Ugh…
The women enjoying the afternoon sun looked at two figures, one large and one small, sprawled in the grass at a distance; and now and again the sound of the two being sick could be heard.
And with it the sound of two who would not own themselves beaten.
"Had I not eaten twenty steamed buns this morning, I should assuredly have beaten you!"
"You say it as though I had eaten no breakfast. I even drank a can of something just now."
"You… ugh…"
"You… ugh…"
And while the two were being sick, a figure stood behind them.
And said in a grim tone, "All the food you have brought up will be docked from your welfare and wages."
In that instant Annie and Zhao Chen both turned to stone.
The women at a distance raised their thumbs to Lilith.
Sure enough: there can be only one victor.
Having been sick, Zhao Chen felt a good deal better in his body, and lay stretching himself upon a beach chair.
"So grown a man, and still like a child." Charlotte beside him handed over a bottle of something to settle the stomach.
Zhao Chen laughed, drank a mouthful, and said, "A man must find something to ease his own pressure. I think it very good; it is as though one forgot everything about one."
Charlotte shook her head helplessly; this man is strange in just this way — at times like a giant, at times like a child.
"How goes the campaign between the Demon Race and the Angel Race?" Zhao Chen asked.
"At present the Demon Race holds the advantage still; but because of the warships we provide, and above all the missile support, the Angel Race's lines are at least not broken at a single blow. Though by my guess they cannot hold to the year's end," said Charlotte.
Zhao Chen was silent a while, then said, "If we entered now, what certainty have you of destroying a demon legion?"
Charlotte's brows drew slightly together; by the ordinary reckoning, the Owl Dragon's best choice now is to watch the fire from across the river and let the Angel Race and the Demon Race fight it out.
But since the Commander asked so, the Commander must have his reasons.
"That depends upon what degree of destroying," Charlotte asked.
Zhao Chen looked at the task frame floating before him.
Annual mission
Task: slay six of the Demon Race's demon marshals and destroy the demon legions under their command.
Reward: the annual great gift-pack (the shorter the time to completion, the higher the reward).
Degree of completion: Marshal Red Demon and the Red Demon Legion destroyed.
That Zhao Chen would take a hand in this was in great part on account of this annual mission.
The description of the task is very vague.
But analyzing it by the first instance.
This slaying does not mean Zhao Chen must lay hands on the man himself; Red Demon died of the Demon King's punishment, and that too counted as completing the task.
And the Red Demon Legion was not wholly destroyed by Zhao Chen; no few warships fled back after that campaign.
But thereafter the Demon King struck out the legion's designation, and the warships formerly of the Red Demon Legion were all broken up and folded into other demon legions.
And so the Red Demon Legion became a thing of history.
Which let this annual mission of Zhao Chen's complete one of its marks as well.
Which shows that to judge a demon legion destroyed does not require annihilating the whole legion fleet.
Though this point is somewhat vague still.
Zhao Chen must feel his way a little further.
But the broad direction may be made out.
One mark is now complete; five marks remain.
And to the year's end there are but three months.
The annual mission's reward has always been rich; Zhao Chen could not but make the attempt.
"Slay a demon legion's highest commander, and wreck a demon legion's establishment to the greatest degree that may be," Zhao Chen said his thought.
Charlotte frowned somewhat. "That holds no small difficulty."
"You may use any means whatever; complete these requirements of mine so far as you can before the year's end," said Zhao Chen.
"I understand. When I am back I shall draw up some plans of battle." Charlotte nodded.
The task holds some difficulty; but since the Commander has put it forward, she must find the means to accomplish it.
Tramp, tramp, tramp.
Just at this time Lilith came walking quickly over.
Coming up before Zhao Chen, she raised a hand and started up a screening field.
Which wrapped Zhao Chen, Charlotte and herself within it.
"Something has happened?" Zhao Chen, seeing the gravity in Lilith's face, guessed that something had.
Charlotte cast an inquiring look too.
There are few things that can make Lilith so grave.
"You charged us before to set an interstellar stealth scout fleet to reconnoiter that district the Machine Race's leader named. Just now I have received the intelligence sent back," Lilith answered.
"And the result?" Zhao Chen's expression grew grave as well.
"Within this district we have found a starship industrial manufacturing zone!" Lilith brought out an astonishing piece of news. "And what is being produced and built within it is the interstellar warships now in the Demon Race's service. Our people even took pictures of Demon Race fleets appearing within this star region in the same frame as Machine Race fleets!"
"The Demon Race is in collusion with the Machine Race? And supplying the Demon Race with warships besides?" Charlotte's face was all astonishment.
Task (The Machine Race's Secret)
First-stage task: seek out the coordinates of the Mechanical Prophet. (Complete)
Second-stage task: updating…
A task prompt sounded in Zhao Chen's mind — the System task that had appeared when that Machine Race little girl asked her favor of him.
Because there was no punishment for the task, Zhao Chen had taken it then.
It seemed this starship manufacturing zone they had scouted was where that Mechanical Prophet lay.
"Is that Mechanical Prophet of legend there?" Zhao Chen inquired.
"Because the enemy is the Machine Race, and for fear of being exposed, our T4 Banshee-class Light Interstellar Stealth Scouts could not break into the enemy's communication equipment as freely as they usually do. But we came by some intelligence all the same; and within it the words Mechanical Prophet appeared five times. So it may be settled that this place assuredly has to do with the Mechanical Prophet, and that the Mechanical Prophet is in high likelihood there!"
Zhao Chen scratched his head. "This business is complicated enough. The Machine Race building warships for the Demon Race…"
"Then shall we help that Machine Race leader and settle this trouble?" Lilith inquired.
"How much Machine Race strength is within this district?" Zhao Chen asked.
"By our Banshee scouts' observation, 300,000 Machine Race warships are stationed there, and among them T5-grade warships. Should we launch an attack, it is highly likely a great quantity of Machine Race fleets would come in support thereafter — and Demon Race warships might well appear besides," said Lilith.
Zhao Chen rubbed his chin and said, his voice low, "This is no small piece of work.
"It will not do; I must have another chat with that little girl."