Chapter 56: It Really Took Off?

"Officer, something's wrong!"

At the Rebel Forces camp, the middle-aged officer's tent was suddenly ripped open, and an officer, staring with an incomprehensible bewilderment, walked straight in.

The middle-aged officer had been earnestly praying to the evil god again, and upon seeing his subordinate's clumsiness, a crease formed on his usually composed face.

He put away the implements used for the blasphemous ritual, and feeling no response or change in his body, the middle-aged officer even began to doubt whether the Empire's prior propaganda was true—that there truly is no evil god in this universe!

"What's the matter?"

The middle-aged officer frowned in displeasure, and the messenger, careful not to interrupt the officer's prayer, stepped aside and pushed the door open:

"You should see for yourself."

The middle-aged officer grew more puzzled, but he said nothing, silently wondering why his 'savior' had not yet arrived, and walked toward the doorway.

Only when many soldiers beside him stared wide‑eyed toward Nest City, and everyone wore puzzled expressions, did the middle-aged officer finally refocus his attention and look over.

Then, upon seeing the entire Nest City frantically ferrying supplies to a warship that looked like junk, the middle‑aged officer was completely stunned in place.

"They…"

"They can't really be preparing to take off, can they?"

The middle‑aged officer stared at the warship in bewilderment and spoke, while around him was silence; everyone wore the same stunned look, silently asking the same question.

Only after all the supplies were loaded and nonessential personnel began to withdraw did everyone's doubts get answered, followed by a brief pause, and everyone suddenly straightened their backs.

No one dared speak immediately; the crowd all turned to the middle‑aged officer, and when he too stared dumbfounded at the absurd scene, after holding back for a while he suddenly lifted his head, pointed at Xisi's warship, and burst out laughing:

"What kind of fool is this, anyway???"

"No, what kind of thing has a head stuffed with massive dung?!"

"Is the Star Realm Army that the Empire boasts about just a bunch of people like this?"

The middle‑aged officer finally couldn't hold back his laughter, and the Rebel Forces below, seeing the scene, also burst into laughter.

Besides the scene being wildly contrary to their common sense, this kind of enemy presented no discernible threat to them.

Feeling the surrounding laughter, the middle‑aged officer, after laughing for a moment, forced his mockery down, steadied his breathing, and gestured to those nearby, ordering:

"Let our troops prepare; when those big‑dung‑stuffed ones discover the warship can't take off, or the warship self‑destructs, we will immediately launch a counter‑attack on Nest City."

While laughing, the officer beside him also bowed mockingly and turned; soon after the order, countless infantry leapt from the trenches, and the cannons were moved, beginning to line up on the ground.

Seeing the elite troops with cannons beside him, the middle‑aged officer finally wore a look of great confidence.

Staring at the warship that had sealed all hatches and seemed to be making final launch preparations, he felt a surge of bravado:

"If there's no savior, then I'll be my own...... own...... own......???"

"Hmm!!!"

The middle‑aged officer's bravado was choked like a duck's neck; before he could finish his words, a sharp sound cut him off.

Then he stared at the distant scene, his eyes and mouth stretching to the maximum!

Consequently, all the Rebel Forces around him lost control of their faces, their mouths opening involuntarily.

Everyone simply stared blankly ahead, unaware what dark sorcery they had suffered, yet experiencing such a massive hallucination.

Until many, refusing to believe the sorcery, rubbed their eyes vigorously, confirming that the scene before them was not an illusion but reality; then a group of people abruptly straightened their posture, watching the warship that was spitting out a raging stream of air, gradually rising from the ground, and unintentionally uttered:

"It really took off?"

They asked themselves subconsciously, but immediately after, they snapped back, looking at the warship turning direction, slowly aligning toward them, their faces showing terror!

"A space warship inside the atmosphere…"

"No, this is still nonsense!!!"

The crowd was terrified, for this could no longer be talked about as a power gap—it was sheer cheating!

Feeling the soldiers' morale collapse almost instantly, the middle‑aged officer watched as the warship, still only slightly off the ground, gradually righted its hull; he, sweating profusely, shouted encouragement to those around him:

"Everyone, don't be afraid; even if it manages to leave the ground, it will never truly take off!"

The middle‑aged officer spoke anxiously, and the other officers nearby quickly caught on, echoing:

"Right, right, how could a space warship possibly fly within the atmosphere?"

"Everyone, stay calm; it'll definitely fall back down after a while!"

The officers kept encouraging, and the terrified soldiers, after reflecting on their own common sense, gradually began to settle down.

Seeing this, the middle‑aged officer let out a big sigh of relief and was about to rally the troops, but the Rebel Forces soldier in front of him, who had only just steadied, suddenly stared at the distant warship behind him and gasped sharply.

Then a sudden surge of fear rose, far more intense than before.

The middle‑aged officer was stunned, hesitated briefly, then gritted his teeth and turned to look back.

He then watched as the warship's front thrusters, which had claimed it couldn't fly, now emitted an even stronger airflow, scorching the ground with rolling heat as the ship slowly rose further, and a trace of suppressed frustration flickered in his eyes.

Gritting his teeth as he turned, he didn't even have time to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead; the middle‑aged officer forced a brave face, full of "confidence":

"Don't be afraid! Even if it can fly, it will never go high!"

The officers stared blankly at their commander, their mouths twitching, then forced themselves to bite their lips and echo:

"Right! How could it possibly fly high within the atmosphere?!"

"Surely if it flies higher it'll fall, and it's game over!"

The officers, drenched in sweat, kept speaking, but having learned from the previous incident, the soldiers this time didn't believe immediately; they kept watching the distance, and then…

The soldiers actually stared at their commander with a look as if he were a fool.

Although the middle‑aged officer faced away from the warship, merely observing the soldiers' reactions gave him a rough idea of what was happening behind him.

He shifted his stiff body to look behind, watching the warship that, after its front thrusters claimed it couldn't fly, now kept ascending with its rear, his face turning from suppressed frustration to simmering anger.

Summoning courage, even silently cheering himself several times, the middle‑aged officer, under the mute gazes of the crowd, continued to do his utmost to save his own future:

"Don't be afraid!"

"It can rise, but it will never reach the heavens!"

This time even the other officers no longer echoed, but instead, along with the indifferent soldiers, focused all their attention on the warship.

He stared at the fact that no one paid him any attention; if it had been in the past, a middle‑aged officer would have certainly shot several regular soldiers, but now the middle‑aged officer only bears deep inner fear and a pleading feeling toward his grandfather and grandmother, begging as he looks behind him.

He merely watches, indifferent that its mouth has already been smashed, as the warship gradually rises into the sky; not only does it not fly straight into space, it flies directly toward him.

With the corners of his face twitching wildly, the middle‑aged officer still struggles, fighting with all his strength for his own life!

Turning around, gritting his teeth and summoning a reckless madness that refuses to believe in fate, the middle‑aged officer prepares to open his mouth again:

"Don't be afraid......"

This time, as soon as he opened his mouth, the soldiers and officers who had previously ignored him were startled, rushed forward, and covered him.

At the same time, faces appeared in pairs, filled with terror, pleading:

"Stop the prophecy already!!!"