Chapter 2285

2285 - Preparing an Opponent

"...The Red Plague present there."

"....."

As soon as those words reached their ears, some furrowed their brows with obvious concern, while others showed wide smiles, as if they had finally found something worth paying attention to amidst all those tedious military plans.

"Is there something we still don't know?" spoke one of those standing, a person sitting at the far end of the table, barely noticeable among this gathering of major powers, to the point that his presence was hardly mentioned compared to the rest of those present.

He was one of the emperors of the subordinate forces of Zargul in Young Sector 98.

He was still only a martial emperor, but he had been brought to the command room for coordination regarding ground troop landing operations after the main battles concluded.

For no matter how great the power of those present.

And no matter how true it was that each one of them was capable of destroying several planets if they wished...

They could not touch the soil of any of those planets or breathe its air until everything on it had turned to ruin, because they were inhabitants of the Middle Belt.

Therefore, after taking control of Nihari, this person and his followers would be the ones to descend to the surface to occupy the planets, sweep them, settle them, and later reorganize them.

"The True Beginning Empire has three armies with three Chief Marshals." It was the Syndicate Envoy who replied. "The First and Third Armies have had nearly all their personnel transferred to the Middle Belt or to Young Sector 98, leaving almost no one here. They also took most of their fleets and heavy equipment with them."

"So the Second Army remained?" The Emperor furrowed his brows. "And what does this have to do with the plague?"

"That army is a plague." The Syndicate Envoy spoke seriously. "Discovering their true nature was extremely difficult. They always wear special armor that is hard to penetrate whenever they go anywhere outside the Nihari Galaxy. In fact, they have recently greatly reduced their operations outside the galaxy to attack other planets, making it much harder to monitor them and gather information than before."

Then he interlaced his fingers above the table.

"But nothing should remain hidden from the Syndicate, so we summoned several Royal Spirit Masters to conduct thorough examinations of what lies beneath those armors, and the certainty came that they are undoubtedly Crimson Plague."

"How can a plague wear armor and command an army?!" The Planetary Emperor felt he was on the verge of losing his mind. "And they're so organized that you couldn't even recognize their true nature at first glance?!"

"Shh!" One of the Nexus State holders waved at the Martial Emperor to lower his voice, then turned his gaze back to the map. "...We're dealing with the followers of this generation's Great Truth Chosen; we should expect anything."

"Focus on the attack plan." The Seven-Star Royal Spirit Master repeated in a calm but unyielding tone.

"The fighting around the Safe Zone will be fierce. The True Beginning Empire has increased the number of defensive fleets to fifty Nota-4 Fleets."

"..."

"I think you all know what this means. Even if we nominally have one hundred and forty fleets, those fleets aren't complete to begin with—they lack a large number of ships and are riddled with accumulated damage and malfunctions from the battles in Young Sector 98. With all due respect to everyone, even if they were fully intact, they wouldn't be a match for fifty Nota-4 Fleets in a direct confrontation."

That person furrowed his brow.

"The fighting there will be extremely fierce, and we will undoubtedly lose a number of our vehicles. However, we have an advantage of nearly fifty Nexus State holders and Royal Spirit Masters, in addition to our seventh brother himself. So victory will undoubtedly be on our side."

Then he continued speaking while pointing to the depths of the designated area on the map.

"After breaking through that fortified point, the Nihari Galaxy will be fully exposed before us. Our fleet will have suffered heavy losses, and we will all need rest and supplies. This is where our friends from the Young Belt will come in, to quickly occupy those planets and bring back whatever resources can be gathered."

"Quickly? How can I occupy the planets of an entire galaxy quickly?!" The Planetary Emperor raised his head in protest. "And secondly, will I even have any men left to occupy anything with after that battle against the Note-4 Fleets?! They'll all die inside their vehicles before they can do anything!"

"...Do you have a solution, or do you just want to prove that you have a voice in this room?" One of the attendees raised his voice at him.

"Let me gather all the forces of the Young Belt into a single Fleet and go occupy one of the outer planets of the True Beginning Empire. A large planet, but one without many defenses. There, I can keep the men safe and gather for you food, air, and whatever medicines and raw materials I find. Isn't that logical?"

"..."

"Is there a nearby planet with these specifications?"

"There is one." The Syndicate Envoy pointed toward a specific planet on the map. "That one there. A Planet Nearly Devoid of Armies, yet administrative facilities, massive warehouses, training grounds, military barracks, and giant cities are being built on it... and they are almost all empty."

"Empty?" One of those present was greatly astonished. "And why all this effort?"

"The reason is unknown to us," replied the Syndicate Envoy. "They simply continue building and strengthening that planet in terms of infrastructure, while also conducting practical and theoretical training in those facilities. We cannot be certain of what they are planning, but it seems as though they are breeding a Ruling Bloodline for an empire they are creating with their own hands."

"...?"

"Have they grown so bored that they are creating a competitor for themselves?"

"It doesn't matter why, this planet is excellent!" The Planetary Emperor pointed toward him with clear joy. "It's a ready-made platform for launching our attacks on the rest of the galaxy's planets!"

"Give him what he asked for." The Seven-Star Royal Spirit Master gestured toward the Planetary Emperor. "A full fleet, carrying all three million veteran soldiers, the elite of all our subject empires, along with all the equipment, Talismans, and resources he might need. Quickly turn that planet into a foothold, and prepare to attack the galaxy within a day."

"Yes, sir!!" The Planetary Emperor saluted, then rushed out of the hall before anyone could change their mind.

For ground soldiers, staying away from space battles was the best they could hope for.

Dying trapped inside a vehicle, watching the battle and unable to do anything, was an unbearable humiliation for true fighters.

The Seventh Son looked around one last time.

"After the ground forces leave, we will attack the Safe Zone immediately. There's no need to plan what happens next. We will rout the Note Armadas, gather the remnants of our army, and then see what lies beyond them."

"Yes, sir."

Everyone saluted, then followed him out of the hall.