The students on the s.h.i.+p were the future of the Confederation . Kaost was determined to not risk any of their lives .

It didn't take long before the tide of the battle started to favor the Ark's soldiers . It was evident that the cohort of pirates had underestimated the power of the most powerful battlecruiser of humanity .

Somewhere deep in the s.p.a.ce, a dark figure was watching the battle on a screen, while on another screen next to it, Carmen knelt on the ground with his head lowered .

"This is truly a marvelous s.h.i.+p they have got . "

"My lord, this is the technology created by the Blade Warrior . I believe that the Blade Warrior is hiding many more such secrets . " Carmen said servilely .

"It's about time to unveil our true strength . I want this s.h.i.+p captured . Send out our fleet now . "

"Yes, my lord . "

"You have done a good job with regards to Patroclus . Our liege is very pleased . "

Carmen's face was lit up with glee, "All thanks to you, my lord . "

There was cold silence at the other end of the line, which soured Carmen's smile on his face . An even colder voice followed, "But, you let w.a.n.g Tong slip away under your nose!"

Carmen wanted to explain for himself . However, his words melted in his mouth and turned into a wail . Things were moving about in his bowels, thrusting and thumping . Tears poured out of Carmen's eyes as he wiggled his body on the floor like a pathetic worm . All the while, a crimson light shone in the eyes of Carmen's master . After a time, the light faded and, Carmen also stopping thras.h.i.+ng .

"I will let you live this time . Do not fail me again . "

"Yes . . . my liege . "

"Wait . " Another voice reverberated in the room, cold and lifeless . "w.a.n.g Tong and the Ark are both mines!"

Despite the heated battle outside of the s.h.i.+p, w.a.n.g Tong was ordered to station in the storage room and look after the equipment . He would have stomached unreasonable order if it were not a b.l.o.o.d.y war outside . He knew he had to get out there and help . However, an order was an order . After breaking the rule and sneaking off the s.h.i.+p, w.a.n.g Tong could no longer afford to cross the line again . As anger and indignation roiled inside him as he sat in the storage room and waited . He figured that summoning the Einherjar METAL would save him from committing the crime of stealing s.p.a.ce METAL from the s.h.i.+p . However, ever since the last s.p.a.ce battle, Mr . Wannabe had been dormant and didn't answer w.a.n.g Tong's calls .

"Why? Why wouldn't Kaost let me go out there and fight?" The same question rang inside of w.a.n.g Tong's mind over and over again . He knew he would be of great help to the situation .

"w.a.n.g Tong, have some water . " Tee handed a bottle of water to him .

"There's nothing to complain about . You are a soldier, and your only job is to follow orders . It's not just you . Li s.h.i.+ming and Lie Jian are ordered to stay put inside the s.h.i.+p as well . " Tee consoled w.a.n.g Tong . Ever since w.a.n.g Tong had rescued Samantha from the Zerg's death clutch, he had grown on her . She was impressed not only by his strength, but also his ability to remain levelheaded and make decisive decisions .

Life might not give w.a.n.g Tong everything he wanted, but things happened for a reason . Kaost knew that it was imperative to protect the important students, such as w.a.n.g Tong and Li s.h.i.+ming . As pressure from all sides rushed in, Kaost needed to weigh his options carefully, as any decision would have far-reaching consequences, some of which would be extremely unpleasant .

After a few bouts of firing at each other, the new battery's advantage started to s.h.i.+ne . Despite the intense enemy barrage, the energy s.h.i.+eld held steadily and didn't even flicker . This was almost impossible for s.h.i.+ps with conventional batteries .

With a solid defense against the incoming fire, the offensive capability of the s.h.i.+p took full control of the battle and shredded the enclosing enemy s.h.i.+ps into pieces .

Seeing the majority of the fleet turn into dust, the rest of the pirate s.h.i.+ps turned on their heels and fled the battlefield . Ark didn't chase after them, fearing it was a ruse to break their formation . Everyone knew that the cohort was not the main force of the Zerg's army; it was merely a sample of what was about to come at them .

The attack didn't deter Kaost's aspiration to reach the Andromeda Galaxy . However, he ordered the s.h.i.+p to take a detour around any other s.p.a.ce cities along the way .

In the days that followed, Kaost's decision had proven to be very wise . Nonetheless, Ark still weathered more than eight skirmishes, both with Zergs and patrols sent from the s.p.a.ce cities . Two of such conflicts spiraled out of control very quickly, and Kaost had to give the order to demolish the s.p.a.ce cities .

The scene in those cities was sickening . There was no human left, only grotesque walking husks filled to the brim with rotten corruption . The Zergs had turned the strong bodies into their host, and the weak ones into food .

As days went by, the battle started to become more intense, and so did the Zerg's atrocities in the s.p.a.ce cities . Without any restocking, Ark's supply was dwindling . What was worse, the constant discharge had taken a toll on the s.h.i.+p's battery, and the Ark was forced to stop and let the battery recharge from time to time .

When Ark left Luolan, Kaost was confident that the supply would last until they reached his destination . However, the constant fear and stress and driven many wealthy pa.s.sengers to the brink of madness . As they sought refuge in the comfort of food and debauchery, the supply dropped drastically .

The development had caught Kaost off guard . Desperate, the captain announced a new rationing system on the s.h.i.+p . Meanwhile, he ordered the maintenance crew to work round the clock to repair the s.h.i.+p's damages .

The new rationing system had angered the pa.s.sengers . Shouting slogans such as "Stop the Tyrant" and "Human Rights Matter!", they marched towards the Captain's office . Kaost acted quickly and squashed the protest with an iron fist . Two leaders of the protesters were incarcerated, and the crowd quickly dispersed . However, the resentment towards Kaost's rule infested under the seemingly quiet surface . By then, many pa.s.sengers had realized that the expedition was not what they were promised it would be . They were told that the voyage would be a death blow to the puny outlaws, but ever since they landed at Luolan, they had been fighting with the increasingly larger number of Zergs .

Ever since the defeat on Norton, Zergs rarely engaged in a fight with the Confederation forces . So, the relentless attacks seemed odd . It was as if they were after something on the s.h.i.+p which was precious to them . Was the Ark hiding something from the public? What was the real goal of this expedition? When would Kaost think that enough was enough and bring the s.h.i.+p back to the solar system? One question bade another, but none of them had the answers .

Kaost sank his body in an armchair, taking a long, hard drag on the cigar in between his fingers . He felt defeated as he reflected on the development so far . The Zergs had evolved; they had become smarter, but no less vicious—they had become more like the humans .

Although the Zergs real motive in waging war on Ark still eluded Kaost, he had a nagging feeling that they intended to capture the s.h.i.+p instead of destroying it .

Chapter 459 Attack From Both SidesTranslator Oneshotwonder Editor Hitesh The students on the s.h.i.+p were the future of the Confederation . Kaost was determined to not risk any of their lives . It didn t take long before the tide of the battle started to favor the Ark s soldiers . It was evident that the cohort of pirates had underestimated the power of the most powerful battlecruiser of humanity . Somewhere deep in the s.p.a.ce, a dark figure was watching the battle on a screen, while on another screen next to it, Carmen knelt on the ground with his head lowered . This is truly a marvelous s.h.i.+p they have got . My lord, this is the technology created by the Blade Warrior . I believe that the Blade Warrior is hiding many more such secrets . Carmen said servilely . It s about time to unveil our true strength . I want this s.h.i.+p captured . Send out our fleet now . Yes, my lord . You have done a good job with regards to Patroclus . Our liege is very pleased . Carmen s face was lit up with glee, All thanks to you, my lord . There was cold silence at the other end of the line, which soured Carmen s smile on his face . An even colder voice followed, But, you let w.a.n.g Tong slip away under your nose Carmen wanted to explain for himself . However, his words melted in his mouth and turned into a wail . Things were moving about in his bowels, thrusting and thumping . Tears poured out of Carmen s eyes as he wiggled his body on the floor like a pathetic worm . All the while, a crimson light shone in the eyes of Carmen s master . After a time, the light faded and, Carmen also stopping thras.h.i.+ng . I will let you live this time . Do not fail me again . Yes . . . my liege . Wait . Another voice reverberated in the room, cold and lifeless . w.a.n.g Tong and the Ark are both mines Despite the heated battle outside of the s.h.i.+p, w.a.n.g Tong was ordered to station in the storage room and look after the equipment . He would have stomached unreasonable order if it were not a b.l.o.o.d.y war outside . He knew he had to get out there and help . However, an order was an order . After breaking the rule and sneaking off the s.h.i.+p, w.a.n.g Tong could no longer afford to cross the line again . As anger and indignation roiled inside him as he sat in the storage room and waited . He figured that summoning the Einherjar METAL would save him from committing the crime of stealing s.p.a.ce METAL from the s.h.i.+p . However, ever since the last s.p.a.ce battle, Mr . Wannabe had been dormant and didn t answer w.a.n.g Tong s calls . Why Why wouldn t Kaost let me go out there and fight The same question rang inside of w.a.n.g Tong s mind over and over again . He knew he would be of great help to the situation . w.a.n.g Tong, have some water . Tee handed a bottle of water to him . There s nothing to complain about . You are a soldier, and your only job is to follow orders . It s not just you . Li s.h.i.+ming and Lie Jian are ordered to stay put inside the s.h.i.+p as well . Tee consoled w.a.n.g Tong . Ever since w.a.n.g Tong had rescued Samantha from the Zerg s death clutch, he had grown on her . She was impressed not only by his strength, but also his ability to remain levelheaded and make decisive decisions . Life might not give w.a.n.g Tong everything he wanted, but things happened for a reason . Kaost knew that it was imperative to protect the important students, such as w.a.n.g Tong and Li s.h.i.+ming . As pressure from all sides rushed in, Kaost needed to weigh his options carefully, as any decision would have far reaching consequences, some of which would be extremely unpleasant . After a few bouts of firing at each other, the new battery s advantage started to s.h.i.+ne . Despite the intense enemy barrage, the energy s.h.i.+eld held steadily and didn t even flicker . This was almost impossible for s.h.i.+ps with conventional batteries . With a solid defense against the incoming fire, the offensive capability of the s.h.i.+p took full control of the battle and shredded the enclosing enemy s.h.i.+ps into pieces . Seeing the majority of the fleet turn into dust, the rest of the pirate s.h.i.+ps turned on their heels and fled the battlefield . Ark didn t chase after them, fearing it was a ruse to break their formation . Everyone knew that the cohort was not the main force of the Zerg s army it was merely a sample of what was about to come at them . The attack didn t deter Kaost s aspiration to reach the Andromeda Galaxy . However, he ordered the s.h.i.+p to take a detour around any other s.p.a.ce cities along the way . In the days that followed, Kaost s decision had proven to be very wise . Nonetheless, Ark still weathered more than eight skirmishes, both with Zergs and patrols sent from the s.p.a.ce cities . Two of such conflicts spiraled out of control very quickly, and Kaost had to give the order to demolish the s.p.a.ce cities . The scene in those cities was sickening . There was no human left, only grotesque walking husks filled to the brim with rotten corruption . The Zergs had turned the strong bodies into their host, and the weak ones into food . As days went by, the battle started to become more intense, and so did the Zerg s atrocities in the s.p.a.ce cities . Without any restocking, Ark s supply was dwindling . What was worse, the constant discharge had taken a toll on the s.h.i.+p s battery, and the Ark was forced to stop and let the battery recharge from time to time . When Ark left Luolan, Kaost was confident that the supply would last until they reached his destination . However, the constant fear and stress and driven many wealthy pa.s.sengers to the brink of madness . As they sought refuge in the comfort of food and debauchery, the supply dropped drastically . The development had caught Kaost off guard . Desperate, the captain announced a new rationing system on the s.h.i.+p . Meanwhile, he ordered the maintenance crew to work round the clock to repair the s.h.i.+p s damages . The new rationing system had angered the pa.s.sengers . Shouting slogans such as Stop the Tyrant and Human Rights Matter , they marched towards the Captain s office . Kaost acted quickly and squashed the protest with an iron fist . Two leaders of the protesters were incarcerated, and the crowd quickly dispersed . However, the resentment towards Kaost s rule infested under the seemingly quiet surface . By then, many pa.s.sengers had realized that the expedition was not what they were promised it would be . They were told that the voyage would be a death blow to the puny outlaws, but ever since they landed at Luolan, they had been fighting with the increasingly larger number of Zergs . Ever since the defeat on Norton, Zergs rarely engaged in a fight with the Confederation forces . So, the relentless attacks seemed odd . It was as if they were after something on the s.h.i.+p which was precious to them . Was the Ark hiding something from the public What was the real goal of this expedition When would Kaost think that enough was enough and bring the s.h.i.+p back to the solar system One question bade another, but none of them had the answers . Kaost sank his body in an armchair, taking a long, hard drag on the cigar in between his fingers . He felt defeated as he reflected on the development so far . The Zergs had evolved they had become smarter, but no less vicious they had become more like the humans . Although the Zergs real motive in waging war on Ark still eluded Kaost, he had a nagging feeling that they intended to capture the s.h.i.+p instead of destroying it .