Chapter 67: Soldiers and Officer

Seven days later.

The Third Legion fleet arrived at the outpost near the coordinates 358 cluster constellation in the border star zone. The nearest Exploration Corps had been temporarily reorganized into an assistance combat unit and was stationed there awaiting orders.

This was a developing planet in the empire's border star zone, with much of its terrain still untouched.

After his last heroic feat, Landis promoted Xiao Sa to the rank of first-class officer. The military's officer promotion procedures were strict; unless for significant merits, a promotion usually required more than three years of service, even for a General's spouse.

As the top-ranking official in the military, Landis had not broken the rules he had always adhered to.

True to his word, Landis handed Xiao Sa his file without granting any special treatment, assigning him to the regular combat units of the Third Legion as a low-ranking officer.

Little Star was temporarily taken care of by Haino and his elder brother, while Xiao Sa moved into the dormitory with simple luggage.

After his second differentiation, Xiao Sa's appearance had changed slightly. Apart from Landis' close confidants and his personal guard, the ordinary soldiers and officers below did not know about his relationship with Landis. They only saw him as an ordinary newly promoted officer, causing no ripples.

Due to the urgency of the war, living conditions were limited, and the Third Legion and Exploration Corps combat units were mixed together for stationing. When Xiao Sa checked in, he unexpectedly ran into an old acquaintance.

His new roommate was Atai, a military academy candidate he had spent some time with during his tenure in the Exploration Corps. The kid had graduated from the academy and officially joined the Exploration Corps.

"Xiao Bro, I didn't expect to see you here!" Atai exclaimed in surprise, "Do you remember me? I hope you haven't forgotten me!"

"I remember. You're Lo Kai's younger brother. We were in the same dormitory when I was in the Exploration Corps. Is your brother Lieutenant Colonel Lo Kai and Pero with you?"

Atai was delighted that Xiao Sa remembered him and flashed two dimples. "My brother is in the nearby dormitory. He's a lieutenant colonel now."

"Pero has been transferred back to the Third Legion. He was originally an officer of the Third Legion. I wonder why he ended up in the Exploration Corps, of all places. Maybe we'll run into them during training."

Xiao Sa nodded. Pero had been assigned by Landis to look after him in the Exploration Corps, and it was good that he could return to the legion he desired.

Atai had a hint of worry between his brows but quickly relaxed. "Brother Xiao, this is my first time going into battle against mutants. I was quite worried, but now that I've seen you, I feel relieved."

Xiao Sa smiled. "If you're scared, why not join the logistics unit? You're still young."

Atai shook his head. He was about shoulder height to Xiao Sa, his face still youthful, but his hands had developed thick calluses from intense training, showing that he had not slacked off.

"I want to become a hero like you and my brother."

Xiao Sa's smile paused, thinking of Landis' concerns and the royal family's secretly bred mech beasts.

Young men like Atai, who admired the military and were full of enthusiasm, would be devastated if they ever discovered the truth.

After the Third Legion was stationed, the entire base began operating efficiently. Advance teams were constantly coming and going, searching for signs of mutant nests in the vicinity.

The base was fully on alert level one, with all officers and soldiers ready for battle at a moment's notice.

At the simulation training ground in the base, Xiao Sa, as an ordinary low-ranking officer, underwent the same pre-war training as everyone else.

As Atai had mentioned, Xiao Sa ran into the long-lost Lo Kai and Pero again. They were both surprised to see him. Pero nodded silently in greeting.

Lo Kai frowned and lowered his voice. "Aren't you General's... Why would General send a spiritual healer to the battlefield?"

He looked around to confirm that this was indeed the training ground of the combat units.

Xiao Sa couldn't help but laugh. To these old friends, he was still seen as just a low-level spiritual healer.

"Did you forget that I'm not just a spiritual healer?"

Lo Kai was about to speak but held back. He remembered, of course, but what stood out even more was the time when Xiao Sa was around—the lowest combat losses since he had been in service. To most regular soldiers, a spiritual healer was even more valuable than a tough fighter.

In the end, he simply patted Xiao Sa on the shoulder and said, "If you need help, just call for it in the team channel."

Xiao Sa nodded without saying much, silently following his team into training.

Ever since he was contaminated by a mutant explosion on Customs Star, the flesh wound on his back had healed, but the pollution in his mental sea remained severe.

Fortunately, being a spiritual healer himself, every night during deep sleep was when his mental sea self-repaired. It had now recovered to about 70-80%.

He had to make use of every second, concentrating his mental energy to cleanse the mental pollution, ensuring he would be in peak condition for the upcoming battle.

With most of his mental energy allocated elsewhere, only a small portion was left for training, making Xiao Sa seem like he was slacking off and just going through the motions during training.

After three intense rounds of training, everyone's scores were displayed on the central screen. Unsurprisingly, Xiao Sa ended up at the bottom.

The indoor heat was intense, and Xiao Sa was sweating profusely. He took off his military jacket, revealing only a black tight-fitting combat vest underneath. He casually lifted the edge of his shirt to wipe the sweat, exposing his defined waistline and a barely visible scar on his back.

At the training ground, many people were whispering about Xiao Sa. "Who's this guy? A relation of someone important? Someone like him going into battle against mutants—is he here to be cannon fodder?"

"He looks like that guy from the last Mech Academy's noble class..."

Xiao Sa's hair and eye color had changed, and his appearance had matured. He led the noble class to first place in the group tournament, starting from the last position—this, along with his history of mental energy impairment, was well-known. Some Mech Academy alumni still vaguely remembered this peculiar individual.

"Now I remember, wasn't he the one who caused a big stir about his mental impairment? Rumor has it he's connected to some high-ranking military official. But no one knows which official it is."

One person said sourly, "To be sent to the Third Legion for a quick promotion—I had to go through hell to get selected, and I'm still just a Level 5 soldier. How come this guy is already an officer? There’s gotta be some backroom deal going on. It’s so frustrating!"

Hearing this, Atai, who was nearby, frowned and immediately retorted, "Don't talk nonsense! Brother Xiao is amazing! He was promoted because of his merits on Frostfall Star, and he's a spiritual healer!"

"That explains how he could earn merits. He should be in the medical corps instead."

Atai was about to say more when the training ground, which had been buzzing with activity, suddenly fell silent.

General Landis and Caro walked past the training ground, reviewing the latest intel as they talked. Landis's eyes quickly swept over the training ground and the central screen.

The few who had been talking earlier couldn’t help but feel a bit smug. "It's said that the general is very strict with his officers. The bottom ten in training rankings have to undergo extra training or be punished."

Landis's gaze swiftly passed over the tail end of the rankings, and he frowned slightly, speaking in a low voice to the training officer next to him.

Atai tensed up, and sure enough, before long, the squads that ranked at the bottom were caught by the instructor for extra training. Everyone seemed used to this, gritting their teeth and silently enduring without a word.

Except for the last-place Xiao Sa—he wasn't punished but instead taken away by the general's security personnel.

Once Landis and Xiao Sa left, the whispering grew louder. "This guy is finished. General Landis has zero tolerance for incompetence. Even if you're from a major noble family, if your training scores aren't up to standard, you're out."

Atai was anxious, scratching his head. Oh no, is Brother Xiao in trouble?

General's Office.

To everyone's surprise, Xiao Sa was neither punished nor forced to leave.

The office door was locked, the curtains drawn tightly, and the ceiling light emitted a scorching white light. The central air conditioning was set to a warm temperature.

Wearing the standard uniform of a low-ranking officer, the tailored jacket outlined Xiao Sa's perfect physique—broad shoulders and a narrow waist. A dark brown belt cinched his waist, and his long legs were encased in black high combat boots. The dark gold lines on the sides extended all the way to his waist.

After training, his body temperature had risen, and he undid the top button of his collar, revealing a faint red mark on his collarbone.

Xiao Sa stood in a standard soldier stance in the center of the office on a dark red carpet. His feet were slightly apart, his hands crossed behind his back, and his broad chest was raised. His shoulders were squared by his shoulder pads, his posture as straight and rigid as a spear.

Landis crossed his arms, standing in front of the desk, his gaze unabashedly sweeping over Xiao Sa's entire body.

The overhead light cast down, casting a deep shadow under Xiao Sa's black bangs, accentuating his features to be more striking and handsome. His dark eyes gleamed with an intensity that felt almost piercing.

Landis stared at his face, his gaze sliding over the mark on Xiao Sa's collarbone, before slowly walking to stand in front of him. They stood facing each other. Landis frowned and spoke slowly, "Sergeant, do you know where you've gone wrong?"

Xiao Sa raised an eyebrow, looking at him with an amused expression. He pursed his lips and replied, "Reporting, sir. This subordinate does not know. Please enlighten me."

Landis paused, perhaps because Xiao Sa looked so at home in his military jacket, a stark contrast to his usual demeanor during lectures. The shift in their dynamic sent a thrill through him. Whether it was pressing Xiao Sa here as the legion commander or being seduced by a lower-ranking officer in a secret corner, both scenarios were thrilling enough.

Landis's throat tightened, his fingers gently pinching Xiao Sa's chin as he leaned in. His deep gaze lingered on Xiao Sa's features, his breath and heartbeat quickening. Xiao Sa almost thought he was going to kiss him.

But Landis stopped, his rough thumb brushing over his lower lip, his voice low and gravelly, "First, don't take off your jacket in the training ground for others to see. Second..."

"Don't seduce your superior here."

Xiao Sa narrowed his eyes, a mix of amusement and disbelief flashing across his face. "I didn't expect you to be this kind of legion commander, Your Excellency. Not even a healer can clean the filth out of your mind."

Landis curled his finger, lightly pinching Xiao Sa's chin, a half-smile on his face, "Sergeant, watch your words. Don't be disrespectful to your superior."

Xiao Sa said nonchalantly, "So, sir, how do you plan to punish me?"

Landis gave him a deep look, then suddenly let go, "Take off your clothes and turn around."

Xiao Sa: "?"

He nervously glanced at the door, hesitating, "Are we really going to do this? Isn't it a bit much…"

Landis, annoyed, directly started undressing him, "What are you thinking? I'm going to apply medicine on your back."

Although there were medical pods on the ship, the medical team was constantly busy. Landis didn't want Xiao Sa to be seen by others. He pushed Xiao Sa against the desk, the military jacket tossed aside, his back exposed under the light, crisscrossed with pink scars.

Xiao Sa had refused cosmetic restoration surgery, insisting on keeping the scars like Landis. But Landis couldn't stand them. Every time he saw them, they grated on him.

His fingers traced over Xiao Sa's spine repeatedly, the cool scent of the special ointment sending tingles and electric-like itches through Xiao Sa's body. Landis's slow, deliberate touches made Xiao Sa wonder if he was intentionally finding new ways to torment him.

"Hey, Landis, enough..."

Xiao Sa couldn't help turning his head back, meeting Landis's deep gaze. Landis stared at Xiao Sa for a moment, then exhaled, finally helping him put his clothes back on and yanking his collar to give his lips a light bite:

"We'll resume your punishment after this battle."

Xiao Sa was just about to mock him when suddenly, urgent alarms blared through the corridor, accompanied by flashing red lights, quickly spreading through every corner of the base.

The office's main screen lit up, connecting to Caro's signal. His face, projected with unstable communication, looked especially grim:

"Sir, the advance scout ships have discovered a mutant horde. We've been deceived by the royal family's intelligence! There are over three times more than what the reports stated!"

The royal family had initially told them there would be at most three or four Lord-class mutant leaders.

Landis and Xiao Sa's expressions both darkened.

"Call all senior officers, directly broadcast the enemy situation, emergency assembly at the base, combat units prepare for mech deployment, and stand by for further orders. For now, execute the second contingency plan."

Caro quickly saluted, "Yes, sir."

Landis draped his military jacket over Xiao Sa, and the two hurried towards the captain's command room.

All staff officers were already in position, and the atmosphere in the command room was incredibly tense.

On the massive holographic screen in the center, dense swarms of mutants spread across the horizon like tidal waves, stretching endlessly into the distance. From afar, they resembled a regular army advancing towards the Third Legion's base. The mutants blotted out the sky like an impending line of dark clouds, casting a suffocating weight over everything.

The working style of the Third Legion’s soldiers, much like Landis himself, was serious and focused, like efficiently operating cold machinery.

A steady stream of intelligence reports landed on Landis' desk, and the sounds of reports and decisive commands echoed continuously in the command room:

"Coordinates 311, radar captured five leader-class mutants..."

"Coordinates 79, three..."

"Coordinates..."

In just a short while, Xiao Sa had already heard the latest battlefield intelligence updates. There were at least fourteen or fifteen leader-class mutant leaders, hundreds of intermediate mutants, and countless lower-grade ones, numbering at least in the tens of thousands.

The massive, dark horde resembled a regular army advancing towards the Third Legion’s base.

Everyone sucked in a breath, realizing that this wasn’t just a mutant nest extermination—it had escalated into a full-scale frontline campaign.

Caro’s voice was grim, forcing a bitter smile. "Admiral, the intelligence discrepancy is too large. This is almost on the scale of the battle when you were awarded the rank of Admiral."

Landis slowly shook his head and said coldly, "We’ve already considered the current situation, haven’t we? Anything can happen on the battlefield. Never hope that the enemy will be fewer than us."

Xiao Sa furrowed his brow, staring at the holographic images of the battlefield where the vanguard forces had already launched a probing attack.

In a battle of this scale, personal bravery alone wouldn’t be enough to turn the tide.

He glanced at Landis, who was continuously issuing commands on the command platform. Fortunately, the Third Legion had taken the risk of traps and come.

Otherwise, if this wave of mutants wasn’t completely eradicated here and they turned elsewhere, it could deal a devastating blow to the newly formed Star Alliance.

The Third Legion base saw three hundred battleships take off one after another, forming a sharp dagger-like battle group that plunged into the mutant legion. Dense waves of mechs poured out from the landing ports.

The grayish-blue tide crashed against the steel alloy defenses, and the moment the two sides clashed, the battle erupted in a frenzy of violence.

The battlefield was lit up with artillery fire, and the dazzling beams of cannons and laser rays were almost blinding.

After hours of intense fighting, a supply officer suddenly ran in, looking panicked with beads of sweat that he couldn’t wipe away fast enough. "General, we just received a message from the rear. Our supply route has encountered an electromagnetic storm!"

"A large number of military supply transport ships were caught in the storm and destroyed!"

"We only have enough supplies and energy to last three days at most..."

This grim news hit the command room staff like a hammer, leaving them pale-faced. "What?!"

"This is too much of a coincidence!"

"Go and pressure Central Star to urgently dispatch another batch of supplies!"

The room was in chaos, but Landis on the command platform remained expressionless, a mocking smile playing at the corner of his lips.

"Landis," Xiao Sa stood beside him, watching the bustling staff officers and whispered, "I'm also an officer of the combat forces. We need to finish this quickly."

"I know," Landis gave him a meaningful look and calmly said, "We need to wait a bit. We're not unprepared."

"As for our energy and supplies, don’t worry." Landis casually handed another supply list to the logistics officer.

It was filled with inhibitors and various energy supplies, almost ten times the normal consumption for an entire campaign.

The logistics officer stared at Landis, wide-eyed, almost doubting if the other man had robbed a planet—in fact, these were Landis' rich "spoils of war" from Customs Star.

Landis then turned to Caro with a serious expression and said, "Immediately send an emergency signal to Central Star, stating the situation is critical, our supplies and energy are depleted, the Third Legion has suffered heavy casualties, and request the military department to urgently send reinforcements."

Xiao Sa’s eye twitched as he looked askance at the composed Landis issuing orders. When it came to playing dirty, Landis was in a league of his own. Reaching the rank of top general, Landis was definitely not someone to mess with.