Chapter 54: The Shattered Hall, Section 2

Free hunting.
It sounds like a very simple term. Yet its actual meaning is rather special.
Five minutes—just five minutes.
The once-mighty array of Black Crystal fleets was torn to pieces before the swarming Snake Tooth mechs. The number of nearly a thousand ships dropped sharply to less than two hundred. All that remained were debris and fragments floating across the starry sky.
It was only then that people realized how huge the Black Crystal warships really were—even their broken remnants were astonishingly large. Ship wreckage, as big as small mountains, floated in space, with flames exploding continuously on them, causing great trouble for the Moor Empire’s artillery fire.
After all, artillery fire requires a line of sight, and even the self-dividing guidance beams of the Black Crystal giants were no exception. Although attacks could still be made without a clear line of sight, the accuracy was severely affected. By now, their formation had long been in chaos—how could they find a proper line of sight? Thus, the situation became one-sided. The Moor Empire found itself in grave danger within just five minutes.
Yet even so, the dark-haired man in the Li Feng cabin showed no sign of a smile. From beginning to end, his expression remained calm and composed. A crystal goblet filled with red wine swayed in his hand, tilting, yet not a drop spilled.
“Lord, the fortress is in place,” Baroka said softly as he walked over slowly, his belly swaying.
“Mm,” the dark-haired man nodded, glancing at Baroka. “How did you gain weight again in just a few days?”
“Hehe,” Baroka scratched the back of his head shyly. “The food is too good. There’s nothing I can do.”
“…” The dark-haired man was speechless. How could some people gain weight even from drinking cold water? Too good food? Ridiculous. The Blood Wolves did have good food, but under these circumstances, how many could even eat? Others might not know, but the dark-haired man knew very well that Baroka’s appetite these past few days was almost as much as Suley’s. He even drank water in small sips.
They were facing the Emperor of Moor—the greatest tyrant in the universe. No one could stay calm, not even the dark-haired man himself.
Gazing at the massive red flying castle in the distance, the dark-haired man gently brought the red wine to his lips.
“Your Majesty. It’s time for you to show your true skills, isn’t it?”

“Well… I’m afraid it’s hard to say. You haven’t defeated my children yet.” In the grand hall of the Red Flying Castle, the Moorish emperor was also in a relaxed state. A beautifully crafted coffee table was placed before him, filled with rich red wine. For some reason, in certain aspects, this emperor who held great power shared the same tastes as the black-haired man.

Next to him stood a highly capable officer, quietly listening to messages through his headphones from time to time. The hall was completely silent, in stark contrast to the intense fighting outside.

After a long while, just as the handsome Moorish emperor took a sip of his fifth glass of red wine, the officer finally moved. He bent down and whispered softly in the emperor’s ear.

“Your Majesty, 90% of our fleet has been destroyed. The remaining ships are expected to disappear within three minutes.”

“Oh, I see.” The Moorish emperor narrowed his eyes, savoring the sweetness of the wine, and replied absentmindedly. “Three more minutes? It seems I really overestimated the black-haired man. Such an overwhelming battle still takes so long. His Blood Wolves aren’t that good either, are they?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. If it were you in command, such a battle would be a child’s play. We indeed overestimated them. But the Blood Wolves have a great reputation, and we’ve already seen that.” The officer replied respectfully, his head bowed, with a glint in his eyes.

“Heh, are you subtly telling me not to underestimate them?” The Moorish emperor chuckled lightly, shaking his glass. He gazed at the amber-colored wine in it with a calm expression.

“Don’t worry. I won’t make such a silly mistake.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” The officer bowed respectfully.

“Hmm. Those worthless warships were just the means for those unruly elements within the empire. It’s fine to lose some of them. This great rebellion in the empire has made even many originally honest races restless. I can’t help but feel uneasy if I don’t strike them down.” As if unaware of the officer’s obedient expression, the Moorish emperor continued talking to himself.

“The crew who managed to enter the Leech Collective are all elites from those vassal races. This time, the black-haired man has really helped me a lot. Otherwise, it would have been hard for me to deal with those who have always followed me.”

“Your Majesty, they haven’t shown any signs of rebellion,” the officer said softly, seemingly understanding the emperor’s meaning.

“I know, I know,” Emperor Moore waved his hand indifferently. “They’ve always appeared loyal on the surface. That’s how they were able to enter the Leech Collective and become members of my royal guard. But… Grizzly Bear, don’t you know the saying that those who are not of our kind will surely have ulterior motives? Compared to me, the emperor, their race is probably more important to them. I certainly don’t want to regret it only after they show their true colors and take my head.”
“I understand, Your Majesty. This was inevitable. You’ve done absolutely right,” the officer nodded, responding promptly before letting out a soft sigh.
“I’m just sorry.”
“Ah…” Hearing the officer’s words, Emperor Moore also sighed. “I’m sorry too. But there’s nothing we can do. Fortunately, they can still serve one last purpose—help me stage a play.”
“Grizzly Bear, how’s the Firestorm?”
“It’s all in place, Your Majesty. They’re waiting for your order to appear among the enemies,” the officer replied expressionlessly.
“Good. It seems that in this world, only you are reliable.” Hearing the officer’s reply, Emperor Moore laughed heartily and patted his shoulder. “But there’s one thing that never satisfies me.”
“Please instruct me.”
“Don’t call me Your Majesty. Grizzly Bear, I don’t know how many times I’ve told you over the years—why can’t you change?”
“Because you are the emperor, Your Majesty,” the officer replied firmly, without the slightest hesitation.
“Ah…”
Emperor Moore said nothing more and finally waved his hand. “If that’s the case, as you wish.”
“Understood,” the officer replied expressionlessly, then stood up, pressing the headset to his ear.
“Battle begins.”
“Boom!!”
With the officer’s words, another burst of intense flames erupted in outer space. The last Black Crystal battleship was also cut into pieces by the Snakefangs’ blades. What was once a majestic ship now became burning giant fireballs, plummeting rapidly into the depths of space. Soon after, thousands of Snakefangs, like wolves drawn to blood, surrounded Emperor Moore’s flying castle with glowing red eyes. The one at the front already raised its slaughter blade.
Suddenly… a burst of intense white light flashed like lightning. Behind them, next to the Black Hair Fleet, hundreds of giant metal spheres appeared in an instant!!

“Damn it!! It’s the Phantom Killers!! How did they get here!!” In the cabin, Baroka was instantly terrified. He was all too familiar with those giant metal spheres. Weren’t these the very ones responsible for defeating Duke Purple Rock? After several encounters where they never managed to gain an advantage, they had privately given them such a name.
But today, Baroka finally witnessed the elusive nature of these Phantom Killers. Through a sudden burst of intense white light, they could appear silently around him in an instant. What was this? Teleportation? Even teleportation couldn’t be this fast!
But by now, it was too late for Baroka to say anything. Due to the battle with Emperor Moor, almost all of the Black Hair Fleet’s Snake Fang units had been sent out to hold back the enemy at the front. There was no time to rush back and provide protection. Moreover, who would have thought that under such overwhelming pressure from Black Hair, the enemy still had assassins lurking in anti-space? How bold! Emperor Moor was indeed a terrifying figure.
In an instant, sweat beads the size of beans slid down Baroka’s forehead. He was completely unable to react.
But his lack of reaction didn’t mean the enemy would show mercy. As soon as those terrifying metal spheres appeared, they began to rapidly transform, turning into massive humanoid forms resembling ancient titans in the blink of an eye. The nearest one was right next to a virtual puppet, raising its battle axe without hesitation.
“Damn it, it’s too late!!” Baroka screamed in despair, eyes wide with horror.
“Boom!!!” Along with his cry, a violent explosion was clearly heard through the channel, followed by a blinding flash of fire.
It’s over! At such close range, not even God could save that virtual puppet. He never expected that the biggest mistake on this expedition with Black Hair would be here. With so many Phantom Killers around, had he really reached his end? Baroka closed his eyes in pain, his mind racing through every moment since he met Black Hair. A bitter smile appeared on his face.
Just then, cheers rang in his ears.
It was the cheers of the Blood Wolf Warriors!!
Unbelievingly, he opened his eyes and saw a shocking scene. The once ferocious Phantom Killers were staggering backward, with a pitch-black hole dozens of meters in diameter visible right in their bellies.
And in front of him stood a small figure, barely three meters tall.
“Monkey!!”