Chapter 147: The King Representing the Empire

Chapter 147: Chapter 147: The King Representing the Empire

"Yes, sir," Captain Li replied. He had changed into a solemn uniform, his expression grim as he stared into the distance.

Watching the stragglers return, it was clear they had suffered heavy casualties.

"What about those soldiers of yours?" Yun Yiyou asked. He was thinking of Lin Jingjing and her team of five, whose strength was certainly not to be underestimated.

Captain Li recalled their battered appearances. "They’re resting now," he said.

"Mm, let them rest. Once the main assault begins, have them join as well." Yun Yiyou nodded. ’These people really haven’t had a proper rest. Letting them recover their strength now will ensure they can face these mutant beasts and monsters with a better mindset later on.’

Captain Li looked at him and then asked, "Your Majesty, will you be joining the fight?"

’Yun Yiyou is the King of the entire Empire, and his spiritual power is the most formidable in the nation. If he has to join the fight, doesn’t that mean these mutant beasts and monsters have grown so powerful that no one else can handle them?’

Yun Yiyou wouldn’t act unless it was absolutely necessary.

"You will fight in my place," Yun Yiyou replied.

Captain Li froze. He fell silent, unwilling to respond.

But this was the King of the Empire, the most revered figure in the nation. Captain Li couldn’t let his command fall flat.

Moreover, his words were a direct order, and Captain Li had no choice but to accept.

"Yes, sir," Captain Li acknowledged, his face expressionless. ’If I lose with my level of ability,’ he thought, ’how will the King save face?’

’He was well aware of his own strength; he was no match for those massive mutant beasts.’

’Not unless he was willing to risk his own life fighting them, and Captain Li had absolutely no intention of doing that.’

Captain Li was loyal to Yun Yiyou, but his life was his own. Ultimately, his first loyalty was to himself.

Yun Yiyou was aware of his temperament, so after Captain Li’s reply, he added one more thing.

"We cannot lose this war. The alternative is a catastrophe of untold proportions."

Captain Li remained silent. ’It’s not like this disaster is my fault,’ he thought. ’So what if we lose? My strength is what it is.’

"I’ll do my best," Captain Li said finally.

Yun Yiyou let out a cold snort but said no more. The two of them stood their ground, only leaving quietly after the last of the rearguard had returned.

After drinking some Nutrient Liquid to fill their stomachs, Lin Jingjing and her teammates flopped onto their beds and were out in an instant.

Having overexerted their spiritual power, the moment they relaxed, they all drifted into dreamland.

They slept so soundly that even Captain Li, who came personally to wake the five of them, couldn’t rouse them.

"What the hell do these little brats think they’re doing? It’s just a short rest, do they have to sleep like the dead?" Captain Li was fuming, cursing under his breath as he looked at the three men in their dorm room.

"How can they be sleeping at a time like this?" Meng Shili wondered, standing outside and looking in at the three men on their beds. Each one was sleeping soundly, head on their pillow.

It was the same story in the women’s dorm with the other two.

Beisang hauled Lin Jingjing into a sitting position, but she just flopped right back down.

Unable to wake Lin Jingjing, a helpless Beisang could only turn to Feng He.

But Feng He just mumbled, "Get lost. Don’t bother me while I’m sleeping."

The female Army Commanders who had come to wake them fell silent at Feng He’s words.

"Beisang, just give them a good slap!" Xie Yun said impatiently. "Don’t they know a major battle is about to start? And they’re still sleeping like logs!"

Since the five wouldn’t wake up, the others had no choice but to head to the front lines without them.

The mutant beasts and monsters were about to leave the desert. Beyond the sands, only a single mountain pass stood between them and the outside world.

They had to make sure every last one of these mutant beasts and monsters died in the desert.

At that moment, the five sleeping youths were resting in their own private Spiritual Worlds.

Lin Jingjing’s was a forest; Feng He’s, a world of music. Gu Kaiwen was in a gymnasium filled with all kinds of exercise equipment. Shi Feng was in a Mecha Manufacturing Room, surrounded by countless different parts, which he was having a great time tinkering with.

Mo Xuan’s was somewhat unique: his Spiritual World was the secret base he and the others had shared in a past life.

The secret base even had a telescope. He loved to lie on the bed there, gazing up at the night sky through the attic’s glass roof.

The chirping of cicadas, the whisper of the wind, the patter of rain filled his ears. He slowly closed his eyes, lulled by the sounds, feeling utterly at peace.

They remained in their own worlds, engrossed in things that interested them, completely oblivious to the outside world.

—

The situation on the front line was brutal. Countless soldiers had fallen in the vast, endless desert, sacrificing themselves to slow the advance of the mutant beasts and monsters.

Mecha were being destroyed one after another. In this war, life was cheap and fleeting.

Blood, viscera, severed limbs, corpses, Mecha wreckage, robots, assorted weapons, mutant beast carcasses...

Every face was grim. Some even offered a silent prayer to the heavens before charging into the fray.

A prayer to walk off this battlefield alive.

They were afraid, but what good would fear do?

Could they retreat just because they were afraid?

No. They could only grit their teeth and charge forward.

The Empire’s population was simply too large. If they didn’t join the army, they couldn’t even feed themselves, let alone their families.

To trade one’s life so one’s family could live a better life... it was worth it.

Piloting his Mecha, Captain Li attacked the massive mutant beast again and again, but the creature was incredibly resilient, and he still had no idea where its weak point was.

His Mecha was on the verge of being destroyed, yet his attacks had no effect.

At that moment, Captain Li felt a wave of despair. ’How in the world do you kill this thing?’

With every step it took, with every swing of its massive arms, dozens of lives were extinguished.

"Chief Bei, what do we do now?" Captain Li cried out to Beisang for help. He was supposed to be representing the King of the Empire. If he were to truly fail, everyone’s opinion of the Imperial Family would only worsen.

Not only that, but it would also damage the prestige of the inner cabinet.

"I... don’t know." Beisang shook her head. None of them had ever seen a mutant beast like this before. They knew nothing about its weaknesses.

"Ask the other Army Commanders. Maybe one of them knows," Beisang suggested.

Beisang yanked a nearby soldier aside, then used her laser gun to kill the mutant beast charging at him.

After killing it, Beisang said, "Stay alert."

The soldier froze for a second, then hurriedly replied, "Yes, ma’am!"

Beisang was already gone. The young soldier watched her retreating figure, his heart pounding.

’Chief Bei just saved my life!’

’She’s not as cold and ruthless as they say, is she?’

The young soldier didn’t know that the only reason Beisang had saved him was that the events in the underground laboratory had made her notice these common soldiers, the ones no one ever paid attention to.

They constituted the vast majority of the army and also suffered the highest number of casualties.

It was Lin Jingjing’s actions that had made her understand that every life deserved to be respected.