Chapter Seventy: The Situation

Suddenly, the starship shuddered violently, as if struck by an earthquake. In the darkness, Li Daoran had no idea what was happening. Fortunately, he was now in the training hall—a spacious and relatively safe place. The tremor did not last long. Soon, the energy was restored, the lights flickered on, and the sudden brightness made Li Daoran instinctively shield his eyes. It took a moment before he could see clearly again.

He quickly realized that the earlier quake had caused little damage—these structures were evidently built to withstand such shocks. Xu Xingxing emerged from his exoskeleton armor, and the two exchanged anxious glances. This kind of tremor was far from normal for a starship, but there was nothing they could do. After all, they couldn’t even leave this section of the ship.

Such days did not last. Three days later, with no further quakes, Fei Chai, Xiong Shan, and the other instructors returned, their faces radiant with excitement and joy. The moment they arrived, their students swarmed around them. Not all were so lucky; many new cadets could not find their instructors. When other instructors shook their heads, telling them the missing would not return, grief welled in these usually strong young men, leaving them at a loss. They were unprepared for such partings between life and death.

The instructors, however, were at peace with these matters. They simply clapped their students on the shoulder, promising that someone would always guide them. As for splitting the orphaned students among other classes, Wayne refused. He made other arrangements: though their instructors had fallen, their classes would inherit their honor and legacy. This was Wayne’s solemn promise. The students would be led by members of the fleet as they continued their studies, but for now, they needed time to accept reality. It was not the right moment to assign new instructors.

Xiong Shan gathered Class Ten in a section of the training hall, telling them to sit where they liked. Fei Chai, with nothing better to do, joined them, sitting beside Li Daoran.

“We won,” Xiong Shan announced without preamble, sparking a cheer from the crowd.

“But it’s not enough.” He waited for the cheers to die down before continuing.

“Let me explain the current situation, for we will soon undertake a mission together—a further counterattack. As the ones tasked with this operation, you must know your duty. We go to face a trial where survival is uncertain. Even if we fall, you must understand the meaning and value of sacrifice.” Xiong Shan’s voice was deep and steady.

The others, however, were already eager, showing no fear. Some even shouted, “Instructor Xiong, just tell us where to charge—none of us will turn back!” Cries of agreement erupted, eyes shining with the thrill of impending action. Even Xu Xingxing’s eyes glowed, and Li Daoran felt a surge of excitement in his heart.

After months of sharpening their blades, it was impossible not to yearn for battle.

But Xiong Shan raised his hands, calming their excitement; Fei Chai shook his head quietly beside him.

“You are still young. Courage is good, but when you’ve seen your comrades fall one after another, when war begins to weary your soul, remember this moment—remember why you fight,” Xiong Shan said.

“The military might of the Felicity Empire far exceeds that of our White Deer Republic. As an imperial state, they have prepared for this war for over a hundred years, through three generations of rulers, amassing vast armies. While much of their equipment is outdated, their numbers are overwhelming. For instance, their starships are mostly third-generation, while our main force uses fifth-generation ships. Yet their numbers are three to five times ours, which is how they captured the Milan Star System so quickly.

“But they cannot sustain this advantage. If they fail to digest the Milan Star System, their edge will slowly erode. Their industrial base and regenerative capacity are weaker than ours—they cannot win a war of attrition. Anyone can see this. The time they need to build one fifth-generation ship, we can build three. The prerequisite, though, is that Milan must remain in our hands.

“Miss Liu’s actions have turned the tide. Where we should have been at a disadvantage, she restored balance. The overall situation has not collapsed; we are at equilibrium.

“Let me recount what we have achieved. Four months ago, we were all on Silver Serpent Star. I trust you remember Commander Zhang Yi’s speech. That day, the Felicity Empire brazenly launched their war. Black Hand Wayne ambushed Commander Zhang Yi’s returning craft. Fortunately, Zhang Yi survived and escaped, but the attack struck a deep wound into the heart of the White Deer Republic.

“While external enemies invaded, traitors lurked within. Commander Zhang Yi’s route and transport were highly confidential, yet Black Hand Wayne still struck. Zhang Yi set aside internal disputes to resist the enemy, but suspicion and unrest continued to plague us.”

Three months ago, seeing the situation, Miss Liu strategized with brilliance and foresight. Publicly, she announced that the Mermaid Fleet would hunt down Black Hand Wayne, but in truth, she foresaw the fall of the Milan Star Region within two months. The actual mission of the Mermaid Fleet was to reinforce the Third Fold Point, the Felicity Empire’s true target. Without Miss Liu’s foresight, that point would have been lost, and any hope of turning the tide would have been mere fantasy.

As for Black Hand Wayne’s fleet, which had been lurking in the Nock System, Miss Liu had already dealt with them. The ruthless Wayne infiltrated Silver Serpent Star to assassinate her, only to fall to her counterattack—a perfect fulfillment of all strategic objectives.

Now, our task awaits. In space, our fleet has retaken control of the Third Fold Point. We will be among the first soldiers to land on Milan, a mission fraught with peril. Milan is the largest human-inhabited planet of the system, home to thirty percent of the White Deer Republic’s military industries—it cannot be lost. A brutal battle is raging for control of the Sunset Mountains, and we must land and reinforce our compatriots.

The difficulty of this mission needs no elaboration. First, we must break through the Felicity Empire’s blockade near Milan. Then, we must land safely—a process fraught with dangers. It is estimated that less than a third of our ships will make it through, but we must go.

Our sacrifice will tell our comrades on Milan that they are not abandoned, and never will be. No matter how great the danger or cost, we will support them.

The White Deer Republic never gives up.

This is the meaning of our mission. Do not think our numbers too few or our support insignificant. Even if only one of us reaches them, it matters. Reinforcements will follow, and in the end, we will prevail. The enemy will be destroyed.