Chapter 33: Did You Really Go for the Kill?

On the spacious landing pad, a few private soldiers stood beside the cabinet in front of the transport aircraft's hatch, and a Mechanical Priest continuously handed maintenance matters over to Ana.

Further out, soldiers were densely arrayed, listening to the Messenger Soldier's recounting of the Senate's commendation of Xisi and the Regiment.

But compared to the Messenger Soldier's chatter, almost everyone's gaze was fixed on that Refined Power Armor.

It wasn't the simple, assembly‑line rigidity; the Power Armor as a whole emitted a dull silver sheen, and its plating bore golden ornamental patterns.

Behind it draped a magnificent blue‑gold cloak, and a Power Backpack forged with great effort by the Mechanical Church Master of Alert Star.

The helmet was fully sealed; aside from external attachments, the front featured only a pair of red‑glowing visors.

Both shoulder plates were solid, with several 'Pure Mark' hanging from the edges for exorcism.

At this moment, although Xisi had not yet donned it, merely having it placed there already made everyone's gaze, once fixed upon it, unable to shift at all.

Especially as peripheral glances caught sight of the weapons beside the armor, the crowd felt that even two eyes were not enough to take it all in.

The accompanying weapons included, on one side, an Explosive Gun capable of inflicting effective damage on Astat, and on the other, a magnificent Refined Power Sword.

The Explosive Gun was straightforward, but the Power Sword seemed as if the Nobility, having money to spare, had commissioned the Mechanical Church to forge it into an ancient sword that radiated rune light.

The smooth blade, forged from refined gold, bore not only ornate patterns but also glimmered with specks of light even in daylight.

The crowd ignored the Messenger Soldier's commendation and simply stared at the Refined Power Armor.

Only after the Messenger Soldier finished his self‑deprecating remarks did he turn toward Xisi.

"Sir, before we depart, we still need you to wear the Power Armor so we can take a few photos."

Xisi looked at the Messenger Soldier with some puzzlement at the words, while the Messenger Soldier gave a slightly awkward wry smile:

"At a time like this, we need more publicity for you."

"After all..."

The Messenger Soldier suddenly stopped mid‑sentence, his complexion growing even more awkward.

Because the next publicity would either never happen, or Xisi would have to return alive from the Pure Water Station.

Even thinking of this, the Messenger Soldier and the private soldiers' envy over Xisi possessing this Power Armor lessened considerably.

In their view, even if Xisi's combat power surged after acquiring this Power Armor, it would still be hard to climb the full one‑thousand‑kilometer‑high Space Elevator and retake the Pure Water Station.

Unless this Power Armor suddenly awakens its Machine Soul, displaying a super‑great power comparable to Kiriman Dawn Armor.

"But..."

"Is that possible?"

The Messenger Soldier inwardly muttered a slight complaint, his envy completely vanished, and at that moment a crisp clatter of alloy striking the ground rang in his ears, accompanied by the reverent faces of the Regiment's soldiers ahead; the Messenger Soldier turned his gaze to his side.

At some point, Xisi had already donned his Refined Power Armor.

Even though they had already counted Xisi as dead in their hearts, upon seeing Xisi put on the Power Armor and stand before them, they couldn't help but widen their eyes completely.

The pursuit of beauty has always been human instinct, so when a tall, well‑proportioned, splendid 'knight' wielding a gun in the right hand and a sword at the waist stood before him, the Messenger Soldier no longer cared whether Xisi lived or died.

Even when Xisi stepped before his own troops, the figure with an Explosive Gun in the left hand and a regimental banner raised high in the right hand appeared, accompanied by the fervent chants of the soldiers below; the Messenger Soldier felt that if his own life could be exchanged for a few days of wearing it, that seemed... rather profitable!

The transport aircraft, accompanied by the Green‑skinned and the Chicken Thieves' 'sky‑wide farewell', struggled back to Heberia.

At ChaoDuTaiding, facing two thousand elite veterans, Xisi slightly rotated his arm, feeling the terrifying power of the armor after Hundredfold Amplification, raised his hand, and extended a single finger:

"From now on, each person must climb to the tower tip... one hundred times per day!"

Heberia Nest Area.

Excited Green‑skinned gathered from all directions, shouting wildly, and launched attacks on the terrified mortal soldiers before them.

For the Green‑skinned, the concept of defense was hard to grasp.

They only knew that humans would suddenly rush out to fight them, so they could not stay put; they had to strike back head‑on.

Thus this massive offensive also attracted the attention of ever more Green‑skinned.

Meanwhile, in the Nest City where the Chicken Thieves gathered, relying on the remaining fleet's tenuous air superiority, Kaerjia dispatched a large number of bombers to indiscriminately bomb those Nest Cities.

In some completely fallen Nest Cities, they even began dropping small Whirlwind Torpedoes for outright extermination.

And this behavior also angered the rapidly expanding Chicken Thieves.

In the various districts of the Nest City, within the chaotic Low Nest untouched by anyone, an ever‑growing army of Chicken Thieves, whose origins were unknown, surged.

Amid these internal and external troubles, Kaerjia's desk was piled with accusations against Xisi!

"Three months! For three months the Regiment has launched no attacks on the target!"

A noble, filled with righteous indignation, thought that if they could retrieve that priceless Refined Power Armor before Xisi's death, it would be a matter that made one's eyes burn with excitement.

And after Kaerjia's offensive had lasted three full months, Xisi still had not launched an attack, which became a point of criticism from the nobles and even the Star Realm Army.

The nobles were a hindrance, and the Star Realm Army was indeed struggling to hold up.

Seeing a flood of new reports about Xisi delivered before him, the busy commander Kaerjia had to divert his attention once more.

Although Kaerjia never expected Xisi to succeed, the plan was essentially a measure to reduce population, eliminate enemy forces, and conserve water.

But faced with his own scheme, a mortal regiment commander had delayed for three months; even Kaerjia had to take it seriously.

He picked up the report, glanced at it quickly, and Kaerjia's previously furrowed brows instantly relaxed:

"It's not a delay; these reports all say that Xisi's unit is training to climb,"

Kaerjia nonchalantly tossed the report back; although the nobles below knew his true aim was to reduce water demand, they hadn't expected Kaerjia could disregard Xisi to such an extent.

Even though from the start everyone deemed Xisi's mission a suicide, the nobles still hoped Kaerjia could at least punish Xisi in name.

At least retrieve the Power Armor that the nobles sent out.

Seeing Kaerjia refocus his attention on the front lines, the nobles exchanged glances and finally, reluctantly, admitted they had overestimated Xisi's standing in Kaerjia's mind.

To Kaerjia, Xisi wasn't even a movable piece; at most he served as background scenery for each grand strategy.

The nobles fell silent and stepped back, while Kaerjia was fully immersed in command.

Only as the great doors opened again did a figure enter, not a Messenger Soldier delivering military reports, but a Mechanical Church Priest.

A cold electronic voice rang sharply in the Dadian, its volume exceeding the threshold!

Pure Water Station!

The recapture progress of the Pure Water Station had just surpassed 50.01% one minute and thirty-two seconds ago.

The noisy Dadian fell silent in an instant; not only did the Nobility and all other commoners turn their gaze to the Mechanical Church Priest, but even Kaerjia, who had devised the entire battle from above to conserve water sources, for the first time withdrew his full attention from the front lines.

His posture slightly paused, Kaerjia slowly turned his massive head; the red Prosthetic Eye on his left flashed, and he fixed his gaze heavily upon the Priest.

The Priest offered no explanation; he merely raised his hand to summon two Servo Skulls, and as a blurry projection came through, the scene shown compelled even Kaerjia to align his whole body and sit upright.

Inside the colossal circular Sky Elevator, countless Chicken Thieves continuously howled as they fell from hundreds of kilometers above.

And before the endless torrent of Chicken Thieves relentlessly crawling downward, there was a group whose climbing movements were agile to the point of terror—the Flea Swarm.

Faced with the human soldiers, thick as a swarm, who had become a violent Flea Swarm and were frenziedly devouring the Chicken Thieves, Kaerjia's eyes could only be locked onto the '101' number on the soldiers, leaving him unable to speak a word.

On the contrary, an unnamed junior officer in the corner nearby, his face full of fright, whispered aloud what everyone was feeling:

Thousands of kilometers……

They actually went ahead and hacked their way up?!