In that ancient Stone Age, before he had walked among mankind.
Beasts tore flesh apart with their fangs and claws, trampling the weak and devouring their meat.
To escape the savage beasts, frail humans could only hide here and there, crawling their way through life.
They might not have possessed strong bodies or sharp claws and teeth.
But humanity had one advantage that beasts could never match—intelligence.
Clever hunters no longer fought their prey head-on. Instead, they surrounded the beast, dancing, raising torches high, and roaring.
The firelight and shouts from every direction left it distraught, while the dancing people overwhelmed its sight.
Every sharp stone spear seemed poised to pierce its heart, and every moving human was about to attack him.
Run!
Even mighty beasts possessed a response known as fear.
And once a beast fell into fear, no matter how much stronger it was than humans, humanity's greater intelligence could always overcome the strong with the weak and make mankind the ruler of the world.
To track these fleeing beasts for food, hunters pursued the defeated, leaving the grasslands, crossing mountains, traversing continental shelves, and setting foot on every inch of Earth.
From then on, humanity scattered across the world.
Just like those terrified beasts driven away by humans in ancient times.
Faced with enemies who could appear from every direction, the Xenos Army suffered grievous losses.
Even though the Focused Energy Weapons in their hands were far more powerful than the enemy's Explosive Guns and laser rifles.
Even though their Crystal Defense far surpassed the enemy's flesh-and-blood bodies.
Under the advantage of superior tactics, attacks came from every direction—including automated mechs overhead that kept diving down to self-destruct—surrounding the entire Xenos Army like turtles trapped in a jar.
And the human strikes were exceptionally precise.
With the precise guidance of automated mechs, every time they exposed themselves or dove down, they reliably hit a Xenos Crystal Construct.
Even if the firepower was insufficient to kill it outright, it could always reduce their combat strength.
Countless laser bolts flickered across the battlefield. Amid explosions and smoke, attacks from innumerable directions surged continuously toward the center.
Naturally, the Xenos Army would not simply sit and wait for death.
They had considered concentrating their forces on one point to break out, but whenever they attempted any movement, the humans always seemed able to react immediately.
When the enemy advanced, we retreated.
Though their forces were spread out, the encirclement formed by countless Chemos Guard members followed them at all times, continuing to fight while on the move.
Although concentrated fire could indeed inflict some losses on the human forces, the casualties they suffered in return multiplied several times over.
It felt like having strength but nowhere to use it.
Even with a constant stream of xenos reinforcements descending from drop pods, as the battle grew fiercer, the Xenos Fleet still could not reverse the disadvantage on the main battlefield, even after deploying more than ten thousand soldiers.
Some Xenos Landing Pods were even locked onto by large automated mechs and detonated before they could land, becoming streaks of gray-black dust on Silent Star.
There was no helping it.
After all, these pieces were products of an eighties tabletop game. Getting utterly outclassed on the tactical level was perfectly normal.
Under normal offensive and defensive warfare, the Defensive Fortifications built by their mere five hundred men could never have withstood the Crystalline Aliens' powerful Focused Energy Weapons.
But Kasgar was playing dirty!
Having known the plot of the Battle for Silent Star in advance, he had long since assessed the incoming Xenos Army.
Though they possessed Focused Energy Weapons with destructive power beyond the Imperium of Man's standards, their weakness was poor defenses. They relied solely on their crystalline bodies and lacked supporting shields.
At the same time, their slow movement made these Crystalline Constructs unable to effectively counter the humans' guerilla tactics.
In other words.
Kasgar had cheats enabled.
Full-map vision, infinite turns, and hidden health bars.
By constantly pulling back and pressing forward, he slowly wore down these glass-cannon stat monsters.
Of course, that did not mean Kasgar's tactics were invincible, or that no one could defeat them.
They would face even greater challenges in the future.
Perhaps the Chaos Demon Army would possess near-immunity to ranged attacks.
Perhaps the data transmitted by Automated Flying Mechs would someday be tampered with by certain Digital Demons.
But for now, against these completely unprepared xenos, it was—
Unsolvable.
"First Company and Second Company of the Sons of the Emperor, return to formation."
The Xenos Army's surface forces were retreating again and again, their morale crumbling. Their complete annihilation was only a matter of time.
Kasgar ordered the Sons of the Emperor companies that had been waiting inside the fortress for so long to return to his side.
"What are they coming back for?"
Aqua found that rather surprising.
"Isn't now the time to intensify the assault, throw the Space Marines onto the battlefield, and deal the enemy the final blow?"
"Our enemies are not limited to these surface forces."
As he spoke, he looked toward the starry sky beyond the poisonous clouds that blotted out the sun.
There, several Xenos Warships were growing restless after their surface offensive had failed.
"Tavitz, Lucius, and Aqua Duna, prepare to board the Stormbird with me. Prepare for a Boarding Assault."
"Teacher, we'll have to rely on you this time."
The mighty Xenos Warships gradually revealed themselves beneath the cover of the poisonous clouds.
With their surface forces having remained at a disadvantage for so long and nearing total destruction, the Xenos Fleet waiting in low orbit finally lost its patience.
They decided to descend to the surface and use their powerful Shipboard Weapons to carry out one final extermination of these troublesome flies.
But just as they lowered the fleet's altitude, intending to pass through the toxic fog in Silent Star's atmosphere and unleash their Shipboard Weapons on those below.
The Strike Cruiser and its fleet, having avoided the enemy for so long, returned above Silent Star at that very moment.
Do not engage the enemy.
Leave this place and wait for the best opportunity to open fire.
Those had been Kasgar's orders when the Xenos Warships passed through the Portal.
And now, the enemy fleet had descended in altitude, while a large number of its Shipboard Weapons were aimed downward and still charging.
The human forces had seized the advantage of striking from above while catching the enemy off guard!
Opportunity!
The Imperial Army had waited far too long for this moment.
Macro Cannons, Lances, Plasma Cannons, torpedoes.
And countless gunboats launching alongside them.
In that instant, all of them opened fire wildly upon the enemy fleet!
Ordinarily, if standard Imperial Navy vessels faced such an all-out assault, they might panic somewhat, but they could ultimately withstand it with powerful Void Shields.
But these Xenos Fleets seemed to have no Void Shields.
Other than the flagship at the very center, which could rely on its own materials to withstand missiles and lasers, eight Xenos Warships were reduced to scattered dust in space after only a few minutes of bombardment.
After suffering such horrific casualties, the Xenos Fleet chose to abandon its surface personnel and immediately retreat through the Portal.
And next came the enjoyable pursuit of the fleeing enemy.
The Imperial fleet commander wore a delighted smile.
After holding it in for so long, finally—
"Wait!"
"Leave that one behind!"
"We're boarding! Keep one alive!"
Kasgar, the Acting Prefect, issued his command through the communicator.