Chapter 557: For the Empire!

The White Queen's prosthetic face showed a hint of a "speechless" expression; these white soldiers seemed truly overly…

"Naïve", "cute".

However, among all the data she received, the First Empire's treatment of Naval Fleet 332 was indeed poor, and she also encountered a boss‑like opponent she could never defeat; it would be strange not to surrender.

Sui Bian did not notice his secretary's expression; instead, he raised his left hand, spread the Imperial Claw, and faced his palm toward the white soldiers, who numbered at least one battalion (over 500).

!

The move instantly made the white soldiers' bodies tremble, and the soldier who had surrendered first couldn't stop his legs from shaking, fearing what Sui Bian might do to "them".

In fact, Sui Bian only intended to "claim" this group of white soldiers for himself.

The Imperial Claw emitted a faint golden light, and simultaneously the bodies and outlines of that battalion's white soldiers also began to radiate a subtle golden glow.

??

What is this situation?

The white soldiers, incredulous, raised their hands and stared at the supernatural phenomenon occurring on themselves…

Although among the fleet detachments that arrived with "them" in this fringe star system to carry out suppression and garrison duties there were many Sith Warriors adept at the Force (Spiritual Energy), none could produce such a phenomenon.

Moreover, as the golden light gradually faded, "their" thoughts and minds began to undergo uncontrollable, reverse changes.

The next moment, over five hundred white soldiers half‑kneeling on the ground, sincerely and respectfully said to Sui Bian, "Salute, Your Majesty!"

"Hmm, get up now." Sui Bian lightly nodded as he lowered his left hand.

"Yes." The white soldiers obeyed the command and stood up.

After that.

Sui Bian continued walking toward the interior of the city, with the White Queen following at his right side.

As for the white soldiers, they immediately formed squads of ten, dispersing swiftly in orderly fashion, instantly displaying excellent tactical competence, with no trace of the earlier "awkward" demeanor.

Empire Assault Force.

In fact, that is the white soldiers' true designation.

The First Empire has existed for over two hundred years, and the Empire Assault Force, originally an elite unit, has completely replaced the Empire's ground army.

The Assault Force is, in fact, the army.

Although the white soldiers marching with Sui Bian and the White Queen are not as elite as their predecessors from two centuries ago, they have undergone rigorous training to become members.

Moreover, when Sui Bian used Spiritual Energy to control them, he also inadvertently sparked their potential, naturally bringing them to true elite level.

Sui Bian's use of Spiritual Energy to control them does not violate his oath to his offspring, since these white soldiers chose to surrender, making them free to use.

Soon.

Another group of Assault Force arrived to investigate, having lost communications but hearing the gunfight erupt at the checkpoint.

Both sides met at a crossroads on the outskirts of the city.

"For the Empire!"

"For the Emperor!"

Before the arriving Assault Force could ask what happened, the white soldiers, now under Sui Bian's control with completely altered thoughts and minds, emitted mechanical, cold‑toned war cries and simultaneously pulled the triggers on their former "allies".

"Whoosh~! Whoosh~!"

In an instant, the crossroads and the entire block rang with the roar of explosive firearms.

"Puff! Puff!" The explosive cannon barrage pierced armor and seared bodies.

"Ah… uh…"

The arriving Assault Force let out dying wails, unable to comprehend why the "allies" they had shared drinks and meat with just last night had suddenly turned into mutual slaughter.

"What is this situation?!"

"Counterattack! Counterattack!"

This sudden turn forced the remaining Assault Force to immediately seek cover, preparing to fire upon the white soldiers who had fully "defected".

But…

"Which one is the enemy!"

"They're all the same!"

"Friend‑or‑foe identification failed… Puff! Uh…"

However, the Assault Force helmets' displays still showed the white soldiers' information in green, and as the white soldiers shifted formation, it became even harder to distinguish friend from foe.

Conversely, the white soldiers' helmets were precise, clearly displaying and marking which units were Assault Force and which were the truly "defected" comrades.

Because the White Queen, who operates at the core of the camp alongside them, does more than merely follow her idle boss; she has fully upgraded the white soldiers' individual systems.

Don't be fooled by the white soldiers' seemingly plastic‑like armor; it is actually a full set of powered armor that ensures the wearer can adapt to various hazardous, extreme environments.

If you stare at it long enough, it even looks "ugly‑handsome".

In no time, the white soldiers, leveraging amplified power and the advantage of information disparity, swiftly crushed their former comrades.

"Retreat! Retreat!"

A commander of the Assault Force, whose helmet bore a red marker, hurriedly ordered a retreat, saying, "We can't fight like this."

At that moment, the white soldier who had been the first to raise his hand and surrender became unusually bold, seizing the gap while the Assault Force processed the retreat order, sprinting forward and slamming a gunstock into the commander's occiput.

"Bang!!"

The commander, caught off‑guard by the sudden ambush, fell face‑first to the ground, trying to roll up, but the white soldier had already planted his left foot on the commander's back, immobilizing him.

Moreover, the white soldier pulled the trigger upward, causing his explosive‑energy rifle to roar, and shouted loudly at the remaining Assault Force:

"The commander has been captured by me! Surrender! All surrender! Otherwise, I will kill you all!"

"This…"

"Eh?! Isn't that the cowardly Fenni?"

Initially, the charging units in retreat were bewildered, and some even marveled at how fierce the white soldier named Finn was.

But upon seeing the white soldiers, who held the numerical advantage, complete the encirclement and gaze at the dark gun muzzles, the charging units ceased mocking Finn, then threw down their weapons and raised their hands in surrender.

At this moment.

Sui Bian, strolling leisurely, had already arrived at the center of the intersection with Bai Hou.

Seeing this, the white soldier commander wearing orange-red epaulettes, leading Finn and a few other white soldiers, quickly approached Sui Bian, raised his right hand, clenched his fist horizontally across his chest, then slightly bowed, performing the standard wartime salute of the Human Empire.

Immediately afterward, the white soldier commander reported to Sui Bian: "Your Majesty, our side has 36 wounded, 92 killed, 213 enemies slain, and 77 prisoners."

"Hmm, you've done well."

Sui Bian nodded in approval, then waved his left hand again, causing the captured charging units to also become his white soldiers, and at the same time healing the thirty-six wounded.

Although he did not grant protection to the white soldiers in battle as he did for his offspring and the Human Empire's warriors, providing healing was still possible.

Mainly due to differing closeness, Sui Bian merely regarded this group of white soldiers as temporary pawns; as for the future, that would be discussed later.

Continue advancing.

Repeating the absorption process, the number of white soldiers who chose 'willing' to fight for the Human Empire and the Human Emperor grew ever larger.

Not long after, the number of troops gathered beside Sui Bian and Bai Hou reached over four thousand, which was more than twenty times the number of offspring he had brought.

When the white soldiers occupied one quarter of the city, Bai Hou glanced at the several white soldier units responsible for guarding and defending the surroundings, and could not help but ask Sui Bian in a low voice:

"Your Majesty, may I ask… when you use Spiritual Energy, must you accompany it with gestures? For example, when you control the minds of these soldiers beside you, must you wave your left hand?"

To be honest, Bai Hou has harbored this question ever since gaining self-awareness and emotion, merely waiting for a suitable moment to raise it.

After all, she and Hong Hou always appear alongside her boss; now that she can obtain some private time, she naturally wants to resolve this long-standing doubt.

"You mean this?" Sui Bian said, raising his left hand's Imperial Claw again and flexing the sharp finger blades.

"Hmm." Bai Hou nodded.

"In theory, completing the control spell takes only an instant, a moment so brief that ordinary people cannot even react." Sui Bian lowered his hand, "but I find that boring, so I just added a gesture for the casting."

"Uh… boring?" Bai Hou blinked in surprise.

"Exactly." Sui Bian said seriously, "When you tally the entertainment industry, haven't you noticed that in role‑playing games, mages always have a prelude animation when they cast spells, right?"

"A prelude animation…?!" Bai Hou was even more startled…

"No way, her boss should be a fairly serious 'person,' right? How could he have such a 'childish' idea?"

"Hehe." Sui Bian chuckled, "Men remain boys till death; otherwise, why do you think those OriginalBodies often fight to the death over new weapons and warships?"

"Sure, making the legion stronger is definitely a factor, but it's not ruled out that they simply favor the appearance and look of new weapons and warships to satisfy some collecting urge."

"If you apply those traits to those game players, isn't it true that even if they can't use the gear, when the game officials release new equipment they still frantically grind enemies and dungeons, ultimately adding it to their inventory?"

"It seems…" Bai Hou's pupils flashed a blue light, then she realized: "Yes! Why am I only noticing this now? It turns out human males… no, it seems males of many species are like this!"

Her knowledge points increased again.

"Any other questions."

"Yes, Your Majesty, if you do not use any Spiritual Energy at all, can you destroy Kedisane?" Bai Hou asked curiously.

After all, she and Hong Hou possess data on the OriginalBodies, as well as the physical fitness data of all Human Empire residents, but they lack data on their boss.

"What do you think?" Sui Bian replied with a faint smile.

"I understand, Your Majesty, then may I ask…"

Next, Bai Hou raised all the various doubts that confused her and Hong Hou, problems that artificial intelligence struggles to comprehend, and Sui Bian patiently explained them.

There was no helping it; Sui Bian had originally wanted to get hands‑on, but this city truly lacked anything worth his effort, whereas commanding a host of white soldiers seemed more likely to pique his interest.

———————

…

Before Sui Bian and Bai Hou went to the city.

The largest satellite of Kedisane, Minus, has a diameter of about 1,500 kilometers.

Observing from several thousand kilometers away in the celestial region, one can see that numerous flat, conical warships are docked at Minus's sun‑facing equatorial orbit.

These warships are painted in light black, with only sporadic lights on each deck, indicating few crew and combat personnel aboard.

Beneath the equatorial orbit, the bald satellite surface hosts massive constructions.

Moreover, there are a few 'oblique‑cone' warships exceeding three kilometers in length and about two kilometers in width, standing in line vertically, entering the surface structures and the interior of Minus one by one through the opened giant gas valves.

This base is precisely the Minus Military Starport of Kedisane, where half of the main combat vessels of the 332nd Fleet detachment are stationed, on standby, and undergoing maintenance and overhaul.

The outer docking harbor of the Minus Starport.

"Hmm, indeed, this particle‑type gas valve is far too common for an interstellar‑level empire."

Artemis, clad in blue, stood on the metal floor at the far left end of the docking harbor, gazing at the transparent 'barrier' before her that blocked outer space and emitted a faint blue light, sighing.

Furthermore, the thunderbolt she had hung at her waist had vanished, replaced by a crescent moon blade and its scabbard.

At that moment, a patrol of white soldiers arriving here discovered Artemis, whose back was turned to 'them' and whose attire was utterly out of place with the surroundings.

"Who are you!"

"Raise your hands!"

The troopers raised their blasters.

"Who am I?" Artemis slowly turned, facing the fan‑shaped line of troopers ahead, then wore a wistful expression and said sorrowfully:

"I am both the hunting goddess Artemis and an ordinary citizen of the Human Empire; I don't know which answer you wish to hear."

"Hey! Stop moving!" the squad leader shouted loudly.

"Children, please forgive my cruelty." As Artemis's words fell, the bodies and outlines of this squad of troopers emitted a faint green light.

But this was not the 'control technique' released by Sui Bian; it was 'Spiritual Energy compression.'

?

"Puff! puff!"

The squad of assault troops burst apart before they could understand what Artemis was saying or even feel the pain, their flesh uncontrollably spewing from the mutated, twisted power armor.

Of course, many also sprayed toward Artemis's location, but all were blocked by the Spiritual Energy barrier she generated.

The moment blood and shredded flesh touched the barrier, they vaporized, allowing Artemis, immersed in flesh, to remain pristine.

!!

When the remaining patrol assault squads arrived after hearing the commotion and witnessed the scene, they could only think that Artemis, whose appearance and figure were indescribably exquisite, exuded a "lethal" allure…

It was lethal in the truest sense.

Seeing this, the assault troops—who enjoyed far better conditions than those stationed on the ground of Kedisang'er and were more loyal to the First Empire—hesitated only a moment before launching an attack on Artemis.

But if the mass disparity is too great, no number of them can make a difference.

Artemis knew that these "humans" from another universe would inevitably die as her opponents; out of compassion, Artemis did not let these assault squads experience excessive suffering and die outright.

Soon, the former hunt goddess, alone, stormed into the core area of the Star Port, and in a hall she also encountered a group cloaked in black robes…

"Samurai".

(End of Chapter)