Chapter 354: Front Line

"I tend to think that the existence causing all this is not a life form with a high degree of subjective will."

After summarizing the various intelligence, Jie Ming concluded.

"It's more like a—non-life form running according to some fixed, huge program. Our awakening and contact, as long as they don't touch its core instructions or cause large-scale disturbances, may be judged by it as 'tolerable errors'."

This speculation made the atmosphere in the room even more eerie.

In this mansion of Lei Ke's, shielded by layers of technical means, the two "awakened ones" who had reached an initial consensus faced the intelligence fragments collected so far and fell into a brief contemplation.

The peaceful to eerie social atmosphere, the vast and real cosmic scale, the number of "fallen ones" that might far exceed estimates, and that invisible network covering everything and scheduling in an orderly manner—

All these clues pointed to an unfathomable mastermind system.

However, they were like scattered pearls, lacking a main thread to connect them.

"All abnormalities," seemed to be covered and digested by a powerful "order." Lei Ke tapped the metal table with his fingertips, making a rhythmic light sound, "Except for one place—"

Jie Ming looked up and interjected: "The front line."

Yes, only that star field fighting against the so-called "alien threat" was the only place of constant "chaos" and "conflict" in this vast, peaceful, and orderly universe.

If there were flaws in this "system," that place was undoubtedly the most likely place to be exposed.

Since the goal had been clarified, Jie Ming and Lei Ke did not hesitate to take action immediately.

Relying on Lei Ke's status as a well-known young engineer on "Anvil Star" and the several technical optimization schemes he contributed that were not painful but quite popular with the military, the two successfully obtained special access and observer status to a certain front-line star system.

A few days later, they took a military fast supply ship transporting spare parts and energy cores, crossed several star gates guarded by heavy troops, and arrived at the front-line planet codenamed "Iron Curtain."

As soon as they arrived here, the two could clearly feel that the environment of the "Iron Curtain" star was completely different from the rear.

The sky was shrouded all year round by thick dust clouds with a metallic luster, and the surface was covered with reinforced permanent fortifications, radar arrays, and huge energy shield generators.

The air was filled with the smell of ozone and burnt metal friction, and an invisible sense of tension permeated every corner of the base.

Due to Lei Ke's "technical consultant" status and the "friendly" technology brought, they were invited by the base commander.

This was a middle-aged general with a resolute face and fatigue in his eyes.

For the sake of the technology supported, the two were treated quite politely.

But likewise, it was also for this reason that when they proposed hoping to observe front-line combat at close range, or even go to the most forward outposts, they were flatly refused.

"No, absolutely not!" The general's tone had no room for maneuver, "You two are valuable technical talents, the rear needs you more. The front line is too dangerous, stray bullets, energy splashes, even those elusive infiltrators—I can't let you take this risk. This is an order, and it's for your own good."

No matter how they emphasized "the importance of data collection for technical improvement," or even hinted vaguely that there might be "instructions from a higher level," the commander would not loosen his mouth.

In the end, the two could only settle for the next best thing.

They were allowed to "observe" a small-scale conflict that had just broken out through a remote observation system in a highly guarded observation post hundreds of kilometers away from the real fire line.

On the huge holographic sand table, the light spots representing the enemy and us were colliding fiercely in a rugged canyon area. Jie Ming and Lei Ke locked their eyes on the real-time battlefield images magnified and enhanced on the main screen.

I saw dozens of dark red figures of various forms swarming out from the shadows of the canyon, launching a charge toward the automated defensive positions of the human side.

"That is—"

Jie Ming's pupils contracted sharply.

Charging at the very front was a creature that moved on all fours and was about three meters tall.

The surface of these creatures is covered in a dark red keratin layer that resembles cooled lava, with scorching orange-red light emanating from their joints; they leave burning footprints on the ground as they run, and they can spit out high-temperature plasma fireballs from their mouths.

This form, this attack method—it was exactly a kind of cannon fodder biochemical beast Jie Ming knew, the Molten Core Dog—only these Molten Core Dogs were larger, darker in color, and covered with mechanical battle armor at the joints of their body surface.

Immediately after, another creature that slid along the ground like a shadow attracted the attention of the two.

They had almost no fixed form, like flowing pitch-black sludge.

Yet they could suddenly spring up and easily tear open light armor with the sharp energy-condensed limbs they formed.

They were good at launching attacks from visual blind spots and could even interfere with electronic equipment for a short time.

"Void Predator—" Lei Ke's voice came.

This was a strange creature living near space rifts, often captured and modified by wizards proficient in shadow and space wizardry, used for reconnaissance and harassment.

There were also flying units circling at high speed in the air, throwing corrosive slime balls.

Drilling units that traveled underground and suddenly emerged to destroy positions—

Among these "alien creatures" that appeared, many characteristics were highly consistent with the contract creatures or elemental life forms commonly used in plane wars, low-cost and easy to control, in the wizard world that Jie Ming and Lei Ke remembered.

They were not exactly the same, with adjustments in details, seemingly modified by someone using the technology of this plane.

The human defenders on the battlefield relied on automated turrets, energy shields, and soldiers wearing power armor to resist tenaciously.

The fire of explosions, the whistling of energy beams, and the harsh sound of steel being torn apart came through the observation system, showing the intensity of the battle.

However, the attention of Jie Ming and Lei Ke was no longer on this.

They looked at each other and saw enlightenment in each other's eyes.

"No wonder I couldn't find the traces of those cannon fodder units, it turns out they were all put here." Jie Ming said.

Lei Ke's expression was a bit serious: "There should be wizards among those fighting humans, but these things still launch attacks, indicating that even cannon fodder units without any consciousness will be 'covered'."

"And besides some familiar cannon fodder units, there are many creatures on the battlefield that don't look familiar. Although it's unclear whether they are other unlucky ones or indigenous people, it seems that the camp division logic of this world is divided by appearance."

Jie Ming nodded in agreement upon hearing this. He turned his head to look at those "alien creatures" on the battlefield: "However, in these years, the news has hardly broadcast any news related to these creatures. It seems that the division of these in alien civilizations should also be purely combat units or cannon fodder units."

Lei Ke immediately understood Jie Ming's meaning: "That is to say, there are real 'aliens' as the manipulators of these war weapons hiding behind."

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(Added update, there is one more chapter.) ===== CHAPTER 355 =====