Chapter 137: War Hammer: What Do You Mean You Conquered the Zerg

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Protagonist:

Lin En

Lena

One month after joining the Vanguard Army, Siti stood behind the Forbidden Wall, watching the figure standing on the roof of a Cold Wind Tank in the distance.

Cannon fire roared, Green Skins charged, and smoke obscured the sky.

But that figure always stood at the very front, cloak dancing in the gale, bomb gun firing without cease.

It was the first time he had seen Lin En with his own eyes.

No longer a portrait or rumor, but a living person.

The one who gave him food, who gave him a way to live.

Siti gripped his laser gun tightly, and for the first time understood what the two words "loyalty" meant.

After the Upper City West District Campaign, Siti was promoted to company commander for his bravery in battle.

His unit was the hardest-fighting company in the Fifth Legion, always at the front of every charge.

He couldn't explain why he fought so hard.

Perhaps to repay those fifty kilograms of rations, perhaps so his mother and younger siblings could keep eating.

Perhaps he just wanted the man on the tank to glance at him one more time.

On the night before suppressing the West District riot, Siti sat in the barracks and pulled a card from under his pillow.

Not the original advance-ration recruit card, but another one, the "Merit Ration Card" issued yesterday.

One ton of premium starch canned food.

That was enough for his family of four to eat for at least two and a half years!

Even synthetic protein blocks were inside those cans.

He turned the card over and looked at the small print on the back.

Governor's Office Commendation, Vanguard Army Fifth Legion Seventh First Company, Company Commander Siti.

He thought of his mother's face, of his younger siblings' smiles, of the man standing on the tank.

He stuffed the card back under his pillow, lay on the hard marching bed, and stared at the ceiling.

Tomorrow they would go fight those nobles.

Those nobles living in magnificent manors, eating real snow beef every day and drinking wine shipped from the Agricultural Planet.

By what right did they resist?

Governor Sir gave them a way to live, gave them opportunity, by what right?

Siti clenched his fist and closed his eyes.

The next morning, the entire Fifth Legion mobilized.

Three million soldiers surrounded Upper City West District from three directions.

Armor vehicles roared down the streets, heavy cannons were emplaced in the distance, Valkyrie Transport Aircraft flew overhead, dropping waves of soldiers.

The nobles of the West District had probably never seen such a sight in their lives.

They stood behind hastily built fortifications, watching soldiers surge from all directions, faces pale.

"He, he really dares to attack?!"

"We are also citizens of the Empire! By what right?!"

"Where is the Legal Affairs Department? Where is the Tribunal?!"

No one answered, but Sorin beside him couldn't help but smile.

These private armies that had never truly been on a battlefield suffered a near-total rout.

They even doubted whether they were still human.

How could this Vanguard Army fight them with such vigor, as if they didn't care about their lives?

Siti was at the very front, his company responsible for clearing a main street.

On both sides of the street were the nobles' manors, crowded with private soldiers at the doorways.

Those private soldiers wore fine uniforms and carried excellent weapons, but their eyes held only fear.

"Those who surrender will not be killed!" Siti roared, "Those who resist..."

He didn't finish, because there was no need to finish.

Those private soldiers had already thrown down their weapons and crouched with hands on their heads.

Siti didn't even look at them, charging straight for the largest manor at the end of the street.

The gate was locked; he raised his foot and kicked it open.

Behind the door was a luxurious hall with a marble floor, portraits of past family heads hanging on the walls.

In the exact center sat a man in silk pajamas, holding a steaming teacup.

When that man saw Siti charge in, his first reaction was not to run, but to freeze.

He had probably never seen such a sight in his life—a soldier covered in mud, with a fierce gaze.

Carrying an electro-shock baton, charging into his living room like a beast.

Siti gave him no time to freeze.

The first strike swept across his leg.

The man shrieked, fell to the ground, the teacup shattered, and tea splashed everywhere.

The second blow struck his mouth.

The shriek turned into a sob, teeth and blood spraying out together.

The third blow smashed into his head.

His eyes rolled back, his body twitched, and he completely lost all ability to resist.

This was a set of stick techniques he had summarized.

The first blow strikes the leg to prevent escape, the second strikes the mouth to prevent begging for mercy, the third strikes the head to prevent resistance.

Afterwards Siti began his true output.

The electro-shock batons fell like a sudden storm.

He could not remember how many times he had struck, only knowing that every blow was delivered with all his strength.

Every blow was venting his anger for the Lower City people who had starved to death, for Governor Sir.

Until that noble lay on the ground like a pile of rotten flesh, with only faint twitching remaining.

Siti then stopped, breathing heavily.

He lowered his head to look at that mangled face, suddenly remembering something.

There was an order from above to capture him alive.

He scratched his head.

He should still be alive, right?

Afterwards, the soldiers of the Fifth Legion held a "Summary Meeting" in the barracks.

"How many times did you hit him?"

"Didn't count, anyway I hit him until his own mother couldn't recognize him."

"My guy only took five blows before he passed out, really can't take a hit."

"Next time we need to practice our stick-swinging speed, seven blows per second is still too slow, it has to be ten per second."

"Right right right, I think the same way, venting anger for Governor Sir, how could we go easy?"

Siti sat in the corner, listening to his comrades boast, a curve forming at the corner of his mouth.

But thinking of the ration card under his pillow, he couldn't help but sigh.

"Indeed, the swinging is still not fast enough."

The riot in the Upper City West District was suppressed very smoothly.

One million four hundred and thirty thousand private soldiers, most surrendered on the spot, the few who resisted were struck down.

Those nobles who led the trouble were all dragged out, given a taste of "Electro-shock Baton Stir-fried Meat" on the street, then thrown into jail.

Lin En stood before the window of the Governor's Mansion, looking toward the direction of the West District in the distance.

The smoke had already dispersed, and the streets quieted down once more.

But his brow did not relax.

Carter stood behind him, holding the battle report that had just been delivered.

"Governor Sir, the Fifth Legion has already controlled the entire West District, prisoners are being interrogated in batches, and assets are being inventoried."

Lin En nodded, saying nothing.

Carter waited a moment, then probed, "You... are worried about something?"

Lin En turned around and looked at him.

"Carter, have you noticed something?"

"Please speak."

"The Saint Galus Family," Lin En said slowly, "has been too quiet lately."

Carter thought for a moment and nodded.

The Saint Galus Family, Brevis's true Uncrowned King.

Supreme King Karadong controls Brevis's strongest military force.

They hold the Final Veto Power in the Upper City Council, and a Decisive Vote status in the Noble Council.

Such a family, after Lin En had ransacked over a hundred nobles and suppressed the West District riot, actually had no reaction at all?

Even the Upper City Council had not convened for the past month, that meeting hosted by the Saint Galus Family, held once a month, Unshakable.

Carter frowned: "You mean..."

Lin En shook his head, "Very wrong."

He walked to the wall, looking at that holographic map of Brevis.

His gaze fell upon Saint Galus Castle, the core position of the Upper City.

That castle had recently been quiet as an isolated island.

Lin En remembered something.

One of the secrets he had seen in that Small Black Box aboard the Xian Ge Hao.

Brevis's STC.