Chapter 30: A Moment of Peace in War

In the sky, the Empire's warships spread out in orbit, continuously raining Light Spears onto vast fallen zones on the ground, carrying out systematic extermination.

Below those warships, looking toward the Heberia Nest Area, Xisi on the Tower Top feels the church behind him brighten again, his eyes filled with an incomprehensible doubt.

Because from here to Heberia, an aerial corridor formed by Yunxuji directly connects the safe zone where Xisi is.

Snap!

At attention, a Star Realm Army officer in crisp uniform salutes respectfully toward Xisi, who is still the Regiment Commander of the Planetary Defense Force.

"Sir, these are this batch's supply items, a total of ten thousand sets of fully enclosed combat suits."

Retracting his gaze from the aerial corridor, Xisi looks at the officer before him, who not only salutes but also wears a clearly respectful and admiring expression.

If it weren't for the officer's rank plainly indicating a level two grades higher than his own, Xisi would have thought the person before him was just a low‑ranking logistics officer of the Star Realm Army.

With a somewhat uneasy raised hand returning the salute, Xisi takes the list, doesn't even look at it, and signs his name directly.

After all, when an entire award list was delivered, Xisi was already completely numb at that moment.

Although its scale cannot compare with the renowned legions like Krig and Kadia, in terms of equipment quality, Xisi's Planetary Defense Force, which previously no one even cared about by name, has leapt into the Star Realm Army's top tier.

Now, apart from the galaxy‑wide Zhongsi Storm Soldiers whose total number is only at the million‑person level, only the National Church's desperate spending can produce Battle Nuns that could outmatch Xisi in quality.

Moreover, even regarding Zhongsi Storm Soldiers, Xisi has never heard of a theater that would deploy five thousand of them at once.

It should be known that even in the brutal "Berkeleyma Campaign", even just two hundred mercenaries equipped with Storm Soldier armor would be regarded by everyone, including the Star Realm Army high command, as top‑tier luxury.

But now, Xisi's side is not two hundred, but a full five thousand!

The Storm Soldiers' gear almost epitomizes mortal peak; its supporting equipment is so extensive it could be complex to describe, but after Xisi reviews the individual soldier list, he has a more straightforward summary of the elite force soon under his command:

It is a mortal unit that can clash head‑on with an Astartes!

Or, …

A little Astartes!

Returning the list, the Star Realm Army officer opposite stands straight again to salute, then shows a hint of hesitation, opens his mouth several times, and suddenly stands straight once more.

Xisi just returned the salute; seeing the officer, who is sufficiently senior to be his superior, salute again, he is bewildered, not knowing whether to salute back or what.

But before Xisi can react, the opposite side has already taken out a pocket watch, opened it, and respectfully presented it before Xisi.

When Xisi looks, inside is a beautiful young lady and a golden‑haired child.

"Um… this is also… a supply?"

Xisi is at a loss, while the officer's face is sincere:

"These are my wife and child; if you have time, Sir, I hope you could sign your name on their photograph."

Xisi: "......"

A twitch at the corner of his eye; although his radio occasionally picks up the Empire's sudden frantic reports about him, Xisi truly didn't anticipate that, with the Empire's propaganda machine fully activated, it could reach such an extent.

Xisi can't figure it out, but Kaerjia thinks even deeper than Xisi.

After all, Astartes are naturally powerful, but they are far beyond mortal reach.

And Xisi is not only mortal like them, but their unit numbers have appeared together on the same list multiple times.

This sense of distance is also why Kaerjia chose Xisi!

Because people are always more willing to resonate with their own kind.

Xisi hurriedly signs his name in the blank beside his portrait, and seeing the name of the one who pierced the sand sea and passed through the Nest City twice finally placed in his most treasured pocket watch, the officer lets out a huge sigh of relief.

Carefully closing it, the officer again salutes Xisi earnestly, then finally takes the signed list, turns and walks toward the Yunxuji loaded with refugees ready to return.

Only the refugees return, because as a benchmark, while Xisi receives these supplies, he must also continue to hold every position.

【7】 Actually line number should be 【36】 already used, continue:

After all, in the wilderness at this moment, apart from Xisi, there are virtually no Empire outposts left.

Even if Xisi does nothing but stand guard here, in the Empire's propaganda, total collapse and continued resistance are two completely different narratives.

The Yunxuji flies away; as night falls, a new batch of Yunxuji can be seen on the distant horizon, about to land.

Xisi hands over the subsequent receiving duties to Ana, and turns toward the crowd changing gear.

It is now gradually entering dinner time.

Aside from the searchlights still shining brightly, Xisi, with ample Phosphorus supply, finally relaxes control over the lighting.

In the main activity area now, light shines everywhere, and many soldiers who have finished rearming wear brand‑new fully enclosed combat suits, as well as "Lusus Laser Guns" capable of enough concentrated fire to threaten an Astartes.

Although the "sufficient concentrated fire" limitation still applies, at least when his soldiers face an Astartes or high‑grade Alien Form enemy, they no longer wield mere "flashlights" in their hands.

At this moment Xisi walks slowly on patrol; the jubilant soldiers around, upon seeing him, quickly stand straight and salute Xisi.

Perhaps since the Command Center began monitoring Xisi, almost all records have shown that Xisi's Regiment uses Black Uniform.

Thus these delivered equipments are all painted black in the traditional uniform.

At this moment a group of fully armed black soldiers simply standing there exude a murderous aura.

Yet beneath that aura, the soldiers have in front of them a pot full of starchy protein stew and a can of synthetic vegetable rations from an unknown planet and year!

The strong "meat" aroma overwhelms the soldiers' murderous aura.

As night deepens, under the bright lights, soldiers take the steaming food box of protein stew, split the canned vegetables evenly into the box, and take a bite of hot food containing "meat", "vegetables", and "staple" together.

Xisi even sees some soldiers who have finished eating set down their food boxes, take out the freshly issued blankets, lean against the wall by the campfire, enjoying the warmth while pulling out Military Affairs Department supplies and pouring out a roll of…

dry tobacco!

They take waste paper, wrap the tobacco finely, then aim it at the fire and take a hard drag.

Warmth, dryness, satiety, safety......

All these, at this moment, turn into an endless intoxication expressed by the soldiers' half‑closed eyes and deep sighs!

Even those who don't smoke still have synthetic coffee.

Many soldiers gather in groups of three to five around a steaming coffee can, and when it bubbles, they immediately lift it, each receiving a small cup.

Holding it in both hands like ambrosia, as the heat and after‑taste sweep over their bodies, long‑standing fatigue is completely driven away in an instant.

Under the campfire's "crackle", the soldiers raise their heads and let out a long, intoxicated sigh.

Xisi withdrew his attention from the soldiers' faces, because the supplies were ample; even the refugees today were given a still decent dinner.

The entire Tower Top was tranquil, and even Xisi could not bear to break the present peace.

Only Xisi remained silent, while the radio kept broadcasting the Empire's 'numerous great victories', yet a slightly noisy, surging Electronic Voice sounded again.

Xisi, being far away, could only hear in fragments; but when terms such as 'fleet, Kaerjia, expedition, the weak alien in space' were transmitted, and the dense Empire Fleet overhead withdrew its Light Spears, heading toward the farther deep space, accompanied by the soldiers beside him cheering ever more loudly, the lightness that Xisi had just felt … vanished in an instant.

The Empire Fleet above, which grants air superiority to the Alert Star, gradually receded; looking at the soldiers beside him, it was likely the last moment of ease in his life.

Xisi lowered his eyes slightly and let out a light sigh:

"Alert Star."

"It's getting more and more lively..."