After observing his surroundings for a while, Ian’s face turned solemn as he stared off into the distance. “Captain, can you help me look at the nearby area?”
Qijin did not inquire further, and he simply took Ian along as he flew along. Ian had already become a Limiteer and had the power level to destroy an ordinary planet, so if he was asking for company, then it meant that there were probably enemies nearby.
Qijin told his troops to stay alert.
Ian spent over an hour looking around. Finally, with a serious look on his face, he looked at Qijin. “Captain, I would like to talk with deputy captain Shalosh.”
In King Zishan’s palace, Lu Yin opened his gadget, and Shalosh’s image appeared on the screen. “Your Highness, the Ordnance Mercenaries may have discovered other troops hidden within Frostwave Weave.”
Lu Yin was shocked.
Without any hesitation, he immediately sent the Rapid Response Team over to the uninhabited planet where the Ordnance Mercenaries had landed for emergency repairs.
The members of the Rapid Response Team had been personally handpicked after the summit talks between Lu Yin and the various heads of the different allied powers in the Great Eastern Alliance. This team travelled around in a radiant-grade Aurora so that they could complete their tasks in the shortest amount of time possible. There were 113 people in the Rapid Response Team, which consisted of one hundred Explorers, ten Cruisers, and three Hunters.
This squadron was the Great Eastern Alliance’s special forces, and this was the first time Lu Yin had mobilized them.
The three hunters had all been independent cultivators, and there were only two people who could give them orders: Lu Yin and the commander of the Allied Forces, Luying Zishan.
***
On the desolate planet, Ian spoke in a low voice. “Captain, it’s possible that we’re being watched right now, so let’s put on a bit of a show to avoid being wiped out.”
“Are you certain that there are enemies here?” Qijin asked. Shalosh had already contacted the Royal Regent. If it turned out that there were no enemies, things would become very humiliating, and even worse, it would attract the Royal Regent’s attention.
Ian replied, “I’m not sure if there are any still here, but they were definitely here earlier.”
Qijin’s heart sank. “How long ago?”
Somewhat uncertainly, Ian said, “Around ten days ago.”
Qijin heaved a sigh of relief. It would not look too bad if enemies had indeed been on this planet around ten days ago.
Qijin commanded the Ordnance Mercenaries to act as though they were looking for minerals in the surrounding region, as he intended to use this ruse to confuse any enemies that might still be in the area.
Far away from the mercenaries, deep underground, there was a huge open space. There were a hundred thousand soldiers in this space. Ian was right—there were indeed enemy forces nearby.
“General, shall we destroy them?” In a spacecraft in the subterranean space, a middle-aged man was studying a map while listening to a report from his aide-de-camp.
They had not been monitoring the surface as using any sort of monitoring equipment had a chance of being discovered. Instead, they had used the most primitive observation device: a specially made telescope that specialized in star observation.
The middle-aged man solemnly replied, “Are these the Ordnance Mercenaries from Frostwave Weave?”
“Yes.”
“Then don’t touch them. The deputy captain of the Ordnance Mercenaries is Shalosh, who’s the captain of the Eighth Imperial Squadron. If we wipe out these mercenaries, then Shalosh won’t let the matter rest. He will definitely look into who did it, and that would blow our entire cover,” the middle-aged man said.
The aide-de-camp replied, “Will they discover us?”
The middle-aged man shook his head. “That’s unlikely. Haven’t we already erased all traces of our arrival from the surface? Even people who have received high level military training wouldn’t be able to discover us, much less some mere mercenaries.”
“Indeed.”
Back on the surface, Ian returned to the spacecraft. Dana rushed over and grabbed Ian. She moved closer to him and drunkenly said, “Come on, let’s go and have some fun!”
Ian did not know what to do. “Sister Dana, you’re drunk.”
“I’m not drunk! You won’t be here for much longer anyways. Father said that he’s going to recommend you to the Imperial Thirteen Squadrons. Do you really want to leave?” Dana questioned Ian.
Ian did not know how to respond.
Dana suddenly vomited all over Ian. Ian laughed bitterly, as he was already used to this behavior.
Ian held Dana as he looked out of the spacecraft, occasionally glancing at his personal gadget. He raised his head. Soon, soon.
Even though Frostwave Weave was massive, the incredible speed of a radiant-grade Aurora made the distance seem much smaller.
With the appearance of a spacecraft in the sky, Ian heaved a sigh of relief. They had arrived.
In the underground space, the aide-de-camp’s face changed as he received a new report. “General, something is off.”
Right as he spoke these words, the ground trembled. A mighty force had surged forth and permeated the entire planet. This was the power of a Hunter.
The middle-aged general was stunned. “Hurry! Board the spacecraft and prepare for battle!”
However, it was already too late. A powerful Hunter tore through the planet and suddenly appeared in front of the soldiers. There were only two powerful Cruisers among these troops, and they had no way to fight off a Hunter. The soldiers were quickly defeated, and the general was captured.
***
In front of King Zishan’s palace, Qijin had a nervous expression on his face. As the captain of the Ordnance Mercenaries, he had overcome many adversities, but the person he was about to meet was an absolute legend. Given the captain’s standing, it had been extremely unlikely for him to ever meet such a person, but at this moment, he was really going to meet the Royal Regent, Lu Yin, a legend of the universe.
Ian stood beside Qijin. He had contributed a great service, and Lu Yin had specifically mentioned that he wanted to meet Ian.
Ian was feeling rather torn. Back during the trial on Earth, he had been robbed by Lu Yin. Everyone had ridiculed Ian for that, and he had become a laughing stock. After that, he had gotten drunk in a bar and violated Dana, which had forced him to join the Ordnance Mercenaries. It could be said that his life had completely changed by that single event.
Before the trial on Earth, he had been the top student of the Imperial Military Academy, the cream of the crop, and a definite shoo-in for Yu Academy. He had had a bright future ahead of him.
But after the trial, he had become nothing more than an insignificant mercenary.
In the beginning, Ian had hated Lu Yin. However, as Lu Yin’s reputation grew, especially after the Tournament of the Strongest, where Lu Yin had become a household name, Ian’s feelings towards the youth had changed. At that time, he had even told Dana that not everyone had the chance to battle against a legend.
He had initially thought that he would never have any more interactions with the man, and he had certainly not expected to meet Lu Yin so soon again. This was the person who had robbed him but was still known as a legend.
“The captain of the Ordnance Mercenaries, Qijin, pays his respects to His Highness, the Royal Regent.” Qijin bowed outside of King Zishan’s palace.
“Ian of the Ordnance Mercenaries pays his respects to His Highness, the Royal Regent.” Ian bowed as well.
Lu Yin smiled at the two men. “There’s no need for the formalities. Have a seat.”