Chapter 24: The Howl of the Blood Wolf, Section 8

The Grand Duke’s name was Poseysi, and he was fifty-eight years old—peak age for a man. Both mentally and physically, he was no less formidable than a twenty-year-old youth. What made him most famous was his dominance.

In fact, among the noble circles known for their mediocrity and corruption, this Grand Duke was the only exception. When he first reached adulthood, he took over his family’s affairs and became the youngest noble lord. At that time, his family was facing severe exclusion from the noble circles due to the death of their head, causing their power to decline steadily. They could barely keep three mining planets running. But once he came to power, he employed ruthless tactics. First, he used the personal guards left by his father to eliminate any opposition within his family. Then, he led an army of thirty outdated warships to attack a nearby star system and seized two mining planets by force. Afterward, he vigorously developed his military forces, which grew rapidly—within just a year, it expanded to over two hundred warships.

His path to wealth in that star system was somewhat similar to Blackhair’s, as he also implemented extreme plundering policies in the early stages. However, thanks to his noble status, he encountered far fewer troubles. Then, he supported Marshal Wick.

At that time, the interstellar fleet was merely a ragtag collection of noble forces. It was with his support that Marshal Wick was able to rise to prominence and quickly take control of the fleet. The Grand Duke also reaped the benefits, seeing his own military forces expand once again, while his status among the nobles grew steadily until he finally ascended to the position of Grand Duke.

In this era, true monarchs no longer existed. Thus, the noble circles merely retained the old traditions symbolically. The position of Grand Duke was almost the pinnacle for nobles. Above that was only the title of prince, but this was practically impossible. If princes appeared, the restoration of monarchy would only be a matter of time—a scenario no one wanted to see.

Poseysi wanted to become a prince.

Like all ambitious rulers, this Grand Duke was also a man full of ambition. The chaos brought about by the great expansion of the universe undoubtedly provided him with a vast stage. Forty years of hard work enabled him to build an unprecedentedly powerful force. Beyond his overt military forces, he also possessed an elite fleet of five hundred ships, all crafted using humanity’s most advanced magic technology—truly formidable.

One ambitious person can shape the future, but when there are two, three, or even more, conflicts are inevitable.

Regrettably, Marshal Wick has now also embarked on this path with no return. Thus, Poseidon faces a huge dilemma—he must choose between the interests of his noble circle and the Interstellar Fleet. The massive fleet was as swift as thunder. By the time Poseidon arrived at the battlefield, the noble forces were nearly wiped out. The Interstellar Fleet truly proved to be a battle-tested force, far beyond the comparison with these pampered noble armies. Looking around at the wreckage of ships floating haphazardly in space, nine out of ten were left by the noble forces, which speaks volumes. Of course, the severity of the battle also exceeded Poseidon’s expectations. Before his eyes, there were wreckage of ships everywhere. Not far away, bright balls of light from exploding ships could be seen. The energy fluctuations in the starry sky were extremely chaotic, and even his own fleet was affected. Swarms of mecha combat units moved around like locusts, indistinguishable from each other in battle. Energy beams struck like storms, and Poseidon’s fleet was immediately attacked upon entry. “Boom!!” Two balls of light erupted in front of the fleet. The two leading ships staggered out of formation. But to Poseidon’s shock, it was the noble forces attacking him!? “Get me in touch with the commander here. I want to know what’s going on.” Starting off poorly, Poseidon’s expression naturally turned grim as he issued a cold order. A reply came quickly. By this point in the war, the noble forces had already been severely weakened. Their commander, who they had left behind, was a cowardly incompetent man who dared not stay and had fled as far as he could. There were no nobles left in the battle zone now; only their mercenaries and guards were fighting. And these guys were utterly defeated by the Interstellar Fleet. Upon seeing the suddenly appearing large fleet, they thought it was the enemy and immediately opened fire. Hearing this explanation, Duke Poseidon was furious, his eyebrows shooting up. “Hmph. Stupid reply. Can’t they even distinguish between friend and foe? What useless scum. Order the fleet—starting now, there’s no need to consider friendly targets. Attack everything without distinction. Follow the original plan, from north to south, and sweep them all clean. Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy.” “Yes! Honorable Duke,” the adjutant replied cheerfully.

With this order, the Grand Duke’s fleet immediately charged into the battlefield like mad lions. With a strength of up to a thousand ships, they were invincible. Unlike ordinary noble forces, most of the crew on these warships were veterans from the Interstellar Fleet, making them extremely formidable. Their attacks were like sharp arrows, instantly scattering the allied fleet that had just launched an assault. Ballings of light erupted from the exploding warships.

The Interstellar Fleet also quickly detected this powerful force. Urgent reports were sent at once to Marshal Wick’s desk. Upon seeing the report, the old marshal was stunned, his heart filled with icy dread.

It’s bad. The very thing he feared had happened. He had indeed drawn out this Grand Duke.

This was not what Marshal Wick wanted. In fact, he had hoped for a different outcome in this war—a situation where Grand Duke Poseidon would suddenly turn against them and seize noble territories. As the one who knew this Grand Duke’s ambitions best, Marshal Wick had long harbored such hopes.

But today, those hopes were shattered. Marshal Wick couldn’t understand why Grand Duke Poseidon would give up such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Yet he had no time to hesitate. The war raged on, with countless lives lost every minute. So he gritted his teeth. “Whatever. Add them to the enemy list. Tell Saka to circle around to the rear of that fleet and launch a surprise attack while they’re fighting the main fleet. Disrupt their formation. At all costs, I want that fleet preserved!”

“Yes!” His subordinate rushed off. Marshal Wick’s face turned pale.

“Finally… I have to face it after all…”

Neither side was willing to yield any longer, and the war between the Interstellar Fleet and the nobles suddenly took a different turn. In the vast expanse of space, two large fleets of similar size began to move slowly. The already scattered noble forces became prey trapped in between. All warships that couldn’t escape were instantly torn to pieces.

Closer, even closer…

Through the active scanning of their warships, people could even see the gaps in the armor of the enemy ships. Those giant warships resembled ferocious beasts, silent and dark in the shadows of space, with only occasional explosions lighting up their surfaces, revealing their bloodthirsty cannons.

“The enemy’s vanguard is at… 5,300 kilometers away…” The officer in charge of scanning on the interstellar fleet’s vanguard wiped sweat from his brow and reported loudly. The atmosphere in the cabin also grew tense.
“The enemy’s vanguard is at 3,700 kilometers away…”
“The enemy’s vanguard is at…”
“Within firing range!! Fire!!”
With a loud shout, the captains of both sides immediately issued the order to attack. The massive warships beneath them trembled almost simultaneously. Countless dazzling lights, like countless sharp arrows, swiftly tore through the silent space. At the same time, the ship’s hatches swung wide, and swarms of mechs poured out in great numbers.
This was war. There was no mercy, no hesitation. Every second, countless balls of light exploded in the starry sky. The screams of technicians dying filled the channels. Yet no one could stop.
There could only be one voice in interstellar dominance. Those who dissented would die!!
Fierce battles erupted in the starfield, far more brutal than imaginable. In almost an instant, the vanguard fleets of both sides exploded in mass. Many warships were turned into balls of light by the enemy’s immediate attacks, and their terrifying shockwaves could even be felt on the Grand Duke’s flagship far behind. Yet he seemed to be watching a movie. Although his assistant was already sweating profusely, his expression remained utterly calm. Until… his entire vanguard was destroyed.
“Incompetent fools…” The Grand Duke finally spoke, his tone filled with disdain. “Tell the main attack fleet behind to follow up. Do not reduce the firepower. Also…”
“Inform the Trident Fleet that tactical jumps will begin in 30 minutes.”
“Yes, respected Grand Duke!” The aide immediately bowed in response. As he turned around, his gaze landed on the scanning crystal screen, and his expression changed drastically. At the same time, Saka from the opposing interstellar fleet was equally stunned, shouting in shock.
“Wait, what’s that!?”
“What!?”
Everyone looked up simultaneously and was shocked to discover that, at some point, a small white light dot had suddenly appeared in the distant starry sky above both fleets. As they watched, it seemed to expand rapidly, as if sensing their gazes. In just an instant, it covered tens of thousands of kilometers of the starry sky.
“That’s… whose space jump point!?” Everyone exclaimed in shock.