Chapter 83

Chapter 83

The thorny forest was not far from the inner city; before this premeditated insect tide outbreak, it would have taken only a day's journey to reach.

But now, it seemed as distant as the horizon, with only Cheng Jiu alone, surrounded by high-level insects in a frenzy over the loss of their royals.

No matter how formidable Cheng Jiu was, he was but one person, with only so much strength.

The locator was rendered nearly useless in the chaotic psychic maelstrom, and Cheng Jiu could only discern a general direction, unable to pinpoint his exact location.

The most rational strategy wasn't for the Ninth Legion to find him, but to connect with the inner city, extending the defensive perimeter outward. That way, they would eventually encounter him, avoiding futile efforts.

Planet S177 was a targeted battlefield, and the pressure on the Fourth Legion was countless times greater than the others, as would be the losses.

With a dying Lin Fu in his arms, Cheng Jiu's heart felt cold, its warmth seemingly draining away with Lin Fu's blood.

At this moment, he should have ordered a desperate search to bring Lin Fu back for treatment, to save him.

But when he opened his mouth, he said, "Go to the inner city, coordinate with the Fourth Legion's operations, clear out the insect swarm. I'll be back soon."

He heard the roar of his blood rushing backward, all flooding into his mind, buzzing loudly.

Yet, he didn't alter his command.

If Lin Fu were conscious, he would issue the same orders.

They were soldiers.

*

With the arrival of reinforcements from the Ninth Legion, the pressure on the Fourth Legion dropped sharply.

The reinforcements consisted of the elite forces of the Ninth Legion, and their arrival hastened the extermination of the insectoids, expanding the safe zone's diameter at a surprisingly swift pace.

Albert and his group docked with the safe zone on the morning of the second day after the Ninth Legion's support arrived.

They were all covered in dust and grime. After rushing into the safe zone and handing over the wounded to their comrades, they leaned on their knees, panting for breath.

The soldiers inside the safe zone joyfully informed them, "The Ninth Legion's reinforcements have arrived. You can rest easy now, go back and rest."

After speaking, he asked with confusion, "By the way, wasn't the Major General supposed to be with you in the Seifei Zone? Where is he?"

Albert, catching his breath with eyes closed, covered the interface of the internal communication channel and said in a low voice, "He's behind us, clearing out the insects. You guys carry on, we're heading back first."

The other party, suspecting nothing, cheerfully replied, "Alright, go back and rest. We've got this covered, don't worry."

Albert didn't speak further, leading the others towards the inner city.

They were all silent, not questioning Albert's intentions in speaking so.

In the current situation, revealing the commander's status to the ordinary soldiers would only serve to shake their morale.

As direct subordinates of Lin Fu in the future, Albert and his two companions all had the authority to directly contact Putian Xiangri.

Upon reaching the inner city, they informed the latter about Lin Fu being trapped.

This sentinel, who usually remained unflappable even when the sky was falling, lost his composure in front of them, although he quickly regained it.

His voice maintained a calm steadiness as he said, "Message received. We will make all necessary preparations here. Please expedite the search and rescue efforts at the front. If you have any support requirements, please state them. Also, the batch of mechs custom-made by the Harvey family has been rushed to the front lines, please make good use of them."

The communication ended.

Putian Xiangri's expression darkened slightly.

With Major General Lin absent, it was not advisable to continue passing news to the front.

He closed the communication page and connected with the Public Relations department, "Closely monitor the online activities of the First and Second Legions, initiate keyword searches, and amplify our propaganda efforts. If necessary, inject funds to suppress their messages."

"Yes."

In the Star Network, few were aware of the severity of the situation at the front, but the uncertainty was enough to unsettle the public.

The retreat and abandonment of an S-class planet by the Fourth Legion was constantly brought up, serving as a whipping post for the people's grievances, anger, and panic to be vented.

Somewhere along the way, triumphant news and battle videos of the First and Second Legions began to proliferate online.