Chapter 521: Fifth Hundred and Fourteenth Chapter: The Expeditionary Fleet Commander-in-Chief Summons

Elena's communicator rang; it was from the Fleet Command. She connected the signal, and an image popped up. Elena and Arths immediately turned solemn.

It was the Fleet Commander-in-Chief, Five-Star General of the Solar System Alliance, Makemu.

Makemu nodded. "Captain Elena, I have just watched Li Hao's combat. I have decided to form a special battle group. There is still time before we reach the battlefield. Li Hao will lead the captains of the land-based and air-combat mecha pilots from various fleets, as well as the elites from the reserves, for intensive training. We will station them on the Cloud Top."

The Cloud Top is the fleet's super aircraft carrier and also the most powerful space fortress in human possession, a mobile small space city, and the axis of human expeditionary combat power.

Makemu had various considerations. Li Hao was quite bold in his actions and also very steady. This large-scale gathering of land-based and air-combat mecha pilots had also caused some friction, though it was within a controllable range. However, Makemu wanted to eliminate this situation as much as possible. He possessed more intelligence on this battle, and although they had the advantage, he could not afford to be careless. Land-based and air-combat mecha pilots might need to switch roles based on the combat situation, and at the same time, there was a great need for top-tier strength to act as a shock force for special missions. For a super battle group, the strength of the captain had a huge impact on the morale of the group. Li Hao had a real knack for leading the growth of Tianjing Martial Arts, and although it hadn't been long, it was enough to accomplish some things, which led to this idea.

Over the next few days, Li Hao's life was comfortable. Strength was the best bargaining chip. The daily training of the Kuangfeng became methodical, and Anluo Dan also very consciously stopped mentioning any challenges or acting arrogant. The atmosphere was incredibly harmonious, with everyone performing their own duties. Of course, those in the Mecha Department didn't need to jump around either; after all, their professions were different, and starships had their own specialties. Their common enemies were the Giant Insects, as well as Noah's Ark.

Li Hao always felt that this expedition was very dangerous. He tried to head toward Kepler several times, but each time he was repelled by a terrifying consciousness that had formed a blockade over the entire Kepler. He had never heard of such a level of Soul Power. After mastering Soul Power, this was the first time he had encountered it. The opponent even tried to capture him several times, but Li Hao had his own unique way of using his soul. Although the opponent's total volume was powerful, its flexibility was still lacking.

These ethereal things could not be told to others. When he counted on Bleem to do something, this guy went silent again. Zhuang Zhou had also looked for Li Hao, saying that he had a strange feeling.

Li Hao believed in Zhuang Zhou's miraculous abilities; they shared common premonitions, only Li Hao's were more direct. This expedition could not be taken lightly. As a Mobile Suit pilot, all he could do was ensure his teammates remained in their best condition.

It wasn't that there were no happy things; he could finally date A Youyou in secret under the guise of work, but there were simply too many people, and A Youyou was like a spotlight, so Li Hao could only take it in small doses.

Then someone came from the Command Headquarters. Li Hao was a bit dazed. He took a shuttle to the Cloud Top space fortress, the center of the entire space fleet. The massive carrier had over a hundred thousand crew members and dozens of nuclear power systems; it was a true space city that integrated offense and defense. It was the only one of its kind in the entire Solar System, the essence of human technology. The shuttle docked, and Li Hao stepped onto the conveyor belt. By the time he arrived, a Colonel was already waiting for him.

The Colonel did not exchange pleasantries with Li Hao; after verifying his identity, he led Li Hao toward the Command Headquarters.

In the command center of the entire Expeditionary Army, the person waiting for him was none other than the Commander-in-Chief of this expedition, Makemu.

"Reporting!" Li Hao's voice was very resonant, hoping to leave a good impression on the big boss.

"Come in." Makemu stood by the ship's window, looking at the vast space and the countless warships surrounding the space fortress. Makemu did not turn around; this was his habit when thinking about difficult problems. The two stood there and watched for a good while.

Makemu came back to his senses, looked at the spirited Li Hao before him, and smiled slightly. "Puppet, I've long heard of your name."

Even Li Hao's thick skin flushed a little. He was a great fighter and very confident, and his knowledge was far beyond that of an average human. When he arrived, Li Hao hadn't felt anything, but the moment Makemu turned around, he felt the powerful aura of a top human leader. This was not an aura of combat power, but one emanating from the soul from the inside out.

Makemu also nodded to himself. He had just met one young man who could remain neither humble nor arrogant in front of him, completely unaffected by his presence; this was the second.

"Li Hao, what is your take on this expedition?" Makemu threw the question out directly.

Li Hao didn't even know why he had come here this time. The question Makemu threw out was a bit too big. Even if he had some information others didn't, he was not in a position to judge recklessly.

"Reporting, as a Mobile Suit pilot, I am ready for battle at any time!" Li Hao said.

Makemu nodded. To possess such strength and still have a clear understanding—this was no longer an ordinary soldier. "I know your power is extraordinary; you have reached the pinnacle of individual combat strength. It's fine, let's just chat casually. I want to know what you think this expedition will face."

Li Hao's heart stirred. Given his rank, this might be the only chance he would have to see Makemu, and it was very likely that Makemu had encountered some problem to ask this. Whether it was useful or not, he should offer a reminder.

"Commander-in-Chief, then I will speak. Having experienced the battle at the Nimeier Ruins, I feel that the changes in Kepler might have other issues. Xilian... or rather, Nangong Yuhang, his overall layout is in Kepler, and they have mastered a lot of the Nimeier Civilization's technology. Could there be variables we haven't grasped?" Li Hao said.

Makemu glanced at Li Hao. "Nangong Yuhang... the Saint of Noah's Ark. This cult organization has been around for quite some time and has indeed mastered some incredible technology. The military has gained quite a bit from this crackdown, but from the people we've captured, we learned that the core of Noah's Ark has already moved to Kepler. The experiments have actually been going on for a long time; this started right after we landed on Kepler."

As he spoke, Makemu waved his hand, and the transparent window suddenly went black. Immediately after, pictures and images appeared; it was the situation on Kepler. The base was surrounded by a massive number of Giant Insects, but they were not attacking. Inside the base, there was crying, but the images were very blurry, as if something was slaughtering them...

From the blurry shadows, it looked very much like a Leader, but the body size seemed a bit smaller, and it looked more... human. The opponent even glanced at the monitor; there were three eyes on its forehead, and then it turned completely into static.

"These monsters are definitely not Giant Insects," Makemu said. "According to our current understanding of the Nimeier Civilization, they have False Eyes on their foreheads. The brain development of this civilization is far higher than that of us humans, and in some aspects, they are a bit like these monsters."

"You mean to say that the monster just now was a Nimeier? Or that Noah's Ark cloned Nimeier monsters?" Li Hao understood a bit. When he fought the Leader, he felt it was eerie; the opponent didn't seem like a monster, and those eyes were too human.

Makemu looked at Li Hao with curiosity. He saw that the young man wasn't surprised, but then he felt it was only natural. He was the No. 1 of the Apocalypse back then, yet he was framed in a conspiracy and became a scapegoat. After being released from prison, he didn't give up on himself but maintained his passion, leading the fallen Tianjing Martial Arts to win the S Tournament championship. This kind of mindset and breadth of mind was not something an average person possessed. No matter how strong a person was, their combat power was limited, but the miracles a leader with a broad mind could create were infinite. This was also what he appreciated about Li Hao. While alive, who hasn't suffered a bit of injustice? If one felt the whole world owed them just because they suffered a little, then they would never be truly strong.

"Take a look at this." Makemu no longer looked at Li Hao as just a warrior. He had also experienced the Nimeier Ruins. From another perspective, Nangong Yuhang's plan had almost no flaws; he had been steady and solid all the way, almost succeeding, but because he couldn't get past that hurdle in his heart, wanting to prove himself in front of Li Hao, it ultimately led to his collapse and retreat to Kepler. Why did everyone ignore someone that even an opponent valued?

Just because he was a Mobile Suit pilot?

Makemu suddenly had a flash of inspiration, his perspective opened up. On the window appeared the space battlefield. It was the space fleet and spaceport stationed at Kepler. The image was already a sea of fire. Space Motherships constantly emerging from Space Ability were spewing out large numbers of flying Giant Insects, and the Energy Insects on the ground were also firing Super Energy Bombs. The varieties of Giant Insects above were unheard of, and those humanoid monsters also appeared among the Giant Insects, seemingly directing them, and they could completely survive in space.

"Many of the Giant Insects inside are appearing for the first time, and they are fighting in an orderly manner, fearless of death. When Kepler was discovered, many scientists proposed the question: did we discover Kepler, or were we discovered? But regardless of which one it is, humans are no longer isolated in this dark universe." Makemu paused. "We suspect that what we will face this time are Kepler Giant Insects controlled by the Nimeier Civilization, as well as human traitors."

Li Hao was also stunned by what he heard. "Didn't the Nimeier Civilization go extinct?"

Makemu nodded. "It went extinct on Earth, but it doesn't necessarily mean it's truly extinct. Traces of the Nimeier Civilization were also found on Kepler, which means they arrived at Kepler from Earth, but for some unknown reason, they were near destruction."

"Near destruction?" Li Hao asked, dazed. This should be total destruction, right?

"Yes. At first, we also thought this civilization must have arrived at Kepler through some Space Ability method we hadn't mastered, but this process went horribly wrong, leading to crustal movements on Earth and the destruction of cities. According to atomic fission detection, the degree of energy explosion at that time was enough to severely damage even Earth," Makemu said. "This act itself was extremely dangerous. There might be some reasons inside that we don't know, but they didn't disappear completely because some of us humans received their information. They have also been trying to interfere with our civilization's progress. Nangong Yuhang is just one of them. The will of God and the calling of God that Noah's Ark has always believed in very likely come from the Nimeier Civilization."