Chapter 71 Sacrifice

Chapter 71: Sacrifice

Seeing the message, Ji Anzhi froze.

A Bug Swarm?

Ji Anjue had mentioned before, after snooping in others' memories, that bug swarms appeared every fifty years, with the next one due in five years. Logically, there should be very few bugs right now. Small-scale swarms typically only start appearing sporadically three years before the main swarm. How could one appear now?

Ji Anzhi was at a loss.

By the time he hurried to the command room, almost the entire team had arrived. Personnel from the Information Engineering Department were reporting the situation to the school and the military.

"The rescue teams are understaffed. Cooperate with them and do your best to hold the line. Reinforcements from the military district will arrive soon."

"Understood."

After the call ended, Zhao Qianlang's expression turned grim. "We've collided head-on with the main force of the swarm. Holding the line will be very difficult."

Qi Yanshen and Li Zhi had already realized this. The detectors only picked up the bugs when they were a mere light-year away from the starship. This shouldn't have happened; the detectors had a fifteen-light-year radius. If they only detected them at one light-year, it meant there were stealth bugs leading the vanguard.

The primary characteristic of stealth bugs was their ability to evade detection. Humanity had suffered significant losses from them initially. It took over a decade to invent detectors capable of sensing them. Unfortunately, stealth bugs also evolved, so even after centuries, the effective detection range was still only about one light-year.

Stealth bugs acted as scouts for the main force. Though they lacked offensive power, they were infuriatingly fast at relaying information and escaping, making them nearly impossible to hit!

Now that the stealth bugs had retreated beyond detection range, within ten minutes, a dense swarm of bugs would swarm over them.

"Prepare for battle. Be ready for sacrifice."

As he spoke, Qi Yanshen received the unlock code from the military headquarters, activating combat mode, unlocking the highest-tier weapon configurations, and the Guardian energy shield.

As for space jumps, that functionality wasn't installed on their ships due to a past incident at the military academy.

Ever since learning his mother was the Commander of the Third Legion, Qi Yanshen had been prepared to die fighting the bugs. So, while tense about the current situation, he could quickly calm himself.

The others were terrified, but this was reality, inescapable. The nearest reinforcements, coming at top speed, were at least half an hour out. They were on their own for twenty of those thirty minutes.

This wasn't the time for fear. Everyone focused on their tasks: confirming the status of the smart warships, checking the remaining energy in the Mech Energy Tanks, inspecting the Mothership's weapons, and so on.

Ji Anzhi didn't wander off. He sat in the command room, quietly listening as Qi Yanshen, Li Zhi, and Ye Qiming discussed.

This is where their military academy training paid off. Qi Yanshen, having a Commander as a mother, knew more about bug swarms. He shared his knowledge with the other two. Li Zhi and Ye Qiming had more practical combat experience. The three complemented each other, formulating a plan.

Ji Anzhi could feel his own fear. His legs felt weak. If there was no hope at all, it might be easier, but the promise of coming support just made him more anxious and scared. He feared they wouldn't last until help arrived...

After their discussion, the three remained in the command room. They decided to let the warships engage the bugs first. Once all warships were destroyed, the mothership would activate Guardian mode, deploying a full-coverage protective shield. This mode was extremely energy-intensive. With their current mothership energy reserves, it could last a maximum of ten minutes.

After those ten minutes, they could only try to hold out until military support arrived.

Holding Xiaoxue in his arms, Ji Anzhi felt for the first time that he shouldn't have brought them...

...

"Damn it! Were the detection department guys asleep? A bug swarm is practically in the students' faces, and they didn't notice! Are they on vacation with military funds? Huh?!"

Lin Dusheng was furious in the command center of the First Legion's border defense outpost. His refined face was flushed with anger, veins faintly visible on his forehead.

He'd been sleeping peacefully in his lover's arms when he was suddenly woken up and told that his students had encountered a small bug swarm. Who wouldn't be furious?

Moreover, this was a unified academy-wide assessment. Over thirty thousand students were here. If something went wrong, the military's pool of high-level talent would take a massive, qualitative hit!

No one else in the room spoke. This was indeed their failure. If the students and rescue teams hadn't reported to the command center, they might only be discovering the small swarm now.

At this moment, they could only try to mitigate the damage. The nearest military district forces had already been dispatched. Even using the fastest starships, it would take half an hour. For twenty of those minutes, the students would have to withstand the swarm alone. A single misstep could mean being devoured.

If this had happened a few days earlier, they wouldn't be so anxious. A few days ago, most squads' energy reserves could have sustained Guardian mode until rescue arrived. But now, most squads' reserves were insufficient, fifteen minutes at best.

Levin sat beside Lin Dusheng. Amidst a group of alphas, he still appeared fragile and ethereal, as if existing in a different dimension. He soothed, "Don't be angry. Getting upset now is useless."

Lin Dusheng suppressed his anger and sat properly in the commander's seat, but couldn't resist adding, "I probably don't need to remind everyone here about the backgrounds of these academy kids. After this, the detection department, security department, and all relevant departments will be fully investigated."

After Lin Dusheng finished, Levin patted his shoulder in comfort, then looked at the assembled officers. His voice was smooth, "Long time no see. I didn't expect our first meeting upon my return to be like this, so I'll skip the pleasantries."

"First, some news. A Queen Insect has appeared within the bug nest. It possesses powerful psychic abilities, capable of manipulating human consciousness, thoughts, and even..."

"Impossible!"

Before he could finish, a general interrupted in disbelief. Levin was displeased at being cut off. After decades apart, had the officers' discipline deteriorated this much?

Levin narrowed his eyes, looking at the general like a venomous snake. A dangerous, oppressive aura washed over the man, making him instinctively want to flee.

But he couldn't move. His body was out of his control, his consciousness growing hazy...

When his mind cleared again, the general was horrified to find himself holding an energy gun to his own temple.

At that moment, cold sweat dripped from the general's forehead, down his cheek, and soaked into his collar.

Like everyone present, the room was deathly silent, eerie, without a sound.

They all understood what this meant. It meant this S-class omega, the primary candidate for Federation Marshal, had successfully broken through the SSS-class psychic barrier.

Levin scanned the room slowly. "Everyone here has received formal military education. I hope such low-level mistakes won't be repeated."

"Understood!"

Seeing their respectful attitude, Levin continued his earlier topic. "That information is from my infiltration of the bug nest a month ago. The reason for the Queen's emergence is still unknown. But one thing is certain: this bug swarm will arrive ahead of schedule. If we're unlucky, it might be accompanied by large-scale mutated bugs."

Silence fell over the room. This was news they didn't want to hear but had to face. If bugs could truly control human minds, their entire defensive line would be a joke.

Sensing the low morale in the command center, Levin added, "The Queen's control ability has limits. Against someone with SS-class psychic power, the Queen can control them for up to five seconds. SSS-class individuals are immune."

This was one of the few pieces of good news today. But in combat, even a one-second lapse could mean being torn apart. There were only five people in the entire Federation with SSS-class psychic power...

"Alright, that matter was just a heads-up. Forewarned is forearmed. Now, regarding the small bug swarm the students encountered."

"Since the Queen possesses psychic power, one thing is certain: it has intelligence. It can think and plan. Therefore, this attack might not be accidental but a long-planned maneuver."

An officer raised his hand. Levin gestured for him to speak.

"So, you're saying the bugs have been secretly observing our every move all along?"

Levin nodded. Though hard to admit, this was an established fact they couldn't escape.

Lin Dusheng added from the side, "Have the omega personnel from each military district find a way to get to the front lines. Omegas are more sensitive to psychic fluctuations."

"Yes, sir."

At that moment, a logistics officer arrived to report. "Sir! The warships are ready. We can move at any time."

Levin stood up. Lin Dusheng immediately followed. His lover had only been back for a month; he wasn't about to let him act alone. He had to go with him.

After leaving the order to "thoroughly inspect the other defense lines," the two of them departed the command center.

The pressure suddenly eased, and everyone let out a collective sigh of relief. The military's omegas were just as intimidating as ever.

"Check the other defense lines thoroughly. Don't make such mistakes again, or you can kiss your funding goodbye after the Bug Swarm."

That last sentence really drove the point home. Everyone immediately sprang into action, not daring to slack off even a little. The Deputy Commander was quite satisfied—mentioning the military budget never failed to motivate them.

The Deputy Commander looked at the screens in the command center, hoping these kids could pull through.

They were the Federation's future stars.

...

"They're here."

Through the display screens in the command room, they could clearly see the dense swarm of bugs. The ones at the front were relatively large, with iridescent membranous wings, gnarled fangs, and razor-sharp forelimbs.

Ji Anzhi instinctively stepped back the moment he saw them clearly, but quickly halted. This was no time for cowardice; he had to stay calm.

The Starship Combat Department and the Design Department commanded fifteen smart warships, supporting the rescue team. Due to the suddenness of the incident, each warship had only about 500 units of energy left, enough for at most thirty energy quantum cannon shots.

The rescue team charged forward on their own. They numbered only twenty, and even though each of them was among the elite of the Federation's elite, they still seemed like a mantis trying to stop a chariot in the face of the bug swarm.

"Come on, brothers! If we can't hold out, the kids behind us will be in trouble."

"Do you even need to say that? Save your energy for dealing with these disgusting bugs."

"Tsk, I'm still the boss here. Show some respect."

"Survive first, then talk."

The rescue team chatted in their comms channel. This might be their last conversation. It was a heavy thought, but this was the fate they had envisioned since the day they joined the military—it had just come too early, and they just weren't ready to go.

They hadn't even climbed to the rank of general, yet they were about to die young.

Tsk. The good die young.

The twenty mechas slammed into the bugs without a moment's hesitation. Twenty mechas against hundreds of millions was a daunting task, but they did not retreat. Behind them lay their duty and the hope of the Federation's future.

The front lines were usually low-level bugs, easy to kill, but they came in endless waves—a classic swarm tactic to drain their energy. Once the mid- and high-level bugs in the rear detected insufficient energy, they would move forward to deliver the fatal blow.

After more than ten days, their energy reserves couldn't last much longer. And for the sake of dignity, they would self-destruct when their mechas had only 100 units of energy left. The explosion at that moment could take out at least tens of thousands of bugs.

A few minutes later, an A-class mecha couldn't hold on. It still had enough energy, but a combined attack from a mid-level and a high-level bug had damaged its energy tank. Energy-eating parasites had likely infiltrated it, causing its energy reserves to plummet rapidly.

"Captain, tell Pingzi for me—I was the one who put someone up to stealing his girlfriend. I'm really sorry."

Hearing the young voice, the channel fell silent for a few seconds before the captain's hoarse voice replied, "Hold on. The military forces will arrive in fifteen minutes. Don't give up."

The young voice replied lightly, "Ah, it's not about giving up. My Energy Tank is broken. Goodbye, and remember to pass on the message. If you don't, I'll haunt you as a ghost."

With those words, a mecha suddenly exploded. A blinding white light flashed, and the scattered fragments wiped out all the bugs within fifty meters, sending others flying.

No explosion could be heard, only brief static in the channel.

The others did not stop but fought even more fiercely, like enraged dragons whose scales had been touched. They tore through the enemies before them without hesitation, charging forward amidst the suspended green blood and shattered bug limbs, growing more courageous with each battle...

This was the first time Ji Anzhi had witnessed such a scene.

He knew soldiers were supposed to lay down their lives for their country, defending every person to the death. But in Suo'ao'er, he had seen too many officers who neglected their duties. They took the military funds provided by the people, only to accept bribes from space pirates, allowing them to pass through and bully the poor.

With such prejudice, Ji Anzhi couldn't help but view the Federation in a similar light. He didn't believe any country was free from corruption. Utopia didn't exist; it was an illusion.

But the soldiers before him were the Federation's elite, even the elite among the elite. Each of them was under thirty, their lives just beginning, yet they chose to fight and sacrifice for their country and for them.

Ji Anzhi couldn't quite put his finger on what he felt, but he thought it shouldn't be this way. They still had bright futures ahead of them. If things went wrong, they should have returned to the Mothership immediately, not perished in the starry sea.

He lowered his eyes, and a small teardrop fell onto Xiaoxue's fur, sliding down and dripping onto his military boots.

Why... am I crying?

Ji Anzhi wondered blankly as crystal-clear tears fell uncontrollably.

Xiaoxue noticed Ji Anzhi suddenly crying and clumsily moved closer, licking the tears from his face. But the more she licked, the more tears fell, making Xiaoxue meow anxiously in distress.

Fortunately, Ji Anzhi was standing in a corner, and the intense, brutal battle ahead meant no one noticed his condition for the moment.

Ji Anzhi wiped away his tears, comforted Xiaoxue, and continued observing the battle outside. He hoped there would be no more casualties.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as he wished. Several more mechas self-destructed one after another, and the smart warships were also destroyed in succession.

Qi Yanshen had been trying to contact the rescue team, but they didn't respond. It wasn't until only four mechas remained that he finally connected to their channel.

"Come back! There's enough time now!"

A surviving female alpha from the rescue team replied, "You're the Qi kid, right? Didn't your mother tell you that Federation soldiers never retreat? Make sure the troops coming later clean up the battlefield and collect my belongings."

With that, she disconnected the channel again. Qi Yanshen, Li Zhi, and the others didn't even have time to persuade them. A few seconds later, the four mechas self-destructed simultaneously. The atmosphere in the command room grew somber and silent.

Twenty lives vanished into the starry sea in less than ten minutes. Only scattered mecha fragments remained as proof that they had fought and struggled.

Li Zhi suddenly said, "Salute the martyrs! Long live the Federation! Their heroic souls will live on forever!"

Everyone in the command room saluted in unison, shouting loudly.

"Long live the Federation!"

"Their heroic souls will live on forever!"

"Guardian Mode"

"Activated."