect.
If people above did not die, how would he have a chance to move up?
A gleam shot through Han Xiao’s eyes. It was a pity the players were not there. That way, he would not have needed to care about deaths and injuries.
Putting aside his thoughts, Han Xiao said, “Bloodshed Land is still gaining a foothold in the West Wind Star System. What do we do next?”
“We’ll take a break for now. Wait for the reinforcements to arrive before we attack once more,” Ralph gravely replied.
The collaborators of Section Zero were located in various sectors of the Colton Star Cluster, with some only needing a short journey to arrive, whereas others took longer. Han Xiao belonged to the first batch of the allied troops and could be considered more of a vanguard force for Section Zero. The main force was still behind, so the failure of the vanguard force did not mean that Section Zero had been completely defeated.
Ralph was more worried about the tactics utilized by Bloodshed Land. For the enemy to target their powerful combatants, this could not be defended. He was worried that Section Zero would not put in any effort to cut their losses, with the worst outcome being the disbandment of the entire Section.
Han Xiao took a few deep breaths before suddenly speaking. “I have a suggestion. The next attack, let me hold the frontal battlefield.”
Ralph froze in shock. Black Star, despite knowing of the dangers, still chose to volunteer for the main battlefield?
“You, what you mean is…”
“Maybe I can hold off the Vanguard Officials of Bloodshed Land…” Han Xiao stroked his chin.
Ralph was overjoyed to the point he wanted to cry. Just now, the forces participating in the main battlefield, such as the Arc Light Organization, had demanded that they no longer assume the task of attacking as the frontal force. They did not dare face the Bloodshed Land Officials. Only Black Star was willing to step up and handle such a risky job.
This… this was the true meaning of a reliable cooperator!
Ralph held back his tears of joy, excitedly asking, “How many can you fend off?”
Han Xiao narrowed his eyes. “All of them.”
Ralph’s eyes bulged wide, incredulity plastered all over his face.
Are you f*cking kidding me?
This is no laughing matter!
“Don’t be too surprised. I never said I could beat them all. I only said that I can hold them off.”
Han Xiao waved his hand. He had calculated it a while ago. Against the eight Vanguard Officials, his chances of winning against them probably would only exceed Lagi’s by a minute amount. However, with his meat shield like capabilities, he was more than qualified to hold off the eight of them. Furthermore, he could still utilize Aurora’s Character Summon Card, so he only needed to maintain a battle.
With him stalling the Vanguard Officials, it could lower the risk that the allied combatants would face. Furthermore, showing such strength would allow him to gain a wave of reputation, which would result in more attention being paid to him by the Purple Crystal Civilization.
The most important reason was that Han Xiao planned to use this to strike a deal.
“To take such a huge risk, I won’t do it for free.”
“What do you want?” Ralph immediately asked.
Han Xiao’s brows rose. “I want the Cutting-Edge Knowledge for the Mechanic profession.”
“Deal!” Ralph immediately agreed.
At this time, he no longer hesitated. Black Star was already willing to bear the risk of death. As long as he could survive, the Purple Crystal Civilization need not be stingy with their resources.
Han Xiao’s expression did not change, but he was secretly exhilarated. Although he could lie low and slowly increase his favorability, the time taken would be longer. As long as he could reach for the skies in one single leap, he would not let go of this chance to obtain the Cutting-Edge Knowledge.
The sooner he completed his Class Advancement, the faster he would be able to break through to level 170, converting all his accumulated experience into actual combat capability. Furthermore, being able to hold back eight Vanguard Officials was a matter of reputation and prestige. He would kill two birds with one stone!
Han Xiao could not help but give rise to a wicked idea. He would rather the Purple Crystal Civilization lose more and win less. If the situation was not so dire, he would not have had a chance to obtain the resources that he wanted this quickly.
“Indeed, opportunities only exist in chaotic times. The ancient sages did not lie.” Han Xiao laughed to himself.
Standing by the side, Lagi heard the conversation and could not help but interject. “Do you need me to collect your corpse?”
Han Xiao was not angry but rather happy instead. It seemed like this would work. Lagi’s counterproductive comments had never failed before.
“Continue commenting, don’t stop.”
“No wonder you really want to commit suicide. You’re really mad.” Lagi sighed to himself. It seemed like he needed to change employers once more.
Chapter 657 - Gloat When Winning, Hide When Losing
At the same time, the vanguard force of Bloodshed Land had summarized the outcome of the battle.
“We fought back a wave of attacks. All of you did well and got rid of quite a few Calamity Grade Supers. Purple Crystal’s allied force will definitely be wary after this.”
Jorde praised the result of the battle.
Hunting Blade nodded. “The enemy only launched a hasty attack and didn’t send out too many high-level troops. Your prediction was right.”
The vanguard force had prepared many different war strategies. Their original strategy had been to focus on defense, but upon observing that Section Zero did not send out an overwhelming force in their first attack, Jorde had switched strategies and gotten the eight Vanguard Officials to take action together. They had managed to take out a large number of Section Zero’s high-level combatants and achieve the effect of frightening the others.
“We should have about ten days until the enemy’s next attack. All of you should continue to deal with the high-level combatants of the enemy. This is the weakness of an allied army,” Jorde said with confide
nce.
Hunting Blade frowned in response. “With their first failure, the enemy will not underestimate us anymore and may not even be willing to fight us head on. We may not have such a chance again in the future.”
“Then we will have to create the chance,” Fosters, who was by the side, suddenly said. “If the enemy doesn’t send their high-level combatants to fight us, we will dismantle their entire fleet.”
Jorde nodded in agreement. “In any case, try to find the opportunity to kill as many high-level combatants as possible. The more terrified our enemy is, the lower the difficulty of our expansion.”
“Black Star should be participating in the next attack as well. I have a request,” Fosters suddenly said. “Everyone must send me the coordinates of Black Star’s location. If the frontal assault team doesn’t need me, I will go and get rid of Black Star.”
“Alright,” Jorde replied, “but don’t let your private grudge affect the overall situation.”
“Humph, I don’t need you to remind me about that. Furthermore, this isn’t my private grudge,” Fosters said coldly. “Black Star is Dragon Emperor’s subordinate. Getting rid of him will also force Dragon Emperor out. Only then can His Excellency Heber participate in the war openly.”
The presence of a beyond Grade A Super served as a deterrent, and they would rarely take action. Even if the Tyrant was the leader of Bloodshed Land, he did not personally participate in the war. However, if Ames took action, he would have an excuse to participate.
In their eyes, the Tyrant was obviously stronger than the Dragon Emperor.
Everyone’s eyes lit up.
Jorde nodded and said, “That makes sense. I shall hand him to you.”
“Don’t worry, I will be able to find him no matter where he hides.” Fosters nodded with satisfaction.
As the allied army was waiting for their reinforcements, a couple of riots broke out. With the Arc Light Organization at the helm, the various members of the frontal assault party requested to have a change of mission with the reason being their heavy losses.
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