Outside Earth, the wormhole burst open.
The alarms sounded loudly within the headquarters of the thirty-seventh legion responsible for Earth's defense, and the staff and officers inside became very busy, with some even falling while running to their battle stations.
Legion Commander Vladimir Mastrov entered the headquarters with a stern face, still fastening the buttons on his uniform.
His aide quietly reminded the commander, "Commander, on your neck..."
Mastrov awkwardly wiped the lipstick mark from his neck, pretending that nothing had happened. The aide also acted as if nothing had happened, knowing well to mind his own business. The thirty-seventh legion, responsible for the defense of Earth, could be said to hold a crucial position, but in reality, this legion was considered a second-class unit within the Star Alliance.
Chancellor Xiao Yu placed the main military force in the defense of the Capital Star under his Golden Guards, and the task of the thirty-seventh legion in the defense of Earth was mostly supplementary. Thus, the legion had only about five hundred warships and over four hundred thousand soldiers, being under-strength.
Currently, the differences between the various legions in the Star Alliance were substantial. The Star Alliance Defense Department reported directly to the Chancellor, but specific military affairs were managed by the legions themselves. This autonomy extended so far that a legion commander could decide the uniform of the legion, recruit soldiers from any planet, and handle the promotions and appointments within their officers. Naturally, this caused some legions to have good discipline and strong combat capabilities while others might suffer lax discipline and poor performance.
"How did this wormhole just appear, damn it, it's a fleet, and they mean no good!" Mastrov exclaimed in a strong northeastern accent tinged with flavors of Dalian oysters, even though Mandarin had been the official language of the Star Alliance for over twenty years, and people in their fifties and sixties like Mastrov had also mastered it through the Deep Sleep Learning System. Due to different learning methods, many still had accents.
At that moment, Mastrov did not even have the courage to engage the enemy; instead, he ordered his communications department, "Quickly contact legions 91 and 131, and see what instructions the Chancellor has."
This legion commander, originally from Ukraine, was not very talented; his rise to the position of legion commander was mainly due to his loyalty and lack of scruples. As the Star Alliance army expanded to its current size, more than a hundred legions formed from Star Alliance citizens needed just as many commanders. Xiao Yu promoted some military personnel from other Administrative Stars, but commanders originating from Earth still accounted for over sixty percent of all legion commanders.
Before receiving a reply from the Chancellor, Mastrov's eyes already widened.
The enormous wormhole, like an endlessly stocked pocket, continuously spat out warships. By this time, about ten thousand warships had emerged, and there were still no signs of stopping.
"What the hell is this?" Mastrov was truly panicked, due to Earth's location. External fleets couldn't penetrate the Danlu Interstellar Cloud, so its defense was relatively relaxed. But in terms of density, it was considered rather dense.
The Star Alliance spanned across the Lower Orion's Arm, irregularly possessing seven Great Star Zones. This area was a material void with fewer celestial bodies. In some star sectors and star regions with more strategic importance, the Star Alliance stationed more legions, while in some relatively safe places, there might only be a fleet under a single legion stationed.
Earth, holding the status of the Capital Star, naturally could not be defended lightly, even if it was possibly the safest region in the Star Alliance.
However, the safest place was unexpectedly breached by an unknown force of tens of thousands of warships!
"It's always the Star Alliance who crushes others with numbers, how did it turn around today." Mastrov panicked; behind him was Earth, the most important planet of the Star Alliance. Although the Star Alliance had occupied one habitable planet after another, expanding further, Earth's significance had never diminished.
Standing beside him, the vice commander of the legion, who was from Emerald Sea Star, Sulu, shook his head and said, "Before our Chancellor, almost every battle fought by the Star Alliance was won by being outnumbered."
Mastrov's expression changed abruptly, and he hissed, "Sulu, do you despise living a long life? If you want to die, don't drag me into this. If the Chancellor hears you say these things, your family will suffer the consequences."
Sulu had always clashed with Mastrov. Even though he became an officer in the Universe Army after the purge, his allegiance to the current Chancellor of Emerald Sea Star was not high.
"I won't need the Chancellor to deal with me—look at the signs today. Do you think we can still survive this?"
Mastrov turned pale, his body swaying as he said, "We can only fight now, just hoping that our reinforcements will arrive soon."
Sulu unexpectedly said, "Why hasn't the Privy Council's order arrived yet? Has the Chancellor been paralyzed with fear?"
Mastrov cursed, "You fool, stop talking about seeking death!"
Xiao Yu indeed hadn't gotten around to issuing commands to the thirty-seventh legion and the two legions of the Jinwu Army because at this moment, he had already connected to the communications of the fleet that had suddenly surged from the wormhole.
"Bai Zhongqi, I know it's you!" Xiao Yu's tone did not fluctuate much.
Bai Zhongqi was silent for a long while before saying, "Today is your day of death."
There was no video, no visual impact, only the bland voices of two men. Yet the voices of these two men were deciding the life and death of millions and the rise and fall of a civilization.
"Are you so certain I am on Earth?"
Bai Zhongqi laughed, "What does it matter if you're not? Even if I have to fight one planet at a time, even if you escape to Lower Orion's Arm, I'll make you pay."
In face of the man he profoundly despised, Bai Zhongqi found that he was not overwhelmed with anger or losing control. The more crucial the moment, the more rational he became. Xiao Yu was a dangerous enemy; he could neither underestimate his opponent nor overestimate his enemy. Only rationality and caution could ensure the success of his revenge.
Xiao Yu also laughed softly, "Bai Zhongqi, the Chancellor of the Star Alliance is me, and the Supreme Command is also in my brain. Even if you've had the dumb luck to borrow some troops and launch a surprise attack on Earth to trouble me, do you really think you can defeat me?"
"At least on Earth, you will lose."
Xiao Yu sneered mockingly, "Hahaha, how ridiculous. Yes, you have ten thousand warships, all in good order. But do you really have the heart to fight here, not fearing turning Earth into rubble?"
Bai Zhongqi straightforwardly said, "To halt fearing Earth's damage reveals how cowardly you think I am in your heart."
"No, no, no, you misunderstand," Xiao Yu was not laughing, but his tone carried a cold humor, "It's not about harming Earth. You can fight all you want, but I have placed enough weapons in Earth's mantle to blow it up to a state of atoms. Even if you win over my fleets, what then? Here is your homeworld, not mine. I'd gladly destroy it just to spite you."