"You need not come any further for the time being," Qin Mo ordered Grei, who was rushing to his aid.
He habitually considered the most dire situations, but now that such a crisis had been averted, the support from Grei and the others was no longer necessary.
After issuing his command, Qin Mo approached the shattered head of the knight.
Suddenly, the knight's arm lifted and swung towards Qin Mo, but he swiftly exerted his control, tearing the arm from the knight's body.
The knight's massive form bucked forward, its joints locked in place by Qin Mo's command, rendering it completely immobile.
Qin Mo advanced toward the head, navigating through debris and various metallic apparatuses until he reached the rear of the knight's cranium.
This area remained unscathed by the Gatling cannon, yet the array of cables and devices had been damaged by the tremors, with a metal plate embedded into the knight's pilot.
"Kill... kill me... let us die... together," Alan uttered weakly.
Ignoring this plea, Qin Mo assessed Alan's form.
The man was clad in a suit resembling armor, predominantly blue, adorned with an assortment of bird-like feathers on his head and limbs.
This revelation confirmed to Qin Mo that the knight was indeed the Blade of Terror, and both its soul and its pilot had been corrupted.
The soul of a knight is a mysterious phenomenon; broadly speaking, it is the self-awareness of machinery.
Some knightly souls can continue to fight even after their pilots perish.
Certain weapon systems' souls may even develop self-awareness, experiencing joy, sorrow, and rage.
"Talon II is an industrial world, is it not? Is your family situated there? How many knights do you have left?" Qin Mo inquired.
"Bah!" Alan summoned his strength to spit at Qin Mo's feet.
Rather than respond with anger, Qin Mo raised his hand, distorting the knight's exterior with telekinesis.
The knight's colossal form appeared as if gripped by some unseen force; the sound of twisting metal heightened Alan's anxiety.
"There are five remaining," Alan hastily replied. "Please... do not torment us... grant us a swift end..."
"Very well, but you must answer one more question," Qin Mo continued. "How long until others from your family arrive?"
"They will never... never come. Only I in the family worship... the Lord of Wisdom..." Alan answered again.
"Good." Having received the answers he sought, Qin Mo turned and strode outward, summoning lightning.
A bolt of lightning appeared from thin air, striking the knight's body, obliterating both it and its pilot.
Emerging unscathed, Qin Mo prepared to unleash havoc amidst the enemy ranks.
However, a communication from Klein altered his intentions: "The enemy has begun to rout completely."
"Teleportation will commence in one minute." Qin Mo promptly transported back to the fortress at the Nest, providing power to the teleportation device.
...
For the First Army, possessing teleportation technology meant that once the enemy fell into chaos, the outcome of the battle was already decided.
In comparison to the last encounter, the enemy's situation was even more desperate this time.
Their lines shattered and their knights fallen, these events shattered the enemy's psychological defenses, prompting them to retreat recklessly, devoid of any coherent formation. Their singular objective remained:
Escape.
The various regiments of the First Army were teleported to the enemy's fleeing routes, intercepting the deserters with fierce firepower.
The battle had devolved into an execution.
Watching the unfolding chaos from the operations room, Creed felt no joy. He stared, astonished, at the holographic display of the battlefield, his mind consumed with a singular thought: this large-scale teleportation technology is a preposterously unreasonable contraption.
Completely annihilating an army is no simple feat; such a task requires extensive preparations, meticulous planning of contingencies, and the mobilization of additional transport aircraft to ensure that each engaged unit receives ample supplies.
However, an army capable of teleportation requires none of these preparations. They need not even maintain supply lines, as they can teleport directly behind the enemy, severing their escape routes and bombarding them relentlessly.
Once ammunition is depleted, they can teleport back to the Nest for resupply, only to return to combat once replenished.
There is no concern of overextending themselves during pursuit, for even if surrounded, they can still escape through teleportation.
Though the enemy continued to withdraw rather than being instantly annihilated, Creed was convinced that total destruction awaited them in the end.
The sheer might of large-scale teleportation technology was formidable enough, not to mention the warriors clad in super-powered armor.
Creed found himself plagued with questions: where did these individuals acquire their weaponry and technology?
Pondering, he turned to Klein. "Who developed this technology? Who manufactured the weaponry? You wouldn't have a foundry world supplying you, would you?"
"We have no foundry world. Talon is a remote star system. Did you not notice that despite the chaos, no one has come to intervene? You are the only visitors this system has seen in thousands of years, and even you are few..." Klein began to lament incessantly.
His grievances concerning the system's governor and its location induced a headache for Creed, who could only extract one piece of information from Klein's rants: he was unwilling to address the origins of their technology and weaponry.
"Enough." Creed raised a hand to silence Klein, then lowered his gaze back to the battlefield.
Considering the unknown origins of the technology and weaponry, Creed had to contemplate the worst-case scenario: what if one day the Empire's higher-ups discovered this place and branded all its inhabitants as traitors, subsequently dispatching the Star Realm Army to engage in battle?
The individual capabilities of the Star Realm Army far surpassed those of Qin Mo's forces, and that was without even comparing them to the Kadian Assault Army.
After contemplating for an extended period, Creed concluded that there were no shortcuts—only resource accumulation awaited.
The Star Realm Army, Astartes, Mechanicus, Knights, Titans... when that day arrives, the conflict would devolve into a pure war of attrition.
Yet, emotionally, Creed wished to avoid a day when both sides would clash. He understood that these individuals were betrayed by the governor, thrust into a battle with no hope of survival, yet they had exhibited remarkable resilience.
Now they had to contend with the traitors of the entire star system.
"I must remind you," Creed addressed Klein once more, "the technology and weaponry you employ are unverified. You should understand the consequences that may ensue."
"We are well aware," Klein nodded.
Creed scrutinized this man, who had never been particularly serious, uncertain if he truly comprehended the implications.
Klein's demeanor shifted, and he continued, "We will survive. We will face each trial and tribulation head-on, and the Talon system will eventually be entirely under the control of its true master, thriving forevermore."
"Is the true master of the Talon system the Emperor, or... your legion commander?" Creed queried.
"Certainly the Emperor. In my education, I was taught that the Emperor is the master of all star systems in the Empire. By the way, why do you ask? Do you have another answer in mind?" Klein replied with a smile.
Creed shot Klein a scornful glance, bringing the conversation to an end.