Feigning Compliance Tactics

Lu Yuan boarded the Sky Fortress, which was packed with several hundred insects specialized in warfare.

The remaining insects were mainly responsible for logistics. Their combat power was mediocre, and they were not particularly clever, so they were left behind to guard Green Field Mountain...

He had not even brought the Life Tree!

If anything happened at the Human Civilization headquarters, he could immediately kill himself and return to the city.

Just like that, the Sky Fortress entered optical stealth mode and flew higher and higher. Then Lu Yuan heard a soft rumble from below as the Sky City floating on the water swayed slightly once more!

This was caused by fluctuations in buoyancy due to disruptions in the anti-gravity system.

The enemy had landed!

Voices rose and fell through the Opium Poppy Tree earpieces, making everyone restless and agitated.

Old Cat had concentrated most of the troops near the energy system and the Central Shelter.

"Activate the city's Sturdy Glyph!"

"All personnel, enter the Underground Military Corridor!"

Several submarines finally surfaced, and missile after missile traced arcs through the air as they came bombing in!

At that moment, the dawn sun happened to rise. Murderous intent permeated the floating island. Many civilians in the shelters heard the bombardment and felt the city trembling faintly. Their entire bodies went cold as they prayed in silence and waited in silence.

This truly was a battle that would determine their fate... If it came down to it, they would each be handed a gun and sent onto the battlefield.

"The outside is full of Hypnotic Gas! All militia members, put on Gas Masks!" an officer roared in the shelter.

"Don't be afraid of those ant robots. If you see one, crush it with Extraordinary Tinder!"

"Don't worry about the city. Our Sky City will never sink!"

Having endured the volcanic toxic gas disaster, the shelters had no shortage of Gas Masks. That was probably the only good news.

Bomb after bomb streaked across the sky. The bombardment continued for over half an hour, even deliberately avoiding core areas such as industrial factories and focusing on the military camps.

That indicated that the rampant "ant robots" might still have limited information-transmission capabilities, but not much. The human soldiers had long since relocated to several core zones, preparing to fight them in street battles.

After the bombardment, a huge wave of armed fishman soldiers in all sorts of forms landed in the city.

They looked at everything around them expressionlessly, like robots, without the slightest emotional fluctuation.

"Fire!"

Several faces emerged from the trenches, unleashing a fierce barrage with Rocket Launchers.

After a scattered exchange of fire, people reached a very strange conclusion. Some of South Island Civilization's weapons were just ordinary guns and cannons, with only passable power—normal thermal weapons.

But a small portion of their weapons were practically alien-level, absurdly powerful!

Those pistol-shaped weapons could fire a rapid series of light waves. Once struck by those waves, even a Level Four expert would immediately be paralyzed on the spot. Level Five experts would also have their entire bodies go numb, their mobility drastically reduced!

Of course, equipment with sufficiently strong protection could withstand it for quite some time.

"Damn it, if the War Puppets could be used, why would we have to suffer like this?" several officers cursed.

Old Cat said calmly, "Take note. Their main purpose is to capture us alive and plunder our Spirits, God's Skills, and all the assets of Sky City. So they will not slaughter indiscriminately."

"Since we are at a disadvantage, we only need to slowly fight them in street battles and wait for news from Lu Yuan."

"Just like during the Painted Skin war... Our most important goal is to hold out and not be captured alive."

"Lu Yuan will definitely win. You don't need to worry!"

Senior Colonel Jin Dongliang dragged several wounded soldiers into the Underground Military Corridor, drew a longsword, and said viciously, "Hold out... Yes, we have to hold out!"

But this enemy was different from the Painted Skins. They possessed intelligence and advanced technology.

Although their firepower could not directly destroy the entire city, they had every method imaginable, including flamethrowers and poison gas.

More critically, these fishman soldiers were utterly unafraid of death. Their eyes were cold, and even when several were killed, they showed no reaction at all. Fear simply did not exist for them.

The fishmen quickly discovered the enormous Opium Poppy Tree at the center of the city. They swayed as though drunk. No matter how calm their expressions were, the one directing them from behind the scenes was no longer quite so composed.

A demon-level anomaly—this was truly a fortune!

Although this great tree appeared severely damaged, even wounded to its foundation by previous injuries and difficult to restore, its value... was still immeasurable.

Standing aboard the Sky Fortress, Lu Yuan saw the fishman army surrounding the Opium Poppy Tree. Anxiety filled his heart as he spoke through the Opium Poppy Tree earpiece. "Seashell, control the Opium Poppy Tree. Don't launch an attack recklessly!"

"Otherwise, heavy firepower will beat this tree to death."

"Mm... I know! I'll try to make the Opium Poppy Tree gentler! Order in the shelters is still intact, so be careful over there." Sea Snail Miss was hiding in a shelter this time instead of following Lu Yuan.

These fishmen truly were incomparably greedy. After briefly examining the tree, they were simply unwilling to attack it.

They directly regarded the tree as their future spoils of war.

The larger fishman at the front suddenly spoke through a loudspeaker. "Human Civilization!"

"Your industrial system and high-tech weapons have been paralyzed. Your shelters are surrounded by our forces!"

"If you are willing to offer ten thousand units' worth of Spirit Charm materials, along with this great tree, our forces will leave."

"We have no intention of exterminating any civilization. To reduce unnecessary losses, as long as you agree to our demands and offer the materials, we will withdraw immediately. Otherwise, we will use poisonous gas and biochemical weapons to wipe you all out."

Those words made the eyes of countless soldiers burn with fury. They could barely restrain themselves from charging out and slaughtering the enemy!

Even if their high-tech weapons had malfunctioned, with the equipment on their bodies and their superior individual strength, victory was not impossible.

"Old Cat, fight them!! Turtle Grandfather will lead the charge and draw their fire! You follow behind!" The Undying Giant Turtle opened his bloody maw and roared in fury. "Don't blame Turtle Grandfather for eating fishmen."

"Da Jin, use Mirage Space to carry some heavy firepower in! Da Jin, where's Da Jin?!"

"Little Mirage Dragon was taken away by Mr. Lu."

The Undying Giant Turtle roared angrily several times, and the officers below roared along with him.

However, the most composed Old Cat stopped the furious officers. The whiskers on his face twitched. "Wait. Are they saying this to break our morale?"

"Ten thousand units' worth of Spirit Charm materials is indeed something we can provide..."

"They seem not to know that we have already figured out their true nature. This is not a matter where surrender is possible..."

"They know even less that Lu Yuan has already set out..."

Everyone froze. The Sky Fortress was optically invisible and had taken off before the submarines landed. There truly was a chance they had been fooled...

And when facing South Island Civilization, humanity could never surrender!

Once they surrendered, even their descendants would be controlled by chips. That would be a Human Hell far worse than death.

Jin Dongliang said, "You mean we should feign compliance with them for a while?"

"That's right. Once fighting breaks out on Lu Yuan's side, we'll resist! Prepare the Spirit Speech Runes first. Don't worry about wasting them—we'll give them something vicious."

Thus, after some discussion, the human side sent out a translation expert, who shouted through a loudspeaker, "We can give you ten thousand units' worth of Spirit Charm materials, but you cannot take this tree!"

"It is already very fragile. If you move it, it will die immediately!"

To swindle Lu Yuan out of energy, the Opium Poppy Tree often pretended that its leaves were withering. With Sea Snail Miss deliberately controlling it as well, it looked even more at death's door, as if it might suddenly perish at any moment.

The fishmen who had wanted to strip its bark all stopped what they were doing.

They were even stunned for a moment. They had not expected humanity to truly yield. Could this race really be so weak and childish that a little pressure would make them submit?

"Since you wish to keep this tree, ten thousand units are not enough. We need at least fifteen thousand units' worth of Spirit Charm materials, and then we will leave the tree with you!"

"After that, we will leave."

The humans were practically bursting with resentment, but resentment was precisely the normal reaction.

Old Cat's black pupils spun twice. "It's fine. Keep that resentful mood as you negotiate with them slowly. Make the act convincing. In the end, just yield because you have no choice."

"Tell them the location of the National Treasury. There are a little over ten thousand units' worth of materials inside, along with the Dragon Eggshell. Together, that makes exactly fifteen thousand units of Spirit Charm."

Everyone was nearly furious enough to explode, their faces flushing red. Those were ores they had painstakingly mined near the volcano!

To have them seized by the Alien Race like this, in that instant, ignited towering fury.

Old Cat lowered his voice. "Don't rush. The war trump cards we have prepared over the years have not yet been used. We have Spirit Speech Runes, the Opium Poppy Tree can attack, and the Source Fire Cannon is undergoing emergency repairs... These things need time."

"But the enemy has landed one hundred thousand soldiers... There may also be some strange things among them, and they are not weak either. If we want fewer casualties, we must use some strategy."

"Of course, we cannot rule out that they are also stalling for time... Everyone, follow my orders. At a time like this, you must obey commands... and conduct reconnaissance as well."

Silence, silence. If they did not erupt in silence, they would perish in silence.

Even though everyone knew they could take their things back as long as they won the war, the fury coiled in their chests only burned hotter and hotter. Only slaughter could release it.