Chapter 22: Fortress, Section 10

Has Lily left?
Hei Fa was shocked, his expression changing slightly.
“When?”
“This morning. I noticed she wasn’t at training just now, and when I went to look for her, that’s when I found out. It was the guards by her side who told me she said she wanted to go out for a walk this morning and hasn’t returned since. Our surveillance station detected a blue mecha leaving Death Star at the same time. But since the mecha had the internal markings of Death Star elites, they didn’t ask further questions.”
Xue Tong replied quickly, but when he saw Hei Fa’s expression darken, he knew better than to continue.
It was obvious to anyone with eyes that Lily liked Hei Fa. She was often by his side—how could he not know? On the surface, Lily’s departure seemed serious, but in his view, the reason was clear.
Of course, on the surface, Lily’s status was still very awkward. That was probably one of the reasons as well.
Glancing at Li Feng, who was still under repair, Hei Fa gritted his teeth and turned sharply.
“Go and tell them to prepare a Thunderbolt ship for me. Now!”
“Huh? Just one?” Xue Tong was surprised.
“Yes. Death Star is under construction now and needs many people to defend it. One ship will suffice. Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon.”
“Okay,” Xue Tong agreed readily and ran off.
Standing there for a moment, Hei Fa pondered before hurrying toward the under-construction airport.
This task was simple, yet difficult. In fact, every mecha under the Blood Wolf faction was equipped with a tracking device. Hei Fa wasn’t worried about not finding Lily. The problem was, even if he found her, what could he say?
After all, their relationship had always been very ambiguous. Though they were master and servant, Hei Fa had never demanded that Lily stay by his side forever. Even now, he couldn’t bring himself to say such a thing. Moreover, his heart had already been taken by another woman—he could never act impulsively again.
With a dead heart, how could there be love?
Soon, a Thunderbolt warship was ready. When Hei Fa arrived at the airport, the ultra-fast assault ship was waiting quietly there. Without saying much, he rushed aboard, and the ship lifted off instantly, soaring into the sky like an arrow.

The vast starry sky stretches endlessly. On the other side, an unnamed fleet sails quietly. There isn’t a single light on the entire fleet, making it resemble a group of ghosts in the darkness. Huge warships are connected together, forming an endless line—there are hundreds of them!

At this moment, in the control room of a giant flagship at the heart of this unnamed fleet, Old Jack’s figure is clearly visible. But now he isn’t the arrogant man he used to be; instead, he speaks respectfully to a young man seated in the captain’s seat, pouring out flattery.

“Lord Johnson, Marquis Vincent has asked you to take action this time. It seems those Death Star guys are doomed. Who doesn’t know your prowess? At just eighteen, you rose to become the deputy commander of the Blood Totem Fleet through your own strength. Your reputation alone is enough to frighten enemies. Now I’m completely at ease.”

Perhaps because he rarely praised others, Old Jack’s words clearly didn’t land well. The young man in the captain’s seat frowned slightly, showing signs of impatience. But out of courtesy, he didn’t interrupt him. With a noncommittal hum, the young man turned his head, instantly catching everyone’s attention.

What a handsome young man! Purple hair, fair skin, bright eyes like stars, and a high nose bridge—his appearance was as beautiful as that of a porcelain doll, leaving everyone who saw him stunned. Yet, there was not a hint of a smile on his face, which was somewhat regrettable.

“How much time remains?”

“Thirty minutes, Captain. We just need one more jump to reach the outskirts of our target,” replied the communications officer loudly.

“Good. Pass the order: once we exit jump mode, everyone must take their positions immediately. No active scanning is allowed. Shut down all main engines. No lights. We’re going to launch a surprise attack. According to Saka, this is exactly the tactic the enemy uses often. We’ll use it against them themselves,” the handsome young man ordered calmly.

“Amazing! Truly brilliant!” Old Jack immediately applauded in admiration, his face filled with respect.

“I originally thought it was the officers of those interstellar fleets who were skilled warriors. But after seeing your command today, I realize they’re nothing but mediocre. Using the enemy’s own tactics against them—what a perfect plan! Lord Johnson, you’re truly the favorite of the war gods! I’m incredibly honored that our nobility has a commander like you.”

He frowned. The handsome youth could no longer bear Old Jack’s endless flattery. He cut him off coldly.
“Viscount Jack, I suggest you return to the hibernation pod immediately. The fleet is about to make a jump. I don’t want you to go mad from the chaotic spacetime. I hope you understand my predicament.”
Hearing this, Old Jack was momentarily stunned. But he quickly put on a smile and nodded repeatedly. “Yes, you’re right. I’ll go back right away. Let the central control crystal handle this kind of tedious jump work. Haha, I…”
“Captain Johnson, an unidentified flying object has been detected!!” A hoarse voice suddenly interrupted Old Jack. Before he could react, a blue dot appeared on the large viewing crystal in the center of the warship.
“It’s a mecha!!”
“What?” The handsome youth was shocked. “This is outer space! Without a warship as a base, how could there be a mecha!?”
“Yes, Captain. But… it’s indeed a mecha!” The communications officer quickly made a few adjustments. The blue dot on the crystal enlarged instantly, revealing a magnificent mecha to everyone’s eyes.
“Oh, God! It’s an elite-class one!! An elite-class mecha!!” Gasps filled the cabin. Everyone was stunned.
To be honest, elite-class mechas were indeed rare, but not to the extent of causing such shock. In this Blood Totem Fleet, there were at least twenty elite mechas at the captain level. But the problem was that this elite mecha was completely different from any they had seen before.
It had a streamlined design and a deep blue paint job. Though not huge, it clearly exuded an unparalleled sense of speed. Add to that the enormous weapon in its hands—almost anyone could tell it was a sniper mecha. What made it unique were the honeycomb-shaped protrusions on its shoulders and the impact modules clearly installed on the lower edges of its feet, designed for land combat.
This was space—how could a land combat mech appear here? And with no warships as a base nearby, how did this mecha get here? Did it possess the ability to jump?
For a moment, everyone was confused. Staring at the image of the mecha on the crystal, they were speechless.

The handsome young man reacted quickly. While everyone was filled with confusion, he had already issued the order to capture it. Instantly, the ten warships at the front of the fleet opened their launch bays, and hundreds of mechs poured out, closing in on the mysterious mech from all directions—like a vast net covering everything.

Seeing this, the mysterious mech on the other side was clearly stunned. But it quickly regained its composure. It stretched its right hand back, took something out of its backpack, and attached it to the giant gun in its hand, then fired.

“Boom!!” A clear thud echoed through the public channel. Immediately, everyone watched as one of their mechs was blown apart mid-air, turning into a blazing ball of fire. Before they could closely observe the details of the mysterious mech’s attack, dazzling blue beams, like arrows of death, shot out continuously from its gun.

“Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!” The loud explosions continued, each one marking the death of a soldier. As huge balls of fire exploded in space, everyone was utterly astonished.

“Amazing… so powerful…” a soldier murmured, his eyes filled with admiration.

The situation on the battlefield changed instantly. The terrifying accuracy of the mysterious mech terrified all the attacking soldiers, slowing down their advance. The mysterious mech seemed to have anticipated this. Without hesitation, it executed a graceful arc-shaped acceleration and slipped out of the unsealed encirclement. As it moved swiftly, it continued to attack. In the blink of an eye, five more mechs were turned into balls of fire.

“King… ace technician!!” Exclamations filled the cabin. Almost everyone’s face showed shock.

It was completely unexpected. No one would have thought the owner of this mysterious mech was an ace technician! Its smooth attack movements, near 100% accuracy, and precise maneuvering—all proved its strength! No wonder it dared to travel alone in space. Such a technician truly had the ability!!

Seeing this, the handsome young man could no longer sit still, his face glowing with excitement. He waved his right hand. “Order the vanguard to deploy another two hundred mechs to surround it tightly. We must capture it!! I want to get this ace technician!”
“Yes, Captain!!” The cabin responded loudly. Everyone’s eyes lit up.

An ace technician… If they could capture it and bring it under their control, that would be…