Krent's Seoul Star Cluster and Amethyst's Colton Star Cluster are separated by a Desolate Universe Belt. Since the outbreak of the conflict, their teleportation portals have been temporarily closed, and they can only "smuggle" each other across the Desolate Universe Belt.
A massive War Realm fleet has just crossed the Desolate Universe Belt and entered the border of Colton, the West Wind Star System.
This is a vanguard force primarily for probing, consisting of fifteen expedition-class flagships, thousands of frigates and assault ships, plus special types of vessels, bringing the total number of warships to over ten thousand.
There were twenty-six Calamity Grade powerhouses, including the eight Vanguard Officers under the Tyrant.
The remote commander is Jorde, the head of the War Realm Staff, who is also an Grade A powerhouse and a former subordinate of the Tyrant.
"... According to intelligence, Amethyst has already mobilized its troops to intercept the vanguard. Your primary task is to occupy the marked uninhabited planets and use the War Fortress Expansion Pack provided by the Crimson Dynasty to build a base."
This is a secret war that the authorities cannot intervene in. The civilizations of the West Wind Star System will not send troops to stop you from establishing fortresses on uninhabited planets; they neither will nor dare to.
At this moment, the General Staff was holding a remote meeting, where the commanders of the various fleet units of the Vanguard Force, as well as the seven Vanguard Officers, were listening to Jorde's instructions.
Only the chief Vanguard Officers was absent, which was not surprising to everyone. With the staff commanding remotely, the Vanguard Officers only needed to obey orders and fight. The chief Vanguard Officers had a special status and his strength was awe-inspiring. He preferred to stay in the training room rather than attend meetings; he had this privilege.
After analyzing the strategy for a while, Jorde continued:
"Not all star system civilizations in the various star systems of Colton are vassals of the Amethyst Civilization. Some star system civilizations don't care who controls the star cluster; they will remain neutral and won't hinder us. Unless absolutely necessary, avoid conflict with the local civilizations. Make them understand Krent's meaning and establish friendly relations..."
With the restrictions of the Peace Treaty, cluster-level civilizations all have protective shields. Krent's goal is not to destroy Amethyst. Krent's ambition has always been to expand his territory and seize the land of several star systems from Colton. Using the War Realm as a substitute is to create a proxy, avoid provoking war between civilizations, and keep the conflict at the level of Secret War.
Once the War Realm establishes a foothold in a few star systems, the Krent behind it can spread its influence through the War Realm, weakening Amethyst's control over the region and slowly eroding it, making Amethyst, the nominal ruler of the star cluster, a mere figurehead in these areas.
This does not conflict with interstellar civilizations. The War Realm will not seize the jurisdiction of interstellar civilizations; in fact, it may even foster good relations. Only the Amethyst Civilization will be harmed.
To put it simply, it's like two gangs fighting over protection money...
Now that we've seized the territory, we must defend it to have a future. Invasion in the War Realm is not like DarkStar's hit-and-run tactics; it means the war will be extremely fierce and last a long time, until everyone's brains are spilled.
The goal of this vanguard force is to establish a bridgehead in the West Wind Star System, while simultaneously probing the counterattack capabilities of the Amethyst Civilization.
Everyone nodded; they already understood the strategic plan, and were simply listening to Jorde emphasize it again.
Second- Vanguard Officers, Hunting Blade, pondered, "There are quite a few members of Section Zero, probably one or two hundred at the Calamity Grade. This vanguard only has a little over twenty. Even if each of our Vanguard Officers is worth three, I can be worth five, and the chief can take on ten, there's still a significant gap in combat strength. The main force had better catch up quickly."
Jorde nodded. "Time is short, and Amethyst can't mobilize many troops quickly. Moreover, the enemy, like us, is also testing the waters in their first encounter and won't send too many troops to attack. The vanguard forces entering from other star systems will also tie down Amethyst's forces for you."
The West Wind Star System is just one of the targets in the War Realm; the War Realm has the capability to launch attacks on multiple fronts and extend the battle lines.
As part of the deal for the Secret War, Krent helped the War Realm consolidate most of the armed forces within the star cluster. The War Realm has now expanded to a new level, with hundreds of Calamity Grade readily available.
Suddenly, a virtual projector appeared in the remote conference.
Everyone looked over, and the seven Vanguard Officers all nodded and saluted.
"Chief."
This person had dark red skin, strong facial features, and sharp eyes, exuding an aggressive and domineering aura. Fine dragon scales grew on the corners of his eyes, sideburns, lips, and chin, suggesting he was a hybrid dragon, though his appearance did not reveal which dragon race he belonged to. He wore heavy armor, but it could not conceal his burly and powerful physique, making him a head taller than Mazaks.
Fosters Slot, the chief Vanguard Officers under the Tyrant, is known for his ferocity just from his name. Nicknamed "Dragon of War" and "The Tyrant's Left Hand," he is Heber's right-hand man.
Qiao De asked doubtfully, "Do you have any opinions?"
Fosters remained expressionless, his words carrying a chilling undertone.
"I don't care about anyone else, Black Star must be mine."
He had a domineering presence, much like Heber.
Han Xiao stood on Amethyst's side. The War Realm already knew that Black Star was an important cadre of Dragon Calm. Because of the past grievances between the two sides, many people in the War Realm were looking forward to fighting him.
Of them, Fosters's intent to kill was the strongest.
At the Tyrant ' Gathering, Han Xiao defeated Kailo, stealing the spotlight and embarrassing the Tyrant. Heber didn't take this small matter to heart, but Fosters's worship of the Tyrant was almost fanatical, and he couldn't tolerate anyone damaging the Tyrant ' reputation.
Heber didn't pursue the matter, but Fosters wasn't about to let it go. Black Star had long been on his kill list, and this Secret War was the perfect opportunity.
Of course, the bigger picture is paramount, and Fosters will not act rashly for the sake of Black Star.
"If Black Star ever gets into my hands, I'll kill him on the spot!"
Fosters's tone was steely and resolute, his voice firm and unwavering.
--To dare to make a move in the War Realm, and even defeat their officers... you're asking for death!
[Sorcerer] Austin floats in the palace of the Secret Church of the Red Robe, explaining the meaning of magic to his group of Forbidden Sorcerer.
Despite the frequent chaos in the star field, he lived a very leisurely life. Since he remained neutral, no one would bother him.
After speaking for a while, Austin suddenly stopped, as if struck by a thought, and gazed at the starry sky outside the palace, his gaze seemingly able to pierce through the endless Milky Way.
Just a moment ago, Austin's mind wandered, and the Colton Star Cluster and the image of Black Star suddenly flashed into his mind.
A great mage like him, who has mastered secret arts, will always have inexplicable intuitions, which mostly have symbolic meanings.
"Colton... um, Krent and Amethyst are fighting. It's none of my business, so why does it trigger my intuition?"
Austin was somewhat puzzled and muttered to himself.
He was uninterested in the Secret War between the two star cluster civilizations. In his view, the two sides were not only fighting for territory, but also had a deeper reason of weakening the private armed forces within their borders. Although Krent and Amethyst were enemies, they should be tacitly aware of this.
Therefore, Austin was always unwilling to cooperate with any star cluster civilization.
"My intuition tells me it's unrelated to the war, so the reason lies with Black Star..."
Austin chanted a few incantations, casting a mystical spell. Light flashed, and after a moment of divination, a sudden smile appeared on his chubby little face.
"So that's how it is, he has my Forbidden Sorcerer under his command..."
After thinking for a moment, Austin pointed to a few of the Forbidden Sorcerer present.
"Bring the person back. If Black Star obstructs you, just say it was my order, and he'll give me face."
The few Forbidden Sorcerer who were called upon remained silent, nodded slightly, and turned to leave the palace.
Han Xiao gathered his men and responded to the emergency deployment of the Section Zero, arriving in the West Wind Star System to rendezvous with the main force of the Section Zero.
He brought three hundred modified warships, along with Lagi, and more than ten Grade B officers including Melos and Aroshia. Reynold stayed at the base, and the relatively weak Sylvia did not come along.
Han Xiao participated in the war to increase his faction contribution and better accumulate strength. He wouldn't risk his life so recklessly; it would be a losing proposition to squander the wealth he had painstakingly built up.
Do what you can.
Other members of Section Zero shared the same thought; no one would mobilize all their forces, each with their own selfish motives—a common problem within the united forces.
In the War Realm, there are no such concerns; the will of the Tyrant controls all troops.
"That's the advantage of having Beyond Grade A expert around."
Han Xiao sighed.
Upon arriving at the assembly point, they found many allied forces already waiting, with a total of nearly ten thousand warships. The Arc Light Organization contributed eight hundred warships, making the largest contribution.
Han Xiao, as the leader of the Black Star Army, was also invited to participate in the pre-battle meeting.
The commander was an official of Amethyst. Amethyst was also aware of the drawbacks of the united forces, so it sent someone to unify the command of the troops and improve efficiency.
During the meeting, Han Xiao learned about the situation he was facing.
The vanguard in the War Realm has established a bridgehead on an uninhabited planet in the West Wind Star System and deployed various defensive measures. The objective of this campaign is to launch a probing attack, attempt to destroy the vanguard's base, and drive out the enemy.
Each faction accepted its assigned duties, and Han Xiao also received tactical tasks.
[[Local Battle - Hold Back the Flank]]
[Mission Description: This is a tactical instruction given to you by your faction. Complete it.]
[Mission Requirements: To contain or defeat the enemy fleet on its flank]
[Note: After this battle concludes, mission rewards will be given based on completion rate.]
This is a minor objective attached to the Grade S main mission. In different battles of the Secret War, a preliminary tactical objective will be given in advance, such as "restraining the flank" in this case. During the battle, the tactical objective will be changed randomly according to the changes in the battlefield, and new tactical missions will be temporarily obtained.
War is not a one-person affair. Fulfilling one's duty is the most basic requirement. As long as tactics are strictly followed, even if a local battle is lost, high-completion mission rewards will still be obtained. This kind of tactical mission is how you increase your faction contribution.
Completing tactical missions in local battles will also improve the Grade S main story mission rating [Secret War - Section Zero].
Han Xiao led three hundred warships, which were not suitable for a frontal assault, so he was assigned to provide flank cover. He was not the only one to carry out this task; several other allies were also tasked with containing the flanks.
After the meeting, Han Xiao walked out of the camp when someone called out to him from behind.
Turning around, I saw it was Sevitt, the leader of the Arc Light Organization this time. He was a high-ranking member of the Lone Light Organization and an Grade A expert.
"Black Star, I have a favor to ask you."
Sevitt strode forward, a friendly smile on his face, his tone quite respectful.
Han Xiao has Long Tan's background, so basically everyone treats him very politely. They are all well-informed experts, so naturally they wouldn't make enemies of their comrades for no reason.
"You say."
Han Xiao nodded.
"I know you're a very skilled virtual mechanic. While you're distracting the flank forces, I hope you can free up some time to use virtual intrusion to help deal with the main force in the War Realm and relieve some of our pressure."
Sevitt spoke earnestly.
The Arc Light Organization was responsible for the frontal assault, Sevitt, having heard of Han Xiao's abilities, came to request assistance.
"That's not a problem. If I'm not under too much pressure, I'll help you out." Han Xiao patted Sevitt on the shoulder.
"Okay, thank you." Sevitt was delighted.
After saying goodbye, Han Xiao returned to his own camp and gathered his men, giving them some instructions.
Large-scale wars are extremely dangerous, and no one can guarantee a safe return. He told everyone to be careful, protect themselves, and not to try to stand out.
A day later, the allied forces of Section Zero set off, heading straight for the planetary stronghold of the Vanguard Force in the War Realm.