Chapter 1400: Peerless Duo!
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
For Aslan, this was not good news, as the Aslan Empire had attempted to break through, but in the end, the results were all the same. Aslan was considered to be the country with the most talents, but no one was able to withstand so much strain on spiritual power. Anyone else would be destroyed after attempting it once. They could only dismantle it and employ small area control. And in actual fact, those with such skills would not have the required spiritual power, and those with the required spiritual power would not have the battle sense. The crux of it was that there was not enough time.
Perhaps hardware could depend on the country's strength to quickly recover, how about software?
It was the Aslan Empire's life or death battle, and there was no retreat – this was something everyone was clear on.
Aina's succession was not long ago, but it felt as if she had been in power for a few centuries. She was different from the successors of the past because they did not have to face a national crisis that could destroy the country. The foreign media claimed that Aina's beauty was nothing but trouble – the most beautiful queen which represented Aslan's doomsday.
If what the Saint fleet said was true, they would have to come out in this battle. Perhaps some intervention would bring hope to Aslan. It was clear that at this point in time, no foreign fleet would be intervening, and no one discovered any disturbances by a man-made wormhole. To tell the truth, at this point, the truth no longer mattered – the most important thing was victory.
However, Aina decisively rejected Constantine's suggestion. Whoever Constantine was in the past, she was the current queen of Aslan, she was the highest ruler, and the Aslan Empire did not require such strength.
Aina was clear about the disadvantages they would face in this battle. She was not naive, and she had weighed the pros and cons. Not to mention if that fleet would even reach the battlefield, if the Saint fleet really appeared, it would trigger a chain reaction. The result would be a raise in the enemies' morale, the loss of international support, and at the same time, demoralizing Aslan. This would clearly be a loss.
No matter how tough the situation may be, she had to tide through it and just smile. If Wang Zheng managed to do it, so could she!
Hence, Aina joined the battlefield. Perhaps death may be a form of release to her.
In the vast galaxy, the planetary level battleship carrying Aina was currently facing the enemy, with various battleships and warriors preparing for battle.
The Aslan Empire's main fleet consisted of nearly ten thousand Milky Way Alliance ships, while Arbiter and Maya had gathered nearly fifteen thousand ships. Both parties were well prepared and using their full strength. This battle was not simply based on numbers, but even the quality of ships were the best. Warriors on both sides were ready for battle as the ships grew closer to each other. The younger warriors were excited, and because war was the dark side of humans, the experienced warriors were not as excited. They adjusted their moods. They were calmly waiting, as they knew about the true face of war. There was no retreat for either side.
The main screens of all the battleships showed the figure of Aina. Behind her were three five-star admirals of the Aslan Empire and five Heaven-rank experts.
The role of a Heaven-rank expert was limited in a battle of this scale. Moreover, the battleships that carried the key figures possessed G-material shields, which specifically countered Heaven-rank experts. While it may not be an absolute defense, an attack at the level that Wang Zheng had carried out on Sirius, it was not possible to be penetrated. Furthermore, the opponent's Heaven-rank warriors would be present as well.
Both parties had taken everything into consideration, and this battle would be a test of a country's true strength. This was what they had been preparing for.
While they lost out in terms of numbers, Aslan's military quality and preparation was relatively high, but they had no way of countering Ren Yixuan, a devil-like existence.
This was known throughout Aslan's military. While they were prepared to die, it felt like a dream for those who had escaped from Arbiter. Modern warfare no longer depended solely on numbers, but tactics. This was something that everyone, including Lin Feng, had yet to solve.
"Brave Aslan warriors, today may be the day in which many of you will die, but behind us are our mothers, our dear ones. If we retreat, there will be nowhere left for them to go. I, Aina Aslan, Queen of the Aslan Empire, will stand on this battlefield and never retreat, to live and die with all of you!" Aina's expression was solemn as she saluted.
Each Aslan warrior knew they would have to live and die as one. Be it the Thorn of Brahma or difference in numbers, all of that was behind them. There was no retreat, all they could do was fight!
The commanders of the ships were at attention. This was Aina's Ability X. Similar to spiritual encouragement, she was able to summon the greatest strength in each warrior. There was no luck in this, this battle would be a bloodbath.
The largest intergalactic battle in the past fifty years began when the cannons from both fleets lit up the sky.
Arbiter took the enemy head-on, while the Maya Empire flanked the side. A cold smile appeared on Ren Yixuan's mouth. The game had begun.
To be honest, he knew that Aina Aslan was indeed strong. No one could break through his new battle tactic, but her raising the morale of the troops would make things more difficult. But this was the joy of war – if it was too easy, it would be boring. He would like to see how strong the strongest country in the Milky Way Alliance was.
Fire!
Fire!
Flames filled the sky. As space shook, the two fleets were two enormous dragons. After half an hour of battle, it was clear. Maya��s vanguard was held off by Aslan's warriors. It could be said that Aslan's warriors were seeking only death, and if the enemy wanted to take another step forward, it would be over their dead bodies. While the Mayans were strong, it is not enough against Aslan.
The only thing that morale could not resolve was the Thorn of Brahma, and just like a pair of scissors, it cut through Aslan's formation and struck through like a nail. Ferocity and courage were unable to stop him. This was what made Ren Yixuan impressive. In a clash like this, he had lost only ten percent of his troops while destroying the enemy.
This kind of destruction was something that went against common logic. As time passed, Aslan's army had yet to be defeated. However, Ren Yixuan remained unstoppable, and if this continued, Aslan's formation would be torn apart, resulting in a domino effect. This was what made Ren Yixuan scary.
Aina's encouragement had its effect, but it could not change the Aslan Empire's fate. The generals were focused on giving out orders, and only Aslan would have this much rich battle experience. If this was another country, they would have been easily defeated.
The vanguard led by Lin Feng suffered heavy losses, and just like last time, they had yet to find a solution. Watching his buddies die next to him while not being able to do anything, it was clear that Lin Feng was furious.
Aslan's elite representatives, like Aus Aurora, who could clearly fight 100 men with one, could do nothing about the situation.
Suddenly, a gentle song echoed throughout the fierce battle, echoing through the hearts of Aslan's warriors, alongside the bombardments.
Whenever I feel pain, I want you to hold me tight
Just like how you always do, soothing my soul
Whenever I am lost, you always give me warmth
Just like someone's arm tightly holding me
Sometimes I feel alone and helpless, just like a rolling stone down a slope
Whenever I think of your name, I would regain my confidence
Sometimes, I would lose my direction, just like a swallow which left its flight
When I think of you, I will no longer fear
I love you Aslan, dearest mother
For you Aslan, my pride
I love you Aslan, dearest mother
I would cry for you, my pride
Life is not eternal, and feelings would be lost
But you would be in my heart forever, like the eternal sun
I love you Aslan, dearest mother
I would cry for you, my pride
I love you Aslan, dearest mother
I would cry for you, my pride
I hope you will remember me, your brave child
Wherever it maybe, I will miss you
I hope you know, how much you mean to me
Wherever it maybe, you are like my life
The song made the Aslan warriors deep in battle completely insane. Lin Feng knew that his sister was here with him due to her useless brother, all because he was useless.
Suddenly, he had an idea. He found the solution to Ren Yixuan's game.
"I'm Lin Feng and those not afraid of death, follow me. All for Aslan's glory!"
A loud roar was Lin Feng's last words.
Chapter 1401: Aslan, Glory!
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The best way to crack this strong lineup was either to move at the same speed or to use a suicide attack.
The other Aslan warriors didn't hesitate one bit when Lin Feng's mech rushed in. They followed closely behind him to break the enemy's rhythm. One, two, ten, a hundred… a thousand…
Huiyin's voice was the last trump card of the Aslan Empire. Aina and Lin Huiyin both possessed group-type Ability Xs that could inspire the soul.
If Aina could fill the warriors with courage, then Lin Huiyin's Song of Aslan could make the Aslan warriors completely give themselves up and to give up their lives.
Huiyin was tear-streaked. This was the situation she feared the most. She understood what helplessness was. Today, she had matured. This was a coming of age gift filled with blood and fire.
Being unafraid of death and seeking death were two totally different concepts.
It was further intensified by Lin Feng being the first to rush in. Lin Feng, the third in line to the throne of the Aslan Empire, a prince and one of the powerful rulers of the future Aslan Empire…
The Aslan Empire would not be able to win this war. There would be no retreat before the entire Aslan Empire's army was destroyed!
Ren Yixuan's fleet was cut off because of the heavy price paid by Aslan. Ren Yixuan's game was no longer able to proceed.
Ren Yixuan smiled. He looked down on the women of Aslan. The heart of a woman was indeed the most vicious. A suicide attack was the only loophole of his strategy. Making countless warriors charge into their deaths, this was something even he had to hand to them. The first battle could not continue. If they could only win by destroying the whole army of Aslan, then Arbiter would also be finished.
That was why Ren Yixuan ordered them to retreat. Such an attack could only work once, while Ren Yixuan's strategy could be deployed numerous times.
That was war, a long, arduous game.
The Arbiter Republic's fleet retreated in an orderly manner. They had to pay a price as well, but it was less than that of the Aslan Empire.
This battle had caused huge losses to both parties. The Mayans were the first to run when the retreat order came. They really didn't care much for death matches.
The Milky Way Alliance was surprised by Aina Aslan in this battle. They said that war was no place for women. She might be a good mascot, but war was different. Aslan was almost left in despair against the superior strength and invincible tactics of their opponents. A country would naturally collapse after the casualty rose to a certain level. However, Aina did something that violated the rules of war, and that was to repel Arbiter's forces with high costs to their side.
Prestige was established through war. In any case, the Aslan Empire had won the first battle.
Aina didn't agree to a world conquered by Ren Yixuan!
However, the second wave of attack would be a problem for Aina.
This battle was too crucial. Aslan would be at the edge of a cliff if they were to lose. Their morale would also plummet. However, this victory was timely. It had proven that Ren Yixuan's strategy wasn't unbreakable — even though this tactic was just quenching thirst temporarily.
Victory could be said to be something worth celebrating as a nation. The enemy had retreated temporarily and Aslan obtained a respite. However, Aina and Lin Huiyin could not feel any happiness. They had lost countless elite soldiers in the very first battle. Lin Feng was dead. This highly anticipated genius warrior had defended his dignity with his life. He was a future Heaven-rank warrior, but he had died in Ren Yixuan's game. Moreover, his death had only provided temporary relief from the enemy.
The war hadn't started because of Aina and Huiyin, but they had to shoulder the responsibility. They couldn't lament their fates, since it was brought about by their relatives. Kashawen might only have implemented Constantine's plan faithfully, but this plan didn't bring hegemony to Aslan, only war.
It wasn't in Aina's nature to complain. She knew this would happen when she left Wang Zheng. She knew Wang Zheng would help her if she begged him to. She understood her own man. However, Aina wasn't someone selfish. She wasn't going to let Wang Zheng leave his loved ones to stay with her to shoulder this burden that was hers. That was why she had chosen to leave.
Was it right or wrong? She didn't know. She only wanted to shoulder the results of Aslan's plots. She didn't want to get Huiyin involved at first. Kashawen was dead. Grandpa was outside, unable to return. Their father drank everyday due to the shock. She hoped that Huiyin didn't need to experience any of this, but she had gone up instead of escaping. These Aslan sisters had unimaginable power.
Aina's power had been amplified in Atlantis, as though the Atlanteans had long known that this would happen. Huiyin… It was impossible to imagine that her power actually originated from her concerts. Her power traveled through her music. Her concerts were the most popular in the Milky Way Alliance because she had unleashed the power unknowingly. Her power had strengthened without her knowing, only the little princess had been deliberately suppressing her powers. She didn't want to interfere with others and hoped her audience liked her music. However, the power was unimaginable once it was fully unleashed.
The target was important too. The effect on her enemies would not be as high as if she were to use it on Aslan warriors. The choice was given to Lin Feng, but the consequences were borne by them. Lin Feng had chosen his death.
They had to remain calm and resilient to win this war. Weakness was no longer needed.
This respite won by Aslan was very important. The whole country started to operate efficiently. Everyone, from aristocrats to commoners, contributed their own strengths. A country's strength was visible only in warring years, especially when faced with the possibility of extinction.
The other countries spared from the war were mostly spectators. The tides changed numerous times. Heroes were created in chaos. Aina Aslan was a heroine of this era, and so was Ren Yixuan. Wang Zheng was one too, even though the battle was on a smaller scale. However, the difficulty of fending off the Sirius Star by himself was formidable. He was also the youngest Heaven-rank warrior in history and would definitely become the top man in the Milky Way Alliance if he were to continue.
Chapter 1402: The Dormant King Lear
Aina showcased her superb leadership. Ren Yixuan represented extraordinary intelligence, while Wang Zheng had the strongest personal combat power. Three shining stars.
In the distant space, the fleet of the Saint Church had retreated to the Hidden Dragon Star. The Oracle Star wasn't the only base they had set up. The fleet rested as they waited for the next step.
Constantine's grand plan seemed completely crushed now, even a disaster. However, he didn't seem to be too concerned about it. Rather, it was the Thirteenth Elder by his side that seemed to be a little down.
"Why are you worried?" Constantine asked with a small smile.
The Thirteenth Elder didn't reply.
"I know you must be blaming me in your heart. There were some hiccups, but the situation isn't as bad as you think. The prosperity of an empire is by no means superficial. It is based on the strength of the heirs. If not, all the riches would be gone. Aina did well, better than I expected. She had her own idea and judgment and was very decisive. That trait is rather similar to me. Haha, our Aslan bloodline is the best in the universe. Therefore, this little bit of difficulty is just a bit of training to polish her up."
"Yes, Master," the Thirteenth Elder said respectfully.
"Hehe, you are still blaming me. Everyone will die, and so will I. Bear with it," Constantine said. "We can start the second part of the plan soon. It will be even more strenuous on Aina if we don't give her the necessary support."
Perhaps there was a way, but this suicide strategy was too much for them. Lin Feng's death was a huge blow to the future of the Aslan Empire.
"Master, you mean…"
"Let Lear do it, give him the stage he desires. That person can unleash his power," Constantine said.
"Master, his ambition is too huge and uncontrollable. Moreover, he is one of the five in the prophecy. Perhaps he is not someone we can use," the Thirteenth Elder said. His suggestion was to kill this variable that was Lear. Perhaps they should also kill everyone in the prophecy so that there wouldn't be so much trouble.
They had fallen to this state because they didn't heed the prophecy. Ren Yixuan, Wang Zheng, Xie Yuxin, Aina, and Lear were the five who would disrupt the balance of the Milky Way Alliance. Ren Yixuan, Wang Zheng, and Aina had the power now. That proved the scariness of the Prophecy. What about Lear and Xie Yuxin then?
There was no sign from Xie Yuxin as of now, but Lear's ambition could be seen. That rascal was now using the Oracle Star as his own nest, the nest of a monster. Lear wasn't only strong, he was also good at enchanting people and using them. The Oracle Star was now completely under his control and had hatched a huge amount of monsters. To Aslan, who adhered to the pedigree theory, they couldn't use these monsters at all.
However, the situation called for it.
"I know you're worried about the dove occupying the nest. This person cannot be kept alive, but this is not the time. He might be growing very fast, but he cannot escape my palms. The person whom I want to kill will definitely die," Constantine said.
The Thirteenth Elder kept mum. No one knew about Constantine's power. He had the ability to pass down the Saint Church. That was the mysterious power of the last era. If Constantine made up his mind to kill someone, that person would not be able to run from that fate.
Aslan needed the overall situation now. If individual strength wasn't backed up by wisdom and overall outlook, it would only become a disaster.
There was no more chaos and massacre on the Oracle Star, only order. Lear was now the unparalleled king. He enjoyed this feeling very much. He lived for it, that was his goal. However, the Oracle Star was too small. His world was limitless. Lear was now more forbearing than before now that he was given a chance to be reborn. He had to appear at the best possible moment. Before that, he would focus on improving himself. He was now very concerned with the international situation and the overall situation of the Milky Way Alliance.
The Locks family had cultivated him to be this way since he was a child, to stand on a higher horizon to look at the problem. As for Wang Zheng, Lear didn't know what to say. He was definitely someone with power, but he was too foolish to protect Tita to his death. Why had he limited himself to the small Tita?
How would such a small territory rule the Milky Way Alliance?
A suitable base would be the biggest one. Aslan's defense was done beautifully this time, though it didn't solve the root problem, unfortunately. Lin Feng's death was advantageous to him. There were many outstanding young fighters in Aslan, but none of them had the clout to be the pillar of the society. The people of Aslan had something to think about now that Lin Feng was dead. He was now critical not only because of his power, but because he was the only one who could go up against Ren Yixuan.
Professor Sharjah was elated. He felt as though he was in heaven these days. Luo Fei was a special existence. He could see that Lear had absolute trust in Luo Fei. Luo Fei was now recuperating, while Mo Ling, Ballara, Er Donglei, and Feng Yingying were in leading positions. Their strengths were now at the mid-level of Earth-rank. Mo Ling had a very strong foundation and her strength was even better. They were completely changed. Many others were semi-finished, which was slightly more complicated. Lear had given him a lot of ideas, and some of them were suitable to shorten the life of the transformed. These semi-finished products had gained new power, but their lifespans had been greatly reduced and they would require special means to live. For example, they might need continuous injections of the gene alteration fluid. Nonetheless, the power of the army was expanding. All of them had gained the ability to communicate with bugs without exception.
These semi-finished products provided a lot of ideas for Sharjah to serve Lear better. In Sharjah's heart, Lear was just like his son. His goal was to let Lear rule the world, that was why he had done his best to adjust the configuration for Lear.
These experimental subjects were very outstanding before the transformation. Their combat power was even more scary now. Ren Yixuan's game was in the absolute cooperation of spiritual power. That kind of scale was something Lear couldn't imitate. However, Lear had a natural control over these cyborgs. That meant that it could function like Ren Yixuan's game with slight modifications.
That was Lear's trump card. A lone person's power wasn't all that important in the planetary wars. A person who could control such power, however, was totally different.
Lear didn't need to rush out, because Aslan wasn't desperate yet. Aina and Constantine should have realized this problem now after this battle. That was why Lear had asked Sharjah to report this ability to Constantine.
All he needed to do now was wait.
Chapter 1403: Danger to the Solar System
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
How could this world be missing the great King Lear? Wouldn't that be too lonely?
Achilles, Lie Xin, and the rest would still need to serve under his feet. What would the Solar System be after he controlled Aslan?
Lear's heart was on fire. The night had gone and the way was now lit up. The Locks family would… no, the Lear family would now carry on forever. He would get Sharjah to adjust the genes until they were perfect to obtain eternal life and forge a permanent empire!
The Solar System, which was belittled by Lear, was indeed depressed. Their military reform was good, but not timely. An important part of the reform was the existence of the Norton Star. The Norton Star was armed with the best weapons from the Milky Way Alliance. It was equivalent to the Solar System not owning it; therefore, the Solar System hoped to deal with the enemy in space.
The Maacah Republic's fleet was huge. This battle was important to them, so they were fully prepared.
There was only the Maacah Republic's fleet and a fleet from the Ghana Star on the surface. In actual fact, the air force was mostly from the Maacah Republic. The land forces would be able to flatten the Solar System once they were able to land.
The Solar System wasn't that weak though. The space battles were still important.
In the Pluto Star Field, the fleet sizes couldn't be compared to that of Aslan and Arbiter, but this was also a rare war in this star field. The Solar System hadn't seen any large scale wars over the past years and rarely participated in regional wars as well. It was necessary to build strength when the military wasn't strong enough. However, they hadn't had the time to train after the reform before the challenge came.
Meng Ao and the rest were confident that they could pull through. It was possible to solve the immediate difficulties with the Solar System, the Moon, and Earth cooperating sincerely.
The commander in charge of this battle was Admiral Drachmach from the Moon. His accomplishments in space warfare were the greatest and his cosmic sky flow tactics were also well-known internationally.
The main guns of both sides started to open fire once the fleets entered attack range. The shots shone through the skies. The formation of the Solar System Federation was slightly weaker, but it was home ground after all, so their logistics was more consistent and they were more familiar with the terrain. There was not too much of a problem with morale in the reformed Solar System Federation.
Both sides sized the other up once they exchanged blows. The enemy's fleet was commanded by Admiral Allen Porter, the most famous hawk in the Maacah Republic. This war had been ignited by his faction. There had been fierce internal conflicts due to the empire's growing power. Various reasons had led to the outbreak of the war. Allen Porter felt that this was the first step to the rise of his Maacah Republic. A strong country had to have considerable political and resource advantages. It would become a fat sheep for slaughter by other strong countries if not used well. The Solar System had proved this point. Amongst all the countries, the Solar System was the best and the easiest to deal with.
The strength of both countries in space were on par. Ghana Star and Norton Star's fleets might not be big, but they could form formations of harassment and make things difficult for the Solar System's fleet.
Drachmach was really strong and made all the right moves for this situation.
Yet, Drachmach felt something wrong somewhere. If they were to continue this way, neither side would benefit. Was their strategy to kill off one another and perish together?
This question appeared when the war was at its fiercest. A fleet lifted its camouflage and attacked the Solar System's battleship at the sidelines. This Ghana Star's battleships were problematic, they had shown a totally different kind of combat effectiveness!
They weren't from the Ghana Star! A national symbol appeared on the battleship, sinking the hearts of everyone in the Solar System!
The Darkness Empire!
It was the ninth battalion of the Darkness Empire, their elite forces. They had quickly landed and occupied the Fairy Star after they defeated them. The other side had agreed to the cooperation request by the Republic of Maacah. This was their foundation of power. Fast and furious military expansion!
The Darkness Empire wasn't stupid. They would definitely not take on the vanguard task. The coalition forces had determined that the commander of the Solar System would be Drachmach. This admiral from the Moon was indeed intelligent, but it had been too long since he had been in war. How could an academic know about the ruthlessness of war?
The fleet of the Darkness Empire disguised as the fleet of the Ghana Star was dismissive of the Solar System's fleet. Drachmach thought that the Darkness Empire's role was to divide their attention and forces. That was why Drachmach hadn't diverted too many forces to the battlefield. The Republic of Maacah was their main target.
Everything suddenly went haywire when this side attack became the main attacker.
The Darkness Empire was even stronger than the Sirius Star and had vast experience. The Fairy Star had been fighting with the Darkness Empire during peace times, but were swiftly taken out when a full-fledged war began. That was the difference in their strengths.
The ambition of the Darkness Empire was even greater — to replace the Aslan Empire and Arbiter Republic as the ruler of the new era.
A steady stream of resources and armament supplemented the Darkness Empire after they conquered the Fairy Star. There might be internal resistance in the Fairy Star, but the Darkness Empire had adopted a high-pressure policy and suppressed it directly. Their long term animosity determined that they wouldn't be too civilized.
The Darkness Empire wasn't after fame, they were building up their power silently. The young elites were outstanding and the situation between the countries in the Milky Way Alliance had given them the chance to rise up for such a country.
Iyerta Laboge was the commander of the ninth battalion and the strategist of this tactic. Long periods of war and their offensive nature made the citizens of the Darkness Empire great at analyzing people. Drachmach was a stable general. In fact, too stable and too academic. Their ambush was hidden very well, which gave rise to the opportunity to defeat the Solar System in one shot.
The tactic of the Darkness Empire created a huge chaos in the systematic formation of the Solar System.
The screen of Commander Drachmach turned red with an alert. Drachmach's expression became serious. He understood what was going on without the need for intel reports.
His calm expression did not absolve him from feeling the stress in his heart. This was completely different from their predictions. The Solar System had certain advantages on home ground when waiting for the enemy to approach if it was only the Maacah Republic. Who would have thought that the Maacah Republic would ally themselves with the Darkness Empire?
Allen Porter could almost see Drachmach's face of horror as he looked on the screen announcing the Darkness Empire's sudden invasion. The pressure on the front line was decreasing. War was like chess, no one would give themselves away to their enemies.
Chapter 1404: Wang Zheng's Deterrence
The situation in the Solar System was bad. Previously, the three planets would be fighting with each other if faced with such a situation. This time, however, the military reform was strictly implemented. They were very clear of the situation they were in now. The Solar System was not what it was before. It had taken many years, but at least it wasn't too late.
The fleet from Mars was deployed to attack the Darkness Empire. Drachmach knew that the tactic had fallen through and that there was no need to continue the fight. They had to retreat and minimize their losses.
Was it that easy to retreat though? What kind of price would they have to pay for it?
Intel reports came in just when Allen Porter was about to launch an aggressive attack. Their logistics fleet was blocked. A fleet was attacking the Norton Star simultaneously.
The Norton Star had provided all the resources for the expedition this time. If the Norton Star were blocked, the whole expedition would be cut off. The Solar System would only need to lay siege on them.
The Solar System Federation was not defenseless like Tita. They were extremely familiar with their star field. No matter how backward it was, the field still belonged to the Solar System Federation.
That was Drachmach's trump card. A one-time use surprise attack. The ones leading the fleet were Achilles, Lie Xin, and Meng Tian. A light fleet with elite space warriors with the mission to cut off the logistics. The goal had been achieved, but Meng Tian suddenly came up with a new move.
There was a tactic called bluff on Earth!
After cutting off the backup, they attacked the Norton Star, posing as the vanguard. The enemy would definitely panic because they wouldn't dare to take a chance on this. Their expedition would be as good as gone once the logistics base that was the Norton Star was destroyed.
Cutting off a bit of the logistics would only pose a little problem to the enemy and wouldn't have much effect on the entire war. However, the effect would be totally different if they deployed the empty city tactic.
Of course, that meant Meng Tian and the rest were taking on huge risks, but the benefits would be great if they could pull it off. No matter whether the enemy believed in them or not, that would cause some psychological pressure on the enemy's commander. Once there was such fear, errors in their execution and judgment on the battlefield would definitely appear. It was the most basic of all psychology.
Facts proved that Meng Tian was right. Achilles and the team successfully destroyed the spaceport of the Norton Star. This had showcased the combat abilities of the elites, enough to scare the Norton Star.
Allen Porter couldn't pursue it. He knew very well that he could severely destroy their forces, but the problem was that it wasn't annihilation. If the Norton Star were to fail, they would fall into an endless deadlock. That was the taboo of the expeditionary fleet, especially under the unstable international situation.
Allen Porter also had to maintain the strength of his fleet. Their cooperation with the Darkness Empire was a dance with the wolves. They had to maintain their strength lest they turn their attention to them if they knew their strength was reduced.
Allen Porter eventually ordered a part of his fleet to attack with the Darkness Empire. The main fleet assisted the Norton Star to secure their rear supply line.
His gut feeling told him that the Solar System couldn't possibly have a huge fleet at the Norton Star. The Norton Star's distress message was that the combat power of the team from the Solar System was amazingly good. Could the other party be playing the same bluff game as them?
Deliberately getting him to pursue with all his might and then take the Norton Star swiftly?
The retreat wouldn't be easy once they started their pursuit.
Allen Porter turned the situation around his head numerous times before finally making a decision. He didn't need to stake everything for it. The Solar System wasn't their match. The Darkness Empire was now exposed and would need to continue their alliance all the way. Ditching each other halfway through was no good for anyone.
They could only gain when they let go. This Drachmach did have anything in him. He had to give it to him even though he wasn't willing.
The Solar System finally managed to save themselves from annihilation, but this didn't make Drachmach happy. The Solar System would've been in real trouble if Meng Tian and her team weren't amazing.
How was the Solar System going to defend against the next attack? The enemy would definitely strengthen the defense of the Norton Star. The enemy would attack once they obtained a clear picture of the situation. Meng Tian and her team could only pull this off once.
He wouldn't have taken the risk if he was Allen Porter either. He was now worried about the ever increasing troops from the Darkness Empire.
There was no reason for them to not continue this war halfway through.
Both parties were now treating the wounded and regrouping their troops, leaving a huge wreckage in space. This space junk would add a lot of trouble after the war, but that was no concern now.
The commander of the alliance was Iyerta Laboge. His expression was really sour. "General Allen Porter, did you just give up a huge victory for something so small?"
It turned out that the ones who had attacked the Norton Star and its logistics were the elite core fleet of the Solar System. There were even some super warriors amongst them. That only went to show how weak the Solar System was.
"General Laboge, please be calm. The fleet that invaded the Norton Star might not be big, but their combat power was terrifying. It's just a matter of time for us to take down the Solar System. There is no need to take any undue risks. Moreover, the Heaven-rank warrior of our enemy has yet to appear. They still have something up their sleeves. It is good to strike while the iron is hot, but it could also easily cost us to incur a huge loss," Allen Porter said with a smile, avoiding any conflict. It was the Darkness Empire's nature. There was no need to force their point through in this collaboration.
"General Laboge, General Allen Porter has a point. A few young super warriors in this small fleet were participants of the Greatest King competition. They cannot be underestimated. It's better to err on the safe side. What I mean is, would it be possible for the Darkness Empire to send a Heaven-rank warrior? We'll have more confidence then," the Commander of Norton Star, Sheridan Oran said.
"Greatest King? You mean Wang Zheng?" Laboge doubled back.
Sheridan Oran and Allen Porter exchanged glances, knowing that Laboge was wavering. Wang Zheng would spell huge trouble for them. All their tactics might need to be adjusted for him.
"Ahem, it's not Wang Zheng. Wang Zheng is now in the Titatitan Star. He has just completed a huge battle with the army of the Sirius Star. We don't have any other news about him at the moment. It probably isn't him since the current transport routes are blocked — unless he were to fly here himself," Sheridan Oran replied.
Iyerta Laboge's expression relaxed visibly. Anyone with ambition was very precise and sensitive to intel.
Chapter 1405: Xie Yuxin Felt No Sense of Presence
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
While weighing the Solar System, the reason the Darkness Empire was willing to be part of this was because the Sirius Star wanted to invade the Tita Star. Little did they know that the Sirius Star, the predator, had become a big feast now. Wang Zheng was the root cause that spoiled the broth. Possessing extremely strong leadership abilities, and terrifying personal strength, he was the youngest Heaven-rank warrior in history. Although a Heaven-rank warrior's practice and skills would upgrade and become more mature with age, who knew what sort of power and stamina a twenty-something Heaven-rank warrior would have. With age, some things would be different.
Facts had proven that the Sirius Star had been too careless. They had not brought along Heaven-rank warriors. They had lost big time and they would not have another opportunity.
A few of the elites of the Darkness Empire had fought with Wang Zheng previously. They all had returned in defeat. Wang Zheng had brought the Darkness Empire many problems. What could they say about him? Say that he was strong, yet not an important figure? They could say that he was weak, but whoever had looked for trouble with him had died.
Wang Zheng not being in the Solar System was undoubtedly good news. Of course, Sloughberg felt that he was somewhat I composed. "Wang Zheng alone is not enough to influence the outcome. But he is still a problem. As for the rest of the teammates, they were not so strong. As a gesture of goodwill from the Darkness Empire, I will make a request to the headquarters. The next time we attack, it will be fool proof. We cannot afford to give the Solar System another opportunity. If this drags on, and with the international situation so volatile, we might repeat the mistakes that the Sirius Star has made."
The other two nodded in agreement. None of them had the intention of allowing this to drag on. But war was not something that they could do as they pleased with. Since Sloughberg had spoken, he must have had some confidence. It was reported that there were one to two super warriors hidden in the Solar System. The Maacah Republic had two Heaven-rank warriors. If the Darkness Empire could provide one more, it would be a safe bet.
It was obvious that had they not been wary of Wang Zheng's sudden return, the Darkness Empire would not have been willing. But now, the Darkness Empire knew that it was not wise to allow this to drag on. The Sirius Star was a good example.
Wang Zheng had inevitably created difficulties for the Solar System. However, he had not yet awakened. The final conclusion of Butcher and the rest was that Wang Zheng was in a state of suspended animation, a defence mechanism of the body to protect himself. They did not dare to make any rash moves, given the state of the Heaven-rank warrior. It might not be a good thing if they woke Wang Zheng up. With his vitals being stable at the moment, they decided to wait.
If anyone was there, they would be utterly surprised. Other than Butcher, more than a dozen members of the Genesis Coffee Club were there too. Most of them were scientists who had migrated to Roland Garros. However, the current situation at Roland Garros was very unstable – there was chaos everywhere. All research had been halted. With Butcher's invitation, as well as the presence of the great god Alan Tucker, they were all willing to come to the Tita Star. Initially, it was just physics and mathematics. Gradually, it led to other related fields. The effect had a chain reaction. The Genesis Coffee Club and the scientists that they knew had almost similar characters. They wanted to do things and were very audacious. When they heard that the Tita Star had very good conditions and opportunities, they wanted to have a try while everyone's attention was on the war. The defeat and surrender of the Sirius Star had a stimulating impact. It was the second victory, and with a Heaven-rank master assuming command. Although the Tita Star could not be considered indestructible, they were safe, at least for the moment.
Mu Sen and the rest had been very busy indeed. They had taken a large number of warships but lacked quality pilots. Although Ares College had helped to nurture some, they were short on numbers. The operators of the space battleships were selected mainly from the human immigrants. But Ye Zisu unexpectedly found out that the Wise Ones had a unique talent in operating the battleships. There was no correlation between one's physical build and the operation of battleships. It originated from the clear judgement and stable tenacity of their spiritual powers. Such was the talent of the Wise Ones. The other reason was the ability to adjust to the conditions in space.
Surprisingly, the Wise Ones faced absolutely no obstacles. A large number of the Wise Ones began to receive training for this. What was even more amazing was that the speed of learning of the Wise Ones was even faster than that of humans. The Wise Ones and giants of the Tita Star had taken two completely different paths.
The battleships of the Sirius Star could be considered as some the best, although not top-class yet. Tita Star was now packed with talents. Among whom was the renowned battleship designer, Dr Dallas. He was a big, crazy fan of Old Merchant. In their condition, they needed to clear their confusion. Old Merchant could clear their doubts. For these people who had reached the peak in their fields, they would not mind if they died as long as they had the answers they seeked. Doing some work was no issue. Dallas led Ye Zisu and the rest and began redesigning a system that was more suited for the Wise Ones of Tita. Their reaction times were faster, thus making them more suitable to pilot the battleships. As for maintenance and other technicians, they could only slowly train them and recruit the humans. At least Tita Star could now possess a fleet with very strong battle spirits.
This was perhaps something that the Sirius Star could not have imagined.
The same battleships, after a transformation, and with different pilots, could create amazing changes.
Wang Zheng. They were very interested in Wang Zheng. What sort of genetic ability could make Wang Zheng so powerful? Normally, such test subjects were difficult to come by. Although ordinary doctors would be at a loss, they could still understand Wang Zheng's condition. Wang Zheng was in a "cocoon-like" state. This was equivalent to the protective mechanism used in the animal kingdom when an animal was about to metamorphosize. Hence, nothing could be inserted into his body.
Mu Zhen and the rest had also returned from the Elite Academy X. It was not their intention to return, but rather Elite Academy X had been forced to close. With all the turmoil within the Milky Way Alliance now, there were plenty of dark forces surging in the academy. Under such circumstances, it was no longer appropriate to continue running the academy.
Zhang Shan had returned to the Solar System. The process had been complicated. However, Zhang Shan had to return because with the current situation in the Solar System, they required a skilled master like him. Furthermore, the current Zhang Shan would be placed in an important position. After the military reforms, so long as they displayed exceptional abilities, people like him, who did not have any backing, could nonetheless obtain a good position. After all, he was the second generation Greatest King of Elite Academy X.
This was an era where the entire galaxy was in preparation for war.
Xie Yunxin was in the worst situation. He did not have a very exceptional performance in Elite Academy X and he had returned too early. As a result, he was assigned to the Combat Advisory Office. In fact, with Xie Yuxin's circumstances, with a few words from his grandfather, he could be in the battlefield. However, Xie Yuxin did not need it. His character dictated that since he had been assigned to the Combat Advisory Office, he would be an advisor. He had submitted several proposals, including a strategy of lightweight battleship warfare with him as the core. However… all the proposals had gone unnoticed.
When the director of the Combat Advisory Office saw his proposals, a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. Young people were flamboyant. They wanted to soar even before they learned to walk. Building a fleet around him? Who did he think he was?
Even with Achilles' abilities and reputation, he did not enjoy such privileges. It was really wishful thinking. As for the rest of his proposals, they did not even warrant a look. It was a complete joke!
Besides, this person was not reliable. Just sideline him. Let him do some paperwork and that was it. This was also showing some respect to an old retired general.
Chapter 1406: Brothers in Woe
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The Solar System was still celebrating the victory, especially parliament, who were still fairly optimistic. They felt that this was a good sign to impose a serious warning for the invaders. The Solar System had risen, and at the same time, this had given the military reforms a very good appraisal.
However, Meng Ao and the rest did not feel happy. If the atmosphere had been like this before the war, they would certainly be very excited. They could realize their full potential. However, such optimism did not provide any help for this war. Not only had the military given this war a very high praise, they had also awarded Meng Tian, Achilles, and Lie Xin with medals of honor. This decisive decision changed the outcome of the war, earning victory for the Solar System.
But Meng Tian and the rest were not too excited about such awards. Although they were still young, they had felt the solidity of the other party during this war. This victory was entirely a tactical success, as well as the tactical retreat of the enemies for stability reasons. The next round of attacks would be even fiercer. How would the Solar System resist then?
On the other hand, the atmosphere internally within the federation was very good. Due to their status, they could not downplay their own awe-inspiring authority. Such optimism had also spread to the armies. The coalition army of the Maacah Republic was not a big deal. Even if the war went into a stalemate, with the endless supplies from the Solar System, it would be a drag for the enemies. Some of the people were already considering the compensation for the war.
Meng Ao and the rest were very troubled, but they could only do their best: rest and reorganise the troops and prevent the spreading of a rigorous and impetuous atmosphere. Another sneak attack was out of the question, so they began to execute the next plan. With Achilles and the rest as the lead, an elite force would face off with the sharp blades of the Darkness Empire. Sharp blades versus sharp blades. It could at least block the attacks of the Darkness Empire.
Achilles, Lie Xin, Meng Tian, Zhang Shan, Zhang Runan, Raston, Milo, and the rest had developed into the core forces of the federation army of the Solar System. If it was only conceptual previously, after this war, they had all shown their potential. From ambush to attacks, to catching the right timings, it was pretty amazing.
War was the best place to train the warriors.
Director Oak was in a very good mood. The victory of war was, without doubt, a victory for the Combat Advisory Office. They were the core department. This was too good an opportunity to miss. They had to make good use of this opportunity to magnify the results of the victory of the war. This would help them in their promotion in the future.
"Xiao Xie, you're an outstanding student. Your penmanship must be very good. Your contributions of the Combat Advisory Office were undeniably very important in the victory of this war. Write a summary report. I want to submit it to the army." Oak happened to look at Xie Yuxin. This fellow who had not been too pleasing initially did not look half as bad now.
Xie Yuxin was somewhat taken aback. "Director, we have at best temporarily stabilized the situation. How could it be considered a victory?"
Immediately, Oak's expression became a little distorted. However, in consideration of his status and Xie Yuxin's retired grandfather, he let out a few dry coughs. "Xiao Xie, on account of your grandfather, let me give you a few pieces of advice. Don't assume that just because you have gained some experiences elsewhere, you can accomplish everything. I have seen that battle tactics report of yours, it was a load of bullsh**. Do you think you're God? Young man, be realistic. You may want to ask why Achilles and the rest could do it?"
Xie Yuxin was expressionless. He did not say anything. The director was the only person doing the talking.
"They are the Greatest Kings. Are you comparable to them? It is important to have self-awareness. It'll serve you well to hone your penmanship. I'm giving you an opportunity by getting you to write this report. This does not happen to everyone!" said Oak earnestly.
Xie Yuxin frowned. He did not get angry easily because such emotion was useless. However, he did not like interacting with idiots. Hence, he did not make any other arguments and nodded sincerely. Oak left feeling proud.
The military reforms of the Solar System could not be considered to be a failure. However, Rome was not built in one day. There was still a number of people like Oak who remained in the army; some were even in rather important positions. This was incomparable with powerful countries like Aslan and Arbiter.
It was not obvious in times of peace. But in times of war, these components were like rotten body parts; as soon as pressure was applied, it could cause a complete breakdown.
However, Xie Yuxin hated such sober feelings. Sometimes he wished that he was a little muddle-headed. He envied Wang Zheng for having such clear goals and passions, pressing forward courageously. As for himself…. honestly, he had some feelings for Earth, but he was just not passionate enough. With the current situation within the Milky Way Alliance, he could not move around freely. Besides, the old man had blackmailed him with his life. Xie Yuxin did not have a choice. He was, after all, a human, so he had to take the feelings of his family into consideration.
However, Xie Yuxin was essentially a lazy person. He could not be bothered to waste any energy on stupid people. Otherwise, he had many ideas. He was a very contradictory man.
Besides Xie Yuxin, Zhang Shan could also feel that such an atmosphere was not quite right. The entire SS Spike fleet was filled with complacency. Zhang Shan could not understand where their complacency stemmed from. A sneak attack against an opponent and they did not encounter any strong opposition – such victory was a given. Even the mindless could achieve this. Did they have to be so happy?
Especially with the current situation. It was a tactical retreat by the enemies. The followup forces would be even stronger. They might not even have time to cry, let alone be so happy.
But Zhang Shan was not dumb either. If he were to argue about this, while they would not go to the extent of beating him up, not that they were capable, he would be ostracized. Being in the army was a group life. If a person could not blend in, regardless of their abilities, it would be useless. But still, Zhang Shan felt very depressed.
This rhythm and feeling were wrong.
Although he was very familiar with Achilles and the rest, they were not people whom Zhang Shan could talk and complain to. There were still differences in their characters. Achilles and the rest could feel it too, but they did not feel that this was a problem. Simply put, this was human nature. As long as they remained alert, things would be fine.
But Zhang Shan simply did not feel the same way. He wanted very much to talk to Wang Zheng, but the information from the Tita Star was not clear. The Tita Star had just achieved victory against the Sirius Star. They would probably be fully occupied, so much so that they could not spare any time for other things.
If Wang Zheng were here, this might not be a problem. The same concerns raised by a different person would have different effects. If these concerns were raised by Wang Zheng, the super hero of the army, he might attract more attention. At least it would serve as a remainder. But if he were to raise the concerns, it would be useless. In the Solar Systems' army, everyone valued Achilles, Lie Xin, and even Meng Tian. Zhang Shan did not have much influence. Although he had been given the post, he did not have much influence. He could only execute orders during times of war.
This pair of brothers, Xie Yuxin and Zhang Shan, were somewhat depressed. One was too lazy to agonize over it, while the other did not know how to deal with it. But the second major war was pending.
Chapter 1407: Aina Versus Lear
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The Aslan Empire, who had won a defensive battle, was now mobilizing its people nationwide and preparing for a more powerful challenge. Arbiter had labored this far for the expedition, they would not let it end as such. Their core combat power was still available. Although the last battle was a victory for the Aslan Empire, it was also a victory for Arbiter. It had dealt a heavy blow to Aslan's elites and killed the future star of the Aslan Empire, Lin Feng. All of this had boosted the morale of the army. Of course, the Thorn of Brahma was still invincible. The fleet's losses were replenished immediately.
Ren Yixuan was also ambitious. The suicide attacks were only useful once. Catching the enemy off guard with a surprise attack, together with Lin Feng inevitably helping to set everything in motion, the Aslan warriors managed to find a way out of the impasse, thus giving them an opportunity. But they would not be so lucky next time.
The once great and mighty Aslan Empire would become his footnote, fame, and wealth. He wanted fame, the immortal reputation that would be entered into the history of human development. He was a cripple, but the most powerful cripple in history.
He wanted to know what else the Aslan Empire could do this time.
In the Aslan Empire's capitol, Aina was receiving an uninvited guest with a message from Constantine.
This is a person that Aina was acquainted with but also not, Lear Chronos.
Aina was not unfamiliar with someone who was ambitious and eager to be in an important position. There were plenty of such people around her. Frankly speaking, this opportunist from Earth would not have gotten an audience with Aina in the past. But this fellow was rather tenacious. Rising and falling, from the Solar System to the present, he had undergone many experiences and had survived throughout. Now he was seated in front of her in a grand manner.
With a bright smile on Lear's face, "Your Majesty the Queen, the Elder asked me to bring his greetings. He said that you are doing well and to continue as you think you should. He knows what he needs to do."
With an unchanging smile on Aina's face, she said, "Lear, we are not exactly strangers. What do you and your people want to do here?"
"Your Majesty, I am here to give myself a chance."
"Oh, I don't think there's a chance for you here," Aina said lightly. She did not like people like Lear, especially when the person's smile revealed an unpredictable evil.
"The Aslan Empire's war-making ability is indeed very strong. But the problem is that you can't deal with Ren Yixuan. Lin Feng has died in battle. A second Lin Feng doesn't exist. As for super warriors, as far as I know, several of the elders of the Saint have already defected to Arbiter. You would not allow the Great Elder to assist. I don't see how Aslan could succeed in the next battle," said Lear slowly, still with a smile on his face.
On the other hand, Aina looked at Lear indifferently. "If you are here to analyze the situation, I can arrange for you to have a detailed discussion with the Advisory Office to prove your worth. Maybe I could give you a chance."
Lear laughed. "My dear Queen, I am the only person who can deal with Ren Yixuan. This is my worth. But I also have a small request."
There was no free lunch in this world. If Aslan wished to win the war, they would need to pay the price. Lear's smile revealed some sort of self-confidence. He liked this feeling. The Princess who was once high and mighty, and had no regard for him, now had to look to him for help. This was the joy of living. Of course, now was not the time for arrogance. Forbearance was necessary, and Lear was very good with this. Besides, this was an offer that Aina could not refuse.
For a brief moment, Lear could imagine the near future: Aina would kneel at his feet, begging to become his slave. He would definitely send a video to Wang Zheng. He would truly be the ultimate winner in life.
On all appearances, Lear was respectful, but there was dominance deep down. "This is the human evolution plan overseen by Elder Constantine. It has been successful. As long as I deploy my men on the battleship, I could fight against Ren Yixuan's new warfare and could be even stronger! "
This was what the Aslan Empire currently lacked and needed most. Lear knew that Aina was wise, and a wise person would weigh the gains and losses. Thus, she would surely yield.
"What do you want?" Aina asked after a while.
Without blinking, Lear stared at Aina. "I want the Solar System. After I've helped the Aslan Empire defeat Arbiter, the Aslan Empire will help me take down the Solar System."
Aina smiled slightly. "You want the Aslan Empire to be an aggressor?
"Oh, Your Royal Highness, I don't think this is an invasion. The Milky Way Alliance is undergoing a revolution – it needs a new order of rule. Besides, all turmoil in the world started because of Aslan. What do you say?" said Lear calmly."
Aina shook her head. "I'm not Kashawen. I'm the queen now. The Aslan Empire will not start a war again after defeating Arbiter."
Lear smiled very brightly. Her Majesty seemed to be very naive. Although she was the queen, the decision was not hers alone to make on behalf of the Aslan Empire. No one could go against the tides.
"Well, in that case, let's change to another condition. I've always admired Princess Lin Huiyin," said Lear laughingly. He did not like to say things too clearly. It was not a noble trait. In terms of status, Aina might be the best choice, but Lear did not want her because he had more tricks up his sleeve for the future. Besides, the resistance domestically within Aslan for marrying Lin Huiyin would be lesser.
"How do you prove your strength?"
"Your Majesty, there are things that I don't need to say too plainly. I have such an ability and my personal strength is obvious too. As long as you give a substantive promise to either of the two conditions I just stated, I will show you my strength," said Lear with a laugh. He would not be so naive to first fight and raise the conditions subsequently. He would have a way to prevent Aina from breaking the so-called substantive promise, as long as Aina agreed to it.
The conditions he had proposed were very favorable. The Solar System was not very powerful. Of course, the first condition had a deeper implication. On the other hand, the second condition was open for consideration. Proposing to marry Aina would be equivalent to touching the baseline, which was what he could not afford to do at the moment. But marrying Lin Huiyin was the right move. Not only would it provide Lear with protection, but would also provide the opportunity for his future plans. At the same time, Aina would not be able to firmly refuse his proposals.
Every move that Lear took was well calculated. He had waited so long, and choosing this time to come would ensure that Aina would be unable to reject him. It would appear that two options were given. In fact, Aslan would be slowly dragged into his scheme.
"Mr. Lear, I can't agree to your terms," said Aina.
Lear continued to wear a bright smile on his face. For a brief moment, he seemed not to have registered a response. "What did you say?"
"I can't agree to your conditions," Aina said clearly again. "If you want to help Aslan, I would welcome it very much. At the same time, you have to abide by Aslan's laws and management. As for what you would gain, it would depend on your performance in the battlefield."
Lear was stunned momentarily and a fury fire arose from within.
Chapter 1408: A Decisive Aina
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
His eyes were starting to turn red, but Lear managed to calm himself down very quickly. He stood up and nodded, "Your Majesty, it seems that you're not willing to accept my goodwill. Let's collaborate when we come to an agreement."
Aina merely looked at Lear, and a smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. "Lacus, see the guest out."
Lacus, who was on the side, nodded and gestured for Lear to leave. Lear stared intensely at Aina, turned, and left. Jay York, who was on the side, was also expressionless. But he knew that Lear had to be filled with rage. With Aina's vision, she could not have not recognized the strengths of this team. Besides, Constantine's information could not be wrong. Lear's proposal was considered reasonable too. At least Aslan did not have much choice at the moment. However, this queen had actually rejected the proposal. This was unbelievable.
After leaving the palace, Lear stopped and looked up to the sky and the grand and majestic palace behind him. "Jay York, do you think that Aslan still has a backup plan?"
Jay York was the only person around Lear that had not gone through the transformation. Lear did not want Jay York to become the new human species. He wanted to use his cowardice and slyness. As soon as the new human species gained strength, they would lose their sense of fear. This was not a good sign. Only a person who knew fear would stay cautious and make fewer mistakes. Hence, he had kept Jay York.
"Boss, I don't think Aslan has a backup plan. The Queen's eyes were flickering. It was obvious that she was tempted. But that woman is too cool-headed. I think she guessed your intentions too. As for the second condition, I was rather surprised. Deep sisterly love is unusual among the royal family," said Jay York. "Maybe it was bargaining. But we have the upper hand. We could continue to observe. I think that even if there is a major war, Aslan will not be annihilated."
Lear nodded. He was very confident this time, but he had the door shut right in his face by Aina. Of course, such matters may not be successful in the first attempt. It was a gamble on both parties. A woman in exchange for a strong army. Regardless of who the ruler was, they would not reject the proposal. As to whether Lear would have any effect on Aina's position after becoming part of the royal family, this was not an issue. Aina could not have considered the possibility so far ahead. Non-direct blood relatives could never be a successor to the throne.
However, both Aina and Wang Zheng were upsetting him. But this was precisely the reason why he wanted to see the final outcome.
Inside the palace, Lacus had already returned. Lin Huiying and Angela were in the grand hall too.
"Sister, if Lear has the ability to save Aslan, I'm willing to enter into a marriage contract with him," said Huiyin.
"Do you really want to marry him?"
Lin Huiyin was silent. She had obviously not thought of the consequences.
Aina shook her head. "Lear is too ambitious and filled with the dark side. Aslan cannot use such a person. Attacking the Solar System would leave Aslan in a state of total isolation. Even though we want to unify the Milky Way Alliance, this is definitely not an option that we should take. As for wanting to marry you, I'm afraid he has some more schemes. It is definitely not for protection. For such people, other than their own powers and strengths, they would not believe in any other sort of guarantee."
"But Grandfather…"
Aina sighed softly. "I can understand, but we cannot do things in such a way. This war was started by Aslan. We need to pay the price for it. As for whether we survive or get annihilated, let's leave it to our soldiers to decide. If we are destined to be annihilated, it is our destiny."
"Your Majesty, is there absolutely no hope from Atlantis?" asked Angela.
This was perhaps Aslan's last hope. However, the Atlantis Empire had made it clear that they would not provide any military aid.
"Your Majesty, if Lear is so ambitious, should we be prepared? Will they turn to our enemies as soon as we reject them?" said Lacus suddenly.
Aina was silent for a moment and then shook her head. "Apart from that level of relationship, this guy's strengths are unpredictably deep. My spiritual power could not perceive anything at all. The person he brought with him is highly skilled too. We would have to pay a high price for it. Besides, he is very cautious. Keep a close watch, but don't engage. If they want to leave, let them."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Normally, people would hesitate. However, Aina was a very decisive person by nature. She had her own limits and criterion. Otherwise, she would not have lasted so long with Wang Zheng. Aina did not feel that Aslan would necessarily lose this war. There were many variables in a war. New elements would always appear at different stages. Aina could sacrifice something and betray some feelings. But there had to be a threshold. If the threshold was crossed, then the essence of the person would change and she would no longer be herself. There would be no difference between living and dying.
Besides, Aina was absolutely certain that Lear's existence would be more troublesome than Arbiter.
"Lacus, try and find out what this genetic engineering is all about, as well as that Sharjah," said Aina.
"Sister, I sensed a coldness from Lear, like a cold-blooded animal. He's different from us," said Lin Huiyin. It was like seeing a snake instead of a human.
Aina nodded. She thought that it was her misconception. Little did she know that Huiyin had the same feeling as well. But Angela and Lacus could not feel it.
They could only let this matter rest for now. With Aslan's current production abilities, the army supplies were being supplemented continuously. Along with the supplies from Atlantis, it should be sufficient to deal with the next war.
The key was still Ren Yixuan. This was the sword of Damocles that was hanging above Aslan's head.
The research department of the Aslan Empire was also analyzing the weakness of this tactic, including Ren Yixuan's weakness. Was there no damage done to the body with such depletion?
Where was the limit? How could they target it? Assassination?
Different tactics were being discussed. Of course, it was predictable that Arbiter was doing the same thing. Ren Yixuan was the national treasure of Arbiter. They could not find a second person like him.
Countless major and minor wars were breaking out in the entire Milky Way Alliance. The humans' recovery from war was, in fact, not very strong. But the Tita Star was displaying a totally different passion.
The Tita Star, which had just experienced the war with the Sirius Star, had not immersed itself in the desolation of sadness and wreckage. Instead, there was a kind of vitality. On the Tita Star, the elders were holding a ritual for the warriors who had sacrificed themselves during the war. The giants lived for war. It was the greatest honor as a warrior to sacrifice themselves in the protection of their country. They were proud of this. There were more new giants joining the army. They would continue the legacies of their seniors in protecting the country.
As for the rebuild after the war, there was no cause for concern at all. The Elders would migrate more giants into the cities. In fact, there were enough giants and wise ones on the Tita Star. However, in order for the Tita giants to embrace human civilization, they were gradually opening up the integration rate. The giants may not be able to adapt if the integration process was too fast or too forceful. There were also other social issues to consider too. Essentially, the number of the Titans was not a concern.
Chapter 1409: Proof of a Warrior
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
With the premise of protecting their country, the new giants and wise ones were willing to step out from the deep forests and move to the cities. With such mental preparations, they were more proactive in accepting new things and experiences. Besides, the Lan family had prior experience when dealing with such issues.
Normally, after experiencing a war, most army legions would face both physical and psychological issues. However, the situation for the giant army legions was totally different. The formations of the eight army legions remained unchanged. In a mere ten days, records showed that as many as half a million giants had enlisted, and they were all strong and young giants from all the different tribes. Mu Sen had lifted the enlistment restrictions. Young giants yearned to leave the forests and were eager to establish themselves. At the same time, they also wanted to follow Titan and Ada to fight. That would be fate. In the past, warriors could only prove themselves during the warriors' battles between the different tribes. But when the army corps appeared, and when the enemies came, the battles between the tribes seemed like child's play. Furthermore, the giants themselves did not feel that winning such battles made them warriors.
True warriors were determined in the battlefields in the defence of the Titans' pride.
In terms of promotion strategies, Mu Sen and Lan Ling had also put in a lot of effort. A collection of Wang Zheng's battles was played throughout the Tita tribes through various different media outlets. Deep within the tribes, the presence of Ada and Titan were also made known through the meetings of the elders and some media. But not many had seen them with their own eyes. They had heard about Ada, but how strong was he really?
When Wang Zheng's performance while he was in the Saruman Snake Battle Team, at SIG, and in the two wars defending Tita Star were edited, they were enough to stir the excitement of anyone. They had the Sirius Star to thank for this. The scene that they had filmed was without a doubt mindblowing for all the Titans.
When the golden Titan God mech raised that bright, huge sword, the Titan giants felt their blood boiling. Joining the Saruman Snake Legion was the new standard for the Tita warriors now. They would follow Ada, follow Titan, and fight together!
Batch after batch, the giants flocked to the city. They longed for a new world. This was a change of mentality.
Similarly, having gone through the war, the Saruman Snake Legion needed replenishing. Only those from the original eight major legions or those recommended by the elders of the various tribes would qualify for the selection process of joining the Saruman Snake Legion.
That dazzling badge of the Saruman Snake Legion was the proof of a warrior.
At the same time, the selections of the wise ones were also in progress. The technical personnel and trainers sent by Ai Xiaolu had arrived as well. The teachers of Ares College had also resolved the problem of shortages of trainers. The people that had been recruited from Roland Garros as a result of the influences of Butcher and the rest had greatly supplemented the talents for the Tita Star. The learning ability of the wise ones was unimaginable. Their excellent spiritual power, memory, and analytical acceptance were beyond those of the humans.
In exchange for sufficient supplies and even technologies, the restrictions on the Tita Star's super gravity ore had been lifted too. Every empire would definitely offer an olive branch and extend their goodwill. After every war, the Tita Star would make a big leap in their growth.
The Star had entered a new high speed construction phase. This was also an explosion of memorials in various places in recent years. War could unite people and increase their fighting spirits.
The defeat of the Sirius Star left behind many things. Sirius had picked the right target. Tita was indeed rich in resources and labor force. But they had chosen the wrong opponent.
Sirius continued to retreat in the Sirius Star battlefield. They had little choice because when faced with Manalasuo, the third strongest country in the Milky Way Alliance, they were inferior. The defeat at the Tita Star was adding fuel to fire, resulting in low morale in the country. Furthermore, the follow up attacks of the Hail Cloud Alliance made Sirius lose hope completely.
The Hail Cloud Alliance and Manalasuo had not joined forces, but had a sort of tacit understanding. Manalasuo was the main strike force, while the Hail Cloud Alliance was the secondary attacker. Manalasuo got the biggest share of the pie, while the Hail Cloud Alliance also had a share of the pie.
The several strategic decisions made by the Aishi Financial Group had greatly increased their domestic influence. Although Ai Xiaolu had not made any moves in the civilian side, she was very well known and had a very good reputation among the higher levels. Everyone knew that this girl, who had displayed extraordinary talents since she was still a child, after a period of latency, had exploded once again. Her continuous accurate judgements and predictive decision-making had been very accurate too. She had bought great benefits to both the Aishi Financial Group and the Hail Cloud Alliance.
Among those who had made a deal with the Tita Star, the Hail Cloud Alliance was the one who benefited the most. At the same time, as a result of the victory of the Tita Star, not only had the Hail Cloud Alliance managed to protect their investment on the Tita Star, it also gave them an indirect reason to seek compensation from Sirius. A small price to pay to reap greater benefits.
It was impossible for Sirius to negotiate with Manalasuo. Manalasuo was determined to finish off Sirius. However, it was different with the Hail Cloud Alliance. Wave after wave of messengers from the Sirius Star came to the Hail Cloud Alliance, hoping for negotiations. If the Hail Cloud Alliance agreed, they would have to cede their planet and pay a high price. The offensive power was with the Hail Cloud Alliance.
This was a bright spot for the Hail Cloud Alliance after so many years of tepid days. This had also enhanced the standing of the Hail Cloud Alliance in the Milky Way Alliance.
Ai Xiaolu was not feeling very relaxed because Wang Zheng had not woken up yet. She believed that Wang Zheng would be alright, but she could not help but be worried. However, her best option now was to stay in the Hail Cloud Alliance. Snow Li had already followed the expedition to the Sirius Star and had achieved several victories in battles.
Wang Zheng had been in the can and regained consciousness in the past few days. However, the toll from the last battle was a little too much. After advancing to Heaven-rank, his body felt particularly excited. Under such circumstances, it was particularly easy to overexert himself. Besides, Wang Zheng had continuously outputted great power. Falling into deep sleep was a form of self-preservation by the body.
Inside the Rubik��s Cube, Wang Zheng was still feeling great. He felt particularly at ease now, especially since Bonehead had not taken anything away this time. Quoting Charcoal, he had to pay a price before advancing to Heaven-rank. This was to prevent Wang Zheng from abusing his powers. However, as soon as Wang Zheng advanced to Heaven-rank, he would have a clear understanding of the power.
There were three stages to power: knowing oneself, knowing the world, and knowing the original force.
In the stage of knowing oneself, he would continuously seek to upgrade his personal powers to become stronger.
When he advanced to Earth-rank, he would know the world and would be able to harness the power from the external world and communicate with the universe. However, the understanding of power at these two stages was still superficial.
But, when he advanced to Heaven-rank, he would see the original force. He would have a completely different understanding of the universe and its existence. He would have the ability to look at powers and the pursuit of life from a more reasonable level. Of course, these were also related to his condition and mental state when he advanced to Heaven-rank. Nonetheless, he would still have very accurate judging abilities.
The Wang Zheng that had advanced to Heaven-rank would finally be controlling some power.
He could now use the Bonehead mech easily without having the need to pay a price for it.
Wang Zheng looked at Charcoal. He had always felt that this fellow had hidden something. He had always felt that his destiny with the Tita Star was never that simple. It was a pity that Charcoal seemed to be in complete ignorance. This fellow's ability to play dumb was similar to his poker face – it was hard to decipher.
Chapter 1410: Dark Ambition
Wang Zheng was very clear that it was impossible to go against heaven's will without the assistance of super warriors. The performance of Bonehead's super mech was unmatched by the average mecha. Although it would be difficult to destroy the entire fleet, they could destroy the command system of the enemy fleet and it could cause sufficient disruption to them. As such, they would not have to worry about the obstruction of the Heaven-rank warriors.
Perhaps there would be better warriors than him. But with him piloting a mech, he may not necessarily have any opponent.
After advancing to the Heaven-rank, Wang Zheng could still recall the power of the Great Elder that he felt when he was at the Oracle Star. It was truly horrifying. But it was two different stages: from the previous complete inability to judge to the current palpability.
"The mech needs to recharge its energy in the Temple of Dida, which can be summoned by the Rubik's Cube," Charcoal added.
Wang Zheng smiled, "Charcoal, don't you think this is a coincidence? A planet full of life, a sage who is an expert at spiritual power, a giant who is an expert at physical techniques, super-gravity energy ore – why do I feel that something is wrong?"
Charcoal looked at Wang Zheng dully. "There is no memory of this."
Wang Zheng looked at Charcoal smilingly. Go on, continue to pretend. Let's see how long you can pretend. In fact, Wang Zheng did not care what responsibility or destiny he had to bear. As long as he could protect the people around him, he was willing to do anything. This was enough for him. Besides, Charcoal bore no ill intentions for him. On the contrary, he had been helping him. He could somewhat understand the person who had accomplished all this. Power could cause a person to lose his way and even go crazy. They had to control the power instead of allowing power to control them. If an ambitious person gained control of this power, it would be a catastrophe to the human world. Destruction had always been much easier than construction. It would be difficult to use this sort of power for protection, but it would be difficult to stop the use of this sort of power for destruction.
After such a long rest, Wang Zheng could feel his strength returning, and it would take him a few days to return to his best condition. He just had to hold on a little longer and regain consciousness in his strongest form. He still had a lot of work to do. In the past few days, he could feel Ye Zisu, Yan Xiaosu, and the others taking turns to visit him. Ye Zisu had also talked to him about the condition of each country from time to time, especially the condition of the Solar System. It was evident that Ye Zisu was very worried about her father. As the speaker of the Solar System, Ye Bingwen had to face this issue immediately after taking office. In fact, Ye Bingwen was just a wallpaper in the decision-making process of this war. Although his relationship with Meng Ao and the others was good, when it came to military command, Ye Bingwen had no influence. Neither did ge have any influence over the power of the conservative families or the large families of the Moon and Mars. The power structure during peacetime and the war time were completely different concepts.
However, as the nominal representative of the Solar System, Ye Bingwen had to deal with different aspects of the issues. If they achieved victory, the military strategies would be accredited for the victory. If they were defeated, he would be the scapegoat.
Ye Zisu had initially wanted to return to Earth to help, but she was stopped by Ye Bingwen. Although the Solar System seemed huge, it was actually not as safe as the Tita Star. More importantly, on the Tita Star, everyone knew their goals very well, regardless of life or death. But in the Solar System, too many things were being constrained and there was no room for maneuvering, despite the enthusiasm. The current optimism of the Solar System made Ye Bingwen very anxious, but there was nothing he could do.
Xiao Fei was initially going to the Tita Star. However, when the war started, Xiao Fei felt duty-bound and stayed back. A large number of the students from Ares College had enlisted into the reserves, preparing for war at any time. As such, she could not leave.
Of course, there were also warm vignettes, such as Lan Ling's late night girls' talk. This seemed to be her habit, as it had always been.Visit on our NovelFull
In the Darkness Empire, the entire nation was full of excitement. After defeating the Fairy Star and avenging their humiliation, and with the current situation of the Milky Way Alliance, all the citizens of the Darkness Empire believed that the opportunity for the rise of the Darkness Empire to become the leader of the new era had arrived.
There was a fierce debate in the cabinet. Prime Minister Pacquiao Lorgue narrowed his eyes, looking at the cabinet think tanks he himself had set up. He was very satisfied with the heated debate. It was necessary to put restraints on power to make the most of it.
Similarly, the liberation of power should be like tap water, passing through restricted pipelines, passing through pressure and spraying out, such that the power could be controlled and could target the power of the opponent, rather than drowning in the sea of power.
To become a yielder of power, not an addict drowning in the sea of power.
The competitive nature of his cabinet would allow him to maximize his power.
"We can't afford to expand new battlefields. We are already at our limit!"
Treasury Minister Maggie was a conservative woman, the epitome of being cavil. But she had never given an impression of intimidation but rather an aggressive, judgmental temperament. It was as if all lies would crumble under her examination. Her cavil attitude was not because she was calculative, but her ability to spend every galaxy coin accurately in the right places.
"Limit? The expansion of the empire knows no limit. The current opportunity is but fleeting. The empire is fully capable of expanding a third battlefield!"
Defense Minister Fabio interrupted Maggie's speech coldly. The empire had waited for a century for this opportunity. The two great powers, Aslan and Arbiter, had broken out in war. Heaven had helped the Darkness Empire. This was an era of expansion and rise to be the king. It was right to want to be a fisherman who reaped the profits of the struggle between the snipe and the clam. However, the Darkness Empire was not the only fisherman in this ocean of stellar war. The key was to be proactive.
"But would it be somewhat ominous to set the target of the third battlefield as the Titatitan Star?"
The head of the PDD intelligence department twisted the goatee on his chin and shared his thoughts. "The rebellion of the Fairy Star has yet to be put down. I think we should focus more on the regime of the Fairy Star."
"It is precisely because of the Fairy Star that we need to defeat Tita! "
Fabio banged the table and stood up. "The Fairy Star itself does not produce too many scarce resources, but the rare mining route with the Fairy Star as the hub is a golden channel! We are already caught in this situation, why don't we go further? The expansion of the empire requires the transfusion on this route, and Tita has the resources we want. This is the key to hegemony. Manalasuo already covets the Sirius Star's alloy ore star. We cannot fall behind. Besides, the Tita Star is inconsequential, the Darkness Empire is not Sirius!"
"Do you think that the mistakes made by the Sirius Star are avoidable?"
"The failure of the Sirius Star was not because Titatitan Star was powerful, but rather the carving up of benefits by Manalasuo and the Hail Cloud Alliance. Since the Sirius Star has now attracted enough attention, this is a good time for us to act. Judging from the international situation, no other country could interfere with us now. Opportunity knocks but once; I think we should take the initiative."
Fabio had been well prepared. Military honor was the foundation to his promotion; no one could stop him from becoming the hero of the empire's expansion of power!
History would provide proof and would remember that he was right.
Chapter 1411: Image
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Knock, knock!
At this time, Pacquiao gently knocked on the table.
"Furion, I agree with your idea, but the time is not right. Maggie, please try to squeeze out more from the budget. I will give you the authority to release the third batch of war bonds. Sui En, as the head of the intelligence department, I hope that you will focus on Tita. For the empire's expansion, we need new blood. Lastly, Furion, I hope that you will focus on the Solar System front, and quickly take down the second battlefield. As for the Fairy Star's resistance, leave it to Bhan. You can't be too reckless in war; it is too dangerous to start a war on three fronts. My opinion is: when we destroy the Solar System's ability to fight back, that is the time we strike the Tita Star. Before that, we can use gunboat diplomacy to pressure them."
The cabinet quietened down and Maggie nodded, satisfied. She felt that this approach was much better, as the economic strain would not be too much. As for the Fairy Star, Bhan was the slaughterer of the Darkness Empire. Sending him would initiate a deep cleansing of the Fairy Star. He would leave few descendants of the Fairy Star, to use them as puppets for the empire. Without pity, they would not be in that position.
The wealth they had accumulated was able to sustain the empire's rapid expansion. There was only one Heaven-rank warrior on the Tita Star, which was not a problem. The problem was the Solar System, but dealing with the Solar System first would allow them to focus all of their strength on wiping out the Tita Star.
The foreign affairs department would evaluate the newly suggested transport routes after the meeting. There was nothing much, a tax of eighty percent would be imposed from passing through the Fairy Star.
The agreement of the past? It was no longer useful. As the people changed, the rules would change as well.
Two days after, the Tita Star received the news. It was about a series of changes. Other than the high tax rate, the Darkness Empire intended on being involved in the mining industry. This was overbearing.
Mu Sen did not agree. It was clear that these were not the Darkness Empire's true intentions -0 they were merely testing the waters, and this had occurred twice. Mu Sen and the rest knew that strength was the most important thing, and after receiving intelligence reports, it did not matter if they accepted the conditions. After the Darkness Empire defeated the Solar System, they would invade the Tita Star.
The Tita Star was like a delicious cake. After Sirius left, there was the Darkness Empire.
However, the Darkness Empire did not have the same number of worries as the Sirius Star. the Fairy Star was now their colony, so they do not have anything else to worry about. With their alliance with the Maacah Republic, judging from the international situation, there were not many countries that could invade the Darkness Empire. Even if some countries were able to, it was not possible from their geographical location. Moreover, the Darkness Empire was the member of the Milky Way Alliance that cared the least about principles. The Darkness Empire was the only major country that did not agree to never use planetary level weapons. Hence, in the past few years, they received unfair treatment and unfavorable economic terms from other countries. However, the Darkness Empire persevered through. If the Sirius Star was said to be wolves, the Darkness Empire would be hyenas. Wolves had their pride and a bottom line, while hyenas gathered in packs and would devour even bones, not caring about their image, and with no bottom line.
On the Sirius Star battlefield, Manalasuo continued their invasion with high morale and defeated the Sirius Star's ambush once again. The ambush this time was devious, using a super alloy planet as bait, completely giving up on defense, and gathering their strength in space for an attack. However, this was seen through by Manalasuo, and they simply waited to catch Sirius off guard.
This battle was a heavy blow to Sirius. The main fleet suffered heavy losses, and they lost their most important alloy planet. Manalasuo was rapidly advancing on their path to dominance, and their reputation was sky high, felt by countries everywhere. The time for the rise of Manalasuo was coming.
Obviously, there was an important element in their rise, which was the Arbiter Republic and the Aslan Empire's conflict.
On Aslan's battlefield, Arbiter continued to increase its forces, while Aslan was continuously resupplying. The Arbiter Republic was doing the same though. For this battle, it seemed like Arbiter was using their full strength, and fate would be decided by this battle.
While they felt the rise of Manalasuo, they are no longer able to stop them. To be honest, if they used their greatest strength, the rewards they would reap would far outweigh that of Manalasuo and the Darkness Empire. While that may be true, they no longer had a choice – they could not stop.
There had to be a winner between Aslan and Arbiter.
The Arbiter Republic knows that Aslan was the main battlefield. If the Aslan Empire survived the second clash, it would be dangerous for Arbiter. While their supply lines were currently safe, they would not be safe forever, which could be seen from Sirius. Moreover, the Aslan Empire's war capabilities were stronger than Arbiter's. The second clash would be the deciding one, and Arbiter had to achieve victory. And true victory was to destroy Aslan's fleet.
For this, the Arbiter Republic specially interacted with the Maya Empire. While the Maya Empire might be weak-willed, there was no retreat for them now. The Arbiter Republic had clearly told the Maya Empire that if they backed out now, they would be in a difficult position no matter who won. Now all that was left is to take down Aslan in one go. At the same time, Arbiter promised them great benefits, using both the carrot and the stick. The Mayans stopped thinking about backing out and added a fleet to the battlefield.
There was no luck in this battle, and the Aslan Empire knew this. They wanted to drag it out, but they might not be able to do so. There would be no retreat in the second clash, as both parties were planning to go all out. This battle was not just a fight for victory, but one that decided the future of both countries as well.
Lear had been waiting for Aina to "change her mind." As the battle progressed, as Arbiter and Maya Empire increased their troops, preparing to go all out, Aina might give up, and he would attain better conditions. With the Aslan Empire's rich resources and talents, he could build a new empire for humans, and Lear would be the man that changed mankind's history.
However… reality left Lear in dismal. Not only had Aina not considered his suggestion, she was constantly on guard against him. Suddenly, Lear realized that birds of a feather flock together – both Aina and Wang Zheng were the same kind of fools, both stubborn and naive. He would like to see how Aslan would suffer in the end.
Lear did not plan on backstabbing them. It is not that he did not want to, but with his current situation, he needed a place to grow. And offending Aslan and Constantine was not a wise choice.
However, the current Aslan could no longer be in his consideration. Without his help, Aslan would not be able to fight Arbiter, so he needed a better place.