Global Crossing: Empire of Stars

"In its Transformer form, it can also serve as heavy weaponry for ground assaults. Unless it's a base's main defense cannon, ground forces will have a hard time destroying this behemoth!"

Logically, Transformers were born from Pirate Raiders and should be inferior in stats. However, it seemed the AllSpark had directly optimized the mechanical bodies. As a result, this newly born Transformer far surpassed the Raider in key attributes like offense, defense, and speed, leaving even standard Frigates far behind.

"It can also devour alloys to grow. I really want to see what kind of combat power a fully realized Transformer possesses!" Wu Tianyi exclaimed.

"I estimate it won't be weaker than a second-generation Destroyer, maybe even stronger."

"The AllSpark's effect has exceeded my imagination, it's simply perfect," Lin Zhichen praised. "If there are no new Instances next month, I plan to convert a Psionic Warship into a Transformer to see the results."

Wei Peng and the others exchanged glances, unsure of what to say for a moment.

Undoubtedly, using a precious Psionic Warship for experimentation was incredibly wasteful. However, if Psionic Warships could be mass-produced, even in small numbers, it would be acceptable.

But Lin Zhichen's "wish" went unfulfilled. A new month arrived, and the Gate of Time and Space refreshed, forming a new Instance World.

"Red Alert?!"

Within the pirate base, he stared at the panel's display in shock, unsure how to react.

You could say it was useful, as it provided a complete planetary-era tech tree. But you could also say it was useless, because this was already the space age. Ground forces were mere Cannon Fodder, naval forces used Starships, and even the fighters used on Planets couldn't fly into space.

Regardless, it still had some utility, as certain special soldiers were quite appealing.

Red Alert was a game set during the Cold War era after World War II, detailing the conflict between the US and the Soviet Union for world dominance.

The game featured plenty of black technology, such as the time machine developed by the brilliant scientist Einstein, the Chrono Commando capable of trans-dimensional movement, and Yuri, who could control minds.

Soon, Lin Zhichen, as a quasi-creator god, made a significant haul, obtaining all the building and creation Blueprints from every Red Alert expansion pack.

"The Chrono-Dimensional Teleporter is gone, is it because time is irreversible?" He flipped through the pile of Blueprints he'd acquired and regretfully found a crucial piece of black technology missing. Then, in the Clone Barracks, an icon for a unit appeared before his eyes:

"Chrono-Legionnaire? Is this a variant of the Chrono Commando?"

After a brief perusal, Lin Zhichen realized he had underestimated this Instance. Although he hadn't acquired geniuses like Yuri or Einstein, the special units in Red Alert could greatly enrich the Meteor Mercenary Group's unit roster.

However, to obtain recruitment rights for these NPC soldiers, he would first need to acquire a life-bearing Planet to build a Clone Factory. According to the Barracks Blueprint's requirements, such buildings could not be constructed in a space base.

"Another thing that's useless for now." He put away his gains for this round with slight regret, yet he wasn't worried about not being able to use them.

Life-bearing Planets were indeed rare, but the Universe was vast. The areas occupied by civilized worlds were only a small fraction. In the dark starry sky, countless life-bearing Planets lay hidden in the darkness, waiting for him to discover them.

"It's time to embark on a new journey." He looked at the ship's Radar, as the buyer's fleet finally arrived a month later.

After a simple handover, the Meteor Mercenary Group, with its doubled fleet size, once again set off on its journey around the asteroid belt.

It was only six months later that this somewhat lengthy journey came to an end. At this point, from departure to conclusion, the Meteor Mercenary Group had covered less than a quarter of the entire asteroid belt, yet they had to abruptly end the trip.

As for the reason...

Lin Zhichen glanced at the fleet channel, where the number of warships had reached three hundred. He then looked at the full cargo holds of personnel within the ships, feeling somewhat speechless.

"Big Brother, the NPC population we've gathered along the way is over ten thousand. Even with the addition of a few Small Military Transport Ships, it's still not enough. What's more, food is scarce; we'll run out in at most a month!" Wu Tianyi pleaded earnestly.

"Who would have thought before we came that these pirate NPCs would all be spineless? They surrendered just from a scare. If we don't get a base soon, I'm afraid we won't be able to support them all!"

Chapter Return

"Not long ago, my Chief of Staff also called, subtly hinting that I should send more missions to the Mercenary Guild," Lin Zhichen rubbed his temples.

"Needless to say, we've been grinding Military Merit too hard, and the Federation military is getting a bit displeased."

While they were meant to be supported, a mercenary group like the Meteor Mercenary Group upgrading so rapidly was unprecedented in the entire solar system. By the time they finished circling the solar system, the mercenary group would likely be Level 5 and preparing to advance to a Legion. This clearly went against the Federation military's original intentions.

"Then let's slow down, Big Brother. We're practically stuffed." Wu Tianyi said with a wry smile.

By now, both he and Wei Peng had completed their Psionic awakening, and their individual professional levels had risen to Master. There was no shortage of combat in the asteroid belt, and their mental resonance had allowed them to gain a large amount of warship combat experience in a short period, leading to rapid skill growth.

"Then let's head back. We'll do some minor repairs, and then we should start taking over Dakhan's base," Lin Zhichen agreed.

Although this trip to the asteroid belt wasn't completed, the gains far exceeded expectations. Not only did they acquire an elite fleet, but they also obtained over ten thousand Energy Coins as startup capital. Whatever they did next, their existing resources would be sufficient.

[Name: Meteor]
[Nature: Mercenary]
[Leader: Lin Zhichen]
[Level: 4]
[Military Merit: 181]
[Mission Completion Rate: 100%]
[Personnel: 400/400]
[Warships: Psionic Frigate * 1, Transformer Frigate * 7, Frigate * 2, Destroyer * 3, Pirate Raider * 210, Pirate Gunboat * 70, Pirate Pursuer * 20, Small Military Transport Ship * 5]
[Base: Earth]
[Specialties: NZT-504 million capsules/day, Blazing Star Radiance 40 units/day]
[Evaluation: A novice rookie!]

The massive fleet sailed majestically towards Earth.

The movement of such a large fleet with Earth as its direct destination immediately alerted the Earth Defense Directorate. Minutes later, a new call came into "Qinyuan."

"Your Excellency Commander, I hope I'm not interrupting your triumphant return," Chief of Staff Catalia's figure appeared in the holographic projection. His face bore clear astonishment and a wry smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, my Chief of Staff." Lin Zhichen replied with a chuckle, "What is it? Another protest from the Mercenary Guild?"

"Of course not. In fact, Your Excellency Commander, I wouldn't have bothered you if Meteor's promotion hadn't been a bit too fast," Catalia's mouth twitched.

"It's just, Your Excellency, with such a grand display, aren't you making a bit too much of a fuss?"

"The lads in my fleet have been fighting hard for over half a year, it's time for a good rest," Lin Zhichen said nonchalantly.

"Don't worry, I'm not planning on becoming a pirate. I'm just taking a break, and the fleet will set off again soon."

"May I be so bold as to ask where you're planning to go?" Catalia asked helplessly. Given the current state of the solar system, the Meteor fleet's scale was no less than that of a defense fleet.

"Dakan System," Lin Zhichen replied. There was nothing to hide about this.

"I understand, Your Excellency Commander. Given the limited docking space at the starport, your fleet can only stay for half a month at most," Catalia reminded him.

"This is also the Earth Defense Directorate's intention."

"It seems we've caused quite a bit of trouble for many people," Lin Zhichen shrugged. "Alright, half a month it is."

"Thank you for your understanding," Catalia said, relieved.

The communication ended.

"Heh, it seems no one really welcomes us," Lin Zhichen said with a smile as he looked at the others.

"Big Brother, it's understandable," Wu Tianyi said helplessly. "We've sold off seven or eight pirate bases in the past six months, and many consortiums and families are unhappy."

"A bunch of trash who can't stand to see others do well," Wei Peng snorted coldly.

"Alright, let's rest up on Earth, and then we'll prepare to head to the Dakan System!" Lin Zhichen concluded.

More than twenty days later, the fleet arrived at the Earth starport. Flying cars shuttled them back and forth, and the group finally set foot on Earth.

"It's nice to be home," Wei Peng stretched, his body cracking.

After awakening his psionic energy, he quickly acquired his first psionic combat skill and was promoted to Elite. He was also the only Elite-ranked Army General in the Meteor Mercenary Group, and even in the solar system, at present.

"Big Brother, the acquired NPCs need to be reorganized during this half-month period. The crew members remain unchanged. It's mainly the life-support and auxiliary roles. Also, the equipment for the Army soldiers needs to be considered as soon as possible," Wu Tianyi said as he watched the NPCs being loaded into the flying cars and forming neat rows, immediately reporting.

"Let Dapeng handle the Army matters. As for the support roles, I'll leave them to you. Get them settled quickly, we have things to do next," Lin Zhichen reminded him.

"Understood, Big Brother," Wu Tianyi nodded.

Back in the top-floor villa, Lin Zhichen lay on the bed, checking the cost of Battleships.

He had obtained a Battleship Blueprint last time and hadn't had a chance to use it. This time, he'd take a look.

Ugh, still no chance.

"The average market price for a Battleship is around 13,000 Energy Coins," Lin Zhichen said, his face darkening.

"So I can't even afford to build a Battleship right now?!"

After a brief look, he realized that many large fleets were indeed unaffordable for forces like the Meteor Mercenary Group, which lacked a solid foundation. As weapons for decisive battles, Battleships were not even open to mercenary groups below level 5. Only he, as the Fleet Commander, had the authority to purchase them, yet the price remained an insurmountable hurdle.

"The Meteor Mercenary Group needs a stable base," this thought reappeared in his mind.

A base would not only be used for the daily maintenance of the fleet but could also establish a standard industrial system. As long as it was continuously upgraded, it would eventually qualify for battleship production.

In fact, this was the main reason why various Legions could possess tens of thousands of starships. If they had to purchase them all, no amount of money would be enough to fill that huge gap!

"It's best if it's a habitable planet, I'll even settle for one that's not quite perfect."

His mind filled with fantasies, he gradually drifted off to sleep.

After fighting continuously for more than half a year, even he felt a hint of exhaustion.

But Lin Zhichen's sleep was not peaceful. Soon, the holographic wristband rang, waking him up.

Frowning slightly, he activated the holographic wristband, and a beautiful figure appeared on it.

"Are you here to comfort me because you think I'm lonely sleeping alone?" Lin Zhichen mumbled sleepily.

"A dog's mouth can only spit out dog teeth," Liu Manyun frowned, but she saw his state clearly. "Fighting hard for over half a year, you've gotten quite capable."

"You know about it?" Lin Zhichen said nonchalantly. It went without saying that this woman must have found out about his movements through the Earth Star Net.