Chapter 107

Chapter 107

Amidst the chaotic battle, the Imperial team members, like fish in water, tirelessly reorganized their formation, gradually creating a pincer movement.

[The Empire's formation speed is really fast.]

[Of course, just came back from the Imperial live stream, their supreme commander was pointing out positions to each squad. Those orders are crisp and efficient, thinking extremely quick... almost like an AI, ordinary people couldn't possibly process this information in such a short time.]

[Unless the Imperial supreme commander is an experienced commander already.]

[Don't even think about it, they are a freshman, just enrolled this year. This is a concept everyone understands.]

[The Imperial officials just released the main team members' personal information. I suggest everyone take a look. Remember, stay calm.]

[What's her name? White Sand Luo Ning...]

[Wow, am I seeing this right?! A member of the Imperial royal family??]

The Federation's live broadcast room began to roll with some chaotic characters.

Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Dai Sheng was desperately trying to control and command the team for a counterattack:

"Stay calm, don't panic! Even if we fight with all our might, we can't be annihilated here... The match isn't over yet! For the glory of the Federation, let's fight them!"

Although the Federation students had some grievances about Dai Sheng's command, his words made sense.

If they were effortlessly wiped out by the Imperials here... it would be a huge disgrace for the Federation! How could the Federation maintain any dignity in discussions and interactions with the Empire if one side was completely annihilated so early in the military exercise?

The members selected for the representative team were not only strong but also had exceptional willpower. In a dire situation with continuous teammate losses and being surrounded on all sides, they were instead inspired to fight to the death against the enemy, making their moves more desperate.

"Your Highness, they are starting to counterattack," Cen Yuehuai returned to White Sand's side, firing several fierce ice arrows to cover her as she charged into the fray, "We need to spread out our formation."

For the Imperial team encircling the enemy, it was crucial not to let the enemy focus their strength on a single breakthrough point. Better to spread out the formation and disperse their forces.

"Is this what they call 'a desperate soldier will fight fiercely'?" White Sand scoffed, just as she received information that Xino and Ji Ya had arrived at the reinforcement point. She then issued several coordinates, ordering the team members at those points to feign weakness and create an apparent gap, "If the Federation wants a breakthrough point, let's give them one."

The members of those squads immediately understood White Sand's order and began to retreat slowly.

Dai Sheng quickly noticed the gap and hastily ordered nearby forces to gather and rush towards it.

"Quick, we're about to break through their encirclement — the teams behind, follow me!" Dai Sheng yelled in a somewhat hoarse voice over the team channel. He hastily organized a vanguard team of elites, charging towards the gap in the encirclement like wild beasts.

Many Federation students showed a glimmer of hope on their faces, reigniting a spark in their previously despairing hearts. They shifted their focus from fighting to the death to monitoring the gap, quickly moving in that direction.

Dai Sheng pushed the team to accelerate to full speed. All mechs' thrusters spat dazzling flames. They were so focused on breaking through that they couldn't protect themselves; every few seconds, new scars appeared on the mechs, but fortunately, none were fatal.

Just as they rushed into the depths of the valley, thinking they had finally torn through the encirclement and were about to escape to safety —

Bang, bang, bang!

Several powerful heavy artillery shells exploded right beneath the feet of the Federation's vanguard team—they felt a wave of heat wash over them as the air around them was violently torn apart by an immense force, instantly losing several comrades.

Looking into the distance, a dense array of Empire mechs had ambushed them, unnoticed until now.

They stood on both sides of the valley, their shadows cast from above, covering the enemy... also instilling a deep-rooted fear and trembling in the hearts of their foes.

"Where do you think you're escaping to?" Xino, leading the way, laughed heartily, "You’ve passed the previous checkpoint, but now you have me to deal with."

The remaining members of the Federation’s student representative team, already reduced by half, looked up at the Empire soldiers standing high above.

At this moment, no one spoke in the entire communication channel.

They were enveloped in a silence of utter despair.

Any gap, any hope of breakthrough, was just the enemy’s ploy, a deliberate mockery!!

In this moment of silence, many Federation viewers watching the live broadcast also empathized with the students' despair, no longer mocking the representative team, but beginning to voice their injustice.

[Seriously, aren't the Empire people being too unscrupulous? They’ve been toying with us from the start...]

[Deception is a common strategy in warfare. Losing is losing, winning is winning. Being overly noble and upright is destined to fail.]

[First off, disclosing my identity, I’m from the Empire. Some Federation citizens should stop boasting. ‘Noble and upright’ is just a term used for saving face. You simply had no choice.]

[Where did this Empire person come from to boast on our Federation turf?]

[Exactly. We've suffered losses, should we applaud and cheer for you to be considered noble and upright? Only idiots would do that.]

Some couldn’t stand it anymore and said:

[Can you not embarrass yourselves? Leaving a false gap in the encirclement and not pressing a cornered enemy are basic military tactics! This is called strategy, okay! The Empire's choices have no issues!]

[Criticizing others for being unscrupulous, let’s see you make this Dai Sheng do something unscrupulous. If others use strategy, why doesn't he? Can’t he, or doesn’t he know how?]

Those with a bit more knowledge spoke more sarcastically.

In warfare, you can never expect the enemy to be foolish; you must rely on your own strength to counter the enemy's various aggressions.

If you lack even this basic awareness, what's the point of holding this military exercise?

However, although there were fewer comments rolling in the live stream, there were still people sticking to their views.

[I still disagree. The Empire clearly could have annihilated our team directly with the encirclement, ending the military exercise, yet they went the extra mile with another trick—why?]

[It’s simple, this approach minimizes personnel losses for the Empire. Empire people are human too; they don’t want their teammates eliminated either.]

With this statement, the Federation’s live stream fell into silence for a few seconds.

Then, the images transmitted in the live stream became unsurprising.

The remaining forces of the Federation representative team were slowly disintegrated and devoured.

When the last Federation student on the field fell... the Empire officially declared victory in this first military exercise.

……

Empire, Youdu Star.

Wei Li finished organizing all the documents at hand, rubbed his forehead, and elegantly pulled out a chair beside his desk, sitting down with a sigh, "Your Majesty, how did you find it?"

Despite the Empire people's exceptional stamina, Cecil Luo Ning had been watching the live stream from start to finish, hardly diverting his attention except for necessary activities like drinking water or signing urgent documents; he must be tired by now.

Even Wei Li, who lived and worked on Youdu Star, felt mentally exhausted.

—When the Emperor gets distracted, it’s him who has to cover up the work!

Cecil Luo Ning, hearing this, slightly raised an eyebrow, closed the live stream, and said, "Thank you, it’s over now."

Wei Li, who hadn't watched the live stream much, asked, "How did the Princess perform?"

"Not bad," Cecil Luo Ning, with a smile on his lips, clearly pleased yet adopting a moderate tone, said, "For her age and experience, it's quite commendable."

However, he was particularly concerned about the oddities displayed by the Federation representative team during the exercise.

...What on earth has the Federation concocted this time?