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Chapter 649: Soaring Eagle

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Just like what Wang Tong had told them, they picked only the best and didn't care about anyone's feelings. The other captains quickly raised the ante against Karl's drafting method. They claimed that the chaos it had stirred up would adversely affect the progress of the war. They presented their evidence, some of which was even legit.

However, nothing would stop Wang Tong at this point, and he was confident that he would succeed.

Seeing that Karl had followed Wang Tong's instructions to the letter, Flash quickly followed suit. After so many years, these academy students didn't let the world round their edges; instead, they became more willing to fight for their dreams, even if that meant stepping on someone.

Wang Tong had disclosed the full details of the operation to him, and Flash was grateful for his trust. There had been rumors that Flash was actually a spy, and the goal of his operation was to see to the human's failure. However, Samantha and Wang Tong disregarded the rumors and assigned him a central role in this operation.

Flash knew they wouldn't believe the rumors because Wang Tong knew who what kind of person he was: he was a true friend. If Flash could get Wang Tong the success of this mission, he would pay anything for it, including his life.

While the fleet was formed slowly, Wang Tong continued to help the mastery warriors and the casters in getting used to space combat. This had continued for a month, and Wang Tong seemed to have done nothing but training. Even the relatively inactive armada had carried out a couple of harassments on the Zerg fleet, but the newly formed special force had done nothing.

While Wang Tong trained the soldiers, Karl and Flash were busy cobbling together a perfect tram. They were excited by the rare chance to flex their leadership muscles. For the first time, they could make up the team and attack plans all by themselves, just like real fleet commanders would.

Flash didn't expect to play such a key role in this operation when he first joined Wang Tong, and neither did he expect to have so much freedom to turn his dream team into realization. Although he and many other new graduates had been promoted to high ranks, the very few generals were still the ones that made the call.

Flash and Karl had very similar experiences, and therefore, they shared a lot of common grounds. They hit along every quickly and formulated plans of attack based on the information they had.

On the eighth day of their preparation, a small ship landed on the ship, and the passenger was a handsome young man dressed in plain white.

He was the Divine Master of the Divine Mastery sect, Michaux.

He had come to Wang Tong's assistance as soon as he had finished the business within the sect. The arrival of such a renowned warrior had caught everyone's attention.

Ever since Wang Tong started organizing his own fleet, Samantha had been bombarded with questions. Many leaders of the armada blamed her for her recklessness to give permission for a group of "children" to dismantle the status quo on the ships.

Samantha would be lying if she said that the situation was not stressful. However, she was ready to take on the challenge and support Wang Tong until the end. She was pleasantly surprised by Michaux's visit, and thought that he would provide the fleet officers some much-needed diversion.

However, Michaux had not seen anyone other than Wang Tong and his crew ever since he arrived, outrightly ignoring the invitations for all the networking events.

"What took you so long, Michaux?" Wang Tong asked a smile. Wang Tong had met some roadblocks while helping the casters in overcoming their fear of the primordial forces, and he eagerly needed Michaux's help.

"I didn't know you would miss me. How is the confederation fleet? Have they given you enough grief yet?"

"Are you here to just watch as they put me down?"

Michaux nodded and then smiled mischievously. "I would love to see it. Haha! What is it?"

"Guan Dongyang and the other casters can't overcome the fear for the primordial power. My help hasn't been very useful." Wang Tong went straight to the point. He and Michaux were the only two in the meeting room as Samantha had dismissed everyone else.

There had been too many people who wanted to visit Michaux. Ever since the death of Lie Jintian, the Sect had become the most influential faction on Mars. Therefore, from a political point of view, whoever befriended Michaux would have befriended the entire planet. However, Michaux was not interested in making friends; he was here for business.

Michaux nodded. "Hehe, see? Being too talented is not always good. You must not have had to deal with such a hurdle, since you had the soul essence. However, it is one of the most difficult lessons for ordinary mastery casters. It is much more difficult than getting used to the zero gravity. The universe is boundless, and so is the primordial sea. So, the fear of getting lost in the sea is indeed real. You didn't have to worry about it because you were guided by your soul essence."

"Exactly! That's what I thought as well. But how do we solve the problem at hand? How do we help them?"

"Leave it to me…I will help them. "

"Perfect! The X-6 special force is nearly complete, and this is the last piece of the puzzle." Wang Tong smiled as he was relieved.

Once Wang Tong finished talking with Michaux, he found Karl and Flash and listened to their plan of attack. Wang Tong had heard that they had shuffled people around and used only people whom they trusted.

"Wang Tong, this is the plan Karl and I had formulated over the days. We have wagered that your intention is to lure the Zergs out of their hiding spot, so we went along that direction in our plan." Flash said excitedly. He was eager to see how this plan would fare when they put it to test. Although the special force was a small unit, its members were a closely knitted group. The more time they spent on the battlefield together, the more powerful the team would become.

"Hehe, I don't have any specific goal, and I only expect one thing from you: make the Zergs hate you so much that they would chase after you on sight. As for your plan, I have only one question: how long does it take to execute your plan?"

Karl glanced at Flash and said, "If you just want the Zerg to hate us, I wager it would take less than ten days for us to piss them off. However, within those ten days, we need to focus on our plan, and cannot take any side quests. Name us the commanders of the fleet and I guarantee you that the Zergs would hate the X-6 special force to the bone." Flash and Karl looked to Wang Tong expectantly, enthusiasm burning in their eyes.

"You have fifteen days, and yes, I hereby give you two the full commanding power over the X-6 special force. Do whatever it takes, and you don't need my approval while you are out there." Wang Tong announced.

Karl and Flash were convinced that their task would eventually lead up to the killing blow that Wang Tong had prepared for the Zergs. They felt honored for being trusted to lead such a meaningful task.

"You can count on us! Flash and I had been studying the star charts every night to familiarize with the region, and with those tough SOBs we have picked, I promise we will hit the Zergs hard! I will make them grit their teeth and clench their fists at the mere mention of our names!" Karl announced forcefully and pounded his chest.

"Very well! Stay focused on your task and know that Samantha and I are looking after the Armada. Call me if you need me, I am always here for you two. I believe in you!" Wang Tong said candidly.

The three of the linked their hands and pumped them vigorously.

…

On the ninth day, the X-6 fleet embarked on their journey to carry out the task that was still shrouded in mystery. The instigator of all recent upheavals and changes in the armada, Wang Tong, didn't join the X-6 fleet. Instead, he remained focused on training the Martians as if he had nothing to do with X-6's mission.

Wang Tong was the one who had insisted on the X-6 mission; however, he had left two soldiers with no commanding experiences in charge of the mission. Many generals felt it was not only reckless, but also insulting.

Meanwhile in the Zerg fleet, Zhoudi was reveling in his life as the supreme commander in and around Mars' outer space. His lower rank counterparts showered him with respect and servitude, and his joy had strengthened his resolve to destroy the human fleet completely.

Chapter 650: Unlimited Potential

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Zhoudi knew that Wang Tong was a force to be reckoned with, since even the Dark Lord was not able to overcome him. He was certain that he could not stand a chance while fighting against the latter one on one. However, he also realized that he didn't have to. He was in space, and space battles rarely involved personal combat.

He lamented on how stubborn the Dark Lord had been to meet the human devil head-on. If Zhoudi were him, he would drag out the war and avoid direct contact with Wang Tong. What use would Wang Tong be if the Zergs slowly killed off the rest of the humans until there were none left?

However, if the former dark lord weren't that stupid, Zhoudi would never have a chance to sit on his spot. Standing in the observatory, Zhoudi swirled the Merlot in his crystal cup and looked out at his formidable armada, a smile breaking out on his face. He found himself falling even deeper into the obsession with this vista. He no longer missed the damp and clustered hive where he was born; instead, he enjoyed the open space and being surrounded by the marvels of modern technologies.

"Supreme commander, the Divine Lord has sent us a message."

"Speak," Zhoudi said annoyingly. Patroclus was getting under his skin lately as he kept on sending condescending messages to him as if he was his superior.

"The honorable Divine Lord, commander of the Immortals, would like to…"

"Get to the point!" Zhoudi said hotly.

"Yes… He said we need to be careful about Wang Tong. He said Wang Tong is not an ordinary human."

"Not an ordinary human? Haha! Patroclus is afraid because Wang Tong had defeated him once."

"Patroclus said Wang Tong is as powerful as ten armadas." The messenger said sheepishly.

Zhoudi snorted. "Ridiculous! Ten armadas? Don't mind him, he is too scared! Write a reply for me, tell him that his caution was noted." Zhoudi waved in dismissal.

The dark one was too afraid to say anything else, so he left the room quietly.

As soon as the dark one was out of sight, Zhoudi was seized by an outburst of anger, squeezing the winning cup until it had shattered. Merlot and his blood mixed together, trailing down from his palm. Patroclus' message and had spoiled his good mood; however, he reckoned the urgency to gain the approval of the queen mother supreme as soon as possible before Patroclus got more involved in his business. In order to do that, he would have to do away with Wang Tong as soon as possible. If he were to gain the mother supreme's approval, he would have gained enough influence to cast Patroclus out of the Zerg community.

"Bunch of fools! I will find the human fleet even if they are hiding in a black hole." In a fit of rage, he immediately announced an order to the Zerg scouts: no one was to return to the base before they had found out where the humans were hiding.

The Zerg scouts were great in numbers; however, space was boundless, and their size was like peanuts compared to the space they had to cover. However, just as the Zerg scouts were ready to throw up their hands and give up the search despite the repercussions, a small human fleet surfaced on their radar: a ticket to home!

The scouts raced against each other toward the human fleet, trying to claim the victory first so that they could go home. In a matter of hours, over five thousand ships had surrounded the X-6 fleet, and the battle broke out immediately.

Karl didn't avoid the battle despite being outnumbered. Not only did he have full confidence in his micro control, but also in his team members. He had made sure of that in the screening process. It was the first time for many of those soldiers to command a ship; therefore, they were all eager to put their skills to the test.

The X-6 fleet adopted a two-prong formation as they charged toward the Zergs, Karl and Flash leading the charge on each side. The battle lasted only ten minutes, and the X-6 had gained a decisive victory.

The battle had filled the space with tattered spaceships, but there was not a single X-6 unit in the graveyard of spaceships. The sight had elated the human soldiers as cheers erupted on all ships. As the battle finally let go of its hold on Karl and Flash, the two commanders realized that they were both drenched in sweat.

Even though they were confident in their abilities, it was the first time they had commanded a fleet by themselves, and they were understandably nervous. Their stress was shared among all the other new captains. Stress was not a bad thing as it made one more alert and quicker to react. As a matter of fact, their victory was, in part, due to their properly tempered and controlled stress.

"Pull back!" Flash announced firmly. His voice was filled with arresting confidence, and no longer did he sound like a nascent fledgling. His feathers were fully grown, and it was time for him to soar. Under his command, the X-6 fleet had zero casualties after such an intense battle. The X-6s cracked up their thrusters and evacuated the battle zone before the Zergs' main fleet arrived.

"Karl, I had a moment of epiphany during the battle. Maybe we should be more aggressive in order to achieve even greater victories."

"I told you so! Don't let those bitter and sour middle-aged men drag you down. They are politicians, and we are the warriors. It's time to make a change in the world." Karl spoke candidly. He never put a filter on when he spoke, and neither did he care. He knew that the world did not need politicians; instead, they needed warriors like him.

Both Karl and Flash were formidable warriors, particularly when they were able to focus on their task. Their concentration and devotion were the sources of their power.

As they looked into the boundless space from their cockpit, they felt that the opportunities for them out there were as many as the stars in the universe, so many unknowns waiting to be discovered. Even during its heyday, the Zergs had failed to conquer the universe due to its mind-breaking vastness.

The sky was the limit only if one stayed on a planet; here in the space, imagination was the only real limit.

Zhoudi was riled up when he heard that the human fleet had pulled away as soon as it had defeated his scouts. After he had vented his anger, he reflected on the incidence. That was when he discovered that the human fleet consisted entirely of light fighter jets. These new fighters jets had limited ammunition capacity and were not a threat to larger ships. The could be a nuisance at best, and what a messy nuisance they were! Only Wang Tong was able to pull it off. The unconventional strategy was never seen before in Zhoudi's many years of fighting against the humans; it had to be Wang Tong, the new variable. How naive was he to think that he could fool him with the same ploy that he used against Moye?

"Immediately order the six fleets to spread out into a hexagonal formation at full speed ahead!"

"Yes, my lord!"

Zhoudi's patience was wearing thin, the promise of gaining the mother supreme's trust spurring him forward.

The hexagonal formation spread the Zerg ships out to cover as much space as possible. Although the increased distance between ships meant that ships on each side of the formation would be on their own, it was extremely effective in forming an encirclement once it had spotted a smaller target.

Meanwhile on the confederation ship, Guan Dongyang laughed for the first time in days: he had finally overcome his fear and tapped into the primordial force. He owed his success to the patient guidance of Michaux.

"Define an anchor point…That way, you won't get lost."

"Exactly, it's called a soul anchor! It could be an object, a piece of memory, or a distinct emotion." Michaux said.

"Well, let me guess, your anchor is the pursuit of the divine path?" Wang Tong asked with a smile.

Michaux shook his head. "Not really. My anchor point was the Sect. That is where I grew up."

"Mine is my wife, Lie Xuan." Guan Dongyang put in.

On the other side, the girls blushed, and Wang Tong could tell that their anchor were some secrets. Meanwhile, in a meeting room on Li Hong's ship, Li Hong and Xiao Se were sharing a drink together.

"What the hell is Wang Tong up to? It has been two weeks, and he has done nothing yet!"

"Who knows! The report said the Martians are building us quite a fleet. Time for us to fight back is near." The two generals chatted and sipped the drink in their hands. Their priority right then was to preserve strength and take over the Martian fleet when it was finished.

"I have underestimated Karl and Flash. They have already won more battles than their employer." Li Hong lamented. He was not thrilled to learn the news of Flash's 'betrayal'. Li Hong had high hopes for him, but it seemed that Flash still needed a few doses of reality to quell his idealistic mind.

"They are just of average talent, but their performance lately was worthy of note. Otherwise, we wouldn't have reinforced them with our own units." Xiao Se smiled. While Karl and Flash were making progress, he had weighed in and sent them 100 X-6 units under his command. He was betting on both sides. If Wang Tong really succeeded, he would have at least some credit due to his assistance.

Chapter 651: Hang In There

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

The attractive field medics that accompanied Wang Tong everywhere had attracted many soldiers' attention. The way they stared at Wang Tong and fluttered their lashes convinced everyone that all four medics had something for him.

There were the attractive four medics, and there was Heidi. Her beauty was not for the mortals' eyes. Luckily, she was with Karl and Flash on the X-6 mission, so the human soldiers wouldn't have to stomach the envy of watching Wang Tong and the goddess' interactions.

All the space warriors worshiped Wang Tong as their hero; however, the officers didn't share the soldiers' admiration. The commanding officers were all full of themselves and snobby toward the METAL warriors on their ships, much less an outsider such as Wang Tong.

There were even rumors about something fishy going on between Wang Tong and Samantha. The two generals were very pleased by the spreading of these rumors; their smear tactics had worked well.

Samantha had kept her silence before the rumors, and Wang Tong didn't seem to care a wee bit about it either. As they said, one must be doing sometime right when one became the target of jealousy.

"Have you got a handle on it?" Wang Tong asked, and the six casters nodded their heads.

"Wang Tong, you have given me so much grief. I suck at pretty much everything except for the fire element." Guan Dongyang smiled wryly.

"You are more powerful than you think. There is something else you could try, called…"

Guan Dongyang cut Wang Tong short with a wave of the hand. "No, don't try to lure me into another one of your plots! Try it on Michaux…He is much stronger than me."

"Be a man, do the right thing! When the war is over, you will be responsible for passing down the torch of mastery to the next generation. Don't you want to learn any other techniques other than BBQing your enemy?" Wang Tong jested.

"Touché! You need to raise your bar. Otherwise, I will be bored to death before the Zergs claim me." Michaux chimed in. He liked to hang out with Wang Tong and his friends since he didn't have to don the mask of the Divine Master; it was much relieving that way. The less than one month's time he had spent with Wang Tong's crew was the happiest time he had enjoyed in a long while. There was no paperwork or politics to slow him down as he engrossed himself in cultivation.

"Are you on my side or not, Michaux? What you four cupcakes think about this? All of us employees have to stand together." The girls looked at Wang Tong and Guan Dongyang, then giggled without replying.

"Wang Tong, why do you ask me to learn the earth element? If we are going to fight in space, where the heck am I going to find the earth element?"

"Just wait. You will see what I mean after you have learned what I am going to show you guys."

"Oh? Another new spell? What is the level?" Guan Dongyang's face was lit up with glee at the promise of learning a new spell. Unlike Michaux who was obsessed with the divine path, Guan Dongyang was addicted to learning new spells.

"Even the forbidden power is nothing compared to this new spell."

Everyone was shocked by Wang Tong's claim as they wondered what kind of spell it could be.

"Hehe, the spell itself seems ordinary, but when used under certain circumstances, it could be extremely deadly." Wang Tong started to explain the theory behind the spell. It was a spell that strengthened elemental resonance. However, Wang Tong had tweaked the spell and added some extra elemental attributes.

When Wang Tong finished explaining, everyone mauled over the spell for a while and conceded that the spell by itself was not powerful at all.

"I don't understand what it the purpose of this…unless!" Suddenly, Wang Tong's friends had a moment of epiphany.

"Are you sure it will work?"

"Oh my gosh! It's insane!"

Wang Tong stood up and stretched as he looked out of the window. "How did the GN force allow us to survive extremely hostile environments? And what is mastery except for the manifestation of human intelligence? We need to look at the universe from a much higher point of view. "

"Humans' exploration of the universe was within the spatial dimension, while the endeavors in the world of mastery are on an entirely different one." Michaux put in.

"Are you sure only the few of us will do?" Guan Dongyang asked with concern in his voice.

"It will be enough. There will be another hurdle, but we will deal with it then. No point to fuss about it now."

"It's almost cruelty."

"So? After all, we are only human." Wang Tong smirked.

…

Two days later, a small ship took off quietly from one of the mother ships. However, this didn't escape Li Hong and Xiao Se, as they had been watching Wang Tong and his crew closely. They knew it was about time for Wang Tong to do something.

"What about the rest? Did they leave with him?"

"Yes, general! All six mastery casters are gone."

"Did they bring any weapon with them?"

"Just standard equipment. They took an X-6, so only a couple of pilots are with them."

"Very well…Dismissed!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Xiao Se, what do you think he is trying to achieve?" Li Hong asked. Something was amiss; this whole thing didn't pass a smell test.

Xiao Se didn't reply as he lit a cigar and drew on it. He had kept a close eye on Wang Tong ever since he arrived. However, other than harmless rumors about his personal life, he had learned nothing new about him. There were only twenty days before the deadline. What could he possibly do with only six casters?

The more he observed Wang Tong, the less he knew about this mysterious warrior. Xiao Se was convinced that the latter had hidden something up his sleeve, and not knowing what it was unnerved the shrewd general.

"How are things on Mars?"

"The war is ending very quickly. The Martians were taking a swath of land that they had previously lost to the dark ones. They are also building the fleet at an incredible speed."

"You don't think that Wang Tong was waiting for the Martian fleet, do you?"

"He won't have that much time. Plus, the new fleet is useless with all the freshmen on board."

"Then we shall wait and play by the ear. How's the negotiation with Lie Jian?" Xiao Se asked

Li Hong shrugged. "It's slow. I don't think Lie Jian is fully in charge of things down there. "

"Hehe…That is exactly why we need to work with him. He is an ambitious young lord of a great house. He won't just sit and watch Wang Tong take over the mars. The enemy's enemy is my friend…he should know that."

"Generals, we just got a report that we have detected Wang Tong's location."

"Ah? Where is he?"

"Saturn."

"Saturn again? He is a stubborn fool! He thinks he can duke it out with the Zerg armada with only two hundred X-6 units?"

"What is Samantha up to?"

"She is… moving her fleet to assist Wang Tong."

"What? It's unacceptable! How could she make such a decision without informing us?" Li Hong's anger burst out.

"I want to speak to her…NOW!"

Not far away, Samantha was waiting for the dark faces of Li Hong and Xiao Se.

"What's the hurry, General Xiao Se?"

"Admiral, what is going on here? Why are we moving toward Saturn?"

"I have decided to fight the Zergs around the Saturn's asteroid belt. The success of the X-6 mission has told us that we are much more powerful than the Zergs. We need to strike out decisively when we have the upper hand."

"You are crazy, Samantha! What upper hand? This is suicide!"

"General Xiao Se, do I need to remind you that I am the Admiral, the commander of the Armada? You have promised me that you would cooperate with my missions."

Samantha didn't give the two any chance to rebut, turning off the terminal immediately. Afterward, she turned on the intercom and reinstated her authority and resolution in this mission to all the soldiers.

Xiao Se could only stare at the black screen, unable to believe that this was the prudent and circumspect Admiral Samantha that he used to know.

"She has gone mad! She is nuts, I tell you!" Li Hong shouted.

"How did Wang Tong manage to convince her?"

Li Hong's blood boiled. "We can't let her do this! We need to take the authority out of her hand."

"Just.. be quiet and let me think." Xiao Se waved in annoyance at Li Hong as his mind raced. Could it be that the promise he had forced Samantha to make had spurred her to do this out of desperation?

Chapter 652: A New Round Of Competition

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

No… It was impossible!

Xiao Se forced himself to dig deeper, then suddenly jerked his head up as he finally thought of something.

"Li Hong, I can finally see sense in it. The X-6 mission was a lure. They have exposed their position to the Zergs, but when the Zergs get there, it will be Samantha's armada waiting for them."

Li Hong's eyes lit up with realization. "Balls! What a great move and how conniving! This way, she will claim all the credit for herself, and no one would ever be able to challenge her position."

"What did they say about women and poison? She had distracted us using Wang Tong the same way as she would the Zergs using the X-6 units."

"That's right! The dimwitted dark one would never expect to walk into a trap. Let me check their current location of the X-6 units. They are…on the other side of Saturn!"

"That's about right. They are luring the Zergs closer while giving Samantha some time to lay the trap. I knew she had something planned. She wouldn't have gotten the admiral position because of her pretty face."

"Sneaky! What should we do? We can't sit around and let her claim fall the credit."

Xiao Se heaved a sigh after Samantha's ploy was revealed to him. He knew something was amiss when she acted so out of her character as to directly confront him. It was all for a show to deter them from joining her.

"Well, we are obligated to follow admiral's order. Move out!" Xiao Se announced.

"But…are we risking giving up our influence in the armada and hand it over to Samantha?"

"Li Hong, we are soldiers of the Confederation first. Don't let the faction politics stop you. Samantha has done everything she could for the greater good, and so should we."

"Haha! Very well! Let's help her." Li Hong announced with a relieved smile.

Over the years, they had both gotten tired of the political infighting. Sometimes, they wished they were not in such a position in their factions so they wouldn't have to be forced do the things they didn't want to. Samantha's operation had given them an opportunity to fulfill the oath they swore when they first joined the military: to protect humanity.

"Principal, the rest of the fleets are on the move as well… Strange!" Lumi put in. She was the head of the intelligence department, and therefore, she was the first person to learn about the movements of the other ships.

Samantha smiled knowingly, "Ok, noted."

Lumi didn't press Samantha for more questions, but her confused look didn't leave her face. Samantha said, "Don't worry, everything is fine. Order the soldiers to get ready."

Li Hong and Xiao Se didn't disappoint Samantha. She never expected the two to stop fighting for their factions; after all, they were just doing what was the best for the people who were loyal to them. However, at this critical moment, they united with the rest of the crew in solidarity. This battle was not going to be easy for Samantha while she commanded only half of her armada. However, with the combined might of all the ships in the armada, Samantha was confident that she could crush the Zergs.

The X-6 mission had given Samantha plenty of data to analyze the Zergs' fighting habits. She soon realized that the Zergs' attack units often consisted of no more than one fleet. It was a perfect size for Samantha's armada to deal with. It was just big enough to make the Zergs' feelings hurt, while it wasn't too big to pose a threat to the Confederation Armada.

Samantha was very impressed by Flash and Karl's abilities. They had achieved feats that she had ever dreamed of, a sign that she needed to dream bigger.

"Why are the humans still inactive? I have already risen to their bait." Zhoudi said. "Are you sure about the route that Patroclus tipped us off?"

"I am. There had been human activities reported along that route."

"Haha. What does Patroclus want in return?"

"The life of all A-level immortals."

"Is Wang Tong there yet?"

"That chicken-sh*t didn't join the rest of the X-6 until recently. I bet he is afraid of fighting in space."

"Haha! Cowardice is human nature."

"Hehe…In order to play along with his game, we lost over two thousands ships. Now, they are finally convinced that we have taken the bait and have set up an ambush in the Saturn steroid belt. What a ridiculous idea! Order our fleet to continue our plan…Make sure that the human remains convinced of their victory."

"Yes, my lord!"

"I have no idea why Patroclus would help us this time, but anyway, I will take it," Zhoudi said.

Zhoudi had ordered his fleet to keep playing along; however, he had moved his entire force behind the fleet that the humans were expecting.

Meanwhile, in the immortals' fleet, captain Maris was listening to the report with a joyful smile.

"If the dark ones still fail to capture Wang Tong this time, perhaps they do deserve to be eliminated." Lights ran off his blond hair that tumbled to reach his waist. He was perplexed by Patroclus' decision to help the dark ones. They had carefully installed a spy inside the Confederation fleet, hoping to put him into good use later. However, the most useful information he had collected had benefited the dark ones.

"I believe the divine lord has something else planned. Perhaps he thinks we need the dark ones. "

"I agree! However, it's obvious that the dark ones have lost control of Mars. Sooner or later, the immortal army will have to swoop in to save the day."

"You don't say. We have helped them all we could, and the mother supreme no longer should have any qualms about giving us the full power."

"Yes, we are the real masterminds behind this operation. The dark ones are merely doing our bidding."

"The thought of those human shooting themselves in the foot makes me want to laugh."

The immortal generals were all amused by the situation. Maris was in his late thirties, one of the first humans who had willingly joined the immortals. He didn't do it to save his life; instead, he had firmly believed in Patroclus' vision. His loyalty and devotion had quickly helped him rise among the ranks and become Patroclus' most trusted adviser in matters relating to the space battle. Before he joined the immortals, Maris had already been a renowned fleet commander; and after he became an immortal, he was given the responsibility of commanding the immortals' armada.

"Don't forget that without the spy, even we would still be oblivious about Wang Tong's plan. We had all been focusing on Wang Tong himself, and didn't expect his team members to have been quietly set up a trap for us."

"Even if it is a trap, it would be useless against the immortals' fleet."

"It's good to be confident, but never conceited. These human fleets are of average strength, but they are very mobile. It's difficult to deliver a solid blow at them before they can slip away."

"Their scouts are everywhere as well. A cautious bunch!"

"Hehe… overly cautious, and that is why they were doomed to fail."

"Haha! let's toast for our victory!"

"Cheers in the name of our divine lord!"

…

"Haha, Flash, I have beaten you by thirty more ships!" Karl said with a smug smirk.

Flash cracked a smile. "Get over yourself, please. We have just received the coordinates from the main fleet. We need to move."

"No problem, but I haven't had so much fun in years!"

"It's time to go. We have a much bigger game to play." Flash said with a serious face.

Anyone who had seen Karl in action at the cockpit would have assumed that he had split personalities. How could someone so foolhardy, if not outrightly stupid, have such a great sense of strategy and level-headedness?

Many times when the X-6 fleets were surrounded by enemy ships, Karl was able to steer the ships to skin through the cracks in between enemy fleets and come out unharmed. Not only were they able to get out of any perilous situation alive, but they had also managed to destroy many of Zergs' space depots.

As the X-6 moved toward their final destination, the Zerg fleet was hot on its heels. When the human fleet had lost the Zergs, Karl would stop and wait for his pursuers to catch their whiff again. Slowly but surely, the X-6 units coaxed the Zerg fleet toward the ambush.

Chapter 653: Scare Tactics

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

"Our ships have entered the Saturn ring. Behind the concealment of the asteroids, we shouldn't be easily detected."

"Oh, come on! My fingers are itching!" Karl muttered. The promise of destroying a Zerg fleet made his blood boil.

As the X-6 fleet inched toward the Saturn, with the Zerg fleet trailing behind, Samantha ordered her armada to get in position. However, she failed to realize that if the Saturn ring could hide the human fleet, so it could the Zergs' fleet.

The Armada had been a thorn in the Zergs' side for many years. Its high mobility meant that the Zergs could never deliver a solid blow on it, having slipped through their fingers so many times. But, the Zergs were about to catch the humans by surprise this time, and Zhoudi intended to annihilate the human fleet at all cost.

The Zergs' fleet entered hyperspace while following the human X-6 fleets.

"Sh*t! They are tailgating us!"

"Let them. I would be worried if they didn't."

"Haha!"

The promise of carrying out a full-fledged battle with the Zergs made the officers and pilots all excited. They had enough of the small skirmishes and running around; they were ready to partake in an actual war to deliver a solid blow to the Zergs.

Saturn's ring was the best place for smaller combat jets such as the X-6. The asteroids would provide cover for the smaller ships and counter the enemy's advantage in firepower.

"Captain, ten more minutes before we exit the hyperspace."

"Get ready everyone! Approach the Saturn ring carefully and wait for my instructions."

"Aye aye Captain!"

Inside the Saturn outer space, a flash of light opened up a portal, and human fleets poured out from within. They didn't slow down but charged at the asteroid belt at full speed.

After a while, a large number of Zerg ships appeared through the portal as well. However, they slowed down as soon as they were through the threshold. They spread out their formation and waited. A few hours later, the Zerg armada appeared, comprising of a large number of Zeus class battle bruisers, each capable of destroying the entire human fleet. Surrounded by the battlecruisers was the space hive, a corrupted, pulsing heart in the space.

"Do not approach the asteroid belt! Wait for Admiral's command!" A dark one issued a command. Meanwhile, Karl and Flash had found and regrouped with the human armada. The Armada was hiding in the thick atmosphere layer of the gas-liquid giant: Saturn. Due to the extreme environment, the Armada had turned on its shield.

"Reporting to Admiral, we are back!" Karl and Flash saluted on the screen.

"Welcome back." Samantha's face was lit up with glee after seeing the return of the two young captains. They had lured the enemy to the trap, and as soon as they approached into the firing range, the human fleet would greet the Zergs with a surprise shower of steels.

The X-6 units were completely gone from the Zergs' radar, and they knew that the only place they could be hiding would be inside the asteroid belt. The stubborn Zergs would not give up the chase so easily after having followed the X-6 units for so long.

Everyone waited patiently for the Zergs' to take the final bait. However, after half an hour, there was still nothing.

"Report! We have an emergency! The dark ones' fleets are coming toward us from all directions. They have encircled the entire planet." A scout shouted into the intercom with a trembling voice. "It's a TRAP!"

Someone must have tipped off the dark ones from within the Armada!

"I smell a mole!" Xiao Se's face darkened as he announced.

"For f*ck's sake! What the hell is going on? Bring me the star chart! "Li Hong shouted hotly.

The star chart flickered onto the screen and displayed a swarm of Zergs around them. This was not a fleet; it was the Zergs' entire Armada! They were trapped! If they left the Saturn ring, they would almost definitely be destroyed. But, how long could they last in this unforgiving environment?

Li Hong and Xiao Se looked at each other with fear. This could very well be their last battle. Soon, all the commanders on the ships realized their dire situation. Still, they couldn't come to terms with the reality. This was supposed to be their moment to shine; but instead, they had loaded a gun and shot themselves in the foot.

Everyone immediately drew the same conclusion: there was a mole among them.

But who?

This person had to come from amongst the higher rank commanders, since the operation had always been kept a secret from ordinary soldiers.

The door to Samantha's office was swung open, and captain Sailuofu appeared. He had been the most loyal follower and an admirer of Samantha.

Xiao Se shot Sailuofu a glance, and they knew the answer right away. "It was you!"

Sailuofu cracked a smile. "I know how you feel right now, but your fate is sealed. I didn't leave you guys for old time's sake, and I want to give you one last chance. Please, join the immortals. They are the real future of mankind."

Samantha smirked contemptuously: "Did Patroclus tell you to say that?"

Sailuofu's face hardened. "You know my feelings toward you. It had nothing to do with Patroclus. I want you to join me! Surrender now, or else, you won't have another chance."

"Surrender my a*s! I'm glad that you didn't leave us so that I can do away with you, traitor!"

Sailuofu cursed in his mind. He didn't expect the situation to escalate so quickly either. His original order didn't include any information on the complete annihilation of the human fleet. He wagered that the change of objective had nothing to do with Patroclus, since he was not well known for his capaciousness. It had to be that dipsh*t Dimalis.

Sailuofu conceded that his only option right then was to persuade Samantha to join the immortals.

"I am thinking for everyone. If I didn't care about you, I would have run away a long time ago. How many years have we been on the run for? I am sick of it, and so is everyone else. Even if we can destroy the dark ones' armada, then what? Patroclus' fleet is ten times stronger than the dark ones'." Sailuofu pleaded one last time. "Please, come with me. The immortals could use your talents and skills. They are not who you think they are…you will see."

As Sailuofu spoke, the Zergs' armada had started to shrink the encirclement. Samantha sighed and then turned to the two generals, "I apologize! It was my fault letting a mole into our ranks."

Li Hong and Xiao Se smiled, "Perhaps it's our destiny. The humans will not stop fighting because of our defeat. We should at least try to give them a heavy blow before our time comes." Xiao Se said with aplomb.

"I didn't see that gusto in you, Xiao Se. Haha!" Li Hong laughed, his voice laced with a peaceful finality.

Sailuofu's face paled, as he didn't want to die. "Samantha, come with me. You will only rot with these old fools, as the immortals will…"

"Shut up, traitor!" Samantha rebutted hotly.

"Traitor? You call ME a traitor, you floozy b*tch? I had been nice to you ever since we met, and what did I get? Nothing! But as soon as Wang f*cking Tong showed up, oh no…you spread your legs faster than the speed of light. I can't wait to see you're a*s getting wrecked by the dark ones!"

"You won't see that." Li Hong said with an eerily calm voice as he produced a pistol from his desk.

"Hold on! Don't kill him yet." Samantha urged Li Hong.

"Hehe, I knew you would change your mind. Come with me now" Sailuofu said.

"Why do we need this scumbag alive?" Li Hong asked.

"We can't hold him as a hostage. The dark ones wouldn't give a sh*t about him."

Samantha shook her head and said, "No. I just want him to see our victory. As a matter of fact, we need to thank him for our victory."

For a fleeting moment, Xiao Se and Li Hong thought Samantha had gone crazy.

"Everything is under control, generals. We had played along with the Zergs and made them think that they had seen through our ruse, so that we could lure their entire armada." Samantha said firmly with confidence.

"Admiral… how are we going to eliminate the Zerg's armada?" Xiao Se asked carefully, unsure if Samantha's mind was stable. They had run out of mass destruction weapons many years ago, and the only way to seal the fate of the Zergs was to turn their ships' engine into nuclear bombs. But that meant the end of their lives as well.

"I can't disclose more about this. You will have to wait and see," Samantha said.

"Oh shut up you liar! I know your fleets well. You have nothing to use against the dark ones."

Suddenly, Xiao Se and Li Hong both had a moment of epiphany as they looked to each other and announced, "Wang Tong!"

Chapter 654: God's Will

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

One should not confuse the earth element with the god of earth and agriculture Saturn; instead, it was one of the primordial elements that supported the existence of all substance in the universe. That being said, this element was the most abundant in and near the planet of Saturn. Unlike other forms of the earth element that prevented the caster from tapping into its power, the element existed on the planet in the form of liquified gas.

Meanwhile, Wang Tong and his caster companions had already traveled to the source of Saturn's power. In addition to the seven casters that accompanied Wang Tong, Mr. Wannabe was also with him.

The energy on the Saturn was wild and powerful. Mr. Wannabe opened his arms and poured out his GN force to form a protective shield. Everyone was stunned by his display of strength.

"It's about time…Let's start!" Wang Tong announced as he connected his soul energy with the planet. With a golden flash, Charcoal's illusive apparition appeared behind him out of nowhere. Wang Tong muttered something to him and the latter took off, flying toward the core of the planet.

Meanwhile, the other casters also channeled out their soul energy, trying to coax the primordial force into submission. In the sea of wild and turbulent energies, the casters followed Wang Tong's soul essence closely.

Earthquake!

When all the casters' soul energy was in sync, Wang Tong blasted their combined energy toward the tunnel which Charcoal had dug out and propagated them along the way.

Meanwhile, the Zerg encirclement had pushed near the Saturn's rings. Once they got the order from Zhoudi, they could blast the asteroids to dust along with anything hidden inside.

"All ships lower your attitude right now!" Samantha ordered a command.

As the human ships got closer to the surface, the environment condition worsened. However, it was more dangerous if they moved the other way, so the captains followed Samantha's order and dropped their altitude.

The rogue energy bashed and gnawed at the ship, so the captains had to crank up their shield levels, draining a massive amount of their finite energy resources.

"Admiral, it's too dangerous! Our shield can only last five minutes at most." Li Hong said with a hard face.

"Please believe me and keep lowering. Slow and steady."

A minutes later, lights on the ship's dashboard started to flicker due to the rapidly draining energy. Two minutes later, the alarms went off, warning everyone about the energy depletion. Three minutes later, the energy shield started to waver.

Samantha didn't speak a word as the ships still kept on dropping. All around the captains, lights were flickering and the engine was sputtering; it was a suicide attempt

Five minutes later, a silence suddenly fell into the commander's room and the power turned back on while the lights stopped spasming.

Everyone could only stare. Where were they and why were they not dead?

The batteries of the ship started to recharge as rapidly as they had been drained. The soldiers looked out of the window and noticed that they had passed through the terrifying atmosphere of the giant planet and reached the peaceful and calm stratosphere. Above them, dark clouds of green, yellow, and red roiled as colorful but frightening lightning forked like the tongue of a serpent.

A blue swirl of energy formed amidst the chaos; it started as a small wisp of pale blue, but quickly absorbed the energy around it and became a giant whirlwind shaped monstrosity. It took off toward the outer atmosphere and grew bigger by the second. When it reached the Saturn's ring, it was already the size of a planetary cyclone. Its tendrils wrapped around the asteroids and hurled them outward.

The Zergs had just gotten within their firing range, but were astonished to see the asteroids become alive with energy and fly at them at a deadly speed.

In the next moment, they were caught in a cosmic hail of epic intensity; it was already too late to escape.

The human soldiers watched in fear as the shower of asteroids washed away the Zergs' fleet without even slowing down. In a blink of an eye, half of the Zerg ships were reduced into useless space junks.

The energy didn't stop growing, but instead, it increased the cyclone's size, seeming to build up energy within the eye. A few seconds later, a spectacular eruption started from the center of the whirlwind and rippled outward; the energy wave lit up the asteroids aflame and capitulated the rocks at the Zerg fleet at an incredible speed. One second later, the Zerg armada was erased from the universe forever.

All the humans on the main ship watched the development with fear and disbelief. What happened to the asteroid belt? The asteroid belt that had surrounded Saturn was gone; the giant planet looked almost naked.

Sailuofu slumped on the floor and was seized by fear.

"Is this the work of Wang Tong?" Xiao Se murmured incredulously.

"Yes, this is his work. He is the savior of mankind."

"The god has answered." Li Hong muttered in reverence.

The asteroid belt was gone, and so were the dark clouds above the human fleet. They had watched the destruction of the Zerg armada in full display. The sudden turn of events had filled them with trepidation and elation.

"Full speed ahead!" Samantha's voice finally broke the spell.

The human armada took off to the outer space to chase down the surviving Zerg ships. Some Zerg ships that were at the very back of the formation had enough time to back out of harm's way. By then, they were already on the run away from the nightmarish battlefield. The human ships chased after them as a hungry lion would after its prey.

The human captains were so eager to draw some Zerg blood that they didn't even care to line up the ships into any sort of formation. The Zergs were too scared to fight back anyway. It had been five years since the humans had a major victory against the Zergs, so no one would pass up the opportunity to avenge their loved ones. Even General Li Hong and Xiao Se had joined the scramble.

Meanwhile, Wang Tong and the other casters had fallen asleep on the ship. This spell was much more taxing on the casters' system than the forbidden power.

The six warriors lay in their beds peacefully as the light started to shimmer around them. The light was particularly bright on Michaux, who had a moment of epiphany about the Divine path during the casting. This spell had opened another door in everyone's cultivation, allowing the casters to take a peek at the universe from an angle that was previously unknown to them, and what a marvelous sight it had been!

After some time, the remaining Zerg ships were destroyed by the humans; they didn't even have a chance to fight back before they were bombarded by vengeful fires. The dark ones' armada was no more, and neither was the little chance they had to reclaim Mars. The dark ones' defeat was also a loud slap on the immortals' face.

Dimas pulled a long face and looked troubled. He had warned the dark ones about Wang Tongs' real intentions; however, it was still not enough to prevent the tragedy. He finally conceded that Wang Tong was a force to be reckoned with, and his power was at least on par with that of the Divine Lord.

How did he create the asteroid storm? Did he have a secret weapon at his disposal? If that were the case, Wang Tong had to be stopped before he reached Moon.

The dark ones were done for; it was already set in stone. The real opponent of the immortals had finally surfaced: Wang Tong.

"My lord, we have an order from the Divine Lord."

"Connect."

Patroclus' image showed up on the screen.

"My Lord, I was just about to report to you."

"The dark ones are defeated," Patroclus said indifferently.

"You have already known?"

"It's written on your face. What do you think about it?" Patroclus asked.

"Wang Tong is unbelievably powerful. He is the number one enemy of the immortals," Dimalis said readily.

"Of course! The dark ones had forced him to use the last trump card in his hand. He has nothing left. Do you know what to do next? "

"Yes, my lord. I have faith in our strength, and I will not let Wang Tong reach the moon."

"Wang Tong's biggest strength is his unpredictability, but that's also his downfall. Remember that."

"Yes, my lord!"

Dimalis was one of the very few immortals who was able to understand Patroclus' cryptic messages. Dimalis turned off the screen and started to reflect on Wang Tong's strategies.

Chapter 655: Awakened

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

The thought of a powerful opponent gave Dimalis' lips a curve. He knew that if Patroclus were here, he would relate to his excitement.

The immortals were too powerful for humans to fight back, so the campaign against the weak humans was nothing but entertainment for the Divine Lord. However, Wong Tong was a different story; he was mysterious and immensely powerful.

How was he able to command the asteroid belt and inflict so much damage? Did he use a secret weapon given by the Blade Warrior or was it a power of his own?

Based on his performance during the fight against the dark lord, Dimalis wagered that among the immortals, only the Divine Lord himself would be able to subdue Wang Tong.

In order to evolve further, the immortals needed a powerful opponent. Without Wang Tong, the immortals would have stopped that process a while ago. The thought of continuous evolution brought him a sense of helplessness for those among the ranks of the immortals who would not make the cut during the next evolution wave.

From the list of names who were involved in the operation on Mars, Dimalis could easily tell that his mission also served as a house cleaning. If Harmon had brought all the divine generals with him, he would have already achieved his mission months ago.

Humans, as it turned out, would play a key role in helping the immortals to further their evolution and complete the next stage of metamorphosis.

Meanwhile, on Mars, the human soldiers were celebrating their victory in space. With the complete annihilation of the Zerg fleet, the Martians were finally liberated.

"This is unbelievable! I knew this day would come, but not so fast!" Zambrotta muttered out his surprise. The Zerg spaceships lurking above his head had kept him awake on many sleepless nights. The Zerg fleet was huge in number and had formed a blockade around the red planet. Even with the new large fleet that the Martians had just built, they would sustain huge casualties trying to break the encirclement. As the Martian warriors were ready to fight against the deadly enemy fleet, Wang Tong had eliminated the entire Zerg fleet with one fell swoop.

How was that possible? The Zerg fleet boasted over hundreds of thousands of heavy battlecruisers. But before the asteroid storm, the ships were akin to driftwoods in a boundless angry sea.

Lie Jian curved his lips and said, "Anything is possible for this guy. Now, it is time to show them our power. "

"The Sect will assist you in your attack!" Susu announced firmly. The Divine Mastery Sect had spared no expenses in the fight for the Martians' liberation. The Sect was created to safeguard peace on Mars from the start, so it should fulfill its duty when it was most needed. The guiding principles of the sect made it so that even if the last member of the sect were killed in the battle against the Zerg, the lives that were lost would be redeemed by the memory of their heroic deeds and what it stood for.

It was not uncommon for groups to deviate from their founding ideologies as fame and wealth mounted. However, Michaux and his predecessors were not concerned with worldly possessions, and therefore, had remained steadfast in their course. It was fortunate for the Martians to have the Sect fighting for them; the sect members were not only powerful, but also faithful to their belief. In part, the Sect's honorable reputation had helped it to swell its ranks, particularly during the time of hardship such as right then.

The thought of the Sect's unswerving faith and filled Lie Jian's heart with awe and respect. Wealth, fame and power, Michaux cold have it all, but he had forsaken them by choice. Anyone who thought that Michaux was an idiot for not taking advantage of his abilities was a fool himself.

How much did the worldly possessions worth when he had won the hearts of millions of Martians? A wise man used to say that to command the world, one needed first to command the populace's hearts. That being said, Lie Jian was convinced that Michaux would have scarcely thought of using his influence to manipulate the public and further his personal benefit.

After spending much time with Michaux, Lie Jian found himself affected by the Divine Master's altruistic mind. The Martian prince conceded that in order to see things clearer, he should seek moral high ground and re-examine the reality through the clear scope of altruism.

Lie Jian's selfish past was what slowed him down, but he still had a chance to adjust his world view and catch up with Michaux and Wang Tong.

"House Lie will donate all of our family assets." Lie Jian announced firmly. "We are humanity's last hope. There is nothing to come back to if we fail."

Susu cast a surprised glance at Lie Jian. "That is rare coming from you."

"Haha, am I really that selfish in your mind?"

Everyone laughed out loud, and Zambrotta nodded approvingly. The prince of Mars had finally started to see things from a different perspective. Zambrotta knew from the outset that his leadership was only transitional; the world belonged to the young people. But first, they would have to win it back from the Zergs.

"The War God's knights will follow House Lie's good example," Zambrotta announced. After setting the example, the leaders of Mars started to rally the Martian public, and the public answered with their whole-hearted support.

"What a stubborn little sh*t! Why couldn't he be more like me?" Zachery hovered in the air and muttered with concern flashing in his eyes.

"Mr. Wannabe, is master going to be OK?" Charcoal asked.

"Haven't you scanned everything? Why do you ask me?"

"My sensors can't detect soul energy yet."

"Don't worry, he always comes back. Sometimes, challenges are what make the humans great. Without challenges, your young master would never advance his cultivation." Zachery smiled. He knew that if he could crawl back from hell, his disciple, Wang Tong, should be able to handle the minor challenges in life as well. Ever since Zachery regained his memory, he could feel that he was advancing toward the state of super Einherjar every day, and he started to see things much clearer.

"I wish I could be a human." Charcoal exclaimed.

"Be careful what you wish for." Zachery put in.

"What should we do next?"

"Balls! This little sh*t took from neither Li Feng nor me. He is unique in his own ways. Perhaps that is for the better, but I suppose that we will be busy for the days to come."

Zachery didn't expect himself to be ever more restless after having regained his memories back than before. The past was the past, and only today and tomorrow mattered. No longer did he dawdle in his old memories as he looked forward to a brighter future for his adopted son. The Pirate King was back after hundreds of years, and his power was growing like he had wished it would five hundred years ago. However, he no longer harbored the ambition of claiming the world for himself, for he himself had become less important: his life was all about Wang Tong now.

Zachery and Charcoal flashed out of space as quietly and undetected as they had arrived.

Inside a spaceship, Wang Tong laid asleep in a bed. Beside him was Samantha who cuddled Wang Tong in her arms. Samantha stroke Wang Tong's face gently with a thumb and reflected on her past. She had achieved her dream and became one of the most powerful women in the human world. But what should she do next? Looking back, she reckoned that there had been no right or wrong choices in the past. She had left Wang Tong while she knew she couldn't have really lived without him; she left him not because of herself, but because she loved him and leaving him was the best option for both of them. After a while, Samantha pulled her mind out of her reverie and slunk out of the room before the sleepers woke up.

Xiao Yuyu and her fellow sect medics were the first ones to get out of their beds since they had the lowest amount of soul energies. Eyes glinting with a newfound energy, the improvement in their sea of consciousness was palpable.

"I have never felt more alive before." Wu Ling exclaimed.

"Same here! My sea of consciousness is full!" Linda chimed in.

"I feel it too. My soul energy has grown significantly. And everything seems so…familiar." Ye Zi agreed. "How did the battle go?" She asked.

"A total victory!" An officer reported to her as he looked around at Ye Zi's alluring features.

There were various versions of explanations as to what had happened; some said that Samantha had used a secret weapon, and some believed that Wang Tong and six other casters had evoked the asteroid storm using mastery.

"Thank you! How are the other casters? "

"You mean Wang Tong, Michaux and Guan Dongyang? They are still sleeping. The Admiral had issued an executive order to ban anyone from disturbing your recuperation. How are you feeling right now?"

"Oh, I am fine now! Please let admiral know that I am ready to return to missions."

"Yes, Madam!"

Chapter 656: Mother Supreme

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

The human fleet had already arrived at Mars' outer space and was ready to assist the Martian ground force to deliver a death blow to the remaining Zergs. The cooperation of forces on the ground and in space was crucial for victory as proven by the failure of Moye. Blinded by his conceit, Moye had failed to mobilize the space units, and that excessive combat had, in part, led to his demise.

The humans' top priority right then was to solidify their victory and deliver the final blow to the Zergs on their last leg.

"They are awakened? Great!"

"Flash, please cover my duty for a while, I will be right back. "

"Yes, sir!"

After the final battle was over, Samantha had promoted all warriors who had participated in the X-6 mission. Their reward was well deserved considering the risk they had taken.

After the total victory, Samantha had secured her position in the Armada. No one would think of opposing an admiral who had led the fleet into such a glorious victory. Although Samantha was not the warrior who had delivered the final and decisive blow to the Zergs, her brilliant management of the fleet was what made everything possible.

After Samantha had told the four medics about the details of what had happened after they passed out, Xiao Yuyu covered her mouth with surpassing a gasp. "It was such a close call!"

"Hehe, more like a blessing in disguise. I feel thankful to that traitor who had given us an opportunity to lure the entire Zerg Armada to us." Samantha exclaimed.

"Yeah! The fight against the immortals is bound to be more difficult because of people like him. I wonder if he was the only one." Ye Zi said with a frown.

"He is very likely to be the only one, at least among the higher rank officials. Nonetheless, lesson learned." Samantha said. She was confident that Sailuofu was an anomaly, although the initial revelation had caught her by surprise.

As she reflected on the incidence, an officer announced another good news: Guan Dongyang and Michaux had woken up as well. Seeing the visible changes that happened to the four medics, Samantha wondered what the recuperation would have done to the other two casters.

When Michaux and Guan Dongyang first woke up, they knew something about them had changed, although it was not obvious by looking at their appearances. Neither of them spoke a word once they woke up as they immediately started to meditate, trying to find out what had happened inside their system.

"How are they doing right now?"

"Lord Guan Dongyang's body felt hot as if he had a bad fever." The guard answered Samantha worriedly as she walked into the room. Although there was no sign of flames on Guan Dongyang's body, she could feel its presence in the temperature of the room.

Unsure of what was going on, Samantha could only stare ahead. Meanwhile, the four medics loosened their jaws in surprise, their eyes brimming with disbelief.

"Guan Dongyang has entered level twenty-five." Xiao Yuyu finally broke the silence. "The human world gained its first super Fire caster."

A level twenty-five super mastery caster?

The officials and the guards were shocked by the development. Ever since the METAL warriors had witnessed the power of the asteroid storm, no one dared to look down on the casters as they used to. The power of the mastery casters had gone beyond that of the deadliest human warriors.

Level twenty-five meant that Guan Dongyang was an Einherjar, and from then on, they had to address him as Einherjar Guan.

Meanwhile, Michaux was hovering in the air so quietly that the visitors almost didn't notice him at one corner of the roof.

"What's going on with Michaux?"

"Hard to say. His power is beyond our comprehensions. I bet only Wang Tong and Michaux could understand each other's power, other than him." Ye Zi said with a smile.

"Him? Who is that?" An officer couldn't resist a question.

"Patroclus."

"Their biggest enemy," Samantha added. "There is no need to fear him now, since Wang Tong is fighting for us. Anyway, we cannot harbor a dream of avoiding the conflict with the immortals either. As long as we have Wang Tong, humanity will prevail."

The mastery casters' improving condition quickly spread throughout the fleet, and the human soldiers cheered for their recovery. Previously, despite the celebrations for their victory, their hearts were gripped by the concern for the heroes' safeties.

General Li Hong also arrived at the room to pay the heroes a visit. "How is everyone?"

"Thank you for asking. Everyone has woken up except for Wang Tong. But, we doubt he is in any danger." Xiao Yuyu said politely.

"We need to celebrate after Wang Tong wakes up." Li Hong said with a broad smile. Wang Tong had proven his ability and earned his rightful place in the Armada, and Li Hong would think twice before he challenged Wang Tong's position again. A soldier's instinct told Li Hong that the fleet would be under Wang Tong's command once he woke up, since the latter was the only person who could lead the humans to victory.

When Wang Tong finally woke up a week later, the humans had restored order and peace on Mars. Only a very few Zergs still hid in the wilderness, and it would take a while for the humans to weed them out.

Meanwhile, Martians' first new fleet had marched into space and joined the Confederation armada. Soldiers from both sides and put away their differences and decided to work toward the same goal: restoration of the confederation space force.

During this time of turmoil, it was essential for the humans to have a strong leader and no one fit the definition better than Wang Tong. Only he could have turned the tables around on Mars by defeating the dark lord and completely annihilating the Zerg armada. Someone might have claimed that they could lead humanity in their darkest hour, but without backing the bold claim with facts—which no one could—the imposture of the true savior would be hard pressed to gain any support.

The soldiers followed Wang Tong not because of his might, but because they admired and revered him.

While Wang Tong was asleep, everyone, including the leaders of Mars, was deeply concerned about his life. Without him, the human resistance would soon crumble into dust, and signs of disrepair had already started to surface among the distraught soldiers while Wang Tong was absent.

Wang Tong was not only the de facto leader of the human coalition, but also the spiritual leader of millions of confederation soldiers. His existence lit up a beacon of hope during this hardest time of the human world.

Even after he had wakened up, he remained relatively elusive to the public, and only a very few soldiers had personal access to him. Samantha had shielded Wang Tong away from the insistent queries of the press and other faction leaders.

By then the human fleet had reached over than a thousand sails strong, many of which were of Zeus class battlecruisers. Most of the sailors on those ships were freshmen, and nothing would make a finer soldier than a difficult voyage and even more difficult battles.

"Wang Tong, what is our next move?"

"What are the immortals up to lately?" Wang Tong yawned and asked. The last battle had completely exhausted his energy, and therefore, it had taken him so long to recover.

"The immortals' fleets are mobilizing, but not toward Mars. We are not sure what they are planning." Samantha said, then shot Wang Tong a caring glance and asked, "Are you sure you will be fine?"

Samantha had been looking after Wang Tong by herself ever since he fell unconscious, as she found it difficult to trust anyone else with the task.

"No problem at all! I have learned a lot too." Wang Tong said with a satisfied smile.

"Did you really create that asteroid storm on Saturn? It was amazing! Even Michaux confessed that he had no clue what was going on." Samantha's eyes lit up with curiosity.

"Haha! Since when did you start paying attention to mastery?"

"Being curious is women's second nature." Samantha piped up. She didn't talk down to Wang Tong as principal would to her student; instead she spoke in a soft womanly voice that begged the attention of her first love.

"Hehe, mastery is the future. Although it is much more powerful than METAL combat, it could cause harm to the human society if not used properly. I have to be more responsible with its power next time."

Wang Tong shrugged, but his gloomy face had betrayed his concern. With great power came great responsibilities. When Li Feng revealed the GN force to the world, he could have also introduced mastery, but he feared the irresponsible use of such a tremendous power. Without a positive moral bearing, a powerful mastery caster could be much deadlier than nuclear bombs.

Learning to wield the power of the mastery began with exposure to the soul energy and GN force, and learning how to use these powers responsibly. These newly enlightened humans had lifted their minds from their primitive and savage past, and it was then, and only then, that the secrets of the mastery started to surface for the enlightened individuals.

"It was a truly terrible sight to see…It's not natural." Samantha heaved a sigh and then lamented, "This changed so many things on so many different levels."

"Unnatural? Haha…Are you suggesting that I am a god? I am not a god… Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to stand here and talk to you like this."

"You mean gods do exist?" Samantha asked in surprise.

Wang Tong moved his fingers through Samantha's silken hair. "Yes, and their realm is cold and indifferent. On another note, we have much graver issues to worry about than the gods. We need to find a way to strike back at the Immortals."

"Why? Things are looking up, aren't they? In your absence, Mars was finally liberated. And with the new GN crystal technology, we should be able to build a fleet large enough to face the immortals in space."

"Hehe, you have underestimated Patroclus."

"Why do you say that?"

"Don't you find it strange that the immortals had done nothing despite our victory on Mars?" Wang Tong asked abruptly.

"Because Patroclus didn't want to help his rival, the dark ones…" Samantha said with a smug smirk; Wang Tong was not always right. Knowledge about the rivalry between the dark ones and the immortals in earning the queen's favor wasn't a secret among the highest ranks of the confederation officials.

Chapter 657: Counterattack

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Wang Tong kept his silence and didn't reply. Samantha reflected on her answer and immediately realized that something was amiss. The Queen mother supreme had striven to maintain the balance between the two powers; therefore, she must have requested help from Patroclus to save the dark ones. So, why did Patroclus maintain his silence?

There could be only one explanation: Patroclus had gained dominance over the queen.

Without the swarms of Zergs, the immortals were not to be feared, but after they had gained control over the countless Zergs, they would become infinitely more difficult to deal with.

Wang Tong cracked a smile and then yawned again. "Patroclus had been working on the queen for many years. It's about time for him to make a breakthrough. These Zergs are really naive in thinking that they can control him."

Samantha nodded in agreement, as Wang Tong's words had hit the mark. The Zergs had thought that they could control the humans once they took the human flesh as a host, but little did they know about the boundless capabilities of humans' intelligence. Patroclus was not the only person who could have overcome the Zergs' spell. In the last five years, Patroclus had waited patiently, biding his time as he learned the weakness of the queen.

Thanks to his perfect genes and the new abilities he had picked up from the Zergs, Patroclus had quickly learned everything about the supreme mother.

"Although Mars has provided us with a capable fleet, if we meet the Immortals now, the war would drag on forever."

"Are you proposing to pulverize the moon as you did to the Saturn's asteroid belt?"

Wang Tong was amused by the question, "Haven't I already told you that I am not a god?"

"You are closer to a god than anyone could ever be. You might have to get used to your soldiers calling you a god by now. Although you are on my ship, everyone expects me to serve you." Samantha jested.

"Haha, I appreciate it. But, the answer to your question is no. The Saturn's asteroid belt was unique in its structure, which made our spell possible. The moon is a different story. Plus, Patroclus is not going to fall for it."

"So, what is your plan?" Samantha asked.

"To be honest, my power right now is at par with Patroclus at best. Therefore, I have to try to gain an edge strategically. But first, I need to figure out what my enemy is thinking."

"Are you implying that he could return to the humans?"

"Not a chance! I am just not sure what his real goal is. The birth of immortals was not purely to aid the Zergs' war against the humans…It was also a manifesto of Patroclus' personal belief. Although I know that the battle between us is inevitable, part of me still likes to think that this is not going to be a war, but only a battle between the two of us."

"Don't try to carry all the burden by yourself. The human race is not as fragile as you think. Let them come!"

"Haha, you sound like Karl!"

"Buzz off! Don't hold everything inside. You need friends more so than Patroclus would." Samantha rebutted with a smile.

"I know."

Samantha noticed the flickering in Wang Tong's eyes, and knew he was about to leave. "Are you leaving?"

"You know me the best." Wang Tong nodded.

"It's too dangerous to go by yourself. Why can't you wait for the fleet to get ready?" Samantha asked concernedly.

"Hehe. I know you want me to stay, but I need to figure these things alone."

"You are going to the moon?"

"Yes. I am going to Patroclus's home base. I need to see the situation there with my own eyes before I draw any conclusions."

"Be careful!"

"Haha…don't worry about me. I don't think anyone in this world is able to harm me." Wang Tong said confidently. His confidence was not unfounded, since during his slumber, he had gained new insights into the world. This new enlightenment had also spurred him to go to the moon as a part of the re-examination of the situation.

Wang Tong had never doubted the malignant nature of the dark ones, but what about the immortals?

"Should I stop you?"

"You won't because you always agree with me."

"Sometimes I wish I could be dumber so you could protect me."

"I will protect you nonetheless."

"Yeah, yeah, I believe you. What about Michaux?"

"I won't tell them about my departure, but they will understand. After the last battle, Michaux and Guan Dongyang should have improved their mastery significantly, so the team should be in good hands after I am gone. The Confederation shouldn't rush to the Moon right away. Instead, you should focus on rebuilding the communication lines and warp portals around Mars."

"Why don't we press on while the soldiers' spirits are up?"

"We are not ready yet, but the Zergs are. The immortals knew that they are the next target, so they must be prepared for our attack. We need to journey far to get to them, and the trip would be taxing on the soldiers' vigor. I say slowly does it, what say you?"

"I see sense in it. Maybe I have been taken away by our series of victories. Time to take things slowly, I guess."

"It's not a bad thing for the soldiers to have a high spirit. The key is to channel their energy toward a positive outcome…"

"Are you preaching me?" Samantha cut Wang Tong short.

"No, no. I am always your student."

"Very well, I thought so too. So, do we wait for your signal for a full-on attack?"

"Nah, don't mind me and carry out your task at your own pace. We have lots of talents on our ships, such as Karl."

"Ok, I will wait for your good news then."

…

The survivors of the immortals' attack had spun wild tales about the brutality of the divine lord and his heinous crimes against the people on the moon. However, when Wang Tong sneaked through the nearly impenetrable security system and landed on the moon, he found the scenery rather peaceful.

There were no monsters roaming on the streets, and neither were there signs of mass killings of the public. Over ninety percent of the population on moon was still human, and they plodded on with their daily life just as they had five years ago.

Without any notable geographic barriers on the moon's landscape to stop the immortals, taking over it had been swift and almost effortless.

Before the war, the moon boasted the strongest defense of all the human settlements. However, as a native resident of Earth's moon, Patroclus knew that the defense was much weaker than it appeared on paper. After the moon fell into the immortals' hands, the humans on Earth panicked. Meanwhile, they were concerned about the fate of the Ivantians who didn't make it out of the moon in time. Would they be forced to turn into hideous monsters or would they be killed in cold blood? The earthlings wished that their Ivantian counterparts would choose the latter. However, neither of that was true. Despite Patroclus' strong-handed approach in the makings of many new policies, he had left most of the Ivantians in peace. His Zerg army was well disciplined and lacked the appetite for human flesh. After the war, the primitive Zergs were turned into free labor to rebuild the cities that were destroyed by the war. In an ironic way, these monstrosities had even contributed significantly to the local economy.

Over time, Patroclus convinced more and more Ivantians about his cause, and the ranks of the immortals swelled. Amazingly, most of the new members joined Patroclus' army of immortals willingly; some had even become fanatics.

Ivantians were the most open-minded human sub-race. In order to alleviate the public's fear of things that they didn't understand, Patroclus even built museums to educate the public on what it meant to be an immortal. The key takeaway of all the exhibitions was that while coexisting with the Zerg parasite, the human host still remained in full functional control of his or her body and mind.

After a while, even the fear surrounding being an immortal disappeared, and the public started to see the benefits of becoming one of Patroclus' followers. Not only would the Zerg parasite grant the humans an invincible body, but also the gift of immortality.

Chapter 658: Deliberation

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Slowly but surely, order returned to the moon. Although the people were still subjugated under a semi-martial law, they had returned peacefully to their normal day to day life. As the public's view toward the immortals shifted, no longer did the immortals evoke fear; instead, it was even considered an honor to join the immortal army.

As the ranks of the immortal's swelled up, their interaction with humans also increased. After seeing their nearly limitless vitality while the human lives ebbed away by the day, the public started to revere them as formidable instruments of gods. Who didn't want sweet immortality? And then there was the sense of pride that spurred young and capable men and women to flock to Patroclus' side. The pride came from the fact that in the strange symbiosis between human and the parasite Zerg, the human was not only the host, but also the master.

However, the popularity of the immortals did not amount to lack of resistance on the moon. The conditions on the moon had forced them to operate underground, and they struggled to exert their influences after the shift in public's perception of their enemies. The Ivantians had opened their arms and embraced Patroclus and his ideology. They started to value the order that Patroclus had brought to them and praise his ambitions. After Patroclus had taken Earth, he would expand his immortal empire to every corner of the universe. Viewing themselves as the elite race of the human world, the Ivantians had long since harbored great ambitions, such as those of universal dominance. Of all the great Ivantian leaders, only Patroclus was able to put it into action, and there would be a horde of Zergs to safeguard them along their journey.

The Zergs had unwittingly become the servants of the immortals, and Patroclus designed to keep it that way. Eliminating the dark ones was the key step in keeping the Zergs in check. His ambitions were known to the Zerg leaders when he killed the two Zerg generals five years ago. It was his loud and clear deceleration of independence.

Once Patroclus showed the public his vision, the Ivantians stopped opposing him, and the elite members of the Ivantian societies yearned to join the Immortals where opportunity lied.

The Ivantians had a long history of gene splicing, and they quickly viewed Patroclus' actions as simply another gene editing experiment. Their indifference toward Patroclus' betrayal of humanity deeply concerned Wang Tong.

There would be nothing to liberate If the Ivantians were content with their lives.

The public had gotten used to the immortals and even bought into their propaganda. The admission to the immortal army was viewed as the highest form of award that was worthy of public display.

Patroclus, by his own will, had worked hard to flesh out reforms in the Ivantian society. The mother supreme had no interest in sparing resources to build a utopia for humans—that was the exact opposite of what she wanted. However, being subjugated by Patroclus' will, she had no choice but to obey.

Although the immortals were the elite class of the society, they would have to face the same severe punishment as their human counterparts should they violate the law. The justice and fairness helped to placate the public.

Seeing the indifferent faces in the streets, Wang Tong furrowed his brows; he knew the task would be difficult, but this seemed nearly impossible.

Patroclus had adopted different strategies on different planets. Mars had been under the dark ones' control, and therefore, his priority was to drive out the dark ones, paying little attention to the native human residents.

Meanwhile, he maintained a brutal totalitarian regime on the Earth due to the planet's geographical diversity and stubbornness of the earthlings' minds. Unlike the Ivantians, the Earthlings were often opposed to anything new, many of whom even viewed the gene splicing technology as immoral, much less the merging of one's body with a monster.

The complex terrain had helped the humans in their defense, and so far, none of the human cities had defected to the immortals. Over time, Patroclus conceded that it was impossible to garner the same support he had enjoyed on the moon, and neither it would be easy to wipe out the entire human population on Earth.

Wang Tong had sensed that Patroclus had faced resistance on Earth, and he wagered that the outcome of their final showdown would be the deciding factor to the fate of billions of inhabitants there. Before their final showdown, Wang Tong decided to leave the current situation as it was in order to minimize the destruction brought by the war.

Meanwhile, on the moon, Patroclus was reading a book in his personal garden. Basking under the sunshine, he lolled in a lounge chair and took a deep breath, letting the mixture of earthy and fruity smell fill up his nostrils.

Footsteps approached him from behind, but Patroclus didn't spare the visitor a glance as he kept his vision on the book.

"I didn't expect you to be here in the garden while the whole world is burning outside." Zhou Sisi remarked, with much rancor in her voice.

Patroclus cracked a smile. "Why are you still so bitter and sour? I thought you were happy that Wang Tong is alive." Patroclus closed the book and set it on a side table. "Grab a seat…I won't bite!"

Zhou Sisi shot Patroclus a searing glance and felt a strange mixture of anger and gratefulness. Although Patroclus had destroyed the world she loved, he had saved her life and treated her with respect and dignity.

"You have seen what Wang Tong's is capable of. Under his leadership, Mars is now finally liberated. Aren't you afraid that you will meet the same fate as Moye? And what are you after exactly?" Zhou Sisi asked hotly. She had tried to pry into the real motives of Patroclus over the years, but failed.

"If I have to meet Wang Tong in a one on one combat, who do you wish to be the winner?" Patroclus asked.

"I wish that day will never come."

"Haha. Too bad, our fight is inevitable. If Wang Tong wins the battle, you will be free." Patroclus was pleased by the fact that Zhou Sisi didn't curse him to death.

"Humanity's worst enemy, the dark ones are defeated, and Zergs are no longer a threat. Why don't you try co-existing with the humans instead of bringing them down completely? " Zhou Sisi asked.

"Hehe. It's already too late. Humans will not forgive the immortals for what they have done."

"At least you can try."

"I know human nature better than anyone. They could accept Kaedeians, but the immortals stood no chance of getting along with them." Patroclus said faintly. He was no longer one hundred percent confident about his victory over Wang Tong. However, he wagered that the odds were still on his side. As long as he could survive the final battle against Wang Tong, the immortals would be able to swallow the human world slowly but surely. But, what then? What would happen to the world after the Immortals took over? No one except for Patroclus knew the answer.

"Judging by how you have treated the humans on the Moon, I can tell that you don't want to wipe us out. Sometimes, I even wonder if you had done everything in order to dismantle the threat of Zergs from the inside. If that is the case, congratulations…mission accomplished!" Zhou Sisi said, her eyes gleaming with hope.

"Hehe…You are always so optimistic, aren't you?" Patroclus laughed.

Zhou Sisi paused for a second and the lights in her eyes went out. "Yes. I am an optimist."

"I thought that out of all the people I know, only you would understand me."

"I am sorry to disappoint you. You have created the so-called Immortal race in order to refine the human race, but you have missed the point the entire time! Death is what defines us, our humanity, and our strength. The immortals are not humans…they are freaks!"

"I understand why you find it hard to accept their existence. They have only existed for a half a decade, and it would take a long time for them to be accepted into the human race. But, look around you. Doesn't the peace and prosperity on the moon say something to you?" Patroclus smiled and then took a sip of tea.

"Are you kidding me? You call it peace and prosperity while you turned millions of people into slaves? The progress of science has completely halted as everyone has turned their attention to the perverse power of immortality. Do you think that is an improvement? No! It is degradation! Sooner or later, you and your immortal power will turn everyone into lifeless zombies!"

"Go on, "Patroclus announced without rancor.

"The immortals are neither humans nor Zergs. This state will implode from the inside sooner or later. It was a joke from the start."

"Sadly, my dear, this joke is going to stick with us for a long time to come."