551 - 559

Chapter 551: The Fearless

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

"Are you deaf? Haven't you heard me?" Seeing none of the soldiers obeying his command, Si Ke shouted out at the top of his lungs.

"My lord, we understand your concerns, but none of us can bear this humiliation any longer. I quit! I will lead whoever wants to follow me out of our bunker and fight to the death."

"Yea, Captain! We will follow you wherever you go!"

"You, You!" Si Ke's hands trembled out of sheer fury. He watched as Jan Si and a dozen other strongest guard-captains removed their badges and threw them onto his desk.

"Brothers and Sisters, follow me!" Jan Si announced as soon as he threw down the badge.

"Lead the way!"

…

The golden colored dark one had been slaughtering innocent civilians for a while, but he had found no idea target to collect gene samples yet. Suddenly, his nose twitched as he sniffed out something in the air. Sensing the promise of a potential target, he flew himself right in front of Jan Si.

As the dark one folded his crinkly bat wings, his rat-like face gave the human soldier a "welcoming smile." A forked tongue slithered out of a hairy mouth as a few words were squeezed out form its narrow windpipe.

"Excellent… I thought all of you humans are cowards. But you, you are different."

The dark one's sudden descent had startled many civilians. These new breed of dark ones were able to fly much longer distances than their predecessors, and therefore, were able to harass settlements far beyond the human defense line. Their attacks were able to catch humans off guard, and they often used fear to deal a blow to the humans' morale.

Jan Si was shocked by the dark one's ability to speak human language. But he quickly gathered himself. "I have no time to chitchat! DIE!"

Without any hesitation, he plunged his blade at the dark one. The dark one opened up his wings and lifted himself off the ground in an attempt to dodge. "Haha, you are the only soldiers who have dared to stand in front of me so far. I will give you a chance and allow all of you to attack me at the same time."

KOM!

A hulking centipede-like Zerg landed right beside the dark one, kicking up a plume of dust. One dark one paired with one mutant primitive Zerg was the standard makeup of a Zerg team.

"Don't you dare look down on me! If you consider yourself a true warrior, let's fight one on one!" Jan Si announced.

"Captain, what are you talking about? We don't have to play fair with these monsters! They don't deserve it."

"Shut up, and stay out of this!" Jan Si commanded; he didn't even spare his followers a glance.

"What a fool! Your friends are trying to save your life. Have you just found out how powerful I am? Haha…well, it is already too late!" The dark one laughed loudly in the air, his voice laced with conceit.

Before Jan Si walked out of the bunker, he still had a sliver of hope that he might be able to overcome the dark one. But, after he had a taste of its power, he knew that he had no chance in surviving the fight.

In order to save the lives of his followers, he challenged the dark one into a one on one duel. However, having his ruse being seen through, he knew he had no option but to double down on his original plan of ganging up on the dark one.

"Formation!" Jan Zi ordered.

From the dark one's point of view, he saw not only rows of human soldiers, but also arrays of data regarding each soldier's ability and power. He was disappointed to find out that none of these soldiers qualified as gene samples. However, they were perfect materials for his nasty personal hobbies.

As soon as the soldiers readied their weapons, the dark one disappeared. Jan Si was the first to have sensed danger, but before he could utter a warning, the dark one had pierced the hearts of two of the level eighteen soldiers. The dark one's attack outright ignored the defense of the METAL suit.

Jan Si turned around and attacked the dark one with abandon. However, the cunning enemy picked up two more human victims and flew off. Meanwhile, the centipede Zerg was wreaking havoc in the streets a few blocks away. It seemed utterly disinterested in the safety of the dark one, perhaps because it knew that the dark one needed no protection at all.

"What a foolish and selfish idiot!" Si Ke grunted. Although Jan Si could be stubborn at times, he had been a solid soldier and a loyal companion to Si Ke until now. It would be heartbreaking to see his best soldiers die in vain. The loss of such a powerful warrior would knock his reputation and fame down a few notches as well.

By then, it was evident that the dark one intended to toy with his prey before he dealt the killing blow. He picked off Jan Si's followers one after another, provoking him and leading him deeper into madness. If Jan Si were a level twenty one warrior, he might still be able to save one or two of his followers; but, he was only level twenty.

In five minutes or so, nearly all of Jan Si's followers had died, leaving the general so helpless and frustrated that he thought he was going mad.

"A*shole! Come at me! How about picking on someone of your size?"

The last two soldiers smartened up as they stood back to back with each other, covering each other's rear.

"Lao Dao, Da Qiang, steady! Don't break out of the formation. This b*stard wants to lure us out, so don't fall for it."

"Captain, he killed our best friends. I can't stand it!"

"Pull yourself together! Otherwise, all of us will die here. Is that what you want? To let that jerk laugh at our dead bodies?" Jan Si finally realized something was amiss about the dark one in front of him. Not only had it evolved into a humanoid body, but its mind was also eerily human. Picking off the weaker opponents first and then focusing on the stronger ones was the tactics often used by human warriors.

"Although he is faster and stronger than us, he has a very weak defense. Let's take our time and plan our attacks."

As a level twenty warrior, Jan Si had the ability to gauge the power of the dark one accurately. Each dark one had their own unique abilities; this one had not only reached the legendary level, but also excelled in speed and offense. However, its speed and agility came at the cost of a weak defense.

The dark ones conducted these raids very often, and the humans had seen all kinds of dark ones. Some dark ones excelled in speed, some in strength, and some even in making battle strategies. There were so many different traits that practically no two dark ones were the same.

Since this dark one had incredible learning abilities, Jan Si wagered that it must have specialized in speed and brain functions. Like just human warriors, it was almost impossible for a dark one to be good at every aspect of warfare. Those very few who did served directly under the dark lord, and were rarely seen during such small skirmishes.

The loss of Jan Si's comrades' lives was a wake-up call for the captain. This dark one was exceptionally smart, and he had been purposely aggravating the human soldiers to break out of their ranks so he could pick them off one by one.

Bang, bang, bang!

After another slew of attacks, the three-person formation became even tighter as the three soldiers each took a half step back to cushion the blows. Jan Si had to marvel at the incredible might of his opponent.

"Captain, let me lure him away! We will all die here if we stay together." Lao Dao announced. Even as he spoke, the dark one jabbed a bone spear at Jan Si. He blocked the attack with his blade, but the impact sent a shock through his body. His super METAL shone brilliantly after absorbing the most damage of the blow.

"Just let me do it!" Da Qiang shouted. To lure the dark one out meant using one soldier's life to buy some precious time for the other two to escape. Was losing one life really that much better than losing two anyway? "You two are not strong enough; I will lure him away myself. Run!" Jan Si left the formation and charged at the dark one. The dark one rose to the bait, as it stormed toward him. Jan Si didn't flinch; he doubled down on his attack as he raised the blade high above his head and channeled all his might into its sharp edge.

However, at this moment of life and death, the giant centipede Zerg came back to help its partner, going straight for the other two weaker and defenseless soldiers.

Zzeng!

In a blink, Lao Dao fell into the Zerg's death clutch. However powerful a level nineteen warrior was, he didn't stand a chance against the giant centipede.

It was evident by then that this dark one was highly intelligent. It had ordered the giant Zerg to pretend to be uninterested in the fight in order to lower the human soldiers' guards. The giant centipede only lashed out at the most critical moment of the battle, with the element of surprise on his side.

The dark one jabbed a bone spear through Lao Dao's shoulder blade. Instead of killing the human soldier right away, it lifted its prey into the air and shouted. "I have heard that humans possess a special chemical reaction in the brain called humanity. I often wondered if that were true. Now, tell me, human, are you willing to die for the others?"

"Captain…don't mind me. Kill this SOB!" Having his body pierced through, Lao Dao couldn't start his GN force. He was as vulnerable as an ordinary human without any military training.

Da Qiang squeezed his lance tight in his hand as he urged Jan Si to make a move, "Captain!"

But unlike Da Qiang, Jan Si remained calm. "What do you want from us?" "Am I not clear? I want an exchange. Cut your arm off, and I will let go of his." A sly smirk found the dark one's face. Equipped with high intelligence, these dark ones were much worse to humans than those mindless brutes.

People in the city poked their heads out of their covers to watch the dramatic fight. Everyone knew that to make a deal with the dark one was to shake hands with the devil himself. Including Jan Si, everyone wished that they could ignore the offer and save Lao Dao. However, Jan Si simply couldn't watch his best friend die while he knew there might be a chance in saving him, regardless of whether the chance was actually real or not.

Suddenly, Jan Si heard a painful cry: Lao Dao had tried to sacrifice himself for his friends, but the dark one stopped him by jabbing a bone spear into his spine, paralyzing him from the neck down.

Lao Dao's agonizing cry reverberated throughout the city and made listeners' hair stand on their ends. It sounded so heartrending and real that the listeners thought that the spear had jabbed into their own flesh.

Lao Dao rounded his eyes, squeezing two eyeballs until they were about to pop out of their sockets at any moment. The unimaginable pain rendered his body twitch uncontrollably as it thrust and throbbed with each fit of spasm.

The dark one wrenched Lao Dao's left arm off his body as he would to a twig on a branch. The crisp sound of bone snapping out of joints made the listeners' hearts skipped a beat.

"Well, well, looks like the so-called humanity is nothing but bullsh*t! Now, your right arm." As the dark one spoke, he reached out for Lao Dao's right arm. Jan Si didn't hesitate this time, as he immediately punched his right arm and severed it from his body.

"Now, let him go!" Jan Si shouted.

"Not bad! Haha! Now, it's the left leg."

"Captain, don't do it!" Da Qiang rushed to Jan Si and embraced him to prevent him from harming himself further.

"Buzz off!" Jan Si pushed him away and then threw his head back as he shouted. "Listen, everyone! Today is the day that my friends and I die for the City of Apollo. However, as long as you see another fellow human still standing, you know that these worms will not defeat us all! My son and my brothers will carry out my unfinished task and fight with these SOBs till they are all dead!"

After he had spoken his last words, Jan Si severed his left leg without any hesitation.

The dark one furrowed his brows after hearing Jan Si's dying words: his plan to demoralize the humans had failed. With a leg and an arm missing, even the strongest human soldier would not pose any threat to the dark one. He figured that if he couldn't dispirit the humans, he might as well teach them to fear.

The dark one then pulled the bone spear out of Lao Dao's body and let him free fall from a hundred feet above, head first.

Da Qiang wanted to save his friend from the fall, but the dark one was already on his way to him. The citizens who were watching the fight covered their eyes to avert the gruesome view. Jan Si also closed his eyes with regret. He shouldn't have come out of the bunker; he shouldn't have led his comrades to their deaths.

KOM!

People thought that since even Jan Si could not overcome the dark one, Da Qiang would stand no chance at all. However, after the impact, it was the dark one who had been sent flying backward. However, it was not Da Qiang whom the dark one had come in contact with; it was someone else. No one could see who that was, other than just an elusive shadow of a man. The shadowy figure not only delivered a blow to the dark one, but also saved Lao Dao from the fall.

The dark one gathered himself and started to scan the new opponent, quickly finding out that something was amiss. The readings indicated that the shadowy figure was just an ordinary human, although the blow he had received suggested otherwise.

Einherjar!

"Einherjar… He is an Einherjar! The gods finally answered our prayers!"

"That's him, that's the new Einherjar that had been saving other cities!"

Hearing the commotion, Jan Si opened his eyes, and then heaved a long sigh of relief. However little he could do, he had done all he could to protect the human world; and now someone abler could finally finish what he had started.

"Well, well… An Einherjar…Finally!" The dark one didn't attack the new opponent right away. Instead, it tried to drag out the conversation while he waited for his partner, the centipede Zerg to come to his aid.

The Einherjar shot the dark on a cold glance. Wang Tong's glare made the latter feel like as if his mind was as naked as a newborn child, and twice as vulnerable. Feeling naked, the dark one refrained from making any more devious plans in his mind. Running out of tricks, it ordered the centipede Zerg to attack, as the latter shot out thousands of lightning tendrils at the Einherjar. Meanwhile, the dark one also charged at his opponent with abandon.

The Zerg and the dark one landed their blows on the Einherjar at the same time, and after two consecutive explosions, all three figures disappeared, leaving only a plume of smoke behind.

Suddenly, the centipede Zerg felt a powerful force coming from behind, and it was dealt a blow squarely at the back. The dark one was much faster, and therefore was able to launch himself to a higher elevation and evade the blow.

Despite being slower, the centipede Zerg had an exceptional defense. It was able to pick itself up even after a deadly blow from an Einherjar.

"Give up now, human! Or we will kill everyone inside of this building!" The dark one and the giant Zergs found a roof of an apartment building. The centipede had already charged up his hundreds of claws with lightning, ready to kill all the innocent people in the building.

Taking human hostages was an old trick of the dark ones.

As the dark one thought that his ruse had worked, he saw a golden blade appear in the Einherjar's hand, a sign that he was not going to give up the fight yet.

The dark one didn't waste any time as he ordered the centipede to start killing the hostages. As the centipede threw a flurry of lightning balls at the building below him, people screamed and ran out of their home. However, some civilians were slower than the others.

KOM!

The lightning balls landed on the building, and the impact shook the ground like an earthquake. As everyone thought that all souls in that building were lost, they were surprised to find out that the building didn't seem to have received any damage. A golden shield expanded itself over the entire building and protected it from the blast.

The development had alarmed the dark one. He knew this Einherjar was much powerful than he had thought. Being smarter than an average Zerg, his first thought was to run away.

The centipede Zerg charged at the Einherjar to cover for the dark one while he escaped. Having blocked an attack from the giant centipede, the Einherjar counterattacked with his golden blade, cutting through the centipede's hard shell like butter and through its body, continuing to hew right at the back of the escaping dark one.

Sensing the incoming attack, the dark one dodged to the side. However, the blade also changed its course and veered toward the direction of the dark one.

KOM!

Both the Zerg and the dark one's body fell from the sky. Seeing the enemy killed, the citizens of Apollo rushed out of their covers to meet their savior. In an instant, the empty streets were crowded with people and the city was filled with cheers.

Praise and fame had always belonged to the strongest. But, had the people already forgotten about the soldiers who were willing to die for them? The answer was no.

Da Qiang helped Jan Si to his feet. Seeing the corpse of their best friends, they felt dead inside. The two shambled to Lao Dao, who had been tortured beyond description. In the best case, he would survive in a permanent vegetable state, in which every living breath meant punishment.

"Da Qiang, help your brother, will you?" Jan Si said calmly.

Da Qiang gritted his teeth, trying to fight off the instability in his hands. "Lao Dao, I will see you soon." Da Qiang said as he plunged the tip of his spear toward the heart of his friend.

KOM!

A bolt of lightning shot down from the sky and knocked the spear to a side. The din had caught everyone's attention, and the public finally remembered the real hero who had risked their lives for them. The heartrending scene they saw had taken away the joy in their hearts and filled it with sorrow and regret.

Da Qiang threw his head back and shouted to the sky, "Who do you think you are? If you are so mighty, why didn't you come earlier?"

"Da Qiang!" Jan Si urged the other to stop the insolence toward the Einherjar.

"Let me finish! Why will these Einherjars allow the Zergs to ravage the land and the people in the first place? My brother is dying, and I have to finish him off. Why? Why? WHY?" Tears poured out from Da Qiang's eyes; he couldn't muster enough courage to do it again.

"Shut up, Da Qiang! He is the last Einherjar that dares to stand up for us. He is different from the others." Jan Si explained.

"Captain, I know… I know… But, look at Lao Dao! Look at HIM!"

Death was not a terrifying thing to a warrior; the condition that Lao Dao was in was much worse than death.

Floating in the air, the Einherjar opened up his arms as a beam of white light was cast onto the three soldiers. Jan Si was the first one to feel that something had happened to him as he started to feel his legs and arms again.

Da Qiang shouted out in surprise: "Captain, your leg!"

Suddenly, the dying Lao Dao sprung back to life as he puked out a large blob of dark blood. After that, he heaved a deep sigh and then said, "It's choking me to death!"

The white light didn't fade away for about ten minutes; during that time, the center of the beam where the light was most intense focused on Lao Dao. When he was brought back from the verge of death, everyone cheered for the miracle.

Unable to suppress the overwhelming joy, Da Qiang kowtowed to the Einherjar, banging his head hard on the ground until his forehead started to bleed.

The mysterious Einherjar didn't disappear like he would after he had saved the other cities, Instead, he flew to the ground with his golden sword and announced in a booming voice, "In the name of Valhalla, I anoint you the knight of the Bloodsworn."

Jan Si regraded the golden blade in the most dignified manner; he knew this was a solemn duty that he was about to accept. And then, he slowly reached out to the blade.

The crowd cheered. Jan Si was no longer the personal guard of a craven lord as he embraced his new identity: the knight of the Bloodsworn. In this time of hardship, humans needed the spirit of bravery and gallantry more than ever.

Watching the development from afar, the overweight city lord Si Ke knew that his days as the commander of the Apollo City were numbered.

Chapter 552: Decisions Before the The War

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

After the battle at the City of Apollo, people gave the mysterious Einherjar an ancient and powerful title—God Of War.

It was a title reserved for the best soldier regardless of which creation story one believed in.

Wang Tong didn't overthink his new title; but truth be told, he was shocked by the bravery of Jan Si and his warriors. In his guilt for being unable to save more selfless warriors, he finally conceded that he alone wouldn't be able to eliminate the scourge of the Zergs. If he were lucky, he might be able to do away with Moye and Patroclus. But, what about the rest of the millions of Zergs and dark ones?

Tragedies such as what had happened to Jan Si and Lao Dao were occurring everywhere, and Wang Tong couldn't cast a healing spell on all of them. Therefore, he realized that the only solution was to unify the human factions and make the leaders realize the pain which the ordinary people were suffering because of their decisions.

Many high-level decision-makers tended to use the so-called "greater good" to mask the devastating implication their decision had on the average person. But, was it absolutely necessary to sacrifice a small group of innocent people in order to save humanity? The answer should be no.

Jan Si used his blood to prove his unswerving faith in humanity, and this world needed more of his kind.

Wang Tong might not be able to save the world, but he would try anything to preserve the life of a true warrior.

Lao Dao's spine was snapped into two sections, and Wang Tong was not only able to bring him back to life, but also to reconnect his spine; it was a miracle that the public had never seen before.

After the Einherjar had left, Jan Si became the representative of the God of War, a person whom the people could turn to during difficult times. Out of jealousy, Si Ke attempted to throw Jan Si into the jail for the crime of mutiny. The decision had angered the public and spurred the believers of the war god to storm into the jail and release Jan Si. Neither the police nor the soldiers stopped the civilians, since most of them used to serve under the veteran general. Some of them even threw away their uniforms and joined the rebels. No soldier would like to have a coward as the leader, so they naturally favored Jan Si, the gallant knight, over the fat and selfish warlord.

It was only a matter of time before Jan Si became the new ruler of the city. Although he could not guarantee the safety of everyone inside the city, he could make sure that the people of Apollo would live with their back straight and chins up.

The reappearance of the mysterious Einherjar quickly became viral news, and the story inspired many young warriors to fight against the Zergs and protect their loved ones.

"Shifu, what kind of bullcrap is this? It's a conspicuous PR stun!"

"Touché! Shifu, this is not fair!"

"Dad, you can execute many powerful moves that this dude can't. Why do people only pay attention to him and ignore how much you have done for our people?"

An athletic girl with firm curvy thighs pouted her lips and complained. Her tight gym shirt was wrapped around her figure, accentuating her tendentious body shape. Many toady admirers of this beautiful girl hurried to agree with her remark.

An Einherjar sat languidly in his chair and cracked a warm smile. "If you have the time to complain, why don't you spend it on training?"

"Daddy! The ban on Einherjars working alone came at the cost of too many lives; we should all follow it. He has broken the rule many times, and it is outright disrespectful to other Einherjars such as yourself."

"Touché, touché! The Zergs do not even dare approach our territory as long as Shifu is here."

The Einherjar was Zambrotta, and his war band was one of the few surviving major factions on Mars. Due to their relatively secluded location, Zambrotta never needed to deal with full-scale Zerg invasions. Although his faction was smaller than House Lie and the Sect, he lived a much more peaceful life.

"Don't find trouble for yourself! Especially you, and you! I will pay particular attention to your monthly evaluations and see if you have improved your cultivation."

"Oh… come on, Shifu."

Sensing the promise of punishment, the youngsters' faces crumpled as their eyes darted timidly left and right.

Zambrotta knew how his soldiers had felt; however, he no longer cared. After the fight with Einherjar Wannabe, he had decided to relent his pursuit for fame, money, and other worldly possessions, and replace it with the search for the divine path.

Seeing his daughter's young and energetic face, Zambrotta lamented how old he had gotten. "Alright, now. Don't pout…You look ugly when you do that. I don't want you to stay with me forever, you know?"

"Aw, shut up, old man. I don't want to get married yet, not until all the Zergs are gone!" Belinda kept her chin up as she protested.

Zambrotta burst out laughing. "Stop poking your nose into other people's business and focus on your own job. He had fought hard for the innocent people of Apollo, so he deserves the popularity. You are not an insolent teenage girl any longer, so think before you open your mouth."

"Fine, fine! You are preaching to me again! I'm out."

As soon as Zambrotta started to preach, Belinda dashed out of the room quicker than a jackrabbit. Like father like daughter, her temperament was the exact same as that of Zambrotta before he had that life-changing fight with Einherjar Wannabe. Although the match had significantly improved his cultivation, it somehow transformed him from a vicious tiger to a mellow house cat. However, Belinda knew that her father had become much stronger inside after the fight, and it was the newfound strength that had rendered him appearing to be mellow.

That being said, having known that the real strength came from inside but not the outside did not prevent Belinda from doing things in her own way. What kind of youth would it be if she had to constantly watch out for her actions anyway?

…

Contrary to the uplifting atmosphere in the Apollo city, the air in the Maersa City was filled with disappointment and despair as more as more citizens left the city. The reason for such turn of event was simple: the Zergs were coming.

There had been more and more Zerg activities spotted just outside the city. Based on the initial estimates of the size of the Zerg army, it seemed like the Zergs were planning to raze the city to the ground.

Truth be told, such a large number of Zergs would be overwhelming if Maersa City didn't get any reinforcement from the outside. Not only the defense infrastructure was still damaged from the last attack, but the manpower inside the city was also severely lacking. Most of the defense troupes came from the Thunder Fire and the Blizzard. But, even if the two factions joined forces, the Zergs should still be able to overrun the city with ease.

Two of the closest cities to Maersa was the Jade City and the Bay City. Aamir had decided to ask for help from these two cities.

"Hamir, where the heck is Wang Tong? He is one that wanted the city at the first place, so where is he now?"

"We need a plan! The Zergs are closing in on us. We need someone to make a decision!"

Leaders of the various factions questioned Hamir furiously. The situation had been nerve-wracking ever since the Zerg party was found outside the wall, and the missing Battle Wolf warriors exacerbated the leaders' stresses.

"Please be patient, everyone. I swear that Wang Tong will be back for us." Hamir announced in a confident voice.

"We want to believe you, but all the elite Battle Wolf soldiers have disappeared, and that is the reality we live in. We are not afraid of dying. We just want to know what the heck is going on!"

"That's right! we need to see Wang Tong!"

"Wang Tong, come out!"

Inside Hamir's head, part of him agreed with the leaders, and the other part believed that Wang Tong and the other warriors would be back in time to save the day.

"I think I have been very clear. Battle Wolf will defend the city until the last soldier drops to the ground."Hamir said, doubting that his words would help to ease the crowd's nerves.

After some time, a messenger carrying the reply from the Jade City and the Bay city arrived at the meeting room. After the messenger announced the other two cities' decisions, it seemed to everyone that all hope was lost.

Both cities had refused the request on the ground of self-preservation. No one knew what the Zergs were up to yet; the encirclement around the Maersa city could be a ruse, and their real target could be any of the nearby cities.

Although the two cities had refused to reinforce the defender, they stated that their gates would be open to refugees from the Maersa City.

What should they do and where should they go? No one had an answer. At last, they gave up on Battle Wolf and looked to three other leaders in the room for answers: Marcos, Aamir, and Pamir.

Chapter 553: The Battle Begins

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

These three leaders represented the defensive forces that were stationed inside the city.

Had they ever thought of letting go of their territory and retreating? Perhaps… But, after having tasted the comfort of their former life, no one would willingly leave this bastion of civilization.

At last, Aamir slowly stood up and said, "I have talked to the Jade City in private, and they are willing to send reinforcements. But, we will be on our own at the beginning of the siege."

Aamir had provided a different information than the messenger, but no one was surprised by it. As the leader of one of the strongest bands, Aamir had more strings to pull to get what he wanted. Everyone kept their silence, thinking and weighing their options in light of this new information.

"I hereby speak on behalf of all the warriors of Blizzard. We will defend the Maersa City until the last of us." Aamir announced as he scanned the room with a determined glance. Blizzard had invested too much in the city to pull out without putting up a fight. Aamir was optimistic about the outcome of the war despite the sense of dread that permeated among other leaders. Without believing oneself, no one would believe in one either after all.

After a while, Marcos stood up. "Let's put away our differences and fight for our survival! Thunder Fire is staying to defend the city!"

Aamir and Marcos exchanged a knowing glance; they had been competitors, but the situation had forced the two to and work together toward the same goal: survival. Without cooperation and unity, they might as well have already lost the war.

The strength of humans came from solidarity and unity; without it, the human race would have fallen apart thousands of years ago.

"This city is everything we have! The Eagle will be with everyone when the Zergs come!" Pamir pounded his chest; he knew that his words would lend others hope.

After the three major factions had sworn to protect the city, Hamir heaved a sigh of relief.

"We will let Captain Aamir assign our duties. This is your last chance to leave the city. When the war starts, I will not allow any cowards in my ranks!" Marcos shouted and then shot the crowd a searing glance.

"If you leave now, don't ever think about coming back," Pamir said softly and blankly.

The planning of the defense was way beyond Hamir's ability, and therefore the responsibility fell on the shoulders of Aamir. He would be the one calling the shots, and no questions with regards to his decision were allowed. Democracy worked only during peacetime, and right now, the citizens in Maersa needed a strong and capable leader, as well as a highly centralized political system to ensure efficiency. Aamir was the perfect candidate for the role of leader. As a popular leader of the strongest band, he possessed both charm and power at the same time. Not even his long-time rival, Marcos could match his influence.

Since the situation didn't allow the defenders much wiggle room, the defense plan was simple: repair walls and restock the armory. Every band handed in their stash of weapons and equipment to make sure that the defensive forces would have enough iron and steel to throw at the Zergs. After all the forces were gathered under one banner and one commander, the soldiers finally found confidence in numbers. Although there had been few soldiers who had abandoned hope and slipped out of the city, those were very rare occurrences as most of them stayed.

After all, what would be the point of being alive when everyone they knew were dead?

After the meeting, Battle Wolf was also assigned a district to defend, and Hamir accepted the duty without hesitation. He would have accepted even the most difficult task if Aamir so chose. After all, if Battle Wolf refused the duty, someone else would have to risk their lives.

Truth be told, Hamir had been very anxious as more days passed by without seeing Wang Tong and the other elite warriors. He understood the other factions' suspicions, since nearly all the core members of the Battle Wolf had disappeared for days. Hamir took a deep breath; he knew that without the leaders, he would have to lead the band through this treacherous time.

The promise of the final showdown with the Zergs had kept Hamir sleepless in the night. He thought about his wife and the time he had spent with his sect brothers. The final confrontation with the Zergs was coming, and it would determine the life and death of all human resistance forces; Hamir was ready for it all.

As the Zergs gathered outside the city wall, the atmosphere inside the city changed as well. However, none of the ordinary citizens abandoned their homes. Instead, they joined the reserves, while the women and children helped the soldiers get ready.

The people of Maersa district had had enough of the fear and helplessness while being homeless. They figured that since the soldiers were staying to defend the city, they should too. After all, if the soldiers were defeated, the civilians wouldn't be safe outside the city wall either.

Slowly but surely, the army of Zergs closed in on the city. They ravaged the land and razed any human settlements in their way to the ground, leaving nothing behind them. The defeat at Maersa City had aggravated them, and spur them to be more violent toward the human.

The daily report from outside the city deeply worried Aamir. Although the number of Zergs were almost the same as their initial estimate, the overall level of these Zergs might be much higher than they had thought.

Aamir inquired the whereabouts of Wang Tong and his warriors every day, but all the answer he got from Hamir were the same. No one, including Hamir, knew where those warriors were gone.

After a while, no one cared about those missing warriors any longer, since they believed that the addition of a dozen soldiers would not change their situation in any dramatic way anyway.

Since the city could not rely on the elite warriors of Battle Wolf, Aamir had to look to other ways and prepare for the worst.

Right before dusk, the vanguard of the Zergs finally arrived, greeted by four thousand heavy METAL artillery units. After an hour of shelling at the Zerg vanguard, the Zerg front line finally started to show sign of faltering. As the messenger reported the temporary back down of the Zergs, soldiers and civilians inside the city hailed their initial success. However, neither Aamir nor Marcos felt relieved: the war had just begun, and it was too early to celebrate.

After about ten more minutes, a giant Zerg finally broke through the defensive line of the heavy METAL units. The soldiers behind the heavy METAL were unprepared for the sudden attack, and they were shocked by the sheer size of the beast. The Zerg was about thirty meters long, and had ten meat trunks as legs. Every step it took sent a deep thump to the ground that could be felt hundreds of meters away.

The giant Zerg tore an opening in the defensive line. Soon, it became the target of thousands of laser beams. These laser beams shot through the shell of the Zerg and into its flesh. In a blink, green acid gushed out of the holes on the Zerg's body. These acid blood splattered onto the soldiers nearby and melted their armor and flesh. The affected soldiers howled in agony, and the formation of the heavy METAL fell into disarray, creating more openings. Seizing the opportunity, more and more giant Zergs dashed through the defensive line, and as their blood corrupted more soldiers, the heavy METAL unit gradually lost the upper hand.

Sensing the tides turning, Aamir ordered the heavy METAL units to pull back. They could be better used behind the city wall later.

In order to cover the heavy METAL's retreat, the cannons on the city wall started shelling at the Zergs with mini-nukes. The bombardment was able to stop the Zerg advancement for a brief moment, giving the heavy METAL units an opportunity to retreat.

However, the Zergs didn't stop for too long. In just a few minutes, they were able to gather strength and press forward.

"Captain, the Zergs are getting closer. Let's pull the plug!"

"Not yet! Wait."

Aamir scanned the field with a binocular and then said calmly. The Zergs were advancing at an alarming speed. In just a few minutes, they had already reached the effective range of the high power long range laser weapon located at the center of the city.

Despite the ferocious rain of steel and laser beams on them, the Zergs didn't slow down the slightest. The front line of the Zerg army didn't slow down until the METAL warriors and the mastery casters started to engage them.

Seeing that the Zergs were losing momentum, Marcos ordered all his forces to engage the invading Zergs.

Despite the progress the human had made, Aamir was still deeply troubled by their situation. He had noticed that the vanguard of the invading Zergs had no dark ones among them; so, they were nothing but cannon fodders.

After a while, the Zerg vanguard was finally eliminated. However, the human soldiers didn't even have time to celebrate as they found out that they had been surrounded by a sea of monsters, with only a thin wall separating them from danger.

Chapter 554: Eager To Fight

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Sensing that the time was ripe, Aamir ordered to detonate all the explosives that they had buried around the perimeter of the city. The explosion shook the ground like an earthquake, as the explosion tore open a few openings in the Zergs' marching column. But, the rest of the Zergs quickly filled in the gaps.

They marched like migrating ants on a prairie, destroying everything along their way. They felt no fear, and their only goal was to move forward and destroy.

Although the primitive Zergs had evolved in some respect, their habits largely remained the same on the battlefield.

The Zergs had started the war without any drum beats or inspiring speeches before the battle. Under the command of dark ones, the primitive Zergs marched forward, trampling on top of their own kind's dead bodies without any feelings. Soon, the Zergs breached the city wall and finally brought the battle into the city.

With that, Aamir and the other leaders joined the battle as well. They were all capable high-level warriors, and therefore, were able to dish out decent damage to the Zergs. By then, there was no need for Aamir to be the commander, since the battle had gotten so heated that tactical maneuvering was nearly impossible.

This was a real battle, and a battle that would be remembered for years to come.

Meanwhile, the missing warriors were not having it any easier. Even the legendary warrior Yin Tianzong felt tremendous pressure while fighting the terrible opponent he had never seen before.

What was worse, they had been trapped inside this bizarre world for over a year now.

The landscape in this world stretched out for no ends, with a group of warriors fighting for their lives in it. Among them were mastery casters, field medics, and METAL warriors.

Meanwhile, in the real world, Blizzard and Thunder Fire had sent out their last man to the battle. The five level twenty warriors from Blizzard had become the kingpin of the defense on the ground, while the three level twenty warriors from Blizzard were busy keeping the flying Zergs at bay.

Pamir's Eagle also had decent performance during the battle; it was evident that they had been hiding their real power all this while.

Each faction fiercely guarded the area they were responsible for, and was able to hold their ground despite the never-ending waves of attacks. The mastery casters rained fire on the Zergs, their fire damage being much more effective than bombs. The fire was able to melt through the shells of the Zerg and render them defenseless, while the bomb was only able to slow them down temporarily.

"Captain, it's not looking too great out there. At most, we will be able to last for another 24 hours."

Before the battle, Aamir had carefully installed the defensive lines at key checkpoints. He had prepared three layers by using three choke points; once one layer was breached, the defenders would be able to retreat into the next layer.

Hearing the news of the attack, Sanders also gathered his forces in the Jade city, ready to reinforce Maersa district as he had promised. However, Aamir wondered if he would make it in time.

Truth be told, Aamir preferred not to think about the possibility of reinforcements, just in case it would give him false hope. At times such as this, one had better rely only on oneself.

"We have been fighting side by side for so many years. Do you still remember how we wanted so bad to take over Maersa City when we first started the Blizzard band? Now, our wish has come true. Haha!"

"Captain, I never regretted following you for all these years!" Hans saluted to his captain with a broad smile on his face. "We never feared death! Plus, I think we still have a chance!"

"Oh? Do tell!" Aamir was pleasantly surprised by Hans's claim. Perhaps victory was closer than he had thought.

"Haven't you noticed that not only the number of Zergs are well within our estimation, but so far, we also haven't seen a single legendary level dark one yet. If this is the same for the rest of the battle, we might have a chance after all. Plus, I believe that Wang Tong and his cohort will return in time. "

"I want to agree with you… As a matter of fact, I do! However, the reality is that Wang Tong is still missing, and we can't count on an empty promise from Hamir."

"That is very wise of you to think that. Our fate is in our own hands. Take a break Captain; I will cover for you for now. You will need some good rest before the hardest part of the battle arrives."

Although midnight on the mars was not pitch black like on earth, human body clocks still dictated the limit of their endurance. Therefore, Aamir would be needed during that time to blow a second wind into the soldiers.

The warriors fought in shifts, but the Zergs were like a never-ending nightmare. However, as long as there were no legendary dark ones, with proper defense and preparation, it was not impossible to hold off a Zerg attack for a long time. However, as the war dragged on, the soldiers started to exhaust themselves, and their morale started to fall.

Marcos was a veteran warrior, so he had lived through worse times than this. However, he had to admit that this was the most passive situation he had ever been in.

When midnight arrived, all faction leaders went to the front line and administered the defense while encouraging their soldiers. However, the soldiers new found courage and enthusiasm were quickly quelled by another massive wave of attack.

"Have you seen that dark one? He is the one leading the attacks. We can't just sit inside our turtle shell and let them come at us. We need to do something!" Marcos piped up.

"I will do away with him," Pamir said without a second of thought.

"Bring more soldiers with you and don't waste your time once you are done your job. "

"Don't worry about me, old man!"

"Hold on! This is a critical mission, so I will go with you." Aamir blurted out.

"You are the commander! Everyone needs you here. I will go with Pamir. " Marcos said with a smile.

Pamir shot Marcos a surprised look, and then all three of them burst out laughing. They had never thought that such a day would come when they would genuinely care for each other's lives.

"What a shame that Guan Dongyang is not here. We had been fighting each other for so many years, and I want him to see that we can actually get along."

"Old man, don't worry! I have a good feeling about him."

"Hehe, I thought you both wanted each other dead. Haha!"

"Bothers of Thunder Fire, follow me if you want to be remembered as heroes. Let's kill that SOB!" Marcos' voice boomed amidst the din of war.

In an instant, all soldiers of Thunder Fire came out of their cover and joined him.

"The Eagles, ready your weapon… CHARGE!"

A small group of warriors quickly formed a firing squad and charged into the Zergs' rank. Behind them, Hans ordered the mastery casters to tear an opening in the Zerg frontline using their deadly fires.

The small group quickly made their way deep into the Zerg formation, piercing the mass of the Zergs like a sharp dagger into a slab of squishy meat. If they could remove the thorn in their side, the defenders in the city might be able to last until dawn.

"Pamir, I need your help!" Marcos shouted; the latter stormed to him and lifted him over his shoulder, then threw him further into the Zerg formation.

The captain of the Thunder Fire was finally about to unleash his full power as he cranked up his GN force. He raised his blade and attacked the dark one in a powerful slash.

…

Meanwhile, Yin Tianzong felt the most overwhelming pressure of his life. The enemy in front of him had overcome him using an inhumane speed. Who was this devilish warrior who possessed such skills and ability that were unseen by the world?

Yin Tianzong noticed that his enemy's tactics were perfect, and the executions were flawless. Such power did not belong to the world where Yin Tianzong was from.

By then, Yin Tianzong had reached level twenty-two; however, his power seemed pathetic in front of this great warrior.

'Yin Tianzong, are you afraid? What was the purpose of the Templars?'

In Yin Tianzong's mind, the court's teachings were the only truth he ever believed in, and the only reason why he was still alive.

Suddenly, the old Templar had a moment of epiphany: the source of all human power came from the heart!

The Blade Aura that covered Yin Tianzong's blade started to dance more vigorously. Holding the blade in his hand, he felt he had become one with it. No longer could he tell the difference between himself and the blade, his power, and his emotions.

Kom!

As Yin Tianzong's blade was filled with power that could devour a world, his enemy finally smiled approvingly. A level twenty-three warrior was finally born the moment Yin Tianzong attacked with the blade.

Seeing the powerful attack, the incredible enemy who had been fighting barehanded finally revealed his weapon.

KOM!

A mountain in the distance was sliced into two, and the enemy finally disappeared. Yin Tianzong cracked a smile, unsheathed his blade, and then bowed. "Thank you, young master."

…

"KILL, KILL, KILL!" Marcos shouted at the top of his lungs as he plunged his blade into the dark one with abandon. The latter didn't dodge the attack; instead, he closed in onto his attacker.

Zzeng!

The dark one was sliced into two while Marcos was also dealt a blow in his chest. Losing his balance, Marcos fell to the ground that was covered with vicious Zergs.

Suddenly, an iron chain hooked onto the old solider and reeled him back to safety. It was Pamir who had saved his life.

"Pull back!" Marcos shouted. But, it was already too late: they were trapped.

Chapter 555: The Divine Punishment

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

The death of their leader rendered the Zergs into disarray. Panicking, the Zergs charged at the human soldiers with abandon. Although the pressure on the city was reduced, the three hundred or so human warriors that were trapped behind the enemy lines faced a vicious retaliation. In a heartbeat, more than a dozen soldiers fell to the ground.

"Pamir, don't mind me. I am almost done for! Go ahead and save yourself! Marcos said as he took a few deep breaths to cope with the pain.

"Buzz off! It's not like I care about you or anything. I just don't want to get bored due to lack of competition. " Pamir shot back.

"Everyone, form a charge formation. We will safeguard captain Marcos back to the city!" Pamir shouted before he dove into the sea of Zergs.

"Captain, what about us? None of them will come back if we don't act now." Han urged Aamir.

Aamir held a cigar in between his lips as he struck down a couple of Zergs that made their way into the city. He wanted to send his men to rescue those warriors who were trapped. However, he knew that regardless of how many fighters he sent out, they would be overwhelmed instantly by the Zerg army. The fate of those trapped warriors was already sealed, but he could still try to save them by himself.

"I will go!"

"Captain, let me go out there and save them!"

"Shut up! You are a mastery caster. Going out there is courting death for yourself."

Meanwhile, the Zergs' insistent attack had forced Battle Wolf into the last line of defense. It would only be a matter of time before the area they were guarding would be occupied by the Zergs. However, the warriors there were trying all they could to prevent this from happening. They knew that once the Zergs were able to tear an opening in the defense line, Aamir would have to face enemies on both fronts.

"Aamir, you b*stard!" Marcos shouted. However, he didn't resent the latter's decision for not sending anyone out here to help them. He knew a long time ago that Aamir was a compassionate person; but as a commander, he had to value the lives of every single soldier. Marcos had always known that if Aamir had been any more selfish, he would have already become the leader of the most powerful of war band in the Maersa district.

When the dawn broke, the battle had been going on for an entire night. The mindless Zergs still rushed at the city tirelessly, but the human soldiers were exhausted beyond words.

Suddenly, a group of high-level warriors appeared in the sky, and they immediately attracted the attention of the Zergs. Seeing that the leaders of the major factions were in trouble, Hans urged the mastery casters to gather whatever was left in their sea of consciousness and cast fire spells to help the leader's fighting.

The b*stards from the Jade City still didn't show up.

Marcos struck down another Zerg, after which, he no longer had the energy to lift his blade to block another sharp claw that was already coming at him from the side. Marcos felt the time slow down as memories flooded his mind. He had been a proud soldier, a respect warlord; he was fearless…

The Zerg's attack closed in…

KOM!

At that moment, a large beam of white light, about a hundred meters in radius, suddenly cast upon Marcos, and all the Zergs within that light simply melted; flesh, chitin, and all.

Wang Tong helped Marcos to his feet and said, "Captain Marcos, leave the rest to us!"

Another hundred or so warriors suddenly appeared on the battlefield. But what could these hundred or so soldiers achieve?

At that moment, one of those soldiers attacked, and the battlefield was brightened by the overbearing blade Aura: a Legendary Warrior!

The sight rekindled hope in everyone's heart, and the legendary soldier attacked again. Energies from the earth poured into the blade as it grew in size by the second. The power had shocked even the leaders of the factions.

This was the power of a level twenty-three legendary warrior!

"By the Gods! Who is this guy?"

Meanwhile, two of the warriors started casting spells while floating in the air. They were easily visible, and people quickly identified them as Guan Dongyang and Xiao Yuyu.

However, their soul energy suggested that they had reached a legendary level. Was that even possible?

Inferno Hell!

Bub-zero Blast!

KOM! KOM!

In a blink, the Zergs near the city wall were reduced into ashes. However, that was far from the highlight of the fight. Wang Tong raised his Einherjar Lance and aimed at the mass of the Zergs that were still pouring into the city. His face held a deadly calm that reflected death.

"KILLLLLL!" Wang Tong's voice shook the ground and reverberated in the sky like a mighty thunder. Hearing his battle cry, the one hundred or so warriors cranked up their soul energy. Their power rendered Aamir speechless. Astonished, Aamir didn't even notice the cigar fall out of his wide opened mouth as he murmured quietly to himself, "This is insane… Haha… the Zergs are done for!"

Among the soldiers that had shown up late, over a third of them were level twenty.

They were the true elite forces.

After the four legendary warriors had alleviated the pressure at the city wall, they led the charge and dove head first into the bulk of the Zerg formation.

Behind the METAL warriors, the mastery casters unleashed death onto the Zergs with an incredible speed. The field medics that were dotted amongst the soldiers were capable of both attacking the enemy and healing at the same time.

Despite their inferior numbers, they slaughtered Zergs with incredible efficiency and ease.

Suddenly, a giant golden dragon appeared behind the Zerg line and flanked them from the rear. It wasn't until then that Hamir had finally realized what had happened. "Brothers! Our captain has returned!"

Overspent and exhausted, the soldiers of Battle wolf had been laying on the ground, trying to get a brief moment of respite. However, as soon as they heard the news, they sprung to their feet and looked to the battlefield.

Was the captain back?

Some of the new additions of the band didn't even know what their band leader looked, like since Wang Tong and others had been missing ever since the day they joined Battle Wolf.

They watched in amazement as the Zergs completely halted their attacks at the City wall and poured all of their forces to fight in a golden circle. Hamir's hands were trembling. "Did you see that one with the blade? He is our captain's personal guard, Yin Tianzong."

"Gosh! Legendary Caster!"

"That is our lieutenant Guan Dongyang. Did you really think that you are the only ones left in Battle Wolf ?"

"Who is that girl? She is so pretty!"

"That's the Sect's chief Medic, Xiao Yuyu. She is our captain's friend."

The new additions of Battle Wolf watched their leaders with admiration. Before this point, they all felt being cheated by the recruitment advertisements, since none of them had seen the powerful warriors it had promised.

Under the leadership of the two legendary warriors on the battlefield, the METAL fighters were able to form an impenetrable shield in front of the Mastery casters, who dished out devastation under the leadership of Guan Dongyang and Xiao Yuyu.

Before this battle, the only legendary caster the world had ever known was Michaux Odin.

These soldiers didn't just improve their power, they had also toughened their nerves and sharpened their focus. While facing the sea of Zergs who were as ferocious as demons straight from hell, these warriors didn't flinch.

These were the God's Warriors!

Although the Zergs' numbers were larger than the human warriors by a few dozen magnitudes, none of the onlookers felt worried for these amazing warriors. The swarms of Zerg that charged against the soldiers were like meat against a grinding machine.

Battle Wolf's awe and respect toward their leader were shared by other warbands. Only after seeing these soldiers descend from the gate of Valhalla did they finally see hope in liberating the humans on Mars.

Marcos, Pamir, and Aamir finally reunited and they looked at each other with a wry smile.

"Are we getting too old?"

"What do you mean, Aamir? We can still fight!"

"Well, I felt old after seeing what those lads could do!"

"Haha, old man, you should count yourself lucky for still being alive. Don't you remember that you had ticked off Battle Wolf two times in a row?"

Marcos laughed after hearing Pamir's remark, overexerting himself and opening up his wound. He quickly pressed on the wound and coughed violently. However, his injury didn't take the joy out of him. The battle would soon be over, and a new leader of the Maersa District was born.

The three of them had been waiting for a more powerful and capable warrior to take over their responsibility, and today, they had finally found such a warrior.

Everyone had been watching Guan Dongyang and Yin Tianzong's moves closely. Yin Tianzong's level twenty-three power meant that he was four to five times stronger than a level twenty-one legendary warrior. Meanwhile, Guan Dongyang was putting on the most splendid fire show the crowd had ever seen.

Seeing that the situation was finally under control, Wang Tong decided that it was time to end the battle. He was about to unleash his coup de grace.

Chapter 556: The Perfect Man

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Wang Tong flew into the sky, and it wasn't until then that people remembered Battle Wolf's badass Captain.

Yin Tianzong and Vorenus both veered to the side and made room for him in the air. Gun Dongyang and Xiao Yuyu had also paused their attacks and appeared beside him. The rest of the soldiers on the ground cranked up their GN force and pushed the Zergs back for a few dozen meters.

Wang Tong folded his hands and started chanting an unknown spell. As he did so, Guan Dongyang and Xiao Yuyu lowered their elevation and formed a triangle with their leader.

"Is our Captain a METAL warrior or a caster?"

"What a stupid question! Our Captain is a god!"

"God?"

"Our captain was the only person who had defeated Patroclus. He is the dragon warrior, the heir of the Blade Warrior…He is Wang Tong!"

He was the only human METAL warrior who could also cast spells. The spell he was casting right now required the help of two additional legendary casters. Below them were twenty or so level nineteen casters who were also transferring their power to him.

The soldiers were stupefied by the scene, and they simply couldn't comprehend how powerful this spell was going to be. Hans stared at the triangle formation speechlessly. The incredible scene had made him forgot that he was still in a war.

As Wang Tong chanted, vibrant red lights ran down the sky. The red had a blood undertone to it, which naturally evoked fear in the hearts of the onlookers. The color gradually turned darker until blotches of dark spots appeared. By then, the sky seemed to have been scorched by flames.

The temperature increased, and the soldiers on the ground started to feel difficulty breathing in the boiling hot air. The mastery casters were more sensitive to the changes in the natural energy, and they could tell that a powerful force was driving the natural energies to conglomerate. Wang Tong was not simply borrowing the natural energy; he was outright using it as a weapon. Perhaps that was the power of the god.

Suddenly, thousands of rays of golden lights shot out from Wang Tong's body as he shouted, "Divine Punishment! "

The earth moaned at the release of an unthinkable amount of energies while the sky rained fire. It looked beautiful from a distance, but it was hell for the Zergs. The fire burned so intensely that the Zergs were reduced into crispy fries before they even came to contact with it. Even the dark ones could not escape their doomed fate.

Everyone who watched this spell from afar was stunned by the unprecedented power at display. This was the most powerful spell they had and would ever see in their lives.

One word resonated inside of everyone's heart: God.

The fiery rain lasted for only a dozen seconds; however, it was able to annihilate the entire Zerg force completely. The only few Zergs that survived the Armageddon dashed away from the battlefield in fear and delirium.

Seeing Wang Tong and his heroic cohort approach the city wall, the three leaders of the major factions greeted them with warm smiles.

"Congratulations, Lord of the City!"

Not sure who had started shouting Battle wolf's name, but soon, the entire city joined in. The sun finally reached the zenith, and its light kissed the warriors' cheeks softly.

People had finally seen the light after the long dark night.

Meanwhile, Sanders was still contemplating if he should send in reinforcements to Maersa. It had proven to be a difficult decision to make. He had suffered a few defeats lately, and his men needed to rest. But, he didn't want to lose his credibility to the other factions by changing his mind at the last moment. In the end, he had decided to station a small number of forces just outside the battlefield to help any human soldiers who got out of the battle alive to escape.

"My lord, I have good news!"

"Oh? What? The Maersa City is safe now?" Sanders was startled by the news. "Didn't you say that Zergs had sent in an entire legion? How is it possible? "

"We are not certain either. But, we saw herds of Zergs running away from the city. Our scouts also said that the entire Zerg army was defeated in mere minutes. The soldiers of Maersa are now chasing those runaway Zergs down."

Sanders sat down slowly, at a complete loss. How was that even possible? What had happened?

He knew that there was a legendary warrior inside the city, but he doubted a single warrior would be able to change the tide of the battle so utterly.

…

"Boss, you are in luck!" The messenger broke Syracuse's train of thoughts. He looked up at his employee and remarked calmly. "They did it?"

"Definitely! They somehow defeated the Zergs."

Hearing the news, Syracuse's employees looked at him with deep respect and admiration for his accurate prediction of the outcome. Syracuse's decision to work with Wang Tong had met strong tailwinds at the board meetings. However, he had forced the board of directors to come to terms with his decision using his veto rights—something that he had rarely used. That being said, the other board members didn't back down entirely because they had given up. Instead, some of them wanted to see him get himself into trouble for his recklessness, and his influence in the company fall.

However, everyone wondered what had given him so much confidence in a small motley crew.

As Syracuse was steeped in the satisfaction of knowing that he had won a risky bet, the skynet rang.

"Grandpa, what's up?"

"It's time to make an end to what you have started."

"Yes, grandpa."

Syracuse's decision had gotten the backing of the most influential figure in the company: his grandfather. From the very beginning, the shrewd businessman knew that there were larger stakes at play.

…

The victory of the Maersa City was inspiring news to the entire south-east quadrant of the Mars. In the past, a victory of such a scale would not be possible without the joint effort of House Lie, Divine Mastery Sect, and the Kaedeians.

The victory also taught the human soldiers a lesson: only with unity would humanity prevail. The outcome of the war was far less meaningful than the value of this lesson.

Soon after the battle was over, humans started working on rebuilding the city of Maersa.

After experienced the war together, the various faction leaders no longer bickered against each other. Instead, everyone helped each other and worked as a team. Even after the return of Wang Tong, the other faction leaders didn't get marginalized as they were still active at every meeting. Although Yin Tianzong and Guan Dongyang were powerful warriors, their abilities in managing a city were limited. Therefore, the much more experienced managers such as Aamir and Marcos had become a valuable asset to the city.

As a leader, they didn't need to be powerful on the battlefield; but, they definitely needed to be shrewd and experienced while dealing with people.

After the battle, it occurred to all the leaders that the chain of command in the city needed to be consolidated. Leveraging on the expertise of Marcos and Aamir, Wang Tong was able to successfully refine the military structure while keeping everyone content.

After coming back from that nightmarish world, Lie Xuan had also upgraded to level twenty. What had happened in that strange world still played like a lucid dream in her mind. However unreal and incomprehensible that world was to her, her improvement was real.

During the struggle inside the dreamy space, the bond between Lei Xuan and Guan Dongyang was strengthened. She had helplessly fallen in love with the Guan Dongyang on the battlefield; his every move was so manly and brave that they tugged at her heartstrings.

Xiao Yuyu starred at Wang Tong as she reflected on what had happened. From loathing to admiration, her feeling toward Wang Tong had changed drastically during the time she had spent with him. By now, she regarded him as the only perfect man in the world, as even Michaux lost his brilliance under comparison. Having fought side by side with him and witnessed his godly demeanor, she doubted that any girl would be immune to his charm.

Xiao Yuyu glanced at the crowd around her and found Ye Zi on her side. The infatuation on her face told her that the latter had fallen for Wang Tong much harder than she had. If Lie Xuan had not been dating Guan Dongyang, she would be Wang Tong's next victim as well.

Chapter 557: All Sorts Of Talents

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

The contentment in Aamir's eyes told Xiao Yuyu that Wang Tong had gained total control over the City. As she knew that Wang Tong's ambition was much bigger than just Maersa City, the languid attitude coming from him perplexed her, as it went against the grain of an ambitious leader.

"Hi, pretty faces! We have lots of casualties during this battle. Are you sure you girls can handle it?" Wang Tong half asked, and half jested.

Still mesmerized by his charming smile, it took the girls half a second to realize that their dreamy idol was speaking to them. Their first thought was to cover their faces under the sheer embarrassment of being noticed ogling at Wang Tong.

"Lord Wang Tong, please know that we will carry out our duties to the fullest."

"Hehe… Don't call me that, please. Call me Tony."

"Yeah, yeah! We are comrades, aren't we? Maybe we could even be friends, Tony?" One medic named Xiao Lin blurted out before she had realized that she had done so.

"Ye Zi, you are my right hand. I need you to take charge here. " Wang Tong said with a trusting smile. He knew that since the war was over, Xiao Yuyu would return to the Sect sooner or later.

Ye Zi nodded, her face still blushing.

Wang Tong heaved an inaudible sigh after he had assigned duties to all his assistants. Everyone now shared the weight on his shoulders. As soon as he left for his camp, the girls started to prattle about their new leader.

"So damn handsome, so damn hot!"

"Curse that Xiao Lin! How dare she speak to him before anyone of us did?"

"Yea, what a cunning little fox, that one!"

Ye Zi grinned wryly. However, her heart was filled with joy for being recognized as a member of Battle Wolf. Ye Zi had already reached level twenty, a feat that she had never dreamed of achieving. She knew the secret source of her new power was Wang Tong. Without his encouragement and inspiration, she would have already given up halfway through that gruesome struggle in the crystal space. Thanks to her immense inner strength and Wang Tong's guidance, she had become the first field medic to have reached level twenty.

The field medics who had been dispatched from the sect to Battle Wolf were of only the run-of-the-mill talent. However, after Wang Tong's boot camp, they had all become elites. Having tasted the benefit of staying with him, none of the field medics wanted to return to the Sect anytime soon.

Xiao Yuyu watched the disappearing image of Wang Tong and wondered what was it like to be Ma Xiaoru. She could sense the fire of their love still burning inside his heart. In his eyes, he only saw Ma Xiaoru, and no other girl.

How deeply had they fallen in love with each other for their love to have transcended beyond life and death? Unable to comprehend the faithfulness of Wang Tong, Xiao Yuyu felt jealous for the first time in her life.

Every girl knew that Wang Tong had a girlfriend, and that she was on Earth. The two had been separated for five years. Although that girl's survival remained a mystery till this day, Wang Tong firmly believed that they would meet again when he made his way back to Earth. He believed that she was still alive and was waiting for him. Well, what a fool…

However, the more faithful Wang Tong was, the more attractive he was to the other girls.

…

Tan Bu had reached level twenty thanks to his talent and hard work, and a few days later, Duo Lun had also caught up with his best friend. Of all the soldiers in Battle Wolf, only Duo Lun remained a worthy opponent of Tan By. Although Duo Lun's power was slightly less than that of Tan Bu, he was able to unleash his energy to its fullest potential. Without experience and skill, Duo Lun remained a tough nut to crack for many high-level warriors.

Ross had also made significant process and leveled up to level nineteen. Despite being a latecomer in Wang Tong's training program, he had risked his life to achieve such advancement.

The rest of the warriors that had followed Wang Tong to the crystal space were all from the Templar's court, and almost all of them had reached level twenty. Level twenty was a major bottleneck in cultivation, and nothing except for time could help a warrior finally make the breakthrough.

During the group's training in the crystal space, Wang Tong had played both the roles of a coach and the villain. At the final stage of training, he even invited Mr. Wannabe to challenge his students.

Wang Tong had been planning to recruit these talents ever since he landed on Mars. However, the dire station had forced him to expedite his plan and use the crystal space to save time. Nevertheless, the results of the training were more than satisfactory.

Not only had Wang Tong helped these soldiers to improve their tactics, but he had also cultivated respect and friendship with his fellows. Surrounded by his most trusted companions, he knew that he was looking at the core group of his army when he waged war against the Zerg brutality.

…

"My Lord, do you think that the reason for our defeat was because of…"

A high-level dark-kind general named Xie Su, the warden of the north, watched the screen that played the scenes from the battle. In the war-preparation meeting, some of the high-level dark ones had advised the warden to send in a few legendary level warriors to counter the human force. But the proposal was rejected.

After the catastrophic defeat, everyone was worried that the dark lord Moye would punish everyone on the war council. However, the warden was not concerned by his defeat at all. His placid face could not hide his wisdom and power.

"Ha! I wanted my army to fail. Send this clip to Patroclus, and tell them that we need their help."

"We will lose face if we do that. Plus, Mars is our territory…"

"That's a brilliant move, my lord! We could do away with this human trouble without sacrificing a single one of our best warriors." Another dark one cut the first one short and complimented the warden's plan.

Xie Su smiled, revealing two rows of filed teeth. The siege of Maersa City was merely a probe of his enemy's real strength, and it had worked marvelously. Most of the human resistance was located in the northern sector; therefore, Xie Su needed soldiers, especially the high-level dark ones, to keep the other districts in check. Hence, he could not afford to send in his best soldiers before he knew the exact power of his enemy. Plus, sending in a full-fledged army would only scare the humans out of the city. Losing track of Wang Tong was much worse than losing a battle.

As for the power struggle between the dark lord and Patroclus, Xie Su was not too familiar with it; but, he at least knew that Wang Tong was at the center of this struggle. The existence of Wang Tong was a constant guilt trip in case of Patroclus for not severing his connection with his past. Perhaps, this only human connection was what prevented Patroclus from evolving into a dark one. Therefore, either alive or dead, Wang Tong played a key role in Moye's plan to weaken Patroclus's influence.

Leveraging Wang Tong to control Patroclus had always been Moye's strategy, which was why Xie Su made such a seemingly unreasonable decision. If he had sent out his elite party, the small city of Maersa would have been overrun in a matter of minutes.

Xie Su studied the faces of his war council; only a few of them had grasped his real intentions. However, those few who understood meant that the dark ones were not idiots as Patroclus and his pompous crew would like to believe.

After all, he who laughed the last laughed the longest.

…

"Tan Bu, is it true that our boss has improved your power?"

"Why would I lie to you? Ask Duo Lun too."

"Damn! Why didn't he bring me with him?"

"You? Save your energy kiddo. You would have died a hundred times over in that wicked-a*s world. But don't worry! You have been a Battle Wolf since the beginning. I am sure you will be one of the elite soldiers one day. Boss won't disappoint you, I promise."

"Captain Duo Lun, I swear I will train harder from now on and try to get on to the next boot-camp."

After the total victory, Battle Wolf had consolidated power of the Maersa District and signed packs with nearby powerful cities. It wouldn't be so easy for the Zergs to wage another war on Maersa next time.

After hearing of Battle Wolf's victory, more and more factions moved back into the city. However, they weren't given the same treatment as before they had left. There was no free lunch in the world, and they had to earn respect through hard work and sacrifice.

Life inside the city remained difficult, but everyone had a gleeful smile on their faces. They were content with their situation, and proud of their decisions during the war. For those who stayed behind and offered their help to the defenders, Aamir had given them extra rations and many other incentives.

The call of order from the Sect finally came, and Xiao Yuyu and her field medics were about to say goodbye to Wang Tong and Maersa.

"Wang Tong, you have taught us a lot. Thank you!" Xiao Yuyu spoke quietly, trying to mask the sorrow in her voice.

"You are more than welcome! I can talk to Michaux and let you stay if you want me to. Anyway, I will always respect your decision."

Chapter 558: Here Comes The Trouble

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Wang Tong's sunshine-like smile nearly persuaded Xiao Yuyu to relent her duty at the Sect. "I, too, feel that I could be of good use here with you guys. But, I have unfinished business that I need to tend to in the Sect. Perhaps we will fight side by side again in the future. "

"You bet!"

"Great! Vorenus will stay with you. He is a warrior, and his talent is needed here more than back at the Sect." Xiao Yuyu said. Touched by Wang Tong's sincerity, she had slowly opened up to him, as her gaze grew soft and face turned pink.

"Thank you!" Wang Tong replied as he extended his hand for a handshake.

Xiao Yuyu set her small and tender fingers into Wang Tong's palm, ready for him to give her a peck on the back of her hand like a real gentleman would. However, Wang Tong was not a gentleman by any stretch of imagination, as he grabbed her small hand and shook it forcefully like he would to a man.

Startled by Wang Tong's unexpected, if not uncouth handshake, Xiao Yuyu's heart skipped a beat. The warmth from Wang Tong's palm felt comfortable.

"Wang Tong, I…we will miss you."

"Don't forget to visit us at the sect!"

"Yes, if you are ever back into the market for a girlfriend, look no further than us martian field medics!"

"Ye Zi, watch him for us! Haha!"

The girls' frisky and sassy comments rendered Wang Tong at a loss. He was not yet used to the way Martian girls expressed their affection. At the time of departure, a few outgoing girls even stole a kiss or two from Wang Tong.

"Stop ogling! You are going to slobber all over yourself!" Ye Zi scolded Wang Tong.

"Haha, I will stop. Gosh! I have so many things to do!" Wang Tong said lightly.

"I will support you in whatever you do." Ye Zi answered quietly but firmly. She knew that there was no hurdle that he could not pass.

However, seemingly impassable hurdles came much sooner than anyone had thought.

Rebuilding an entire city, even as small as the Maersa City, required tremendous resources, which Battle Wolf did not have. In addition, after consolidating the power of the district, it was up to them to feed all the soldiers that it had acquired through other factions. To make matters even worse, the promise of safety had driven more and more people to settle in the city, adding even more mouths to feed.

Even Einherjars ate three meals a day as any other soldiers would.

Sensing that Maersa was in desperate need for food and supply, the greedy businessmen finally revealed the true color of their heart.

A setback in purchase caused by the sudden rise of price had Aamir riled up. The money this merchantman was asking for was so outrageous, it was outright blackmailing.

Even when the price was fair, Aamir received a small budget for purchasing supplies, since the money was needed on many other more urgent projects.

After initial negotiation with a businessman, Aamir had given everyone his word that he would secure the food sources. However, the same businessman changed his initial offering without even giving him a reason. Frustrated, Aamir conceded that he had to bring this to Wang Tong's attention.

"What kind of a businessman is he? How could he change the agreement on a whim?" Tan Bu shouted with anger.

Tan Bu and Duo Lun both had improved their powers by leaps and bounds, so much so that they had quickly risen in ranks to become Wang Tong's most trusted companions. Their success was not because of Wang Tong's favoritism, but their unwavering commitment to the training.

Training as hard as Wang Tong had expected for every day was easier said than done. So far, only Tan Bu and Lun Duo had the willpower to follow it through.

Aamir was impressed by the two young soldiers' striking improvement. Meanwhile, he also admired Wang Tong's ability to draw the potential out of any soldier who listened to his instructions.

No one knew what had happened to those a hundred or so warriors during the two weeks that they were gone. But, everyone knew that they had Wang Tong to thank for their astonishing improvements. In the eyes of an ordinary soldier, Wang Tong was a synonym for god, since other than a god, no one could have transformed a level fifteen no-account into a level twenty super soldier.

Members of Battle Wolf were so proud of themselves that even those who were not chosen by Wang Tong to enter the crystal space felt a sense of honor to be part of the team.

Everyone had been poking around for any clue as to what kind of trick Wang Tong had pulled off to help his students. However, all lips were sealed, and no one was willing to talk about their experience in that two weeks' time. The exact power of Wang Tong was still shrouded in mystery for most people, and his worship as a god continued.

"Hehe… Tan Bu, we have to be patient. This company controlled the lifelines of many cities, including ours. We need to tread carefully." Aamir urged. The lack of management talents in Wang Tong's band was evident, so he knew that Wang Tong needed him badly.

"Tan Bu, can you be smarter next time like Captain Aamir?" Wang Tong advised.

"Yes, boss." Tan Bu nodded.

The comical exchange didn't make Aamir laugh, but it made him marvel at how loyal and devoted Wang Tong's followers were to their leader. These soldiers must have followed him willingly without being given any pressure to do so; otherwise, regardless of how mighty Wang Tong was, he would not be able to bring so many powerful warriors under his banner.

"Who is that dude anyway? What made him so confident?" Wang Tong asked.

"His name is Han Dun. He is the son of the Lord of the Egypt City, the third largest city in the area controlled by Zambrotta." Aamir remarked in a serious voice.

Aamir's brief introduction was enough to highlight the political clout of their business partner. Zambrotta and his Thunder Drum were the strongest local warlord on Mars, and also the priority on Maersa's list of factions to befriend. Sooner or later, the Zergs would come back for the city, if not for Wang Tong. Therefore, defenders of Maersa needed friends.

"We had a deal, so why did he back out?" Yin Tianzong asked. He had lived on Mars for half of his life, and therefore, he had a much clearer picture of the current political scenario. He shared Aamir's concern; Zambrotta was not someone that Wang Tong wanted to rub the wrong way. They had just secured the foothold at Maersa, and compared to the traditional big players, Maersa was nothing but a babe in the woods. It was wise to respect the power of larger factions and tread carefully.

Maersa had already refused to join House Lie and the Sect, and if they made an opponent out of Zambrotta, they would have truly isolated themselves in an unforgiving world.

"He didn't give us a reason." Aamir grinned wryly. This was a dog eat dog world; the fittest never needed excuses for bullying the weak.

"Has he taken our deposit?" Wang Tong asked.

"Yes, and it was not refundable. That is what really pissed me off." Aamir complained, his words laced with guilt for screwing up this order.

"Hehe, fine then. Aamir, lead me to this Prince Han you were talking about."

The smile on Wang Tong's face looked warm and kind, but his friends, especially those who used to be his opponent, knew that somebody was going to get hurt real bad very soon.

…

Wang Tong and Aamir arrived at Han Dun's temporary residence in Maersa, a lavish building in a war-torn city. Aamir had seen to it that he had gotten the best accommodation in Maersa. However, his hospitality was all for naught.

As soon as Wang Tong entered the dining area, he heard Han Dun scream, "What kind of food is it? Are you feeding me horse feed?"

The servant girl's face turned red out of embarrassment and anger, but she kept her silence. She didn't want to get fired from her job. So, she quickly cleaned up the mess on the floor without protesting.

Chapter 559: We Are Family

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Tan Dun had been reveling during this business trip. The people in the city needed his food, and that made him feel like a god. Who the hell did Wang Tong think he was? Without his supply, Wang Tong and his band might as well starve to death.

Although Tan Dun was under Zambrotta's command, he had a special connection with House Lie through a fraternity reserved for only the princelings on Mars. Tan Dun was proudly born on Mars, and he held prejudice against immigrants such as Wang Tong. He outright despised his background as the heir of the Blade Warrior—Bah! Another pesky immigrant from the past.

His mission on this trip, in addition to making loads of money off the immigrants, was to give Wang Tong a dose of reality. He would show the latter that Mars belonged to only Martians, and immigrants like him would forever be under the mercy of their landlords.

"Make Mars Great again!" As he had often shouted at the fraternity gatherings.

Seeing the mess on the floor, Aamir pulled a dark face and scolded the servant girl. "What have you done?"

"Sorry, I am sorry. " Fear struck the girl as she hurried a reply without realizing that it was not her fault at all. Han Dun snorted at the girl and his hosts. "Captain Aamir, is this the so-called hospitality in Maersa? What kind of rubbish is this? You dare openly insult a representative from the Egypt City?" Han Dun gradually raised his voice until he sounded like a squealing pig.

"Xiao Jin, what is going on? Don't worry." Ye Zi pulled the girl to a side and comforted her.

"Mr. Han…not happy with the meal… It is…It is my fault."

"And then, Mr. Han threw this food at you?" Wang Tong asked slowly.

"I am sorry, my lord!" Xiao Jin lowered her head and shook it violently; she was too afraid to meet Wang Tong's eyes.

Wang Tong looked to Han Dun, and then he cracked a smile. "Mr. Han Dun, my name is Wang Tong." Wang Tong said as he extended his hand for a handshake.

Tan Dun didn't reach out his hand; instead, he lolled in his chair and said, "Aren't you the heir of the Blade Warrior? I think you are nothing but a fraud! Discipline your servant first before talking to me." Tan Dun said as he shot Xiao Jin a cold glance.

"I will talk to her after we are done here. I am here to talk about a setback in a recent business agreement we had made with you. I was told that you had changed your mind after everything was set in stone. Is that true?"

"Ah…yes. You know better than me how tumultuous the current state of affairs is. Price fluctuates, and that's just the way it is. Mind you that I am a very busy person, so if you can't pay up what you owe me, I will pack up and leave for home tomorrow. I can't stand one more day of this inhumane treatment! "Han Dun said as he spat on the spilled dished on the ground.

Although Aamir still wore a smiley mask, Ye Zi's face was already contorted by anger. The food prepared for Han Dun was the most expensive meal the city could offer. They were saved for special occasions, and not even the leaders could get their hands on those delicacies.

If Wang Tong was pissed, he didn't let his mood change his warm and welcoming expression. "I understand that. So, I urge you to transfer our purchase right now… The sooner it arrives here, the sooner you can get out of this horrible place."

Aamir was shocked by Wang Tong's threats. Maersa needed friends, but he was not helping at all.

Han Dun paused for a second and then burst out laughing. "How dare you? Haha! Do you even know who I am? Take your words back before I crush your city!"

"Hehe, I really didn't get the memo on your background. But, regardless of who you are, you need to ship out our purchase and let me decide if I will regret my words."

"You are courting death!" Han Dun shouted as he slapped Wang Tong's face using his famous move, the butterfly palm.

Seeing that the situation had gone out of control, Aamir heave a sigh. In the next moment, Han Dun shrieked painfully and was rolling on the ground in agony; his hand seemed to have gotten injured. Hearing the commotion, Han Dun's guards, both level eighteen warriors, rushed in and were ready to fight.

Suddenly, Yin Tianzong picked up the two guards by the back of their collar. Not sure what had caught them, the guards panicked and were rendered motionless by fear.

"Throw them out." Wang Tong ordered.

Yin Tianzong yanked his arms and threw the two guards a few dozen feet away. Even after they gathered themselves, the guards refrained from making any moves as they didn't want to face off a legendary warrior.

Wang Tong picked up Han Dun by the hair and asked, "Mr. Han, I assume you have agreed to our terms. So, let's talk about the unpleasant service you have received. Why don't you start by apologizing to Miss Xiao Jin?"

"Dream on, you b*stard!" Han Dun shirked. "My daddy will not let you get away with this! You will be facing the ire of Zambrotta for disrupting the order!"

"Mr. Han, I am from the Earth, so of course I can't follow the order on Mars. But anyway, let's get back to our topic. Are you going to apologize?"

"It's alright, my lord. " Xiao Jin shook her head as she didn't want any more trouble. Deep down, she was touched by Wang Tong's gallantry already.

"That is not alright, Xiao Jin. Remember this: we are a family! And as the leader of the family, I will not allow prick like him to get away with bullying you." Wang Tong turned to Han Dun and smiled again. An unseen force struck the princeling as he let out an agonizing cry. It only had been a few minutes, and Han Dun was already drenched in his own sweat.

"I am sorry…" A few words finally escaped Han Dun's clenched jaws.

"What? Did you say anything? "Wang Tong pretended that he didn't hear anything while he doubled down on the pain he unleashed.

"Sorry! I am SORRY!" Unable to cope with the pain, Han Dun shouted.

"That's it! Xiao Jin, would you accept this idiot's apology?" Wang Tong asked.

"Yes. I'm fine now. Thank you, my lord." Xiao Jin was on the verge of crying. Never had she thought that Wang Tong would serve justice to her in person.

Wang Tong nodded and then picked Han Dun up. "Well, since Mr. Han didn't like our food, we just won't serve him any."

"Sounds like a plan!" Ye Zi was lit up with glee as she hailed Wang Tong's decision. Aamir heaved a sigh; Wang Tong was too young and too powerful to understand the importance of allies. The harm had already been done, and Aamir wasn't sure what he could do next.

"My lord, you acted too spontaneously back there. Mars is a complicated place, and we need to be careful and always watch our words and actions." Aamir advised Wang Tong on the way back. He was concerned about the consequence of not giving Han Dun any food until the goods had arrived.

"Captain Aamir, with all due respect, I don't think I was unfair at all. We had an agreement with him, and he screwed us up. He needs to be taught a lesson before he thinks he owns the world."

Ye Zi chided, "I agree with Wang Tong. Captain Aamir, why are you so afraid of this b*stard?"

"Dear Ye Zi, I hate him as much as you do. But, we have to be responsible to our people who are still waiting for the food." Aamir complained. If not for the wellbeing of all citizens in Maersa, he would have beaten that prick to death a long time ago already.

Wang Tong patted on Aamir's shoulder and then said, "Captain Aamir, I understand you fully. But like I said, we are a family, and we look after each other."

Aamir paused for a second as he realized that it had been a while since someone called him a family.