At that moment, Cheng Yu had no idea that someone from his freshly forged alliance had already entered his territory. He was busy dealing with the threat coming from the sea.
Inside Steel Main City, Cheng Yu stroked his chin and looked at the three Wisdom units before him, asking in puzzlement,
"So you're saying all three of you need to Co-Link this time?"
Conductor pressed a hand to its chest.
"Yes, esteemed Commander. Based on our current intelligence, we have concluded that the enemy will no longer have a primary landing site this time. Their numbers and quality are also beyond anything we faced last time.
Therefore, we believe they will launch an offensive along the entire front. As before, the enemy holds the advantage at the coast, so we do not recommend repeating our previous tactics.
Even though both the quantity and quality of our forces have improved by leaps and bounds."
Cheng Yu nodded, then asked,
"Wouldn't fighting on land threaten our base complexes, then?"
Perhaps it was his imagination, but Cheng Yu thought Conductor sounded rather proud as it answered,
"There is no need to worry, Commander. Unless the enemy dismantles and carries away every building in our base complexes, we can rebuild them with a negligible amount of energy as long as the wreckage remains, even if the bases themselves are destroyed."
Cheng Yu clicked his tongue in amazement. Although this mechanical scourge could not churn out basic troops using nothing but energy like an Insect Race scourge, its ability to recover after a battle was somewhat better. Of course, he was comparing Big Sis's mechanical race with the Insect Race he remembered.
But speaking of the mechanical race, hadn't he still yet to unlock the 0-6 models?
System, isn't there something you ought to tell me? ←_←
"Tell you what?" (‧_‧?)
Shouldn't you explain why you won't let me unlock the 0-6 models? →_→
"Because they're not cost-effective." ╮(๑•́ ₃•̀๑)╭
"How about this? I'll explain the requirements for unlocking the 0-6 models and what they do. Then you can decide for yourself." ╮(๑•́ ₃•̀๑)╭
"Ahem. According to the information available, unlocking the 0-6 models requires another upgrade to the Research Institute. A level-four Research Institute requires more than energy, because it is the key to the legion officially stepping into space. It also increases computing power and unlocks facilities in a wide range of fields.
The resources required are staggering-enough to build a Commander Class Titan. Yet it only unlocks a handful of things.
The 0-6 Factory, the Planetary Computer, the Hyper-Mechanization Device, the Planetary Fortress Engine, the Planetary Space Weapon Array Manufacturing System, the hyperspace warp gate launch and containment device, and access to two troop series.
All 0-6-series units are the basic space-combat troops of their respective series. You can also think of them as cannon fodder. Their overall strength reaches Black Iron Five-Star, and they are truly all-purpose units capable of fighting on land, at sea, in the air, and in space.
However, their manufacturing cost is about the same as the 0-4 models, making them unsuitable for mass production right now. Producing only a small number would offer little benefit at our current stage."
Seeing so many facilities with names that sounded like futuristic technology, along with access to two troop series, left Cheng Yu drooling. But when he heard that they required enough resources to build a Commander Class Titan, all he could do was laugh dryly.
A Commander Class Titan was unquestionably a devastating weapon on an interstellar battlefield. Although it was the little brother of the Titan series, in terms of sheer destructive power, it could casually annihilate a planet.
But after thinking it over, he had to admit the system was right. It wasn't cost-effective. What would he even do with 0-6 units? Send them into the sea to fight those fish on their home turf?
Seeing Cheng Yu's doubtful expression, the system asked,
"So, are you still going to insist on manufacturing the 0-6 models?" („ಡωಡ„)
Interrupted by the system, Cheng Yu's expression darkened. He was sure this damned bootlicker was mocking him. That expression said it all.
You bastard! I'd love to build them. Are you going to give me the resources? (╬￣皿￣)凸
"Heh." (๑¯◡¯๑)
Ignoring the bootlicker, Cheng Yu looked at the three Wisdom units and said,
"Then I'll leave overall control of the coming battle to the three of you through Co-Link."
"As you command, Commander." ×3
After watching the three Wisdom units take their places in the three seats at the bottom, Cheng Yu called to the system in his mind.
System, how many troops do we have in our newly upgraded army?
"Over five million."
We built that many 0-1 units?
"Yes. Conductor and the others believe the enemy will assume our melee capabilities are weak. They will therefore be willing to pay a certain price to close in on our ranged forces, overlooking our melee troops in the process.
We also have two million 0-2 units, five hundred thousand 0-3 units, three hundred thousand 0-4 units, and twelve thousand 0-5 units."
Yeah, just thinking about it feels great. An army of over five million troops with Black Iron Three-Star combat strength. Calling them elite wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Drawing his attention back to the three Co-Linked Wisdom units, Cheng Yu suddenly felt he had a real talent for names. Just look at Conductor, Performer, and Artist.
With the three of them Co-Linked, isn't it like a grand opera about to begin? Tsk, tsk. I'm a goddamn genius. 乁( ˙ ω˙乁)
Just as Cheng Yu was thinking this, a familiar voice rang out in his mind.
Indeed. The coming battle really is a grand opera about to begin. Although it's only the opening act, it's still quite good.
Uh, boss, how long has it been since you last pulled this trick? I almost forgot you could read minds. Cheng Yu wore a sheepish smile.
But... the opening act?
Cheng Yu suddenly felt that his peaceful days of building up his territory were about to end.
The Deep Sea Empire.
Clad in military attire, the Merfolk King sat on a throne made of pearls and gemstones atop an enormous coral mountain. Below him, more than twenty Giant Whale Warriors, each around ten meters tall, carried the massive mountain. The pure-white old whale man stood beside him.
Above him were countless Raging Shark Warriors, Dolphin Knights, and a corps of Merfolk Mages. Beside him stood the Giant Whale Warrior corps, the Merfolk Knight corps, and the Naga magic-and-martial corps. Behind him were the Octopus Assassination Squad and the Seashell Guard.
These were the Merfolk King's personal guards, ten thousand strong, every last one of them Bronze.
Looking at the densely packed sea creatures in the distance, the Merfolk King asked the old whale man beside him,
"Old Jimmy, you deployed the vanguard this time. Tell me about it."
The old whale man bowed.
"As you command, Your Majesty. The vanguard numbers four million troops. They have only one purpose: to open the road to the Northern Borderlands for us and soak up more of the enemy's ranged attacks."
The Merfolk King nodded slightly, then asked,
"Who is commanding the army?"
The old whale man continued,
"My son, Donny."
Looking at the old whale man, the Merfolk King said slowly,
"You're actually willing to put him in such danger?"
The old whale man smiled.
"For the Deep Sea Empire, everyone must be prepared to die."
The Merfolk King gave the old whale man a searching look, then withdrew his gaze and said slowly,
"You're right. Everyone must be prepared to die."
The old whale man bent deeply at the waist and said nothing more.
Inside Steel Main City.
A synthesized electronic voice rang out.
"Alert. Alert. A large number of organic life-forms have been detected approaching our territory. According to available records, they are troops belonging to the organic faction known as the Deep Sea Empire."
This was one of the functions unlocked by upgrading Steel Main City to level four: connecting to Satellite scans and recording the identifying traits of factions that had fought against them. Of course, all this had come about because Cheng Yu did not know how to operate Steel Main City, so he had activated its artificial intelligence.
The alert continued immediately afterward.
"Preliminary estimates indicate approximately four million organic life-forms advancing from the north and east. Commander, please be advised. Commander, please be advised. The enemy will reach our border in twenty minutes."
Why notify me specifically? I'm not even commanding the battle, Cheng Yu thought. Forget it. Maybe this artificial intelligence really is notifying me this way because I'm an organic life-form too.
Still, the northern force should be heading for the Far North Coast, but the eastern coastline is all cliffs. How are they going to land?
Like his father, Old Jimmy, Donny was a pure-white whale man. But unlike his father, who thrived in the Deep Sea Empire's political circles, Donny was a warrior through and through.
He cared only about strength and leading troops into battle. His father had always disapproved of this, believing that keeping a firm grip on power was the only way to ensure the family's longevity.
But Donny did not quite agree. Power? If I were a Demigod like Their Majesties-Silver One-Star-why would I have to worry about lacking power? Why would I have to worry about my family's survival?
Now his chance had come. How could he become a Demigod without experiencing life-and-death combat? That was why he had volunteered and asked his father for command of the vanguard legion.
His father had merely given him a searching look before agreeing to his request.
Donny believed he would surely demonstrate his true capabilities in this battle, or find an opportunity to break through to Demigod.
Just then, a Merfolk Knight beside him approached and said,
"General, our other force is nearing the Far North Coast."
Donny nodded slightly. Last time, the Second Elder's army had been wiped out at the Far North Coast. This time, he had sent part of his forces there while personally leading another army to land at the Eastern Shore Cliffs, a place that seemed impossible from every angle. He was certain he could catch the enemy off guard.
Meanwhile, fighting had already begun at the Far North Coast.
At the Far North Coast, the moment this army entered the attack range of the 0-5 Shuttle Fighters,
A rain of lasers arrived right on schedule. But this time, the ones at the top were no longer Giant Whale Warriors ill-suited to defense, or mages forced to waste mana raising shields. Instead, they were rough-surfaced shells.
Although it took only about two Piercing Beams to shatter one of these shells, every shell had two halves. And besides...
Looking at the island formed by shells on the sea's surface, Cheng Yu's expression turned grim for the first time since he had come to this world.
Before you continue