Chapter 20: The Terrifying 31st Star Region, Section 6

Planet Taraton, Headquarters of the Interstellar Fleet.

Grand Marshal Wick had not had a proper rest in days. Ever since the Black Prison incident spread throughout the universe, his mind remained as tense as a wound spring.

The Blood Wolf emblem—while others might not understand it, he knew it all too well.

He remembered seeing such a symbol on the enemy’s warships during the last clash with the 31st Star Region. That ferocious wolf head—no other organization in the entire universe possessed it. Even the battle-hardened Grand Marshal found their combat strength daunting.

The 31st Star Region… Blackhair, the illegal lord, what exactly are you trying to achieve? Is all this preparation for an impending war? Do you realize your actions have caused panic in human society? If this continues, I might lose control before even that elusive cosmic war begins.

Grand Marshal Wick stood quietly by the window, gazing into the distance, his brows furrowing increasingly.

Like all high-ranking nobles, he was well aware of the true situation in Black Prison. In fact, he sent people there every year to deliver large amounts of resources and food, in exchange for the technologies obtained by the Bone Guards from those prisoners. He had no doubts about the abilities of those prisoners. Yet Blackhair’s actions sent chills down his spine.

An entire group of prisoners was forcibly taken from Black Prison by him, and he even killed Mari, the head of the Bone Guards, with his own hands. That young man was far too bold. Didn’t he know such actions would cause panic among the upper echelons of society? All factions would turn against him, wary of him. Was he willing to risk that?

No, definitely not. That black-haired young man was certainly not that foolish. Marshal Wick shook his head suddenly and sighed.

He was just too ruthless in his methods.

Unlike others, his 31st Star Region was a place far from oversight, a region seen by most factions as full of danger and the unknown. The Black Prison incident might be a nightmare for others, but it meant nothing to him. The losses were negligible. On the contrary, he gained technological power that many coveted. From now on, many factions might have to act according to his wishes.

Cutting off the roots… This phrase flashed through the Grand Marshal’s mind.

“What a terrifying young man—like a venomous snake,” he said with a wry smile as the Grand Marshal reached out to press a button on the table corner. Soon, there was a knock at the door. Immediately after, a tall young man with sharp eyes entered—it was Saka, the adjutant who had once accompanied General Birito on the expedition to the Thirty-One Star Systems!
“General, did you call for me?” As soon as he entered, the adjutant snapped to attention and spoke in a serious tone.
Unlike when he was with General Birito, Saka now appeared even more efficient. His bright eyes seemed capable of seeing straight into one’s heart, and he always wore a serious expression. He handled tasks with swift efficiency, like a machine that never failed.
“Hmm, sit down,” the Grand Marshal waved his hand casually, trying to ease the adjutant’s tension. But clearly, his efforts were in vain. The young adjutant remained standing straight in front of him, not moving an inch. Seeing this, the Grand Marshal could only shake his head and adopt a serious expression.
“Have you arranged everything for the soldiers who fought against the Blood Wolf forces last time?”
“Yes, General. All the soldiers have been removed from their original units and reorganized into a small legion. Their weapons and equipment have also been reequipped. By current standards, they can be upgraded to a secondary elite legion. As you ordered, they have undergone extensive targeted training and are ready to strike at any moment.”
“Heh, those young men are full of enthusiasm.”
“General, last battle was a disgrace to the entire interstellar fleet. For us soldiers, it’s unforgivable. It’s only natural they strive hard.” The adjutant snapped to attention again, a cold glint appearing in his eyes. “Did you summon me this time because you intend to attack the Thirty-One Star Systems? Please forgive my bluntness, but the soldiers below have been waiting for this day for a long time. We will definitely not disappoint you.”
It was almost like a declaration, and the adjutant’s determination shocked even the old Grand Marshal. But the next moment, he simply smiled wryly.

“Wrong. Completely wrong! Dear Adjutant Saka. I ordered you to get ready and train together—not to target this 31st Star Region, but to learn their combat methods. Don’t you think so? Our fleet’s traditional combat methods are too outdated and rigid. Neat formations, grand charges—visually pleasing indeed. But remember, this is war. We don’t need fancy formations for show, nor do we need to sacrifice our men’s lives for medals. All we need is one thing: victory. On that point…” The old marshal slammed the table hard.
“The Blood Wolf forces of the 31st Star Region are clearly doing far better than us!”
“Early reconnaissance, precise predictions, coupled with stealthy infiltration and ruthless attacks. Those Blood Wolf forces abandoned all pretense. And what’s the result? You saw it with your own eyes—zero casualties!! Do you understand that term? Zero casualties!!!”
At this point, the old marshal was visibly agitated. It’s easy to imagine the impact such a combat style had on him. He had spent almost his entire life in war, yet this was the first time he felt frustrated. Mediocre nobles constrained him, and outdated ideas bound his fleet, leaving him powerless. Even though he had seen advanced combat methods, he lacked the ability to implement them on a large scale, could only conduct small-scale, covert tests. It was only a matter of time before the galaxy’s number one interstellar fleet lost its glory!
What good are countless mechs or warships if you lack advanced combat concepts? No matter how strong the armament, it’s useless without them! The old marshal understood this all too well.
“Pass on my orders. Get ready immediately after you leave. By tomorrow morning, at the latest by noon, I want to see you set off. Go to Rainbow Star in the 18th Star Region and establish a defense line. If my guess is right, war will break out there again soon. Your only requirement is to learn advanced combat experience in this battle and abandon outdated ideas. Also, if possible, capture an enemy warship—I want to learn more about them.” The old marshal stood up and walked to the window, his eyes blazing.
“Remember, Adjutant Saka. I absolutely won’t allow heavy casualties in this battle. Your purpose is to learn, not to die!! If necessary, you may flee—I won’t hold anyone accountable. Do you understand?”

“Understood, Marshal.” The adjutant shuddered violently and replied loudly. At that moment, his eyes became moist. He knew very well that this was a reform—the old marshal was under too much pressure. He needed such a spark of inspiration. The adjutant could imagine that this operation had been ordered personally by the Grand Marshal without the approval of the council. Thus, they would face layers of interference. But none of that could shake his confidence. For a moment, the image of that young man with black hair flashed through his mind once again. The great war—hurry up and come… In this war, the glory of the interstellar fleet will surely illuminate the entire universe once again. I have no doubts!! At the same time, deep in the 31st Star Region, a fleet was moving swiftly through space. Undoubtedly, judging by its appearance alone, the composition of this fleet could be described as chaotic. With around a hundred ships, there were as many as seven or eight different types of warships, arranged in a messy mess, like a jumble of junk. It looked truly desolate. But that was just the surface. If anyone with insight were here, they could immediately tell what kind of strength each of these warships possessed. Although there were many different types, each one was top-tier—things that would be priceless even on the black market. Moreover, the seemingly chaotic fleet formation seemed to move according to some strange pattern. No ship at any angle remained on the outermost edge for more than five minutes. It was truly bizarre. Of course, this was Black Hair’s fleet. Unlike the rules of the interstellar fleet, he always favored pragmatism. Although this formation wasn’t very aesthetically pleasing, it was modeled after Earth’s old skirmish formation. The loose arrangement helped avoid attacks from mass destruction weapons, while the constant movement and mutual cover could significantly reduce damage if an ambush occurred. In fact, even Black Hair himself couldn’t destroy one-fifth of these ships in the shortest time, let alone cripple them. It was definitely the most effective formation for long-distance travel. In the past, the Blood Wolf faction had few ships and never needed this formation, but now they could finally use it. Black Hair was satisfied that his knowledge hadn’t fallen behind. “How much time until we reach the target?” Black Hair asked suddenly, smiling as he raised his eyebrows. Beside him, Monkey’s gaze also fell on the large screen ahead.

“Thirty more minutes, Captain,” Baroka replied loudly. But it was impossible to display an image of the target on the screen, as those planets had special properties that made the scanning devices ineffective. Apart from visual observation, there was no way to detect them at all.
Still, out of habit, he operated the devices anyway. As he gave a seemingly casual glance, he suddenly jumped up.
“How is this possible!? The planets… can be scanned!!!”