Chapter 1474: Chapter 1474: Strike While He’s Down
“Do you think they might be engaged in a civil war?”
Sandora’s words left Bingdisi and both stunned. The latter couldn’t help but touch Sandora’s forehead: “Huh, not hot?”
“Get away, I’m not human,” Sandora casually swatted Bingdisi’s hand away and looked at with a serious expression, “I’m not joking—if the Fallen Apostle’s army could gather and fight fiercely, then their opponent must be an extrely powerful super civilization. But within the known Void realm, no such civilization exists. The area where the Fallen Apostles are fighting is in the Divine Race’s scan zone, and the Divine Race should’ve already explored those worlds thoroughly. Besides, based on those little scattered situations before, I really think the likelihood of the Fallen Apostles fighting amongst themselves is quite high.”
“Those little scattered situations before?” Bingdisi suddenly showed interest and pounced on Sandora, “What happened, what happened? Tell so I can have a laugh…”
Sandora promptly kicked Bingdisi away and said to , “You see, this is how she acts when she’s out of her mind.”
I helplessly watched Bingdisi get up from the ground: “Sandora is talking about several reports that ca from the border scanning station over the past month, you should know part of it too. There are frequent fleet mobilizations within the Abyss Zone, many worlds perished in a short ti, the fleet activity of the Fallen Apostles suddenly decreased a few days before their raid, and there were fewer changeovers at the Abyss Zone’s border outposts… many other similar traces. Sandora believes those events are all interconnected.”
Only then did Bingdisi put on a serious look, sitting on the chair with her hand on her chin like a strategist: “Hmm, these are indeed suspicious situations. Separately, they don’t seem urgent at all… But Sandora, isn’t it far-fetched to suggest they’re in a civil war?”
“Just so evidence, combined with so intuition,” Sandora replied calmly, “The frequent anomalies before really resembled warti activities. The fleet mobilization could be seen as an escalation of conflicts between warlords, the world’s disappearance should be attributed to war, and the decreased fleet activity frequency implies so warlords in the civil war have already been eliminated, the reduced changeover at border outposts… it should an the rule center of the Fallen Apostles is already overstretched. If explained this way, everything still makes sense.”
Bingdisi looked at Sandora and suddenly exclaid: “Hey, how co I never knew you had such associative abilities before!?”
I thought about it and felt there were still many doubts: “You indeed make so sense, but how could the Fallen Apostles possibly have a civil war? They’re not very united internally, but at least they’re all under one data network’s control. The Abyss Xyrin’s control over the Fallen Apostles is absolute, isn’t it?”
This is the biggest doubt, and also the weakest point of Sandora’s “civil war theory”: Although the Fallen Apostles have lost that absolute unity and single-mindedness due to corruption, they are still under the absolute control of Abyss Xyrin. That Abyssalized network ghost can freely clamp every Fallen Apostle’s spirit node, so although there are many internal contradictions among the Fallen Apostles, they have never had the threat of division.
This is an “empire of cages” that, despite being disunited, no one can betray—Harlan had summarized it this way back then.
Sandora, of course, could also think of these. She slowly nodded: “I know, solely from the control structure, Abyss Xyrin’s grip over the Abyss Zone is absolute. No matter how severe the internal disputes among the Fallen Apostles, they wouldn’t escalate to the point of fighting each other. If they really are in a civil war, then sothing must have gone wrong with Abyss Xyrin… Don’t forget, with Bellavilla as a precedent, even an Emperor-level Apostle nearly got sched to death. Perhaps Abyss Xyrin’s control is not as solid as we imagined, and there might indeed be flaws in her rule.”
“Alright, whether it’s a civil war or not, in any case, this seems like a good thing,” Bingdisi’s mood appeared exceptionally joyful, bouncing in her chair until afterimages almost appeared, “Anyway, those madn finally ran into trouble. No matter who they’re fighting against, it’s better than fighting us… Don’t you want to take so proactive actions? Father God will soon order an attack, and taking a significant action now would definitely be more effective than usual.”
I began to ponder: Previously, I had discussed the joint advance rhythm with Father God. The original plan was to wait for a while, allowing the Fallen Apostles to relax their vigilance and think the Divine Race wouldn’t retaliate. Then, the Star Domain would launch a surprise assault on the Abyss Zone, with the Imperial Army following and launching a comprehensive attack on another border of the Abyss Zone. But it seems plans can’t keep up with changes—The Fallen Apostles getting erratic had already sowhat disrupted the Imperial Army’s rhythm, and now they are at war in the Far Border, providing the Divine Race with an irresistible opportunity for attack—the joint action seems to have to be brought forward.
But whether this action can achieve the previously expected results is another matter… Oh well, plans can’t keep up with changes.
“When is the Divine Race planning to take action?” I lifted my eyelids to glance at Bingdisi.
“Can’t say for sure. In major events like this, Father God usually makes the decisions personally. He has his own thought processes and long-term considerations, which others can’t fathom. Anyway, once he gives the order to attack, the entire Divine Race will move,” Bingdisi said, her lips involuntarily curling upwards again. “In any case, a ssage has already been sent from the Divine Realm. When the Divine Race moves, you’ll be notified imdiately. Father God’s decree: Everything as per the old plan.”
Everything as per the old plan?
I was taken aback for a mont, then quickly understood: It ans that although the action tiline has moved forward, the Divine Race still hopes the Imperial Army can be delayed for a step. This is of course good because the stronger the Divine Race’s offensive on the flank, the more the Fallen Apostles’ fleets will be drawn to the Far Border, leaving the area between the Abyss Zone and the New Empire increasingly under-defended, making it easier for the Imperial Army to attack.
“Got it, then I’ll wait here for the good news from the Divine Race,” I nodded to Bingdisi, then suddenly rembered sothing, “Oh, by the way, are you moving with the Divine Race army this ti, or will you co with us?”
Bingdisi was humming a tune and having a good ti. At my words, she suddenly froze: “… Gosh, I just realized… Am I considered a Star Domain Heavenly God or your officer this ti!?”
Sandora casually waved her hand: “Anyway, aren’t you already enlisted in the Expeditionary Army sequence? So this ti, the Divine Race’s advance must not have your na on it. Just co along with us.”
Bingdisi nodded and pondered for a while, then suddenly realized: “Darn it, so dual citizenship ans not only do I not get double holidays but instead my workload gets doubled!? Is this the rhythm of taking turns to fight?”
Sandora and I both nodded and smiled, “You got it…”
Bingdisi, frustrated, glanced at Sandora and . The experienced Bingdisi knew she wasn’t a match for this couple duo now, so she just swung her arm and headed upstairs: “Alright, alright, I’ll go take a nap and wait for the notification from the Divine Realm anwhile.”
The waiting ti is always boring, especially with the situation at the border hanging over us. We didn’t dare divert our attention to anything else, and could only patiently wait for the mont of the attack to arrive.
So far, everything within the range of the Abyss Zone, which the Empire can scan, appears peaceful. No one could have imagined the large-scale warfare occurring within the section monitored by the Divine Race. We don’t know exactly how many problems exist within the Fallen Apostles, nor do we know how many more problems they plan to create. Thus, the major armies on the border can only maintain vigilance and remain on standby, ready to launch an all-out attack at any ti. Now I suddenly feel relieved that Sandora had ordered the major main armies to be deployed to the frontline early, right after the Fallen Apostles’ peculiarities began yesterday. The frontline troops are fully prepared, just waiting for the ssage to set out, eliminating the trouble of ergency mobilization.
It wasn’t until the afternoon that a ssage finally arrived from the Divine Realm. The first wave of assault troops, composed of elite War Gods and Dragon Gods, had already landed in the Far Border of the Abyss Zone and engaged with the stationed Fallen Apostles in the Material Plane: the Star Domain was fighting the Fallen Apostles head-on in a real battle for the first ti.
The ssage was still relayed by Bingdisi, and she also brought another piece of intelligence.
“Perhaps Sandora really guessed it right,” Bingdisi sat on the sofa, propping her hand on the tea table with a serious face, “The Star Domain sent out a great number of reconnaissance soldiers early, trying to find out who exactly is fighting the Fallen Apostles. They found that all universes in that area are under the Abyss Zone’s radiation, where theoretically, no other wisdom civilization could survive except the Fallen Apostles themselves. Moreover, Father God ordered an inspection of historical records from the past, and no records of high-level civilizations ever appearing in that area were found… Considering all these factors, the feverish fighting between the Fallen Apostles is very likely indeed a civil war. Furthermore, reports from the frontline troops engaged with the enemy revealed they saw only the Fallen Apostles’ fleet on the battlefield, and in so places that looked like post-battle ruins, only the remains of those corrupted Abyssal Spaceship were found.”
Listening to Bingdisi’s report, I sensed so incredible events might have indeed occurred: the Fallen Apostles are in a civil war.
Around us, there isn’t any other wisdom civilization aside from the Fallen Apostles. On the battlefield, there are no relics left from other civilizations, combined with the various anomalies in the Abyss Zone earlier, it seems that sothing indeed went wrong with the Abyss Xyrin.
Since the Divine Race has already taken action, the Imperial Army should start preparing as well: although said to be one step behind, considering the speed of “super high-speed warfare,” with troop deploynts tid in hours, heading to the front line with Sandora now is not early at all. Sandora imdiately ordered the Royal Fleet, which was on standby in the Shadow Space, to prepare for deploynt, while I began to pluck the little ones hanging from my body one by one…
“Idiot, we’re going directly to the enemy’s headquarters this ti, right?” The little doll jumped off my shoulder, wobbling while walking along the back of the sofa.
While holding down Little Baobao on the sofa to prevent her from running all over the place, I looked up at the little doll girl: “Yeah, it’s going to be a big battle, but it shouldn’t be too dangerous. It seems there’s chaos among the Fallen Apostles, and the Divine Race has attracted most of their enemies to other fronts.”
“Why explain so much,” the little doll jumped to the floor, “it’s not like I care about you.”
I watched the tiny figure, only 92 centiters tall, strut toward the stairs with a proud expression, feeling a wry smile form on my face: Is it really not caring?
“Dad, let go with you this ti,” Xiao Xue chid in beside , capturing my attention. She had been whispering with Lin Xue just now, apparently discussing this matter, “My grandpa’s birthday is coming up, and my mom is worried she’ll get a scolding if she goes out again and gets caught when she returns ho…”
Miss gave Lin Xue a slap on the head, “This naughty girl, do you have to go into such detail!”
Perhaps it’s because we’ve fought too many battles over the past two years, even the naughty kids at ho have experience in combat, and it’s tempered everyone to the point of being immune to anxiety. Even as we prepare to assault the Fallen Apostles’ border, everyone seems quite composed. Qianqian even playfully teases the Little Crows with leeks, completely carefree.
It’s nothing like the past, when even a reconnaissance mission would have the whole family on edge, a slight stir posing a day-long strain.
However, Big Sister’s habit of ticulous preparations before departure hasn’t changed. As soon as I finished settling the little ones and instructing Anwina on house-watch duties, I heard Big Sister calling from the yard: “Ah Jun, co out and pack the food and supplies!”
Listen, there’s so much that it can’t fit in the living room, needing to be spread out in the yard for to organize. What kind of scale is this!
I stretched my neck to look out the window, seeing the Nine-tailed Fox excitedly jumping up and down a mountain of odds and ends like a Husky finally leaving for a windy outing after ten days at ho, and my eyes moistened: the stuff in the yard, if thrown to Ethiopia, would at least alleviate a regional famine…
In the end, Big Sister couldn’t rest assured and finally decided to co with us.
Watching her pack that mountain of supplies into her personal space, poised to join on an imperial expedition, I couldn’t help but say a few words: “Sis, you don’t usually have an interest in warfare… besides, shouldn’t soone be watching the house?”
Big Sister smiled gently: “This can’t be just about personal interest, can it? This is a major operation, and I wouldn’t feel comfortable not going with you. As for the house… Anwina’s watching over it, and Lin Xue can check in occasionally, so there shouldn’t be any issues.”
I turned to look at the Ghost Maid appearing on the TV screen, attempting to imprint the words onto herself, and then at Miss Lin, whose only regular visit was to mooch als, suddenly feeling that what Big Sister said was…
Hopefully quite reasonable.
The most excited ones were, unsurprisingly, the Pandora Sisters. They’ve been polishing their Precious Lump Cannons ever since, and by now, those two massive cannons were shining enough to reflect people’s shadows. Seeing that everything at ho was sorted, I lightly tapped the heads of the two small ones: “Let’s go, Starport.”
After several space transmissions, we had moved from the living room to the spacious and grand central command hall of the Imperial Admiral. The Pandora Sisters continued polishing their Precious Lump Cannons, while everyone else took their seats at the officer chairs. The crew on the Imperial Admiral were in their positions, the ship undergoing its final pre-departure checks. Sivis, standing at the deputy officer’s stand not far away, saluted us from a distance: “The Royal Fleet is ready for deploynt, the jump will start in fifteen minutes!”
Visca yelled back without raising her head: “Get on with it, if they polish any more the color will co off these cannons.”
Everyone: “…”
The ship’s main computer’s voice sounded leisurely: “The ship’s system has passed the self-check, normal output from all energy units, normal weapon systems, normal control systems, normal navigation systems, engines and all auxiliary modules normal, defense systems normal, waiting for report-back from all sub-ships.”
Upon hearing this, I quickly went over to pat the heads of Visca and Pandora: “Stop polishing, these aren’t swords, does making them this shiny help?”
The two little girls thought about it, realizing it made sense, obediently putting away their Precious Lump Cannons, turning instead to calibrate their Floating Cannons’ fire control… have these two Shorties really been stifled for too long without a fight?
“The Celestial System Fleet might be needed this ti,” Sandora said beside , “I’ve already ordered them to stand by at the Jumpboard World, and as soon as the vanguard forces open up the front, they can be on-site imdiately.”
The Celestial System Fleet, with its great power and impressive endurance, is best suited to establishing a solid basecamp in harsh environnts, but its biggest flaw is its slow movent. During jumps, without adequate protection, it becos an easy target, so the Celestial System Fleet cannot be used as a vanguard. In battles requiring their presence, they usually stand by at the nearest Jumpboard World, with elite forces opening a breach in enemy territory to establish a temporary ‘safe zone,’ then summoning the Celestial System Fleet into battle. With our assault on the Abyss Zone, this mighty fleet is again set to shine.
Fifteen minutes later, the Royal Fleet’s various sub-fleets completed their self-checks and preparations. The Void Route to the border world was clear, and after Sandora and I inserted the flagship’s ignition key into the control table, the vast Royal Fleet launched synchronously from dozens of starports, quickly racing toward the Giant World Gate in the depths of space.
This ti, the jump starts from the capital, heading to the Imperial Border adjacent to the Abyss Zone. Though ‘far,’ even with the convenience of the World Gate, the fleet requires hours to reach its destination. This lengthy ti makes it difficult for to sit with a solemn façade like the other officers, especially with Qianqian next to , unable to sit still for even five minutes. Hence, I decided to first take a stroll in the ecological district.
However, as soon as I left the command hall, I unexpectedly encountered soone who shouldn’t have been there.
Xyrin. (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welco to vote with recomndation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian, and your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian for reading.)
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