Chapter 663: The First Battle is the Decisive Battle, a Battle of Life and Death

Chapter 663: Chapter 514: The First Battle is the Decisive Battle, a Battle of Life and Death

“Attack?!” Gao Neng hadn’t even answered, but Wu Qingjing, Luna, and the others were shocked by Fang Tangtang’s suggestion.

‘What is the situation right now?’

The West, South, and Eastern Districts were completely surrounded by the Alien Race Alliance Army.

We couldn’t even hold our defenses!

‘And Fang Tangtang is actually suggesting we attack?’

Wu Qingjing and Luna turned to Gao Neng at almost the exact same moment, but before they could even begin to object, Gao Neng had already nodded.

“Yes. A blood debt must be paid in blood. Sword Elder will not have died in vain. I’m going to make that blade from the Beast Race understand that humanity will no longer let them push us around. Not even if he’s the strongest of the Strongest!”

“…” Wu Qingjing and Luna fell silent.

But the surrounding crowd seemed to have been set ablaze by Gao Neng’s words!

“Blood for blood!”

“Avenge Sword Elder!”

“Kill that blade of the Beast Race!”

ROAR!

A wave of fury swept through the populace.

Wu Qingjing and Luna’s hearts sank even further.

‘This… isn’t how this was supposed to go.’

‘This is not what we expected at all!’

They had originally thought that after seizing power from Liang Qi, Gao Neng would immediately change their military strategy. But from the looks of it, Gao Neng was clearly even more “impulsive.”

Liang Qi’s strategy was to “hold the line.”

In truth, even that was a desperate, head-on struggle.

But Gao Neng?

‘He wants to go straight to launching an attack!’

‘What is he thinking?!’

“Gao Neng, shouldn’t we hold a meeting to discuss this?! This is a momentous decision that will determine the very survival of the Human Alliance!” Wu Qingjing was inwardly distraught.

In fact, just a moment ago, he had been ready to say… ‘I’m finally free of this.’

Whether it was because he had once been Liang Qi’s teacher, or because he truly did know—just as Gao Neng had said—about the terrible mistakes Liang Qi and the others had made, he had been ready to seize this opportunity. He’d planned to convene the Supreme Council at once and formally hand over the position of Speaker to Gao Neng.

But the Supreme Council hadn’t even been convened…

‘And Gao Neng already wants to launch an attack?’

‘How could he dare hand over the position now?!’

‘He really didn’t dare…’

“Yes, Teacher Wu is right. We should hold a meeting to discuss it.” Gao Neng didn’t seem to disagree. He then pointed eastward. “In that case, please ask all the councillors to join us at the Eastern District Fortress for the meeting.”

“The Eastern District Fortress?” Wu Qingjing was confused. He immediately continued, “Gao Neng, why hold the meeting there? The South and North Districts are also under attack by the alien races. We are all members of the Supreme Council. We need to see the bigger picture, to command from the central hub…”

“Teacher Wu, have you ever heard the expression?” Gao Neng cut him off.

“Which one?”

“The Emperor guards the nation’s gates; the King dies with his dynasty!” Gao Neng’s gaze shifted to the East.

The phrase wasn’t literally about the direction East, of course.

But what he planned to do was exactly what Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty had done before the Great Cataclysm.

“The Emperor guards the nation’s gates… the King dies with his dynasty… Gao Neng, you intend to…” Wu Qingjing was a man of vast experience. He understood perfectly that when Gao Neng uttered this phrase now, its meaning went far beyond the literal words.

“The three major fortresses in the Eastern, Southern, and Western Districts are all in dire straits. As their commander, I cannot bring myself to cower in this building.” Gao Neng didn’t answer Wu Qingjing directly, instead turning his gaze to the Guard Team standing in the distance. “One thousand members of the Guard Team, and that’s just at the main gate. Liang Qi assumed I’d force my way in through the back, so he kept his main forces stationed there and on the flanks. Another four thousand guards are positioned there. This one Federation Government Building is protected by five thousand elite guards!”

Gao Neng paused for a moment before continuing, “And their purpose is to protect the safety of the so-called ‘councillors of the Supreme Council’!”

“…” Wu Qingjing fell silent.

“…” Luna also fell silent.

At this, the members of the crowd clenched their fists.

“This is the allure of power. Once they have it, they can play armchair general from here. They can hide away in the central hub, finding time for their political squabbles in the council chambers. But what time is it now? It’s a time when we are under siege on three fronts—in the East, the West, and the South District!”

Gao Neng spoke again. “Teacher Wu, I’m not questioning your judgment, nor am I denying that a commander needs to be mindful of his own safety. But what I am saying is this… I have already made my decision. The Human Alliance will fight the Beast Race to the death in the Eastern District!”

“Fight to the death!”

“Fight to the death!”

“…”

The fists of the people in the crowd, clenched tight, began to tremble.

The people living in the City of Hope had truly been repressed for far too long.

They dreamed of hope…

But in reality, they had never seen any.

And now, as Gao Neng spoke these “impulsive words,” the repressed emotions in their hearts were suddenly ignited by that very same “impulse.”

“If we can’t hold our defenses, then we’ll stop defending! The Federation Government Building doesn’t need five thousand elite guards. They should be on the battlefield!”

Gao Neng’s own fist tightened slightly. “Every single councillor on the Supreme Council is Rank Eight or higher, aren’t they? What kind of safety do they need? The safest place for them is on the battlefield!”

“…” Wu Qingjing and Luna exchanged a look. They both desperately wanted to say, ‘Gao Neng, calm down. The situation isn’t that optimistic.’

‘The Human Alliance really can’t hold out!’

But for some reason, they couldn’t bring themselves to say it.

It was because, in their own hearts, a desire to fight was stirring as well…

“Councillor Gao, I’m willing to go fight at the Eastern District Fortress!” Just then, a voice rang out from the crowd. A figure stepped out from the ranks of the Guard Team.