【Annual mission
Mission content: kill six demon marshals of the Demon Race, and destroy the demon legions they command
Mission reward: annual great gift-pack (the shorter the time of completion, the higher the reward)
Mission completion:
1: Marshal Red Demon and the Red Demon Legion destroyed.
2: Marshal King-of-the-North and the King-of-the-North Legion destroyed.
3: Marshal Hell-Baron and the Hell-Baron Legion destroyed.
4: Marshal Agares and the Agares Legion destroyed.】
The Dragon Emperor appeared within this silent star-vault, and Zhao Chen looked at those sheets of wrecked interstellar warships far off.
After a fierce battle of above forty hours.
That part of the Agares Legion first charged with hastening to the Mechanical Divine Church's star system was destroyed by the Owl Dragon First Legion and the Owl Dragon Fourth Legion!
While the other part of the Agares Legion, having meant to relieve the King-of-the-North Legion, came slow and late, and could only open battle with the Owl Dragon Eighth Legion in its rage.
But the end of it was that, upon the Owl Dragon Eighth Legion and the Owl Dragon Guard Fleet's working together, it was destroyed instead.
So that the Agares Legion, which had divided its road in two, came in both to the same end.
And at the same time good news came from another part of the field.
Upon the support of the Owl Dragon special missile fleet, Wei Shishi's Owl Dragon Seventh Legion, having paid above a 50 percent loss rate, with a further 15 percent of her ships gravely damaged, destroyed the Hell-Baron Legion.
So that at a stroke, within a bare three days.
The Demon Race lost three demon legions outright, and above a million interstellar warships fell.
And at the same time the Owl Dragon Legion paid near a hundred thousand warships in casualties.
As for the consumption upon the field, that is an astronomical figure indeed!
Zhao Chen narrowed his eyes; he had not thought this annual mission would prove so hard to complete.
It had cost him a third of his force in losses outright.
But this road could not but be walked; for if this chance were not taken to deal the Demon Race a heavy wound, then once the Demon Race recovered its breath the threat would be very great for all that.
"The case as it stands has in the main come to lean our way.
"We have two hundred thousand interstellar warships in hand yet; the one flaw is that in the matter of strategic stores things are somewhat pressing.
"In fighting hereafter we may no longer be able to fight as we did before, leaning upon an unbroken supply of firepower to the field.
"And further, upon the front-line field still in progress.
"The Black Angel Legion has two hundred thousand warships yet, while the Owl Dragon Tenth Legion that fights it has reached a 50 percent loss rate, and has barely completed its task of delaying the enemy's ships.
"And it is the same case with the Wrath Legion.
"So that though by the look of it there are under five hundred thousand Demon Race warships opposite us.
"Yet fight it out in earnest, and though we can carry it, we must pay no small price." Charlotte looked toward Commander Zhao Chen before her.
Zhao Chen was silent a while, then said, "In this battle we must…"
"Reporting — the latest word.
"The Demon Knight Legion coming up in support behind, seven hundred thousand interstellar warships, has drawn near the field where the Black Angel Legion faces our Owl Dragon Tenth Legion.
"Once this Demon Race relief arrives, the Owl Dragon Tenth Legion's case will be exceedingly bad!" A message came.
"Seven hundred thousand warships more." Lilith muttered it beside him, and turned her eyes upon Zhao Chen.
While Zhao Chen looked toward Charlotte. "Can we still fight?"
Charlotte was silent a while, and answered, "We can fight."
"Reporting — the Demon King's Guard Legion has taken the field!
"It comes toward the quarter of our coordinate, and is reckoned to reach this coordinate of ours a day hence at the latest.
"Its number is five hundred thousand interstellar warships.
"And by reliable intelligence, these five hundred thousand Demon Race warships are the picked of the picked within the Demon Race!"
Another piece of news exceedingly bad had come.
That this star system of the Mechanical Divine Church should have brought His Majesty the Demon King to put out the Demon King's Guard Legion, which had never in all this while been used.
And to take the field in his own person besides.
The value of this Mechanical Divine Church star system in the Demon King's mind is high enough indeed.
And for the Owl Dragon Legion this is beyond doubt a piece of news exceedingly bad.
Even Charlotte this time looked toward Commander Zhao Chen with a complicated gaze; this time she too could not bear the risk of fighting on.
Zhao Chen was silent for half a minute.
He turned every kind of plan over in his mind, and set them out to Charlotte one by one; but they were every one denied by Charlotte.
For in the best case of all, the Owl Dragon Legion would in the end have under fifty thousand warships remaining!
Which for the Owl Dragon Legion is to hurt the sinews and shake the bones!
And to recover from it is no simple business.
And more to the point, whether the other interstellar powers will give the Owl Dragon Legion that chance to recover.
It must be said: the roof leaks, and the rain comes all night together.
One piece of news came upon another, and each worse than the last.
And this piece of news was extraordinary above all.
Even the communications sergeant, seeing this unciphered message, changed color of a sudden, and came himself before the Commander to report. "Commander.
"The latest word from the field upon the Angel Race's side!
"The Judgment Angel King has turned traitor, and upon the front-line field has worked together with the Demon Race legions to beset the Angel Race legion fleets that meant to counter-attack.
"And at the same time another part of her force has made a surprise assault upon the War Angel Star Region; by the word that has come, a great quantity of industrial-base equipment in the War Angel Star Region has been wrecked…"
"What?" A look of disbelief showed upon Lilith's face at that moment.
"The Judgment Angel King has turned traitor?" Zhao Chen too wore a look of astonishment.
The Angel Race has three Angel Kings only; and in such a case as this, one of them turns her coat and stabs at the back upon the field?
How absurd this business sounds.
"Has the credibility of this message been confirmed?" Lilith inquired gravely.
"This is field information sent back by our own people planted within Angel Race territory.
"And there is another message besides… from our Northern Goose Group." The communications sergeant handed a communication to Commander Zhao Chen.
Zhao Chen looked it over, and the look upon his face altered at once, and there was fire of anger within his eyes.
"What has happened?" Lilith and Charlotte both asked it in their curiosity.
Zhao Chen clenched his fist and said, his voice low, "A fleet of interstellar transports the Northern Goose Group sent to the Angel Race this time was attacked, at the handing over of the goods, by the Holy Judgment Legion's fleet.
"Three thousand interstellar transports, and near two million crew belonging to them, all lost.
"And at the same time that star gate we built within Angel Race territory was attacked by the Blade-of-Judgment Legion.
"The three hundred interstellar warships garrisoning the star gate, after a fight to the death, were annihilated to the last ship; and the star gate… is lost."
News upon news — it may be called a thunderclap out of a clear sky.
And now this back-stab of the Judgment Angel King's has reached even to the Owl Dragon Legion.
And to the strengths under the Owl Dragon Legion's charge.
And more to the point, this fleet of interstellar transports belongs to the Northern Goose Group, and those crews have no capacity of revival.
Which is to say that these two million and more crew have truly stayed in that star-vault forever.
"Pass my order.
"Every Owl Dragon legion is to draw out of the fighting, and every starship within the Mechanical Divine Church's star system is to withdraw as well.
"Charlotte, I order you within the shortest time to gather a body of interstellar warships that yet have the capacity to fight, and strategic resources besides.
"We go to tear that angel bitch apart!" Zhao Chen said it with his teeth set.