Chapter 2284: Preparing the fight
Somewhere in the depths of the Young Sector 99—
Inside what appeared to be a vast conference chamber aboard an enormous spacecraft, where holographic displays floated through the air and countless streams of tactical data silently revolved around the central table...
"...I don’t even know why we’re bothering to make plans and preparations before attacking an empire located in the Young Belt. It’s both ridiculous and infuriating," one of the people inside what seemed to be either a command center or a meeting room aboard the spacecraft remarked with visible dissatisfaction, his expression making it clear that he believed the outcome of such a battle should have been decided long before anyone sat down to discuss it.
"It’s an order. We have to strike with every force we have in a single decisive assault," another person explained before pointing toward a map suspended before everyone, his finger remaining fixed on a specific region as dozens of observation markers automatically converged around it. "Robin Burton’s entire foundation lies within that area."
At the spot he indicated was a large hand-drawn circle, or, when viewed from a different angle, a sphere.
The sphere appeared tiny amidst the boundless expanse of space, yet it was far from insignificant. From one edge to the other, it measured an entire light-hour in diameter, making it a region that no ordinary force could hope to isolate completely... It was the famous mysterious region within Young Sector 99, a place whose reputation had spread far beyond the borders of the sector itself and whose interior remained concealed from nearly every outside observer despite countless attempts to uncover its secrets.
Or, to be more precise...
"The location of the True Beginning Empire..." a third individual growled through clenched fangs, his eyes narrowing as though he wished he could tear the entire region apart with his own hands. "Robin’s stronghold and his family’s home, the headquarters of his filthy Marshal and his family, and the place where every resource, industry, weapon, innovation, and countless treasure first passes through or ultimately ends up before being distributed throughout the rest of his expanding territories."
He then turned toward the person seated across the table, clearly expecting the next explanation to reinforce everything he had just said.
"You can’t imagine the number of transport vessels moving back and forth around that region. In fact, our Guild employed our latest detection equipment to scan what was happening inside, and we observed an enormous amount of traffic to and from the central planet, Nihari. Even after filtering out false readings and repeating the observations numerous times, the amount of movement remained virtually unchanged, making it impossible to dismiss as an error."
The man pulled the floating sphere closer and placed a single point at its center, allowing countless luminous routes extending from it to become visible before everyone present.
"This is where the Galactic Seed is located. Surrounding it are three thousand seven hundred planets that supply it every single day with an immense number of space cargo transports. The transports moving between them in a single day could carry the wealth of an entire centennial empire. That should give you an idea of what I’m talking about. I can’t accurately observe what’s happening on Nihari’s surface itself because of the defensive measures surrounding it, but we can certainly imagine the scale of industry that requires all of these raw materials, all of this movement, and this constant uninterrupted stream of logistical support."
"The galaxy inside has already reached that many planets?" another person asked in astonishment, instinctively leaning forward as he stared at the projection suspended above the table.
Although his mouth had watered slightly when the discussion turned toward the endless stream of transports and wealth flowing through that region every single day, this particular piece of information was even more shocking, because such a rate of expansion completely exceeded what he believed to be physically possible within such a short period of time.
"According to our latest investigation," the Guild member replied seriously without the slightest hesitation. "In fact, by today, the number must have increased by no fewer than another fifty planets. By the time this meeting ends, the figure may very well have grown even further if their current pace has not slowed."
"To that extent?!"
"Since when has moving planets become this fast?"
"This is absurd. Did he somehow obtain Sixth Grade Displacement Equipment or something?"
"Have you gentlemen forgotten about his sales network?" one of those present spoke with eyes that practically spat flames, unable to conceal the resentment in his voice. "He’s been purchasing displacement equipment in enormous quantities for a very long time, buying every available piece through countless channels without drawing too much attention. He must be using it here!"
"Damn it... I hate fighting rich people!!"
"Don’t worry, gentlemen," the Guild member laughed, clearly amused by the reactions around him. "By the end of today, everything he’s accumulated will belong to you." Then he looked around and clarified with a grin, "Well... not literally to you, of course, but you understand what I mean. Once the empire collapses, the spoils will naturally be divided according to contribution."
Around the Guild member sat nearly thirty people.
Every one of them was either a Connection State cultivator or a Royal Soul Master, each radiating an aura powerful enough to dominate ordinary worlds with ease.
And every one of them belonged to the Sorcerer’s Galaxy.
These were the forces the Sorcerer had dispatched to rescue Young Sector 98. However, the latest reinforcements that had arrived for the enemy from both the First and Third Armies, along with the Shadow Swords’ full support and the unexpectedly rapid coordination between those forces, had made the mission practically impossible, forcing them to abandon any thoughts of continuing the operation there and redirect their attention toward a single overwhelming strike against the source of everything instead.
That was why everyone who had descended into Young Sector 98, along with all of their remaining subordinates still stationed throughout the Young Belt and every force that could still be withdrawn without compromising their rear lines, had been gathered together before making their way here for what they believed would be the decisive battle that would determine the fate of the entire campaign.
No matter how powerful Robin Burton might be within the Young Belt, or how many astonishing feats he had accomplished since his rise...
It was still the Young Belt in the end, a place whose overall military ceiling could never compare to the strength accumulated within the Middle Belt.
And there was simply no way his followers could withstand this many enemies of such caliber once they attacked together, especially when each of the major forces participating had brought only their strongest elites rather than ordinary troops.
Especially...
The Guild member then cast a glance toward his right, his expression unconsciously becoming more respectful than before.
A man sat there in perfect composure, his eyes closed, listening to everything without uttering a single word, as though every discussion taking place around the table had already been weighed and judged long before anyone else spoke.
He was one of Sorcerer Zargul’s sons.
A Seven-Star Royal Soul Master.
With this kind of overwhelming force present, every other calculation became secondary because absolute strength could erase countless tactical disadvantages before they ever had the opportunity to matter.
The defenses would fall.
The fleets would fall.
The formations would fall.
Given enough time, a Seven-Star Royal Soul Master could handle everything alone, systematically tearing apart every obstacle one after another until nothing remained capable of resisting him.
They had brought a butcher’s cleaver to slaughter a chick, an amount of force so excessive that several people present privately believed the battle had already been won before it had even begun.
"Hmm, you’re right. This fully developed galaxy will become ours, so we shouldn’t inflict excessive damage upon it. Once the battle is over, repairing unnecessary destruction would only waste precious time and resources."
"Just imagine it, brothers. Two entire galaxies in Sectors 98 and 99, both under our control... Has anything like that ever happened in history? Even the great powers of previous eras rarely possessed such fortune."
"It’ll happen with us. Finally, at least one good thing has come out of this nightmare. After everything we’ve sacrificed throughout this war, it’s about time we received a reward worthy of those losses."
The atmosphere throughout the chamber changed completely as the earlier tension dissolved into growing excitement and anticipation.
They pushed every previous concern aside and began discussing the most efficient methods of taking control without causing unnecessary damage to Nihari or the surrounding infrastructure, carefully weighing different approaches that would preserve the enormous industrial foundation, manufacturing facilities, transport routes, and logistical network that were waiting to become theirs once the empire fell.
"Quiet."
The seated man raised a single hand with calm, almost lazy precision, and everyone immediately fell silent without the slightest hesitation, as though no one present even considered ignoring such a simple gesture.
Then he lowered it with extreme slowness.
Every pair of eyes in the room remained fixed upon him, patiently waiting for him to speak, while even the humming of the holographic displays seemed insignificant compared to the silence that had settled over the chamber.
Only after his hand returned to the armrest did he finally speak.
"Return your attention to the plan for breaching the first defensive layer and eliminating the deployed Nouta-4 fleets without suffering excessive losses. Then the second layer. Then the third... Only after that should you start talking about Nihari. Don’t mistake confidence for certainty."
"I think you’re giving them far too much credit, Elder Brother," one of the people around the table said calmly after a brief pause. "No matter how formidable their defenses are, what exactly could stop us? More importantly... what could possibly stop you? Once you make your move, won’t everything else simply collapse on its own?"
"Minimal losses." The Seven-Star Royal Soul Master frowned, emphasizing every word. "We’ve already lost enough throughout this war. No matter how advanced the Guild’s equipment may be, we must not forget that we still don’t truly know what’s happening on the ground or what preparations may have been hidden from our observation. Secondly..." He paused briefly before continuing, his expression growing noticeably more solemn. "There’s another variable that must be taken into account before any of you start imagining the battle has already been won."
"And what would that be, Elder Brother?" another person asked, the curiosity in his voice replacing the confidence he had displayed only moments earlier.
The Royal Soul Master knitted his brows even tighter before speaking in a serious tone that caused the entire chamber to fall completely silent, extinguishing the optimistic mood that had been building only seconds before.
"The Crimson Plague that’s lurking over there."
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