In the Storm flagship's meeting room, Feng Mo sat at the head of the table, surrounded by over a dozen female crew members. Among them were various species: interstellar succubi, dwarves, elves, and beastfolk.
"Commander," Ai Er reported, "the fleet currently consists of eleven starships: one T3-class Interstellar Battleship, two T3-class Interstellar Destroyers, and eight T2-class Interstellar Frigates. Our resources and energy reserves are fully stocked, ready for departure at any time."
Feng Mo nodded, then turned to Alisa, the dwarf captain. "Captain Alisa, I've uploaded the blueprints for the T3 Zircon-Class Interstellar Mechs to the control panel of the industrial ship. Once we reach the Xianyun Star System, I'll transfer 60 million Yunshan Coins to your account."
"These funds will be used to order materials for four more T2 Black Bear-class Interstellar Frigates, ten Zircon-class Interstellar Mechs, and two T3 Mantis Blade-class Interstellar Destroyers."
"Don't worry about personnel. Once we arrive in Xianyun, I'll recruit an additional fifty engineers for you. You have two months to complete construction of these ships and mechs."
He continued, "Next, let me announce our fleet assignments: the Storm flagship remains our command ship, and Ai Er Plan will be promoted to Fleet Vice-Commander and Deputy Captain of the Storm. Alisa of the Dwarf Race will be Captain of the T3 Copper Hammer-class Industrial Ship."
"Hua Qin of the Elf Race will captain the first T3 Mantis Blade-class Interstellar Destroyer. The Mero Sisters of the Beastfolk will captain the second and third Mantis Blades, and Silia, also of the Beastfolk, will command the fourth Mantis Blade."
"As for the twelve T2 Black Bear-class Frigate captains, they will be chosen from our reserve officers under Ai Er's supervision. Lastly, we'll name the fleet 'Storm Fleet' after our flagship. That concludes our meeting. Dismissed."
"Yes, sir!"
Over the past six months on the front lines, Feng Mo had focused heavily on recruiting talent and converting surplus points into ship materials and funds. He had built two T3 Mantis Blade Destroyers and six T2 Black Bear Frigates (upgraded versions) with these resources.
Any remaining points were exchanged for Yunshan Coins. Even after transferring 60 million to Alisa, Feng Mo still had 320,000 Star Coins and 40 million Yunshan Coins in his account.
During these months, he often discussed with Ai Er about hiring various specialists to serve as crew members. The Mero Sisters and Silia were among the top candidates from the initial group of Beastfolk trainees.
The T3 Zircon-Class Interstellar Mech blueprints were a reward for completing a mission involving the destruction of interstellar insectoid forces. These mechs were indispensable weapons for planetary assaults.
While starships were powerful, battles in the universe didn't require restraint in terms of destruction. However, Feng Mo's goal in exploring the Chaos Star Sea was to secure life-sustaining and resource-rich planets to strengthen his fleet.
Using starships alone would mean bombarding the planet's surface with primary and secondary cannons, effectively obliterating everything—commonly called "scorched-earth tactics." To minimize damage while taking control, interstellar mechs were the best choice.
After everyone left the meeting room, Feng Mo leaned back in his chair. A blue holographic screen appeared before his eyes.
[Name: Feng Mo]
[Level: Second-Tier Gene Warrior]
[Profession: Junior Starship Engineer]
[Special Talent: Half the Sky (Fleet gains a luck bonus when female crew members outnumber male and non-humanoid male crew members)]
[Starships: T3 Storm-Class Interstellar Battleship ×1, T3 Mantis Blade-Class Interstellar Destroyer ×4, T3 Copper Hammer-Class Industrial Ship ×1, T2 Black Bear-Class Interstellar Frigate ×12, T3 Zircon-Class Interstellar Mechs]
[Points: 1000]
[Mission: Head to the Chaos Star Sea, conquer a planet to establish a base. Reward: 1000 points and T3 Sea Lion-Class Interstellar Carrier blueprints.]
[Inventory: T2 Black Bear-Class Frigate Blueprints (Copyright sold), T2 Zebra-Class Destroyer Blueprints (Copyright sold), T3 Storm-Class Battleship Blueprints (13 million), T3 Copper Hammer Industrial Ship Blueprints (30 million), T3 Black Radiance Battle Armor Blueprints (40 million), T3 Mantis Blade Destroyer Blueprints (9 million), T3 Zircon-Class Interstellar Mech Blueprints (3 million)]
The T3 Sea Lion-Class Interstellar Carrier was the final piece Feng Mo needed for his battle fleet. A fleet with a carrier was vastly different from one without. Carriers offered powerful attacks, high mobility, wide attack coverage, and long-range strike capabilities—essential weapons on any battlefield.
Feng Mo was desperate for these blueprints, and the 1000 points from the mission were also crucial. In the Flame Spark Shop, a T4-class warship required 2500 points to exchange. He currently only had 1000 points, but after completing this mission and one more, he would have enough for a T4 warship. Yet Wang Chongsheng's past warning echoed in his mind, and he muttered to himself:
"Don't rush. Take it slow. Set a five-year goal: build a T4 fleet. Then, for the next five years, work toward creating my first T5 warship."
Federation Year 7491, June 15th, Chaos Star Sea.
Named for its chaos and its vastness, the Chaos Star Sea bordered the western empires of the Human Federation. Feng Mo's parents had once set off from the Aokelan Star System of the Snow Eagle Empire to explore the Chaos Star Sea, and now Feng Mo was following in their footsteps.
To reach the Snow Eagle Empire, he would have to cross over a dozen star systems, a journey that would take half a month under normal circumstances.
The Federation had constructed enormous star gates between each empire's major star systems to facilitate connections and create a shared destiny, allowing for multi-star system jumps. These massive gates were under military control, but Feng Mo's status as a Viscount allowed him to use them for free.
Storm Fleet first arrived at Yunshan System and then used the star gate to jump to Snow Eagle System. From there, they would cross two more systems before reaching their destination.
Upon reaching the Aokelan Star System, Feng Mo didn't rush blindly into the Chaos Star Sea. Instead, he made a strategic stop at Aokelan's main planet.
With its proximity to the Chaos Star Sea, Aokelan was a hub for adventurers and a crucial resupply point. To succeed in the Chaos Star Sea, the most essential item was a star map, so that was the first thing Feng Mo sought out.
Rika Star Maps Store.
Feng Mo looked skeptically at the small shop in front of him. Was it really reliable to skip buying a map from the military and instead listen to Wang Chongsheng's recommendation to visit this tiny place?
With a resigned sigh, Feng Mo entered. The cramped shop had only a 1.5-meter-tall counter, and an intelligent robot was busy cleaning. Upon seeing Feng Mo, the robot approached.
"Honored customer, welcome to Rika Star Maps Store. I am the assistant manager, Leica. We offer the most comprehensive star maps available."
"No need," Feng Mo replied. "I'm here to see the boss. I come on behalf of the Wang family of Yunshan Empire."
"Ah, a guest of the Wang family," Leica said. "The boss left instructions to wait for you and hand over this item, in exchange for 100,000 Star Coins."
Leica removed a chip hanging around its neck and presented it to Feng Mo.
"Interesting," Feng Mo mused, intrigued by the boss who operated like this—entrusting a robot with such a valuable transaction.
After transferring the 100,000 Star Coins, Feng Mo took the chip, inserted it into the smart terminal on his left wrist, and a detailed star map appeared.
The map displayed every star system governed by the Human Federation's seventeen empires, nearby territories of the insectoid, beastfolk, and mechanoid races, and the most comprehensive record of the Chaos Star Sea outside the Federation's borders.
Translators note:
Ai Er is Elpan
Insectisoids is Zergs
Knots is Star Speed
So in the future dont be confused by the names