Chapter 45: The Mecha Dynasty, Section 9

Back in his cloud tower, Hei Fa was still in a dazed state, his thoughts as tangled as a mess, with no clear pattern to be discerned. At the same time, for some reason, an unprecedented feeling emerged in his heart.
It was as if he were peering through a gap at the essence of the supreme existence.
Breaking the rules.
In the past, or when Hei Fa first arrived in this world, such a thought would have been unthinkable. No—such a thought wouldn’t even have existed. He hadn’t yet reached the level of understanding the rules.
But as time passed, his experiences grew, and he observed the world more objectively, Hei Fa was no longer the same as before. If there was anything he still didn’t dare to do, it was probably only to defy the rules. Yet his current actions were gradually moving in that direction.
Hei Fa himself probably didn’t realize that what he was doing was nothing short of playing with fire. Perhaps one day he would get what he wanted, but at the same time, he would surely pay an unbearable price.
Until then, the only thing Hei Fa needed to do was buy time for Madaro.
Although the Stone of Light and Darkness was in the Black Prisoners’ research lab—and in their eyes, it was just a stone—it was actually an entire universe. Even though the Black Prisoners had countless scanning instruments at their disposal, analyzing the rules of an entire universe remained nearly impossible. All Madaro wanted was time, which was already a great concession on Hei Fa’s part.
But no one knew that what Hei Fa lacked most was time.
Although the Moor Empire was currently in chaos, the more Hei Fa learned about the Moor Emperor’s secrets, the more he realized that the Duke of Ziyan and his allies had no chance of winning. The so-called rebellion was probably just a game orchestrated by the emperor. He used it to identify unstable elements within the Moor tribe and suppress them together. For this purpose, the Moor Emperor was even willing to allow the Duke of Ziyan to swiftly conquer half of the empire!
What audacity!!
After realizing this, even Hei Fa had to admire the Moor Emperor’s tactics. To use even one’s own territory as a bargaining chip for a goal—probably only the Moor Emperor had ever done such a thing throughout history. What lay hidden behind that gentle face, even Hei Fa dared not guess.

One thing is certain, however: the Emperor Moore surely possesses the power to turn the tide—should he wish to. Hundreds of millions of rebels, including Duke Ziyan, could be erased from existence in an instant. By then, the Moore Empire would have rid itself of all the filth accumulated over countless years, becoming a brand new empire full of vitality and aggression.
Destroy to rebuild—that is Emperor Moore’s plan!
Hei Fa had already figured out Emperor Moore’s intentions. But the problem was, if his suspicions were correct, Emperor Moore would not be bound by the current rebellion. On the contrary, he could observe the entire situation as an outsider. Under such circumstances, could he truly tolerate a hidden threat lurking nearby? Moreover, although those leech warships had given him new strength, upon reflection, Hei Fa realized they might very well be Emperor Moore’s trap.
Using the power of those leech warships as bait, he, eager to harness that strength, would inevitably expose himself. Emperor Moore could then take this opportunity to test his loyalty.
With these thoughts, Hei Fa no longer believed his once-prideful protective measures could ensure his safety. Perhaps the mutated Bak bugs could indeed completely block information transmission in anti-space, and perhaps his mechanical abilities could indeed reveal the detailed structure of the leech warships. But these were just possibilities. Who could be sure Emperor Moore didn’t have even more effective tricks up his sleeve?
Hei Fa couldn’t and wouldn’t risk everything he had. So he was uneasy and tense.
When he returned to his room, he could still feel the turmoil within him. Raising his hands, his calloused palms appeared stable on the surface, but only Hei Fa knew they were actually trembling—though so slightly that it could only be measured in micrometers, they were trembling indeed!
If a warrior’s hands tremble… how can he then control the controls of a mech and protect his people?
Hei Fa didn’t know. But he was clear about one thing: his time was running out. If his fears were correct, Emperor Moore’s fleet must already be on its way. And the time left for him was probably just a few short days.
For both public and personal reasons, Hei Fa had no reason to hide.

This time, it definitely won’t be like the previous times, with just a few Moorish giant ships attacking. With the Moorish Emperor personally involved, the enemy ships must be at least at the level of leech warships. Unluckily, apart from the Black-Haired Death Star, the weapons used by the human fleet still fell within the category of conventional weapons.
This was a fatal weakness! As long as they stayed within the energy-based weapons category, their effectiveness against leech warships would be minimal. The Black-Haired one could almost foresee the tragic collapse of the human fleet. So, the next day, he urgently communicated with Marshal Wick and Grand Duke Poseidon. Without saying a word upon meeting, he handed over a long list of weapons.
“Choose yourselves. These are all live-fire weapons. I have ample supplies and production capabilities. If resources permit, you can upgrade in a short time. I can’t predict anything for you in advance, but I can tell you that these are the only weapons to deal with the impending danger. Your energy weapons will become your greatest weakness in future battles. So, you must upgrade.”
“Imminent danger? What is it?” Marshal Wick asked in surprise, though his eyes never left the list, his expression grave. Knowing the Black-Haired one well, he understood that he would never joke about such matters. So, if he said it, there must be a reason.
Sure enough, the Black-Haired one soon revealed his guess, causing Marshal Wick and Grand Duke Poseidon’s faces to turn even paler. Especially when they heard that the fleet coming this time might not be those terrifying giant ships but even more terrifying combined vessels, both of humanity’s highest leaders paled.
“You mean it’s the Emperor’s direct forces this time?” Marshal Wick asked slowly, his face dark.
“Yes, and it will happen soon. Of course, this is just my guess. I can’t confirm it for you. I’m contacting you now just to take precautions,” the Black-Haired one replied seriously, glancing at Grand Duke Poseidon, who had remained silent. After not seeing him for some time, the noble duke appeared even older, with more wrinkles appearing on his already wrinkled face, clearly due to constant stress.
After hearing the Black-Haired one’s answer, both of them reacted the same way—nodding briefly before focusing on the weapon list. After a long while, Marshal Wick spoke first.

“Most of the weapons here are no longer needed. My fleet already has its own live-ammo weapon systems, which are not much different in performance from yours. I just lack some high-powered strategic weapons. If you have any, you might as well provide some.”
“I’m the same,” said Grand Duke Poseidon as Marshal Wick spoke. He stared blankly at the black-haired man, his gaze devoid of any emotion, and said mechanically, “Give me some high-powered weapons for deterrence; nothing else is needed. The weapons here are similar to those I’ve recently equipped with. I don’t need them.”
“Hm?” The black-haired man was taken aback, clearly unprepared for such a response. From their words, it seemed that both Marshal Wick and Grand Duke Poseidon already had their own live-ammo weapons and had completed the upgrade? When did this happen? How come he wasn’t aware of it?
It seems one should never underestimate others. Both Marshal Wick and Grand Duke Poseidon are formidable figures. He had almost been deceived by them without realizing it. Such a large-scale upgrade surely didn’t happen overnight. Likely, they had started working on it even before he went to the Moor Empire. Truly impressive.
But… the black-haired man sneered inwardly. He wasn’t someone to be trifled with either. With the terrifying power of the Black Prison Forces at his disposal, it was likely no one would ever surpass him. Moreover, the hybrid weapons of the Blood Wolves were completely different from the live-ammo weapons provided to them—they were even more advanced, with unparalleled versatility.
As for the high-powered live-ammo weapons they requested…
The black-haired man thought for a moment. It seemed he indeed had such things. He remembered the Black Prison Forces once presenting a design for a 7200MM super-caliber cannon, which he had abandoned at the time. Such a weapon was incredibly powerful—a single shot could send a small asteroid flying in half. It was just too resource-intensive. A single shell was as large as a miniature shuttlecraft, and the cost was exorbitant. If used on a large scale with continuous firing, the ammunition cost alone would be astronomical, clearly disproportionate to its value.
But now that Marshal Wick and Grand Duke Poseidon had asked, the black-haired man had no objection to letting them use this cannon. Since he wouldn’t have to bear the costs, he didn’t mind at all.
With that thought, he promptly shared the design parameters of the cannon with them. Only after both were satisfied did he speak seriously.

“From now on, within five days, I will provide each of you with thirty Moor giant ships along with corresponding live ammunition. As for the replacement of your own equipment, that is up to you. I believe crisis is approaching soon. This time, we must not falter in the slightest. Otherwise…”
Hei Fa didn’t finish speaking, but both of them understood what he meant. Marshal Wick and Grand Duke Poseidon also nodded solemnly.
“Retreating means destruction. There’s no need for you to say more. As for that so-called Moor emperor…”
“We look forward to his arrival.”