[Heavens War instance countdown: 12 hours]
The Hive City dockyard was a hive of activity. The dense thud of footsteps became its background music.
Servitors hurried along at a jog, soldiers sprinted, and everyone wore a tense look. A heavy air of bloodlust hung over the entire dockyard.
Ronan jogged along, lugging a heavy equipment crate, the fire of resentment burning in his eyes.
There were plenty of people like him, driven to desperation by the nobles and left with no choice but to take a gamble.
Yesterday's explosion had shattered Ronan's illusions.
He'd thought life would get better, but he'd been wrong. Those verminous nobles wouldn't tolerate people like them.
If he wanted to protect the happiness they'd found, his only choice was to take a gamble alongside the governor.
He picked up the pace and ducked into the ship.
Wade ran up to Fu Haoran, Data Pad in hand.
"Sir, the twenty thousand troops, twelve Leman Russ Tanks, twenty-eight Chimera Armored Vehicles, fifteen Bison Troop Carriers, sixty artillery pieces of various models, six Valkyries, and all kinds of ammunition and batteries have been loaded."
Wade paused. "It's just... the ship only has room for fifteen thousand. Is it really wise to cram so many people aboard?"
Fu Haoran didn't even look up. His voice was calm, but his resolve left no room for argument. "We'll make do. Clear out my room and use it for supplies. Throw away all the furniture. Don't worry about my living arrangements."
"Sir, this is everything we have. We're taking it all?"
"All of it."
"What if..."
"There is no 'what if.'" Fu Haoran cut him off. "If we lose, we'll have no way back in the Hive City either. The nobles won't show us the slightest mercy."
"Only by winning the war ahead can we gain the leverage to turn the tables."
"We can only win this next operation. We cannot lose."
Although Fu Haoran hadn't revealed anything about the Reincarnation Worlds, Wade had been to the 2K World several times and had guessed a little. He knew his governor had special abilities.
After all, Fu Haoran could conjure a Mobile Space Capsule and large quantities of food out of thin air... Wade couldn't think of any other explanation.
Wade fell silent for two seconds, then snapped to attention and gave the Aquila Salute. "Yes, sir!"
To Fu Haoran's surprise, Lucifer boarded the ship too, taking the position of first officer on the bridge as if it were only natural.
Fu Haoran asked her seriously, "Are you sure you want to come with me? I'm going to war. If you die, you'll be dead for good. Even you won't be able to come back to life."
Lucifer lifted her chin, perfectly composed. "Why would you think I fear death? I exist for war, to fight against savagery and disorder."
"Let's get going, my love. I wouldn't want to miss a single game."
Well, that Necron was seriously ill. She was too deep in character.
As the countdown ended, the system's voice sounded again.
[ Ding! Heavens War match successful! ]
[ Faction: Independent Conqueror (exclusive to the Lord class) ]
[ Forced teleportation initiated! Lord-exclusive authority activated. Select the units you wish to teleport. ]
Fu Haoran chose to teleport the entire ship without hesitation.
[ Selection complete. 10,453 Universal Points consumed. ]
Looking at the Universal Points that had nearly drained his entire savings, Fu Haoran felt as though he'd been sent right back to square one.
It hurt, but he didn't hesitate for a moment.
[ Teleportation commencing. War points being tallied in real time! ]
The ship jolted violently. The engines let out a piercing shriek as they tore through space, and a white light wrapped around the steel behemoth as it smashed through the dimensional barrier.
Fu Haoran braced himself against the armrests of the command throne, feeling as though his organs were being wrenched upward.
Three seconds later, the shaking stopped abruptly.
The white light faded.
Beyond the windows was not the Hive City's starry sky, but a vast, boundless blue ocean.
The piercing alarms cut off. A Tech-Acolyte hurried over, its mechanical fingers dancing across the console. "Governor, teleportation complete! The ship is undamaged, and all personnel are in normal condition!"
[ Main War Quest updated: 1. Kill Reincarnators or NPCs from opposing factions to earn War Points; 2. Seize key plot points to increase the worldline deviation rate; 3. Complete missions issued by your faction to earn faction reputation. ]
[ Current worldline deviation rate: 0% ]
[ Heavens War Points: 0 ]
[ World ranking: Unranked ]
[ Note: The higher the worldline deviation rate and the higher the level of the units killed, the greater the final rewards. ]
"Deviation rate... So if we don't stir things up, we won't get many points?" Fu Haoran's mouth twitched. "This damn system is as malicious as ever."
Fu Haoran tapped the console and issued his first order. "Activate the large-scale Auspex and scan at full power! Suppress all regional signals and break into every local database!"
The Tech-Acolyte plunged all ten mechanical fingers into the console. The ship's Auspex activated at once, and the terrain of the entire planet rapidly unfolded across the holographic display.
The familiar shape of a rooster on the eastern edge of the Asian continent, the winding coastline of North America...
"Blue Star?" Fu Haoran leaned forward. "A parallel world's Blue Star?"
Fu Haoran's brows twitched. He didn't dwell on it. Going home didn't matter; what mattered was gaining the power to turn the tables.
As the scan neared completion, a red dot suddenly appeared in the corner of the screen.
"Governor, we've detected an abnormal energy signal. Its pattern differs significantly from those in the surrounding area," the Tech-Acolyte reported. "Coordinates: the Kandahar Mountains, in the heart of the African continent."
Fu Haoran stared at the red dot, already understanding. There was probably something he wanted hidden there—either other Reincarnators or a special plot location in this world.
"Mark it, and keep hacking into the local databases."
A floating Servo-Skull projected the most important news stories, filling the screen.
The headlines were eye-catching and familiar:
<Shocking! Stark Industries CEO Tony Stark Announces Complete Halt to Arms Manufacturing>
<Stark Industries Shares Plummet! Obadiah Stane Calls Emergency Board Meeting>
<Genius or Madman? Tony Stark's Personality Changes Dramatically After Returning from Disappearance!>
<Military Outraged! Multiple Weapons Contracts at Risk of Breach!>
The bridge fell silent for two seconds.
"The Marvel Universe. The timeline of Iron Man 1."
Fu Haoran tapped the screen, his eyes lighting up. "Tony just got back from Afghanistan, and Obadiah is eager to seize power."
"Should we side with Tony?"
"Beyond gaining his friendship, the returns wouldn't be much."
"Besides, if we just follow the plot, the worldline deviation rate won't rise, and the final rewards are bound to be meager."
Fu Haoran dismissed the idea, his gaze settling on the words "Stark Industries" and "Arc Reactor."
"Side with the villain and win? Make a big move?"
"There'd be a lot of resistance, but even that probably wouldn't be enough!"
"What other factions can we choose?"
"S.H.I.E.L.D., Hydra, the Ten Rings... Wait, this faction is a pretty good choice!" Fu Haoran had spotted a faction that was incredibly easy to overlook.
It had made very few appearances, but it was undoubtedly one of the major organizations in the Marvel Universe.
"Compared to S.H.I.E.L.D., riddled with moles and deeply entrenched; Hydra, fanatical and hated by everyone; the lowly street gangs; and Wakanda, extremely isolationist and cut off from the outside world, joining this organization gives me a natural advantage no one else has."
"System, I want to choose this faction."
[ Acknowledged. Host bound to faction. Selection cannot be changed. ]
"Now that I've chosen a faction, it's time to prepare a gift and earn their favor."
Fu Haoran immediately gave an order. "Auspex, focus your scan on the Kandahar region of Afghanistan. Filter for small armed groups far from population centers and anomalous metal signals."
"Wade, take your most elite company and set out in a Valkyrie. Leave no survivors in the target area. I only want one thing from there: a suit of Power Armour."
As soon as Fu Haoran finished speaking, the Auspex let out a shrill alarm. Three red dots appeared on the screen, moving at high speed toward the Kandahar region.
Fu Haoran's gaze sharpened. He immediately added, "Move faster. Someone's trying to beat us to the prize!" ```
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