"Such heavy casualties?!"
Following the instructions of the remote command to retreat, and only after leaving the fortress planet far from the War Realm did Han Xiao learn the casualty figures from the main battlefield.
After defeating the main force of the Allied forces in the War Realm, they returned to defend the bridgehead and symbolically Pursuit the defeated Section Zero front-line troops for a short while. Han Xiao had the advantage in the local battlefield, and he led his men to retreat easily without being pursued by the enemy.
Han Xiao achieved a small victory, but unfortunately, this slight advantage could not change the course of the battle.
Although the war was lost, Han Xiao completed his tactical mission, earning him over a million experience points and more than two hundred contribution points from Section Zero and the Amethyst Civilization.
The defeated coalition forces stopped to rest on an uninhabited planet. The atmosphere was gloomy and desolate, with each ally bearing a somber expression as they tallied their casualties.
The fallen Grade A powerhouses were mostly destroyed along with the warship. The Arc Light Organization lost Sevitt, and the surviving members looked grief-stricken.
Two days ago, Sevitt smiled and asked for his help, but now his body is nowhere to be found. Thinking of this, Han Xiao couldn't help but sigh. He didn't disturb them, but gathered his officers to take stock of the losses of his own fleet, and quickly came to a conclusion.
"We only lost thirty-four warships, with no high-ranking casualties. The situation is alright."
Han Xiao breathed a sigh of relief.
The Amethyst Civilization will compensate all forces for their losses and provide resource support; otherwise, no one would be willing to cooperate. Han Xiao's lost warships will also be compensated, along with rewards for local victories.
Melos, still shaken, said, "I just inquired, and we're one of the forces with the fewest losses among all Section Zero members. Our other allies actually sacrificed several Calamity Grade and Book-level powerhouses... I never imagined it would be this dangerous."
"It is indeed a bit unexpected." Han Xiao nodded. He was experiencing the established situation of version 3.0, but he only knew the background story of the Secret War during the version update and was not clear about the specific details.
Han Xiao wasn't surprised by the victory in the War Realm. If Amethyst could have driven the War Realm out, they wouldn't have been fighting all the way to version 3.0.
During the 3.0 era War Realm had already established numerous bases in several star systems, engaging in a protracted war with Section Zero. Therefore, Han Xiao guessed that Section Zero would definitely be at a disadvantage during the version update.
To his surprise, in their first encounter, more than ten Grade A experts had died, an incredibly high level of intensity.
If this many people die in every war, within a few months, all the strong members of the Section Zero will be wiped out, and the War Realm will inevitably suffer heavy casualties, resulting in a lose-lose situation.
beep beep...
Han Xiao suddenly received a communication invitation from Laifer.
The call connected, Laifer's voice was hoarse as he asked in a deep voice, "Black Star, just how bad is the situation?"
Upon receiving news of the defeat, Laifer was extremely uneasy and couldn't help but contact Han Xiao to inquire about the details of the battle.
"This is terrible..."
Han Xiao recounted the events truthfully, while also emphasizing his advantage in the local battlefield.
Upon hearing this, Laifer said worriedly, "This is the only good news I've heard in the past half hour, but you can't decide the entire battle by yourself."
Han Xiao shrugged, not caring at all. Anyway, he got the reward for the tactical mission, so he didn't lose out.
"The goal of the War Realm is to kill our Grade A superhumans; they're establishing their authority," Laifer said.
Han Xiao's eyes flashed, and he immediately understood Heber's idea, thinking to himself how clever he was.
The War Realm exploited Section Zero's weakness—disunity among its members. This was a common problem among allied forces. Each Grade A powerhouse was a crucial fighting force for their respective organization. By deploying the eight Vanguard Officers and eliminating these high-level combatants, they could deter all Section Zero members from taking any action.
Each of the collaborators in Section Zero doesn't actually care whether Amethyst defends its territory; they lack the same sense of territory as Amethyst. They participate in the Secret War for their own benefit, serving as pawns of the Amethyst Civilization. Defeat in the war is irrelevant; their only concern is whether their gains can compensate for their losses.
If warships are lost, the Amethyst Civilization can compensate and even reward them, providing them with resources from a star cluster-level civilization. However, if a Calamity Grade expert is killed, there is nothing that can be done; the Amethyst Civilization cannot compensate the Section Zero members for the loss of their high-level combat power.
This is the difference between the disorganized Section Zero and the cohesive War Realm, and it is also an unchangeable weakness.
No wonder the War Realm is so fierce.
Han Xiao pondered silently. He didn't care whether the Secret War was won or lost. In his previous life, Amethyst had already lost. Only when the Crimson Dynasty and the Federation of Light reached a consensus on the issue of the Shattered World would they stop the unrest in various places. Before the two cosmic-level civilizations completed their exchange of interests, no one would care about the Secret War between Krent and Amethyst. The Crimson Dynasty was Krent's backer. As long as the War Realm wasn't driven out, the Crimson Dynasty dared to cede a portion of Amethyst's territory to Krent. This was Krent's strategy, and also the result of his previous life.
Han Xiao joined Section Zero not to help Amethyst win the war, but mainly to accumulate contribution points in exchange for cutting-edge knowledge.
If his losses remain minimal, he doesn't mind playing a passive role, completing tactical tasks step by step, and slowly building up the [Revered] relationship.
Even if the market crashes, if your stock rises against the trend, it will still receive more attention.
If not many people die, how can one rise to power?
Han Xiao's eyes flashed. It was a pity. If only the players were still around, then there would be no need to worry about casualties.
Suppressing his thoughts, Han Xiao asked, "Now that the War Realm has gained a foothold in the West Wind Star System, what should we do next?"
"Let's rest for now, wait for reinforcements to arrive, and then launch another attack," Laifer said in a deep voice.
The collaborators of Section Zero are scattered across various regions of the Colton Star Cluster, with varying distances. Han Xiao's allied force was only the first batch, considered the vanguard of Section Zero. There were still large forces behind them. The defeat of their vanguard did not mean the complete defeat of Section Zero.
What worries Laifer is the tactics used in the War Realm. The enemy is targeting high-level combatants, which is an open conspiracy that is impossible to defend against. He is worried that in order to reduce losses, the Section Zero will outwardly comply with the commanders' orders but inwardly disobey them, and the worst outcome could be the disintegration of the organization.
Han Xiao pondered for a moment, then suddenly spoke, "I have a suggestion: in the next attack, let me participate in the main battle."
Laifer was stunned. Black Star knew the danger was immense, yet he insisted on joining the main battle?!
"You mean..."
"Perhaps I can hold off the Vanguard Officers in the War Realm..." Han Xiao stroked his chin.
Laifer was overjoyed and almost moved to tears. Just now, the Arc Light Organization and other forces involved in the main battlefield all requested to no longer undertake the assault mission. They all chickened out and dared not face the strong in the War Realm. Only Black Star stepped forward and took the initiative to undertake this extremely risky task.
This... this is a reliable partner!
Laifer was almost in tears. Suppressing his excitement, he asked, "How many Vanguard Officers can you hold off?"
Han Xiao narrowed his eyes.
"All."
Laifer's eyes widened suddenly, his face frozen in astonishment.
You're not kidding, are you?!
People will die!
"Don't be so surprised. I didn't say I'd beat them; I said I'd hold them off."
Han Xiao waved his hand. He had just estimated that his chances of winning against eight Vanguard Officers were even lower than Lagi's optimistic chances. However, he still had a chance to hold off eight Grade A musclemen with his physical strength. Aurora's character card could be used a few more times, which would be enough to sustain him through one battle.
By holding off the Vanguard Officers, I can reduce the risk to other allies' high-level combat forces. Moreover, demonstrating such strength can boost my reputation and make Amethyst value me more.
The main reason was that Han Xiao decided to use this to make a deal.
"Making me take such a big risk isn't for free."
"What do you want?" Laifer asked quickly.
Han Xiao raised an eyebrow. "I need cutting-edge knowledge from the Mechanic Class."
"Okay!" Laifer readily agreed.
At this point, he no longer hesitated. Black Star was willing to risk death, so as long as he could survive, Amethyst would not be stingy with its resources.
Han Xiao remained expressionless, but inwardly he was secretly excited. Although he could slowly accumulate contribution points by simply playing the field, it would take a lot of time. If he could quickly acquire cutting-edge knowledge in one step, he wouldn't let this opportunity pass him by.
The sooner he completes the job change quest, the faster he can break through the level 170 threshold, turning his accumulated experience into actual combat power. Moreover, holding off the eight Vanguard Officers is itself an event that allows him to rapidly gain reputation, killing two birds with one stone!
Han Xiao couldn't help but have a wicked thought—he would rather the Amethyst Civilization lose more often than it wins. If the situation weren't critical, he wouldn't have this opportunity to quickly acquire resources.
"Indeed, troubled times bring opportunities; the ancients were right," Han Xiao thought to himself with a smirk.
Lagi, who witnessed the conversation, couldn't help but interject, "Do you need me to help you collect the body?"
Han Xiao was not angry but happy. This time it was all settled. Lagi's counter-inflicted milk had never failed before.
"Keep feeding, don't stop."
"No wonder he tried to commit suicide; he really went mad." Lagi sighed, knowing he'd have to find a new job again.