Chapter 55: The Burning Starry Sky, Section 8

In the silent hall, the clicking sound of operating the remote control was clearly audible. In an instant, Gray Bear took control of over thirty more seeds in a row. Yet, without exception, none of them worked. As this phenomenon continued, Gray Bear’s face grew increasingly pale.
“Bang!!” He threw the remote control violently onto the ground, shattering it into pieces.
“Damn!!” Gray Bear gasped for breath, his face filled with fury. He finally understood—this wasn’t a mistake on his part; the opponent had figured out his frequency. The battlefield was no longer his own manufacturing facility, and the seeds he had painstakingly planted would no longer work.
Black Hair was indeed that ruthless thug. With just one tactic, he had rendered all of Gray Bear’s preparations useless.
Yet Gray Bear didn’t understand why Black Hair knew his frequency. He had never told anyone about it.
There was an explanation for this. Back on Earth, Black Hair had already paid close attention to Gray Bear. Among the warriors around him, Gray Bear’s tactics were the most vicious. Especially “Death Chain”—it seemed extremely powerful, but since it required using one’s own people as bait, it should only be used as a last resort. Yet in Gray Bear’s hands, it became his main attack method. It would be strange if Black Hair hadn’t guarded against him. So even though Gray Bear kept his frequency a secret, Black Hair discovered it by chance.
Black Hair originally thought this secret would never be needed, but unexpectedly, it saved him and his fleet at this critical moment.
In the chaotic universe, the battle grew more intense. With Black Hair’s interference, the Blood Wolf’s technicians knew the enemy would no longer threaten them with self-destruction. Thus, they fought even more recklessly. Huge combat weapons, like invitations from death, left glowing trails across the starry sky. Whenever they passed over a Moor giant ship, they would destroy it completely. Against these super-alloy-built weapons, the Moor giant ships appeared utterly fragile. Their once-proud defenses had now become a joke.
Roars filled the air. Flames lit up the starry sky, and the slow decomposition of giant warship wreckage could be seen everywhere. The enemy’s agonized screams came through the channels.

Unfortunately, the Blood Wolf technicians know no mercy. They keep approaching the enemy time and again, mercilessly tearing apart their armor. Moors are sucked out through the cracks, while the Snake Tooth mechs’ eyes glow with brutal red light.

The battle has now lasted a full hour. The Moor fleet has suffered heavy losses. What started as a massive force has shrunk significantly—now only half of it remains, with the rest reduced to tattered wreckage floating aimlessly in the vast starfield, occasionally bursting into flames.

There’s no longer any doubt about the outcome of this battle. Anyone can see that it’s only a matter of time before the Moor fleet is completely destroyed. But due to their sheer numbers, it will likely take a very long time.

On the other hand, the Black-Haired Snake Tooth mechs aren’t in much better shape. Unlike warships, mechs are single-piloted combat units. Moor crew members can take turns resting, but Blood Wolf technicians cannot. So after just one hour, every Snake Tooth technician is drenched in sweat, as if they’ve just been pulled from water—no matter how low the cabin temperature is set.

Mech combat tests one’s overall capabilities to the extreme. Every second consumes vast amounts of mental energy. Inside the mech, the pilot must remain fully focused to respond to astronomical amounts of data. Though only an hour has passed, most Blood Wolf technicians have already reached their limits.

Yet not a single one backs down. Inside the sealed cockpits, every Blood Wolf technician fights on with red eyes and gritted teeth. They all know the terrible consequences of retreating in such a fierce battle. And more importantly, there’s no way to retreat at all!!

Further ahead lies the still-scorching Eternal Lands—a sea of burning stars. Their fleet is stationed on the edge of this region. One step back means death!

This is truly a battle with nothing to lose!!

Driven by such determination, the Snake Tooth mechs become even more ferocious. Their red-glowing mechanical eyes resemble demons from hell, terrifying every crew member of the Moor fleet. Though they’ve also reached their limits, spending every second setting up fire nets in the starfield, the actual results are not satisfactory.

During the hour-long battle, Snake Fang’s total losses were less than a hundred. Aside from those unlucky ones caught up in the self-destruct, most were shot down due to the technicians’ fatigue. Snake Fang mechs held a decisive advantage in battles against fleets.

At this point, everyone in the rear at Li Feng also finally breathed a sigh of relief. They turned their gaze beyond the battlefield toward the massive flying fortress behind the enemy. Although it was quite far away, thanks to special imaging lenses, Hei Fa could still see every detail on that flying fortress—even the cold glow from its gun turrets was clearly visible.

It was time to talk to him, Hei Fa thought silently as he left the command room. Behind him, Xue Tong opened his mouth to speak but was immediately pulled back by Hou Zi.

“Let him go. He won’t be satisfied unless he gets some things clarified,” Hou Zi said calmly, his gaze fixed through the porthole into the distance. There, the red flying castle gleamed like a planet, dazzlingly bright.

Five minutes later, Gray Bear in the castle’s main hall received a message. His expression changed several times as he read it. Finally, he sighed and stood up. This young and stern officer carefully adjusted his clothes, his meticulous attitude as if he were about to attend a military meeting. Only after he was satisfied did he enter a door beside the hall.

Behind the door was an elevator. Through it, Gray Bear quickly arrived in a sealed cabin. There, he saw someone he definitely didn’t want to see at this moment—Hei Fa.

“You’re here,” Gray Bear said coldly before walking over to a table in the cabin and sitting down, his back straight. Every move of his was as precise as those in a textbook—strict and flawless.

Across from him, Hei Fa leaned lazily in a comfortable seat, observing his every action with interest. Instead of responding to Gray Bear’s words, he raised an eyebrow.

“I’ve seen you 63,700 times, and you can only say the same greeting that many times. I’m curious—can’t you come up with something new?”

Hei Fa said this casually, as if chatting about everyday matters. But Gray Bear trembled at those words. For the first time, an other expression appeared on his stern face—perhaps a hint of emotion, or something else.

“Do you still remember how many times we’ve met?”

“I don’t remember,” Hei Fa said, spreading his hands and shrugging. “I guessed just now.”

“You…” Grizzly Bear’s expression froze instantly. He opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say. Seeing Black Hair’s innocent look, he finally sighed and relaxed.
“You haven’t joked with me in a long time.”
“Mm. Ever since you tried to use those Death Chain materials on your own companions, I’ve had no desire to joke with you anymore.” Black Hair nodded, tilting his head slightly. “That was a very long time ago.”
“A long time?” Grizzly Bear asked.
“A very long time,” Black Hair replied firmly.
“But it feels like just yesterday.” Grizzly Bear’s face twitched, a hint of pain crossing his eyes. “I’ll never forget the way you treated me that day. I can’t imagine you actually turning on someone who’s followed you for so long. That slap… it hurt.”
“How much?”
“To the bone.”
“But you don’t seem to feel anything,” Black Hair replied with a laugh, a hint of coldness in his eyes. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t have seen your ‘masterpiece’ again just now.”
“Hehe.” Grizzly Bear also laughed. “Not everyone learns from their mistakes. And for me, it’s hard to determine what’s right or wrong. Unlike those who blindly follow you, I doubt. So your words are just for reference to me.”
“That’s true. Among my former companions, you were the most thoughtful. So this time, are you planning to stand against me?”
“More or less,” Grizzly Bear replied bluntly. “His Majesty the Emperor is very kind to me. I truly believe he’s a leader worth serving. And unlike you, he’s not bound by so much morality. As long as it’s effective, he’ll support me. It’s comfortable working under him.”
“I can see that,” Black Hair nodded with a laugh. “From the fact that you can plant seeds in his fleet at will, he’s indeed a man who indulges his subordinates.”
“Indulge?” Grizzly Bear glanced at Black Hair and snorted coldly. “Only you would think that. I’ve always wondered why so many people were willing to die for you back then.”
“I’m curious too,” Black Hair mused for a moment, a hint of pain appearing in the corners of his eyes. “And among those people, it turned out to include you as well.”
“Can you tell me why you were willing to die for me back then?” After a pause, Black Hair asked slowly, word by word.
Grizzly Bear’s pupils contracted instantly. The temperature in the cabin dropped sharply.