Chapter 67: Maybe I

A towering mountain.

Using the sheer cliffs, a massive number of steel‑reinforced protective plates were installed in the gaps between the mountain ridges.

Coupled with dense artillery positions and garrisoned soldiers, the mountain became a natural fortress.

At this moment, at the rear and the summit of the fortress, a cave base that pierces straight through the mountain emitted an extremely bright green light, continuously radiating a strong signal like a torch.

The signal was so intense that the Green Skins and insect swarms of the entire Verolia went berserk and charged forward.

Even in orbit, where the Green Radiance visible to the naked eye from the planet's surface could be seen, Fanluosi's ad‑hoc fleet cobbled together from various allies engaged in fierce battle with other star‑system Green Skin fleets that were also raging out of Subspace.

Further away, even the Tyran insect swarm's bio‑fleet faintly revealed its bodies.

As the Green Skin Empire of Octalios, it has gathered countless top‑tier technological creations coveted by the "Great Tech Overlords".

This Green Skin Crown, which can suppress the will of a hive, not only makes the Green Skins eager to obtain it, but even the tormented Tyran have shown an unusually strong interest in the crown.

However, when this dual interest falls upon the humans stationed on the ground, it becomes a desperate situation of having to face both Luchao and Insect Tide simultaneously.

Green Skin trash depots and Tyran spore pods crowd together, piercing the cloud layer, but they are merely temporary camps on the mountains; the scant anti‑air firepower can only barely shield the sky over Fanluosi's experimental base.

Thus, many insects and Green Skins managed to breach the defenses and land directly behind the defending troops.

This forced the already desperate defenders to constantly watch for enemies behind them.

Another trash depot, accompanied by a spray of debris across the sky, happened to crash onto a machine‑gun position.

The few human soldiers at its feet were instantly turned into mush, and from the trash depot leapt out a dozen excited Green Skin youths who rained firepower around them while attacking the defenders from behind.

As the defenders scrambled to protect their rear, the final figure emerging from the trash depot turned the already desperate troops completely pale.

A Green Skin boss wrapped entirely in heavy steel, repeatedly shoving the blocking youths, stormed out of the trash depot in a rage.

The nearby defenders hurriedly poured massive fire onto it while repeatedly calling for Astat's support, but with their attention focused forward, a dozen Tyran blade insects surged up from beneath the steel‑reinforced wall.

Sharp arm blades suddenly pierced several humans, then howled as they tore them apart, turning the once‑alive soldiers into a heap of fragments.

Even a head that was still relatively intact rolled onto the ground, faced its own body being devoured by the insect swarm, and finally blinked once…

Then a burst of heat‑ray fire from behind instantly killed the insects that had surged onto the wall.

At the same time, a Gatling‑like heat beam from above suddenly suppressed the raging insects outside the wall!

The Red Sword thrust forcefully into the massive, steel‑clad body of the Green Skin boss.

Xisi stood atop the Green Skin boss's body, letting the boss's huge hands struggle in vain to block him, while the massive head was filled with green eyes swollen from exertion.

Yet under the gaze of the surrounding humans and Green Skin youths, the simple contest of strength ended when Xisi's unstoppable Red Sword completely pierced the boss's entire body.

Seeing this human, whose size compared to their own boss was like a shrimp, wield such terrifying power, the surrounding Green Skin youths couldn't hide their wide‑mouthed amazement.

Feeling the Red Sword greedily siphon the boss's soul, and the boss's eyes watching him with a huge expectation, Xisi muttered under his breath, drew the Red Sword, and grabbed the Explosive Gun.

He raised his hand and fired a headshot at a Green Skin youth; facing the shocked defenders watching him, Xisi, still standing on the boss's body, looked down and swept the area with the Explosive Gun:

"Do not retreat; return to your positions."

Confronted with Xisi's command and the Explosive Gun in his hand, the surrounding human soldiers felt a shiver in their hearts and hurriedly moved from their spots.

At the same time, Xisi looked at the densely wounded soldiers beneath the wall and, with the Explosive Gun, shot down a dozen of them in one burst.

"Return to the front lines; only your legs are hurt, your hands can still pull the trigger."

The wounded under the wall flinched; though they didn't know Xisi, seeing his Refined Power Armor and the Green Skin boss beneath him, they swallowed hard, helped each other, and climbed back onto the wall.

Having done all that, Xisi looked at the still‑sparse wall, thought for a moment, then waved at the Black Watch behind him:

"Add a squad here."

Five Black Watch members immediately stepped forward, entered the wall, and unceremoniously took command of the human troops that Fanluosi had brought.

With the defensive line finally stabilizing, Xisi could finally survey his surroundings.

At the mountain's foot lay an endless sea of Luchao and Insect Tide, stretching as if never to cease.

Even with the few squads Xisi brought from Oumia No. 3, the number of humans was but a drop in the ocean compared to the enemy.

Even as he finally managed to hold a position after firefighting everywhere, a casual glance in any direction revealed at least three more positions breached.

Although those spots were quickly retaken by Astat or the Battle Nun.

At this moment, the only sliver of good news on the battlefield is that the Green Skin and Tyran main forces at the mountain's base are busy fighting each other for the chance to devour the humans atop the summit, temporarily not concentrating all pressure there.

Pulling his gaze back, facing another direction where even the wall had been knocked down and the defenders were instantly overwhelmed by Green Skins, Xisi paused for two minutes before turning to rush to aid; however, as he stepped forward, the bright Green Radiance above his head flickered violently and went out again.

Seeing another failure, the morale of the defenders below sank further; as Xisi prepared to step forward, he froze, cursing inwardly.

He immediately pointed at a squad of Astat already charging the damaged position and ordered the dozen Black Watch behind him:

"You go help."

After speaking, Xisi turned and headed toward the summit.

Soon, with Fanluosi's full authorization, Xisi pierced through layer after layer of protection and, upon reaching the core laboratory, saw a detonated Astat head on the experimental table.

Around him, even Astat could not bear the Green Skin Crown; the external despair seemed to surge through the massive mountain into the lab.

Even Fanluosi stood there, his face dead‑pale, staring at the Astat remains that represented his last hope, unmoving even as Xisi entered.

Scanning the area and seeing that these people were still clinging to hopelessness, Xisi finally could not hold back and walked straight to the Green Skin Crown.

While walking, he addressed Fanluosi:

"The Green Skin fleet overhead is growing; if we don't leave now there'll be no chance."

"If it comes to that, let me try on the crown!"