144 A Ship Flew Overhead

Li Aoz raised his hand, and a Rocket Shell exploded behind him, the shrapnel instantly disemboweling several players. This bloody scene, coupled with Li Aoz's unwavering stance in the frame, immediately drew everyone's attention.

Five hundred years ago, the people of the Old Era Azure Planet People established a golden age where people lived in abundance and were free from war and poverty.

"Even they didn't go into space."

"A Malefic Calamity destroyed them all."

Li Aoz commented on the confused bullet comments and messages, saying, "I believe you must have heard similar statements: the universe and the sun are just things made up by the government. Even without the sun, we can still live well. There are still lifes on the Outland. There has never been any sunshine or blue sky. Those are just religions used to deceive people. Darkness and cold are the reality."

"Some people have been in the long night for too long. They have forgotten that there was once a glorious Old Era in this world. They have forgotten that humanity was originally one family, living in harmony on one planet. They do not believe that humanity can have a bright and promising future—this is not their fault. Humanity is inherently short-sighted and does not believe in things it has not seen."

"Because of Malefic Calamity, it stole our sunshine and blue sky. It also stole men's courage, women's kindness, politicians' ambition, workers' diligence and simplicity, farmers' peaceful and prosperous lives, and soldiers' unwavering faith. It tried to degenerate us back to primitive beasts, beasts that eat raw meat and drink blood, beasts that know nothing of order. It wanted us to die completely in the womb of our mother planet, to starve to death in the long night."

"I could have endured the darkness if I had never seen the light. Who would fear old age and death if we hadn't been young? If you hadn't been educated, how would you know that you've been exploited by capitalists, deceived by politicians into hating another group, forced to fight for a monarch, and then died alone and impoverished with the medals of the invaders?"

Li Aoz's speech had no music; only gunfire and snow played an unnamed symphony for him.

"We've decided to go to space."

Facing the camera, with players behind him relentlessly fighting off the attacks of the Heavenly Ring Soldiers, Li Aoz said earnestly:

"We decided to go into space not to escape this planet with war, hunger, plague and death, but to solve war, hunger, plague and death. We decided to go into space to find a new way out."

"There are 2.6 billion people on the Azure Planet today, but only a few hundred million are free from the problem of food. We want to survive, we want to live a good life, this is the common demand of all mankind. Not only that, but we should live a fulfilling life, and we should live a vibrant life."

"For this purpose, Azure Planet cannot accommodate us. Azure Planet, with its Malefic Calamity, cannot support everyone. Its energy will only gradually deplete—it does not even allow the existence of Gamma-rank powerhouses. In the endless Star Abyss, we can pursue our beautiful life, we can pursue a wonderful world!"

"People have been trapped on the ground for too long and have forgotten that this starry sky should belong to us."

Shells ripped through the sky, and some sharp-eyed people could already spot the mechanized advance on the ground. Li Aoz had to raise his voice and shout to the crowd:

"We've decided to go to space! We'll use Hydrogen Bomb to blast open these endless obstacles and layers of darkness. People in our own country have had enough of the false, cold sunlight, while Outland People have never seen real rain and sunshine. The solid ice beneath our feet will turn into a vast ocean, supporting an ecosystem that can sustain the people of the whole world!"

"We've decided to go to space! To prove that our home planet exists within the universe, and that we are, in essence, part of this cosmos. We rightfully deserve everything that other Cosmic Civilization should have. And we will reclaim everything that the Malefic Calamity took from us, tenfold!"

"We have decided to go to the universe! To accomplish what even the people of the Old Era, in their golden age, could not achieve. I want to instill this powerful faith in all of you, to let you know that although our world has a thousand and one flaws, we are now capable of doing things even greater than those of our predecessors—the tide of progress will never cease, hope is here, and we will never perish!"

Li Aoz pointed the camera at the players in the Biochemical Pool and prepared a task for them to come in front of the camera, activate their imposter mode, and give a self-introduction.

Starting with the one on the left, it's Caramel Snail who just got on. He's a Heavenly Ring People looks like a Street Punk, not particularly handsome, and not even twenty years old. He laughed at the camera and said:

"I am Saga Akira, from Sky Ring Nura City, 19 years old, a street ronin."

The camera then pans to Cumin Powder, where the trendy punk-dressed girl casually says, "Asakusa Yako, 22 years old, electrical apprentice, from the Frostplate Heavenly Ring People."

Next was Garryton, an honest-looking young man who scratched his head and said, "My name is Chen Zhengwei, a 26-year-old chef from Outland."

"Coleridge Spratton," Yu Tianxiao replied immediately. "Salesman."

Ye Zhangjian nods and says, "Ashiya Isshin, 29 years old, a stateless person from Outland, previously worked as a production line worker."

"Norma Linster, Outland, farmer."

"Aldredette von Gledeman, of Red Arrow descent, former programmer."

"Luo Wenhao, a refugee from Frostplate, used to be a dishwasher."

"Abbas Ali Muhammad, Outland People, an ordinary accountant."

"Nikolai Pulin Ohonik, Outland People, car driver."

The players, who were deployed one by one, wore simple, honest smiles. They came from ordinary farmers, workers, and ordinary citizens.

Li Aoz finally turned the camera to himself and said, "Li Aoz, of Outland descent, 21 years old, bank security guard and anchor."

"None of the astronauts you see now come from noble backgrounds. We all come from the grassroots of various countries and were once ordinary laborers."

"Just watch, the first humans to set foot in space will be us—ordinary people, laborers, just like you, from humble backgrounds!"

"Li Aoz!" Du Zexin suddenly shouted, "Everything is ready! Board now!"

Li Aoz immediately flipped over and jumped into the Biochemical Pool. He used gravity to lift the terminal above his head, and all the astronaut players looked up at the camera and made a grand speech. "In any case, the stars will witness the path we have opened for humanity. We are not heroes, we are just guides to the universe. From now on, you will no longer feel lost."

"It's time to step into the Star Abyss, fledglings."

"Countdown!"

Du Zexin shouted loudly through the loudspeaker:

"Ten!"

The players' lines were breached by the Mobile Armor. A Longtooth tank casually swung its weapon, shattering the players' ranks, and destroyed the drones sent out by Du Zexin with a single shot. It raised its Laser Rifle, aimed at the distant launch pad, and pulled the trigger.

"Nine!"

Whoosh! Just as the purple light of the laser burst forth, a massive figure descended from the sky, spanning hundreds of meters of battle lines. Gretvor, shield in hand, knelt on one knee, blocking the laser beam.

Life Shield

Boom! The scorching light liquefied the sand, and Gretvor's body erupted with life particles like a nebula storm, making his body shine brilliantly for a moment.

"You beings are not permitted to trespass into this realm!"

Gretwar Night Song's eyes were red-rimmed, his rapidly dwindling life force quickly regenerating. As a [Redemption] type [Inquisitor], he possessed the strongest physique and power. The beam of light caused his shield to gradually melt, but sustained by his life force, a hazy, luminous shield slowly enveloped it.

"Eight!"

"Gretvor, do you want to be an enemy of your own country?!"

The pilot of the Mobile Armor recognized Gretvor and immediately questioned him:

"Motherland..." Gretvor grinned, "My motherland is the Heavenly Ring Nation, a land of courage and discipline, a Heavenly Ring Nation of the people, not Heavenly Ring Nation privately owned by the Ring King!"

"Seven!"

The driver held deep respect for this Black Knight had risked his life to protect the people, and couldn't help but shout:

"Get out of the way! You can't stop this!"

"Six!"

"What did you say!" Gretvor braced his shoulder against the shield.

As the rifle's beam power gradually increased, Gretvor's body remained unyielding. He desperately resisted the impact of the beam, his armor melting and igniting, yet he still stood resolutely.

"Five!"

"Behind me lies the hope of humanity, and that is why I will not fall here!"

"Why waste your breath arguing with him!"

The remaining two Mobile Armor instantly bypassed the main unit in front, ignoring the pilot's urgent pleas. One of them, Long Fang, pulled out an electromagnetic longsword from its back, trampling the crowd while releasing an electronic smoke screen. The scorching electric mist blocked the crowd from getting close. Raising the longsword, it swiftly and cleanly slashed directly at the Biochemical Pool! "(Amirelian) Prosecution!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Thousands of golden swords rained down from the sky, instantly piercing the Mobile Armor. The towing chains caught on the ground, halting the destruction abruptly. Alexia created a sonic boom on the spot, raised her metal-encased warhammer, and slammed it down fiercely towards the enemy's cockpit!

"Four!"

The last mobile Mobile Armor suddenly burst into action, swaying left and right like dancing the tango, dodging the anti-vehicle weapons fired by the player, while turning around and launching a series of missiles, all aimed at the launch pad.

"Sayonara," the driver whispered, "Li Aoz."

This time, no one could stop him anymore.

Dozens of missiles were about to fall on the Biochemical Pool. Li Aoz, who was inside the Biochemical Pool, quickly raised his hand, and a golden halo appeared in his eyes.

"[Threading the Needle] "

Just then, a familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar voice rang out.

The next moment, all the missiles froze in mid-air. In that brief second, Li Aoz noticed that each missile had been pierced by a tiny needle, and then, like prey stuck in a spider web, they were frozen in mid-air, motionless.

"Three!"

Feeling something, Li Aoz instinctively turned his head, and right beside him, a mysterious woman wearing a cloak and with long white hair suddenly appeared.

For some reason, Li Aoz recognized the woman who was covering her face at a glance: "Ah—"

"Shh." The woman raised her hand and touched Li Aoz's face. "You are the only proof that I can exist. I want to go with you."

"Two!"

"But--"

Before Li Aoz could finish speaking, the woman suddenly leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Then, she leaned on his shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Nothing in the world can accept me except you."

"One!"

Du Zexin operated the robot, slammed his fist on the button, turned around, raised his Magnum rifle, aimed it at the approaching Heavenly Ring Warrior, and shouted, "—Fire!"