Upon discovering an opportunity for a breakthrough, Gray and his companions were teleported to the battlefield.
In a heartbeat, their forms transitioned from a vaporous energy state to solid entities, and they immediately charged forward towards the Second Regiment of the Talon II Planetary Defense Force.
The power armor they donned enabled them to run at astonishing speeds, with their jetpacks propelling them to even greater velocities.
Although the gravity shields and power armor could withstand the onslaught of laser weaponry, the sheer swiftness of their advance left enemies unprepared; only three shots struck nearby.
As they surged ahead, the trio synchronized their shoulder cannons, switching to the most effective mode for inflicting casualties upon enemy soldiers. Nine luminous orbs ascended skyward, transforming into a rain of beams that swept across the enemy infantry, instantly clearing a significant area.
"It's the legion commander's guards!"
The regiment commander, stationed within a tank, beheld their approach and let out an exultant shout.
No stirring rhetoric was necessary to rally the soldiers; the mere appearance of Gray and his companions served as a potent source of inspiration.
Every soldier in the regiment abandoned the protection of their tanks, rapidly advancing under the enhancement of their power armor.
"What manner of beasts are these?" The commander of the Twentieth Regiment was taken aback by the sight of Gray and his comrades charging toward him and hastily called for reinforcements from nearby allies.
Before he could even voice his request, reinforcements from the Scorpion had already been mobilized.
Four tanks and numerous infantry withdrew from the flanks under attack to join the fight alongside the Twentieth Regiment.
"Enemy armored vehicles detected."
A notification sounded in Gray's helmet, followed by the appearance of enemy vehicle markers on his HUD.
Though they hadn't coordinated their tactics prior to battle, this was not the first time Gray and his companions had fought together. Those clad in power armor adhered to an unspoken rule: the front line was responsible for the main assault and clearing paths, targeting tanks and personnel carriers.
Gray adjusted the shooting mode of his shoulder cannon, but instead of firing immediately, he employed a technique he had discovered in previous skirmishes.
He transmitted the data of the marked armored targets to his shoulder cannon, allowing it to lock onto the targets with greater speed.
In under a second, the data was relayed, and his shoulder cannon quickly acquired the leftmost enemy tank as its target. A crimson beam erupted from the cannon's muzzle.
While the beam soared through the air, Gray trained his cannon on the second target, followed by the third.
This process was somewhat intricate for the shoulder cannon, as it required prior targeting based on data before channeling energy from its engine to fire.
However, to an observer, it appeared instantaneous.
Three crimson beams pierced through three tanks in quick succession. After the triad of shots, the shoulder cannon overheated, but the excess heat dissipated swiftly before it aimed at the fourth tank.
After swiftly dispatching four tanks, Gray pressed on, his momentum unabated, indeed accelerating further.
"Stop them!"
"Block their path!"
Amidst the shouts, the enemy infantry began to concentrate fire on Gray, Anrida, and Yaon, yet their live ammunition was crushed by the gravity shields, and beams were absorbed; the trio remained unimpeded.
While charging forward, they continued to fire from their shoulder cannons and unleashed a deluge of lasers at the enemies.
Those clever enough to seek refuge behind the wreckage of tanks would not be eliminated by the scattershot lasers, but the firepower from the shoulder cannons would incinerate them alongside the debris.
For those less astute or simply unfortunate enough to fail to find cover, their fates varied widely.
Some were crushed by the gravity shields obstructing Gray's path, while others were reduced to mere flesh and bone by the torrents of light emitted from the shoulder cannons or vaporized by the beams.
The more fortunate met swift ends, while the most unfortunate suffered grievously, torn apart by the scattershot lasers, writhing in agony upon the ground.
These warriors, adorned in power armor crafted by Qin Mo himself, were nominally merely the legion commander's guards. However, in truth, they were the Champions of the Star Gods, tasked with confronting the most extreme scenarios that Qin Mo could conceive—when the entire stronghold was overtaken by gene thieves, and a mere army of under ten thousand was forced to contend with their relentless assault.
The number of adversaries before them was far fewer than the gene-thief insurgents previously encountered in the stronghold, lacking any real capacity to obstruct the Champions of the Star Gods.
Only if there were no other allied forces surrounding them could the enemy concentrate their armored units solely on the trio, creating a potential for containment or encirclement.
Yet Gray was flanked by allies, with additional forces elsewhere keeping the enemy at bay.
"It's over," the commander of the Twentieth Regiment thought, watching the three figures draw ever closer, fear creeping into his heart, rendering his legs immobile.
But it was not merely the approach of the enemy that paralyzed him; the pressure from Scorpion loomed larger.
The "flaying" that Scorpion referred to was no mere brutal execution; had it been so simple, it would have been a relief. Instead, it indicated a horrific punishment involving endless torment.
In such dire circumstances, the commander could only pray for Scorpion to devise a plan for him, or that the all-powerful Lord of Wisdom might extend his favor.
"We can retreat," a soldier suddenly turned to the commander, speaking in a tone unusual for him.
"Thank you, Marshal!" the commander exclaimed, eager to flee, but his body trembled, and he turned back to the encroaching enemies.
Suddenly, he raised his laser pistol, roaring, "For the Lord of Wisdom!"
This cry failed to bolster morale; the surrounding soldiers either fled in terror or resigned themselves to their fate, while only the commander rushed toward Gray.
Gray promptly deactivated his gravity shield and collided solidly with the approaching commander.
The speed and thrust provided by the jetpack, combined with the robustness of his power armor, crushed the commander's body.
Gray reactivated the gravity shield and surged forward.
Observing his own body being pulverized, Scorpion, far atop the governor's throne, opened his eyes and delicately placed a six-eyed gem he had clutched in his hand upon the armrest before laughing heartily at his retainer.
"Ha ha ha… that Bran… what a fool! So easily deceived!"
"I told him he could retreat, and ha ha ha, he actually believed me!"
Upon hearing his master's laughter, the retainer chuckled dryly in response.
But then he noticed the grin vanish from Scorpion's face, replaced by a cold command: "We are done for. The governor either sends a ship to retrieve me or provides me with more troops, or I shall leave Talon I."
"My lord…" the retainer trembled as he asked, "What about the knight named Ailan?"
"Let him perish. The governor has always had a poor relationship with Ailan's family; they don't even worship the Lord of Wisdom," Scorpion replied.
Perhaps to others, Scorpion's actions appeared mad, yet those close to him understood that he sought only amusement.
Betrayal, conspiracy, and deception—all were merely facets of the game.
They were all part of a grander scheme.
"Before the enemy reaches the upper stronghold and the tower, execute the tasks I assigned you earlier," Scorpion suddenly commanded.
"Understood," the retainer nodded.