Chapter 527: Zhuang Zhou's Premonition

Once this idea was proposed, it immediately convinced the council, because no one dared to guarantee whether the enemy possessed the technology to reach the Solar System. Since the enemy had been described as so strong and cunning earlier, this possibility had to be taken into account; otherwise, it would be self-contradictory. And what was important? Naturally, the Solar System was more important. This was the purpose of the expedition: to prevent trouble before it happened and to eliminate the enemy in the cradle.

Not only that, the Solar System had also entered a state of combat readiness. Of course, it had not yet reached the point of being open to the public, to avoid causing unnecessary panic. Other fleets in the Solar System had already begun exercises, under the pretext of combating interstellar pirates and smuggling.

Regarding this resolution and its reasoning, Makemu, Wufa, and Pang Pai were also accepting. They had indeed sensed something strange on the front lines. Having reached their level, they possessed a certain sense for war; they could no longer view the Giant Insects as low-level organisms. They were definitely brewing something. As long as the logistics and supplies could be ensured on the Solar System side, that was already quite good.

In this situation, the war strategy of Makemu and the others needed to be even more cautious.

"Our primary task at the moment is to figure out who the enemy really is," Wufa said. As commanders, they had not had an easy time during this period. The results of their probing were not ideal; the humans had not gained any advantage, and the number of Giant Insects exceeded expectations. This meant that for all these years, while humans were building bases on top, the Giant Insects had been digging trenches below, hiding all along.

This was truly not them overthinking it. At the age of Makemu, Wufa, and Pang Pai, they had experienced many regional wars and all kinds of friction; they had seen it all. Even among humans, truth only existed within the range of cannons, let alone when facing a different species. Any luck would bring immeasurable disaster.

"It looks like we still have to fight; we can't avoid it," Pang Pai said. Sometimes, without a head-on collision, one cannot find the flaws. A massive fleet might just keep grinding away in space like this, and if it went on too long, problems would arise in the rear.

Most members of the Hunter Special Warfare Regiment had returned to their respective fleets, especially those belonging to combat units. Chao Qinglong and Depuya were in the Fifth Fleet. Although they were in the Reserve, they had already participated in several probing attacks. Chao Qinglong had even participated in the sortie of Space Mobile Suits, killing quite a few Giant Insects. Chao Qinglong himself was quite steady, and after directly participating in the war, he had undergone a transformation. This was something that the EMP and the S-Tournament could never bring; it was true growth baptized by the flames of war.

"Their combat power is not to be underestimated, but after fighting them, I feel that we are still stronger," Chao Qinglong said when they were resting; the group still contacted each other often.

"Third Brother, don't say that. You feel it's easy because you're stronger. I think these things are quite fierce. The key is that this isn't training; if you die once, you're gone. After a battle, I'm fucking exhausted; I feel like my body isn't even my own. If it weren't for the Body Refining method taught by Second Brother, I feel like I would have collapsed after the first time on the battlefield," Depuya complained. He was too nervous during his first battle; his hands had been shaking for a long time before it even started. Even the most brutal S-Tournament was actually child's play compared to war. Everyone had to adapt to this state.

"I really want to fight. I've already submitted an application, but it hasn't been approved yet," Ant said out of the blue. He truly couldn't stand the loneliness; wasn't it better to train through combat?

It must be said, there were some like Ant, but most were new recruits; veterans wouldn't be clamoring like that.

"Now it's rumored that this war is going to turn into a war of attrition, and there might be unknown dangers inside. We are not just facing Giant Insects, but we have no way to break through Kepler to see the situation inside," Ma Long said. As the only S-Tournament Champion in the Starship Department, regardless of whether he had been carried or just coasted, he was legitimately awesome. And it had to be said that the Air Force looked down on the Army, but Air Force personnel with Army experience were exceptionally awesome within the Air Force. Ma Long had topped the S-Tournament, and after entering the fleet, he was like a fish in water. He was in the Sixth Fleet of the Earth Expeditionary Force and was highly valued by the fleet and the Captain. This was the rhythm of being groomed for key roles, so he could hear more high-level information.

Being in school is one thing, but once you reach society, sometimes it really depends on fate. It's not necessarily the ones with the best grades who do the best, though of course, those with good grades are highly likely not to do poorly.

"Ma Long, do you have any connections there? Help me fix it; I want to go to the front line. Training in the back is boring as hell," Cheng Konghai said. He had no interest in building a career or anything; he just purely wanted to kill the other side.

"I can help you try, but Hao Ge has to agree. Ant, honestly, the casualties from the few probing wars have not been small. Although I didn't participate directly, I saw it in the command post, and I saw the wounded in the back..." Ma Long knew that a Warrior couldn't fear death, but they were brothers, so he had to speak clearly.

"I know. It's not about whether I fear death or not; I just purely want to fight, and someone has to go up," Cheng Konghai said. Someone had to go first; if he were defeated, then the Giant Insects that defeated him or the situation would become a warning for the other brothers.

"Ant, stop having crooked ideas. We are Warriors; just follow the fleet's arrangements," Aofei said. She saw through Cheng Konghai's thoughts. If he were really allowed to go up, that reckless, headlong charging would eventually lead to trouble. The key was that space combat was not conducive to his performance.

"Ant, we will all have opportunities to go to the battlefield. Remember, don't lose your head. This is a war of attrition! We are all insignificant factors in the war; we can't change anything. Our first priority is to survive," Li Hao said. This little sprout of Cheng Konghai's had to be nipped in the bud.

"Second Brother is right. I've already participated three times. There won't be a shortage of battles. You must prepare your Tyrant Body well; extreme situations may occur at any time. This can save your life," Chao Qinglong said. The most terrifying thing about the Giant Insects is their numbers. No matter how strong a Warrior is, in the vast, empty space, they could very likely die at the hands of a worthless little bug. Not every hero's end is grand.

"Li Hao, you are at the headquarters, is there any new news?" Zhou Naiyi asked. Li Hao was still in the Space Fortress and had not returned to the Kuangfeng. "Still trying to break through the Giant Insect blockade to understand the situation inside Kepler?"

"...... Everyone, I have something I'd like to say," Zhuang Zhou said weakly.

"What's wrong? Do you have a premonition?" Li Hao asked. This junior of his was very special; his ability was the Precognition of good and bad fortune, which felt more suitable for fortune-telling.

"I had a strong feeling before I came, but it wasn't clear. After arriving at Kepler, there was a sense of fear. I have nightmares almost every day. These past few days, I've been so scared I almost don't dare to sleep." Everyone had long since seen Zhuang Zhou with his panda eyes and just thought he hadn't adapted to the war.

"Would it be better if you didn't look at those random things?" Luo Bi laughed.

Zhuang Zhou wanted to explain, but felt a bit powerless. He really wasn't afraid of war; that feeling of falling into despair and fear was too unbearable. He was clearly dreaming, and he knew he was dreaming, but his body couldn't move. Half-asleep and half-awake, he wanted to break free and struggle, but he was powerless. When he finally woke up, his body felt like it had been hollowed out; he even felt a bit of dread toward sleep time. He had asked a doctor for sleeping pills—actually, many Warriors had this problem due to the war, space, and so on—but it was completely ineffective.

"Luo Bi, that's not the problem. Zhuang Zhou's ability is premonition; this shows that Kepler really holds a huge danger. Zhuang Zhou, have you ever encountered this situation before?" Kevin asked.

"No, never before. Am I possessed by a demon? Several times I've thought about just dying and being done with it; it's too painful to live like this every day." Zhuang Zhou finally found a kindred spirit and was almost crying; it was too torturous.

The group still didn't pay much attention. Zhuang Zhou was not a Warrior, so having a weak will was normal, and such situations were not rare in the military; it was also a fragile side of humanity. In normal circumstances, one could retire, but now they were in an expeditionary fleet, and there was no way to arrange a starship for him to go back. If a supply fleet came, it might be possible for him to go back with the wounded who couldn't participate in the war, but that was a matter for later.

"Zhuang Zhou, which fleet are you in?" Li Hao asked.

"The Fifth Fleet," Zhuang Zhou said. "The closer the fleet gets to Kepler, the stronger that feeling becomes, as if a pair of huge eyes is staring at me."

As he spoke, Zhuang Zhou seemed to think of something terrifying and shivered a little.

The others didn't know what to say; this was too fragile. Could it be that the ability of precognition could scare oneself to death?

Li Hao was silent for a while. Actually, he didn't blame the others; abilities were different, and without experiencing it, one couldn't understand, let alone empathize. He was very clear about Zhuang Zhou's current situation. "Zhuang Zhou, don't worry, and don't take the medicine; it's useless. I have the same feeling about what you are sensing. I will find a way to get you onto the Space Fortress. Your ability should be very useful for this war. First, don't be afraid. Second, your mind is fine, and your judgment is correct. Something on Kepler is trying to interfere with you."

Li Hao's words left everyone stunned; it felt a bit magical. Zhuang Zhou, however, excitedly clutched his chest. The torture of this period had made him start to doubt if he was crazy. Hearing this, he felt like he had come back to life; people need recognition, especially from someone they trust.

"Boss, whatever you tell me to do, I'll do it. I'm not afraid of it!" Zhuang Zhou said.

"Your power cannot attack, but it can defend. Steady your mind; don't be curious, don't investigate, and don't respond. Think of happy things, or things you are interested in. It doesn't matter if you can't sleep; just treat it as training," Li Hao said. He had to find a way. Zhuang Zhou's sensitivity in this regard might be much stronger than his own. From Zhuang Zhou's description, the other side had already begun to infiltrate his dreams. Once his will was broken, he didn't know what would happen next.

Li Hao felt that this matter could not be delayed. In fact, after many members of the Hunter Battle Group returned to their various combat units, they were relatively idle, just doing daily training. Li Hao was just left here; the treatment was very high, there was very little to do, and he couldn't participate in core matters. Everyone was polite to him, knowing he was someone valued by the Commander-in-Chief... Was the Commander-in-Chief too busy and forgot about him?