Chapter 23: My Fury Can Burn the Sky – Section 7

It was the Fifth Fleet under Marquis Vincent’s command that detected the traces of the black-haired group. The fleet’s captain was named Keba, a young man of just twenty years old, as well as a viscount of noble blood. Among Marquis Vincent’s captains, he was the most diligent and the most favored by the marquis.
Of course, this was also related to his noble lineage.
At the time he discovered the traces, he had just returned from patrolling a nearby mining planet. According to Marquis Vincent’s orders, he still had to patrol five more mining planets that day. So he dared not delay at all and kept urging his fleet to move forward. Yet before he could leave the outer region of that mining planet, a suddenly appearing bright spot shocked everyone!
It was a red glow, and according to the star chart, it was less than thirty minutes away from their fleet. Of course, this wasn’t why they were shocked. They were shocked because…
A red glow meant unidentified enemies!
Shock quickly turned into ecstasy. In his excitement, Keba hesitated not for a moment and ordered his subordinates to send a message to Marquis Vincent immediately. At the same time, he began calculating frantically in his mind.
To be honest, although Keba appeared to be extremely respectful and diligent toward Marquis Vincent on the surface, he actually had his own plans. After all, he was just a viscount. According to the rules of the noble circles, a viscount didn’t even have the status to possess his own star domain. At most, he could own a few planets. This was clearly unfair to Keba.
In terms of ability, he was far stronger than Marquis Vincent. As for his lineage, though he was only a viscount, his ancestors included grand dukes of noble status. It was only because one of his ancestors was a wastrel that his family ended up in such a situation. So Keba never gave up hope. He dreamed that one day, through his own efforts, his family could regain its former glory and have its name appear among the most prominent in the noble circles.
Now, the opportunity had come…
It should be noted that whether it was a regular military force like an interstellar fleet or a semi-military organization like a noble private army, military achievements were always given top priority. Even if you were a penniless beggar, as long as you could earn enough military merits, you could rise to become a powerful figure. Of course, having noble blood made this even easier.
Keba was well aware of the choice ahead of him.

Since that red dot was the enemy’s marker, he didn’t know how strong they were. He didn’t dare conduct a thorough scan to gather more information. So he had to take a gamble—either wait for Marshal Vincent’s reinforcements to attack together or go it alone. Of course, the credit for such an action would be completely different in that case.
Thinking of this, he could no longer hold back his impulse. His eyes widened sharply.
“Order the entire fleet to move immediately toward the target. Once within attacking range, issue a declaration demanding surrender. Also, during the attack, spread out in a circular formation so none of them can escape!”
“Yes, Captain!” His subordinates exchanged glances and quickly agreed, though each of them showed a hint of unease.
After all, compared to battle-hardened interstellar fleets, they were still novices, having never experienced actual combat. Now that they were about to engage the enemy, they found themselves filled only with tension.
Under such mental state, the entire fleet of nearly a hundred warships quickly dispersed and rushed toward the target…
In the silent starry sky, the massive formation of a hundred warships rushed past, their long wakes merging together like a brilliant meteor shower. Under Keba’s repeated urging, the Fifth Fleet arrived at the target in just fifteen minutes. But before they could issue their proud declaration, they suddenly realized—there was… only one warship!?
Keba rubbed his eyes. Yes, just one warship. An antique of the type pirates had used long ago—a Pike-class warship. If it weren’t for what he saw with his own eyes, it would be hard to believe such an outdated vessel could still fly in space. Under everyone’s astonished gazes, this antique Pike-class warship floated alone in space, without any lights or signs of an engine running. It was pitch black, like a coffin…
A coffin? Keba wondered why that word popped into his mind. Still, he became alert and turned his gaze to his scout.
“What’s the situation with the target?”
“No energy readings. No signs of life, Captain. I think this is a trap!” the subordinate replied urgently, his face drenched in sweat from tension, though he didn’t seem to notice.
A trap? Keba hesitated for a moment.

To be honest, he was also afraid it might be a trap. He remembered even more vividly the heavy losses suffered by the expedition fleet sent out some time ago. Their commander was the formidable Viscount Johnson—a true commander who had participated in many battles at just eighteen years old and was a tough man tempered by war. Yet he never returned either. It was hard to imagine how many dangers existed in this universe. As for these pirates now, although Marquis Vincent hadn’t specified much, Keba could still guess something.

Should he wait for reinforcements? The message had already been sent, and in another half day, the nearest fleet would surely join him. Could he act then?

Keba pondered for a while before suddenly laughing. As he laughed, he cursed under his breath.

“Damn it, when did I become so cowardly? It’s just a warship. Even if it’s a trap, with nearly a hundred Shortsword frigates at my disposal, I’m not afraid at all! It’s those pirates who should be scared! That’s right, I’m on the side of justice!!”

With that thought, Keba hesitated no longer. Gritting his teeth, he issued orders.

“Shift the fleet to a defensive formation. Send five warships at the front to surround the enemy and establish contact. If they resist, kill them on the spot!!”

“Understood, Captain!!” His subordinates responded loudly, each showing a hint of tension on their faces.

The massive fleet immediately reacted, forming a roughly circular formation. The five warships at the front quickly surrounded the enemy vessel, with one of them attempting to get close. Throughout the process, that Soolfish-class warship showed no reaction at all—still lifeless, with no sign of any activity. It seemed… like an abandoned ship.

Seeing this, Keba felt a bit better, filled with hope.

Although an abandoned ship wasn’t much of a feat, if he could obtain it, he should be able to easily find clues about these pirates. It would be a huge help in the search. And he believed Marquis Vincent would praise him greatly upon hearing the news.

With that thought, Keba suddenly felt as if his body had become lighter.

The connection process had begun. Under everyone’s gaze, a Shortsword frigate carefully extended its connection tunnel, which snapped into place against the side armor of the enemy ship. Then, a large number of combatants poured out of it and rushed toward the enemy ship. With the help of high-energy cutters, they quickly breached the enemy’s outer armor.

As more and more combatants entered the Soolfish-class warship, the atmosphere grew tense. No one knew what lay hidden beneath that layer of armor. For some reason, Keba, who was on the flagship, suddenly felt uneasy.

Was he allergic? He rubbed his cheeks, which had stiffened from tension, and spat forcefully.

The atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive; the cabin was dead silent, and everyone could hear their own heartbeat clearly. Their eyes were fixed on the lifeless Soolfish warship, waiting for the outcome.

“Report! The ship is empty! It’s severely damaged internally—the core lacks energy, and the entire ship has lost power!” A voice suddenly broke the silence.

Hearing this, murmurs of relief spread through the cabin, and everyone’s face showed signs of relief.

Sure enough, it was just an abandoned ship… A hint of satisfaction appeared on Keba’s face. His voice grew louder.

“Search it thoroughly again. Send health personnel for quarantine. If everything is normal, drag it back to headquarters immediately!”

“Yes, Captain!”

“And pass this message to Marquis Vincent. Tell him we’re returning to headquarters right away and ask him to send his best decryption experts. Those pirates can’t get away!” Keba added hurriedly.

“Understood!”

Watching his subordinates work hard, Keba smiled in satisfaction. He could almost see the moment he would be promoted for his military achievements. This time, his title of viscount might finally change. Count Keba? Hmm, a pretty good title. Give himself another chance—he believed he might get a small star system as a reward next time he conquered new territory.

The revival of his family seemed just around the corner…

With such thoughts, Viscount Keba wasn’t stingy with promises to his subordinates. He generously promised rewards for everyone who participated in the operation, ensuring that each person would receive a bounty. With these promises, the efficiency of the entire fleet doubled instantly. Soon, all inspections were completed. Viscount Keba ordered a Shortsword frigate to tow his prize away, then rushed back to the capital planet.

In his excitement, he didn’t notice it. Inside that captured and damaged Sowfish warship, there seemed to be a brief flash of light…
Wasn’t that warship already deserted?