Liu Zhipeng was the first to step outside. His red robes stood out starkly on a battlefield dominated by black, gray, and silver. He looked up. Exhaust trails from countless aircraft engines tore the sky into fragments. In the distance, deafening artillery fire thundered without end, announcing the start of the war.
His assigned post lay behind the landing zone. Worker drones and Servitors that had arrived ahead of him had already transformed it into an enormous temporary frontline position. Energy shield generators hummed low, and massive cranes unloaded equipment and ammunition for the following troops.
"Seventh squad! Over here!" A senior Tech-Priest waved his Power Axe and roared, "Set up repair platform three immediately! I want the power conduits connected in five minutes! Move! Move! Move!"
Liu Zhipeng wasted no movement. Like a flawless cog, he immediately set to work. Directing the Servitors assigned to him, he expertly assembled the heavy repair modules, connected their power supplies, and activated their diagnostic systems.
His movements were precise and efficient, possessed of an almost cold "beauty" that made even the senior priest supervising him glance his way several times.
But his vast consciousness had already reached into every corner of the battlefield like the tentacles of an octopus.
He had "infiltrated" the landing zone's tactical communications network. This time, he was no longer a "thief" who needed to disguise himself and hide, but a legitimate "communications protocol specialist," listening to everything.
The war reached a fever pitch from the outset.
"First Company, advance! Crush them! For the Emperor!" An Iron Hands captain unleashed a bestial roar over the channel. His troops drove straight into the center of the rebels' lines like a blade drawn from its sheath.
"Emperor's Children Phoenix Guard spotted on the left flank! Requesting support from Flame Dragon