Chapter 40: The So-called Unlimited Rules, Section 7

Kurokami was right. He was exploiting things.
He was taking advantage of the tournament’s rules and the psychological misunderstandings among the contestants regarding those rules.
The unlimited rules weren’t just words on paper. Only those who truly understood them could realize the vast scope of maneuverability within them. Those commanders who failed to grasp the rules, those contestants still convinced that the tournament facilities were inviolable—such people were not worthy opponents for Kurokami. Whenever he lurked and saw those mighty fleets passing by silently, unaware of the venomous serpent right beside them, Kurokami would often sigh.
This was precisely the strange phenomenon that existed in this world. Seeing those contestants indulged in their own military strength made Kurokami feel like he was looking at spoiled children. Didn’t they know that unseen enemies were the most dangerous?
Yet even the most hidden beasts eventually roar. After a long period of lurking, when there were few contestants left and their combat strength had been greatly diminished, Kurokami finally revealed his ferocious side.
Four stealth warships suddenly shed all their disguises, like a pack of tigers hunting their prey, roaring as they rushed into the depths of space. Their first target was a small fleet less than 2 light-years away. Kurokami had already noticed it. That fleet clearly also intended to lurk, staying put after the initial chaotic battles and using the complex environment of the Barbarian Star Region to evade wave after wave of hostile enemies.
Undoubtedly, it was an excellent commander. Just the fact that he could remain hidden there using a small asteroid belt was enough to prove his strength. But sadly, he never imagined that not far from him, there was an even greater lurker waiting, watching him closely with bloodshot eyes—watching his prey.
Kurokami’s ration list before setting out wasn’t something to be taken lightly. Especially those astonishing numbers of Mosquito-style reconnaissance drones—clearly prepared for this final counterattack. Though these drones were small and had a limited reconnaissance range, they were extremely stealthy. Coupled with their low cost and large quantity, if Kurokami wished, he could monitor every movement within a 3-light-year radius, not even the trajectory of an asteroid could escape his notice.

Of course. The large number of Mosquito reconnaissance planes also had a drawback: an excess of information. After all, these planes were designed only as temporary substitutes, lacking any self-information processing system. All the gathered information was sent to Kurokami unchanged. A few planes might not be a problem, but when all of them were deployed, the sheer volume of information would overwhelm Kurokami. After all, stealth warships were merely second-tier vessels in the Moore Empire—not only inferior in combat power to the empire’s larger ships but also far less capable in information processing.

What was needed at this point was the Eagle Dove, a vessel worth as much as a giant ship. Kurokami had chosen it for its astonishing secondary command and information processing capabilities. With it, he had essentially a highly efficient information processing terminal at his disposal. The information from 3,000 Mosquito reconnaissance planes was trivial for it to handle.

With this, Kurokami had countless eyes at his disposal. Even though he remained outside the observers’ line of sight, he understood the situation better than those who were stuck in front of the screens. The small fleet lurking nearby was also under his control.

So, in less than two hours, he exited teleportation and found that unlucky guy in a small asteroid belt. At that time, the guy was hiding innocently in the asteroid belt, thinking his disguise was good enough. But he was caught right away by Kurokami. His shock could be felt through their brief conversation.

“Who are you? How did you find me?” The panicked voice came through the channel straight to Kurokami’s ears, only eliciting a light smile from him.

“How did I find you? Do I really need to explain? I’ve been watching you since the day you arrived here. I don’t want to have to teach you the basics of military strategy.”

Through the screen, Kurokami could see the opponent’s current condition. Likely due to continuous battles, the commander’s fleet was severely damaged. Aside from one heavily wounded giant ship, there was only one small supply ship left. The originally assigned reconnaissance ships were nowhere to be seen, probably consumed in the fierce battles.

Yet it was this rather small supply ship that piqued Black Hair’s interest. After all, he had sacrificed his home base just to escape the siege. And his entire supply quota came from that home base alone. Without it, he would have no means of obtaining supplies. Although he had shut down all engines while in hiding to save energy, he still consumed a lot. It was manageable without combat, but once intense fighting began, adequate supplies had to be the top priority.

Thinking this through, he decided to tweak his battle plan slightly. He lowered his head and asked his adjutant, Fifty-Seven, in a hushed voice, “Does the Empire have any rules regarding capturing prisoners in the combat portion of the competition?”

“No,” replied Fifty-Seven, his eyes lighting up as he clearly understood Black Hair’s intent. “But there are restrictions on the number of personnel. To ensure fairness, each contestant is limited in the number of crew members they can bring. However, there’s no limit on how many ships they can control, as long as they have enough crew. Capturing the enemy’s ships isn’t a problem.”

“Oh?” Black Hair narrowed his eyes. “Then since I lost my home base earlier, I also lost its crew. Does that mean my crew count is reduced? Can I replenish my crew by capturing the enemy’s ships?”

“No,” said Fifty-Seven, shaking his head calmly. “If crew members are lost, they cannot be replaced. Even if we can capture the enemy’s ships, their crew isn’t recognized under the competition rules. In other words, you can get the ships, but not the crew.”

“That completely cuts off the contestants’ path to growing stronger. I see.” Black Hair sighed deeply, looking displeased.

So the Empire’s rules weren’t as straightforward as they seemed. These seemingly free rules actually restricted all contestants’ ability to develop freely. After all, the number of crew members was limited. Even if you could capture all your opponents’ ships, they were useless without pilots. And since lost crew members couldn’t be replaced, it was a losing situation every time.

This clearly didn’t benefit Black Hair’s fleet at all. Yet it also helped keep the gap between powerful commanders and ordinary contestants in check, preventing one faction from dominating. It showed the competition organizers’ careful planning.

On the surface, he remained calm, but in his mind he quickly did some calculations. Black Hair arrived at a conclusion soon. With his current crew, if they used resources sparingly, there would probably be enough to operate two or three more ships. In other words, he could capture at most two more ships—without even considering the imperial warships that required a large number of crew members.

Thinking of this, Black Hair no longer intended to delay any longer. With a cold sneer, he was about to order an attack. But before he could speak, new messages came from the other side.

“Wait, all your ships are stealth warships. Could it be that you’re contestant number 336, the one who disappeared at the beginning of the conference?” The panicked voice had calmed down somewhat, but there was an inexplicable excitement in its brief words.

Hearing this question, Black Hair was stunned for a moment, but he honestly admitted it without hesitation. “It’s me.”

“Really… really? It’s really you? That’s amazing! Contestant number 336, you’re my idol!! Sister, come here quickly—stop with your calculations. The commander on the other side is number 336, that genius you’ve been talking about!!” The voice on the other side rose significantly in pitch, no longer panicked as before. That sudden excitement even painted a picture of ecstasy in Black Hair’s mind.

But that was just his imagination. What surprised him next was the opponent’s actions. Suddenly, the main screen of the flagship flashed, showing the figure of a chubby boy, accompanied by a similarly plump little girl. Their big eyes were watery as they stared straight at Black Hair.

“My name is Biso, number 72. This is my sister Qixi, who is also my adjutant, number 71. Commander number 336, please allow us to express our highest respect. You are truly great. I haven’t missed a single one of your virtual battles. My sister and I are your loyal fans. Um… may I ask… could you give me a signature? Oh no, two—one for me and one for my sister?” The chubby boy on the screen said eagerly, his face red. Next to him, the plump little girl nodded nonstop, like a chicken pecking at grains.

Seeing this scene, Black Hair was utterly speechless. No matter how much he had planned, he never expected that the prey he had been keeping an eye on was actually one of his fans. Judging from their tone, it was probably because of his virtual battles. Who would have thought that his impulsive decision back then would lead to such an unexpected outcome? It was truly amusing.

But whether it’s out of admiration or to show friendliness, the competition is after all a real place. In the end, only one contestant will win. Black Hair will not. Nor is it possible for him to respond to his enemies. Anyone who stands in his way has only one outcome.
Thinking of this, Black Hair raised his palm slightly, and his adjutant, Fifty-Seven, also grew serious. He knew that once that palm descended, it would mean the end for those adorable chubby brother and sister across from him.
Just then, the chubby boy seemed to remember something and suddenly exclaimed loudly. Then he raised his left hand, holding up an object.
“Oh, I forgot! Contestant Number 336, this… this…”
What was it? Confused, Black Hair and Adjutant Fifty-Seven stared closely, only to see it was a white, slightly yellowed…
panty leg!!
“I surrender!!!” Ignoring Black Hair and the adjutant’s astonished expressions, the chubby boy declared triumphantly.