The battle entered a fierce stage right from the start.
Outside the porthole, the Goddora fleet, the mercenary fleet, and the DarkStar fleet clashed, the flashes of gunfire turning this part of space into a kaleidoscope of colors, the dazzling hues constantly bringing death.
The laser cannons, traversing the vacuum environment, continuously pierced the armor of spaceships, turning the people inside into charred ashes.
Since Degulish failed to issue orders, the DarkStar Fleet lost its commander and became a disorganized mess, fighting independently. After a while, it was only under the orders of other DarkStar high-ranking officers who were jumping up and down in frustration that it organized itself and began to attempt a breakout.
Unfortunately, because the initial orders were not passed down in time, the DarkStar troops missed the best opportunity and suffered heavy losses. Now, advancing under artillery fire was like being stuck in a quagmire, and their movement speed was extremely slow.
"Judging from this, we probably won't need to lift a finger."
Han Xiao looked at the battlefield and shook his head.
With Goddora and its mercenary fleet joining forces, their combined strength overwhelming the six motherships of DarkStar, it is highly likely that they can turn this DarkStar force into floating wreckage in space without even entering the contact combat phase, using endless artillery fire.
The Black Star Army's mission was to handle close combat, so they had no opportunity to play a significant role and could only remain in the rear, doing nothing.
DarkStar was gradually showing signs of collapse, and some of DarkStar escort ships became deserters, trying to shake off the cumbersome mothership and escape on their own, only to be blown up into fireworks halfway there.
Han Xiao pondered for a while. He realized that slacking off was not in line with his goal of building a good reputation for the Black Star Army, so he decided to actively create opportunities for himself.
"Resta, can you control that mothership?"
"Can."
"You pilot the mothership, perform a short jump, and crash-land on the nearest planet. I will then persuade the Goddora to release you."
As he spoke, Han Xiao contacted the War Bureau via his private number.
"I am Black Star. I plan to crash a mothership onto the planet's surface to wage ground warfare. The DarkStar's vice-leader is on that mothership; this is my chance to capture him alive, and incidentally, seize another DarkStar mothership as well."
Degulish is also a mission objective of [Alliance of Goddora]. Capturing him alive and handing him over to Goddora will yield the same reward as killing him, and handing over a mothership will also bring a huge reward.
Goddora came prepared; this war might be DarkStar's last stand, and Han Xiao wanted to improve the mission's rating as much as possible.
The War Bureau had been closely monitoring the situation. Now that things had come to this, the higher-ups had no reason to doubt whether Han Xiao was friend or foe. Capturing Degulish alive and seizing a mothership would be very useful. After discussion, the higher-ups decided to try Han Xiao's idea. They were confident in their ability to control the overall situation and were willing to take risks. They quickly issued orders to the fleet commander.
The contents of the order left the fleet commander bewildered, but as a soldier, he was used to obeying orders and quickly complied.
Resta maneuvered the DarkStar mothership away from the formation and began to slowly accelerate, causing the artillery fire attacking it to become sparse.
Other motherships, however, did not receive the same treatment and were subjected to even more intense bombardment, forced to watch helplessly as Resta's mothership sailed further and further away.
Before the passengers on the mothership could react, they entered warp mode and quickly arrived at the nearest planet, the very desolate planet where the Goddora fleet had previously been hiding.
Boom!!
The mothership crashed directly into the atmosphere, plummeting to Earth and creating a crater, with dust billowing into the sky like a fountain.
The DarkStar crew members inside the mothership were thrown around in disarray.
Degulish, the only Calamity Grade stationed on the mothership, was physically strong and uninjured, and looked utterly astonished.
He had suspected something when communications were interrupted, and now that the mothership had acted on its own, confirming his suspicions, it was clear that the mothership was being controlled by the enemy.
No wonder the enemy knew their whereabouts; it turns out even their mothership belonged to the enemy!
When did the enemy make this move?! Degulish was filled with shock and anger.
Intelligence of the mothership crashing on the planet's surface reached the mercenary fleet, Gurega quickly contacted Han Xiao.
"Black Star, it's your turn."
"Leave it to us."
Han Xiao nodded.
The Blacklight Stealth turned, followed by more than twenty Black Star ships, breaking away from the combined fleet formation and rapidly warping to the planet where the mothership had crashed.
All the DarkStar members, including Degulish, are trapped on the surface, making ground combat the perfect stage for players to showcase their skills.
"Land, prepare to deploy mercenaries!"
Han Xiao decisively gave the order, and the transport ship slowly descended to the planet's surface.
The players inside the spaceship waited at the hatch, eager to charge out at any moment.
A mothership carrying DarkStar crew members should number in the tens of thousands, including many Grade B superhumans. Overly powerful targets will naturally be dealt with by the officers, and players only need to deal with the ordinary soldiers, letting them fight monsters and kill enemies on their own.
At this moment, Hila, who was standing to the side, frowned and asked:
"And what about us?"
Han Xiao glanced back, thought for a moment, and said, "You will also participate in the battle this time."
Hila and Aurora aren't going to die so easily, and they'll get used to interstellar combat sooner or later. They need to practice, and this is a relatively safe opportunity to try it out. Han Xiao doesn't plan to stop Hila from interfering this time.
Hearing this, Hila sensed Han Xiao's trust, and her brows slowly relaxed as she silently nodded.
She disliked always being treated as someone to be protected and always hoped to play a role.
The DarkStar warriors on the ground stood ready, guarding the vicinity of the mothership, while the mercenary ships carrying the players formed a circular formation, surrounding the DarkStar warriors from all sides.
laugh--
One by one, the cabin doors opened.
Players emerged from the spaceship one after another, and hundreds of thousands of people surrounded tens of thousands of DarkStar warriors.
A sea of people!
The Blacklight Stealth hovered in the air, and Han Xiao jumped down. He didn't need a standard superhero landing. Mechanical Force surrounded his entire body, and just before he hit the ground, he created a reverse magnetic field, which caused the falling potential energy to disappear directly. He floated more than ten centimeters off the ground.
Black Star! It's you again!
Degulish gritted his teeth.
Han Xiao remained expressionless and slowly said, "Last time, the three of you ganged up on me, but now you're all alone. Even if you scream your lungs out, no one will come to your rescue."
Now that he is Calamity Grade like Degulish, the gap in raw power has greatly decreased. In a one-on-one fight, Degulish's fate is sealed:
--So disappointing!
Upon hearing this, a hint of tension flashed in Degulish's eyes. He was indeed wary of Han Xiao's thick skin and flesh, and hurriedly tried to think of a solution. However, the more he thought about it, the more desperate he became—he couldn't think of any possibility of escape. The fleet was barely able to protect itself, and no one would come to his aid.
The only advantage is that although it's difficult to kill Black Star, Black Star is only a B-rank power, so I might be able to stall for a long time...
Buzz!
Just as Degulish was thinking this, Han Xiao's body crackled with electricity, and compressed spheres unfolded. This was the first time he had gone all out since entering the Calamity Grade Domain. His powerful energy shot out in all directions, unleashing the energy fluctuations belonging to the Calamity Grade!
Upon sensing the energy level fluctuations at the same level, Degulish's expression changed drastically in shock.
"You... you've also reached the Calamity Grade?!"
When we fought not long ago, Black Star was only a B-rank!
How could it be so fast?!
Without a word, Degulish abandoned the DarkStar Warriors behind him, turned and ran, transforming into a streak of light and quickly disappearing into the distance, vanishing on the horizon.
Just kidding, Black Star was already indestructible before he even reached the Calamity Grade. Now that he's entered the Calamity Grade, how can we possibly fight him?!
"I'll go after him; you guys deal with DarkStar's army."
The new mech was not yet completed. Han Xiao put on the spare mech, activated the propulsion module at full power, and chased after Degulish like a bolt of lightning, disappearing from everyone's sight.
Before long, the deafening sounds of battle could be heard in the distance, as if missiles were bombarding the ground, causing the earth to tremble slightly.
This seemed to be a signal, and a chaotic battle suddenly broke out!
The DarkStar Warriors launched a fierce counterattack, and hundreds of thousands of players, not to be outdone, charged in from all directions.
Boom boom boom--
Various abilities emerged one after another, countless cannon shots soared into the sky, the battlefield was in complete chaos, and the two sides fought each other, their formations intertwined.
The DarkStar members were Space Marines, after all, and their average strength was much greater. Players fell one after another like wheat being harvested.
However, as the battle continued, the DarkStar Warrior's expression changed. At first, he was full of fighting spirit, then he became slightly tired. After fighting for a long time, he gradually became dull and wooden. Finally, the DarkStar Warrior discovered the player's immortality.
The enemy wouldn't die; no matter how many times you killed them, it would be futile. The DarkStar Warrior realized this, and his mentality instantly collapsed.
Why bother cracking an egg?!
The DarkStar warriors gradually went from having the upper hand to being routed. Tens of thousands of them could no longer hold the line and were gradually devoured. Before long, the entire DarkStar army was overwhelmed by the players.
The Ashes, with its devastating abilities, is not here; the player has no counter.
The powerful DarkStar cadres were all entangled and killed by Melos and his group, while the remaining DarkStar soldiers were no match for the hundreds of thousands of players and fell to the overwhelming tide of players.
Several tens of minutes later.
The chaotic battlefield gradually quieted down, leaving only sporadic screams. The battle was coming to an end, and the ground was littered with the corpses of DarkStar soldiers. The remaining DarkStar members surrendered and were tied up and thrown aside.
The players were excitedly cleaning up the battlefield, which was littered with equipment dropped by the DarkStar Warriors. Players were even scrambling for the equipment from time to time. Melos didn't stop them; in the rules of the mercenary industry, such loot belonged to the mercenaries.
"I wonder how Han Xiao is doing?"
Hila wiped the blood from her face and walked over to Melos.
She participated in the battle, narrowly escaped unscathed, and personally experienced the strength of a normal Space Marine.
The tens of thousands of DarkStar warriors who died all exuded wisps of dark red energy from their bodies, which she absorbed.
The recently deceased can provide her with energy. Hila can increase the strength of her powers through large-scale slaughter. In her previous life, she slaughtered many races and increased her strength in this way. Now she is not so radical, so she will not choose to do so.
"The captain used to be able to handle three Grade A opponents, so there shouldn't be any problems."
Melos wasn't worried at all. He took out his communicator and contacted Han Xiao.
"Commander, have you resolved it?"
"What a coincidence, I just finished the battle. Wait, I'm going back now."
After hanging up the communication, Han Xiao looked at Degulish not far away.
At this moment, Degulish was panting heavily, in extremely poor condition, with almost no strength left, and stared at Han Xiao.
The two chased and fought, leaving traces of their battle throughout an area of hundreds of miles. The ground was riddled with craters and holes, and several sections had been transformed into chasms and cliffs.
Han Xiao unleashed his Calamity Grade power, reveling in the exhilarating feeling of immense destructive force.
The aftershocks of Calamity Grade battle, unreserved and powerful, can easily alter the landscape.
Degulish's punches and kicks were enough to crack the earth, but they couldn't break through Han Xiao's terrifying physical strength at all.
Han Xiao now possesses the strength of Calamity Grade. Degulish can no longer overwhelm him as he did when attacking Planet Aquamarine. He is tightly entangled by Han Xiao, unable to win a fight or escape, putting him in a very helpless situation. If he does not resist, he will be severely beaten; if he resists, he will inevitably expend his energy and will not be able to harm Black Star.
The intense battle was extremely taxing on his stamina. As his strength waned, Degulish's individual combat power continued to decline, and Han Xiao's attacks were equally devastating, causing him to sustain more and more injuries, which began to snowball.
Han Xiao's forte these days is attrition warfare. Although the mechanical legion has not yet recovered and his own equipment has not been updated, he has managed to squeeze Degulish dry with his expertise and rare skills.
"Cough cough..."
Degulish coughed a few times, gritted his teeth, and mustered his newly regained arrogance.
"Stop fighting! Do you even have the strength to fight anymore?"
Han Xiao was helpless. As expected of a Calamity Grade martial artist, his body was outstanding. Even when his physical strength was exhausted, it continued to recover with each breath.
Seeing that Degulish was still trying to gather his energy, Han Xiao thought for a moment and said:
Do you know why your whereabouts were leaked?
Degulish's expression changed drastically, his movements froze, and his recently recovered strength dissipated once more.
"Could it be...?"
"I had already infiltrated your mothership before you attacked Planet Aquamarine, precisely during your attack on Planet Golden Gate... I was the one who provided intelligence to Goddora and instigated this battle."
Degulish's face immediately turned ashen.
Just then, the communicator rang again; this time it was a message from Gurega.
"Black Star, the battle on my side is almost over. All the DarkStar motherships have been destroyed, and only a small number of DarkStar members are left piloting small ships, escaping through the gaps created by the motherships. The Goddora are Pursuit, and we don't yet know if any of the DarkStar high command are among the escapees. We're preparing to go and meet you. Have you dealt with things on your end?"
"Okay, mission accomplished. You can come over here now."
The victory on the main battlefield was exactly what he had expected. The intelligence provided by Resta was extremely detailed, including not only the location of DarkStar but also the number of DarkStar troops. Goddora still had ample time to deploy its forces for a surprise attack.
Goddora controls an entire galaxy, such a huge advantage. If they end up evenly matched, that would be incredibly embarrassing.
Without the ability to hide and conceal themselves, DarkStar could not withstand a full-scale attack from a star system-level civilization. If it weren't for its strong concealment capabilities, DarkStar would have been destroyed long ago.
What Han Xiao provided was exactly the information that Goddora needed most.
Rats hiding in the shadows often face annihilation once exposed.
It can be said that he was the main reason for the destruction of DarkStar.
Han Xiao did not shy away from Degulish and ended the communication in person.
Degulish collapsed to the ground with a thud, no longer resisting, closing his eyes in anguish, his voice choked with sobs:
"DarkStar, it's over..."