The Cataclysm Draws Near

Such familiar words, shouted countless times in the past. This time, barely halfway through calling it out, the rest got stuck in their throats. This Azure battle cry was something they had once lived out with their hot blood and their lives—on the field training grounds of their recruit days, in Squad 1777's defense sector and its perimeter, at Medical Station 101, at Xilang Peak, on the plateau. Before their eyes was still Azure as it had been during those two years, the Azure they had once loved... but they were no longer Azure. Right as He Tangtang's eyes reddened, beside him Han Qingyu, Wen Jifei, Wu Xu, and Rusty Sister all paused without exception, failing to finish shouting the phrase. Lao Jian's gaze had been on them the entire time; in fact, every eye present was on them. They had hesitated after all. A breeze blew across the disheveled tables of the wedding feast, leaving a brief silence over the training ground... In fact, many present—including Lao Jian—wanted to speak up and offer a few words of persuasion. Yet after hesitating, they quickly realized they lacked the standing to say anything. For they all knew what these people before them had done for Azure, and what they had suffered afterward. Under such circumstances, to urge them to let bygones be bygones? Who had the gall to do that?! "Do what must be done, and ask not where you belong." Slow and clear in diction, a gentle, weathered voice rang out beside the formation. Shen Fengting took a step forward as he spoke. He was likely the only person present qualified to say something, because among those standing in the Third Formation was his own granddaughter, who had also lived through it all. Han Qingyu and the others turned to look at the old army commander; He Tangtang's gaze was blank. *Don't tell me they didn't understand? These rascals... My Xiuxiu must have had such a hard time,* Shen Fengting thought to himself. Tick, tock. Two seconds passed. *Clang!* Suddenly came the ring of a blade. Captain Lao seized the opportunity, using the draw of his blade to start anew: "For all that breathes..." *Clang-hum...* Squad 1777's Third Formation drew their blades. "For all that breathes, no retreat in battle; with our bodies we block the sky!" This time, the people in the Third Formation did not pause again. They finished shouting the words. He nearly wanted to weep... Captain Lao held it back. Straight blade in hand, his gaze swept across them, and he barked out the order in a deep voice: "Huaxia Sole Witness Legion, Ninth Army, Regiment 425, Squad 1777, Formations One, Two, Three... All units, deploy!" ... Target: Sectors 5 through 7 of the defense zone. Squad 1777's silent formations plunged into the mountain woods, advancing like the wind through branches and underbrush. Roughly two hundred meters behind them followed the guests—army commanders, regimental commanders, squad captains... They kept the logistics personnel surrounded in the center of their ranks. "Say, what kind of mood do you think the Great Spikes will be in when they touch down?" On the move, a soldier in the Second Formation who looked middle-aged suddenly muttered under his breath. "What mood?!" Zhao Erzhu glanced back at Hu Biaomao, sounding rather impatient. "I mean, when they come down and—whoa, look—over two hundred people, two supers, plus at least two top-tiers, what kind of mood would they be in?" Hu Biaomao said. Well... their mood definitely wouldn't be good. Zhao Erzhu thought for a second, then scowled fiercely. "Why the hell do you care what mood the Great Spikes are in?! What about business? Haven't you been saying for three years that you were going to suck up to Major Qing? Where are your gold bars?" "Gold bars? What good are gold bars? It's not like they're metal bars. Even pretty girls don't work on him." Hu Biaomao stated the results of his observation, then turned around to blame Zhao Erzhu: "You're talking about me—what about you?! An A+, you useless bastard! Three years and you still haven't reached top-tier. Otherwise we could've struck up a conversation just now." "I—I'm just one step away!" Zhao Erzhu replied gloomily. "We picked up so many source energy blocks this time, I figure it won't be long." Zhao Erzhu figured that this way, when Major Qing returned next time, he would be able to speak with him. Even if he couldn't leave to follow him, at least he could pat his chest and say he was keeping watch over his home. Hu Biaomao didn't think that way; his own little scheme was that Yang Qingbai would definitely leave this time too. Once Yang Qingbai left, he would help take good care of the cat and the dog, and then wait for Major Qing and the others to return next time. Navigating the world, snakes had their paths and rats had their holes. In this doomsday world... Major Qing was a massive ship to board. "Both of you shut your mouths! Have you no shame?!" Lao Jian turned his head and scolded them in a sharp, quiet whisper. As he turned his gaze back forward, he cast a glance up at the sky. *Let it be a red-shoulder, please let it be a red-shoulder. While those brats are here, run up our merit points and win that color Eraser title.* Captain Lao was also running his own little calculations. Thinking this, he turned and exchanged a glance with Qin Guowen. Squad 1777 might soon have two top-tiers; besides Zhao Erzhu, Qin Guowen was also standing on the threshold of top-tier. Over the past three years, serving as the squad's strongest fighter, the vice captain had fought grueling battles. *Come to think of it, Tangtang should be close to top-tier too, right?* Lao Jian suddenly thought. In truth, He Tangtang had stood on the edge of top-tier for a very, very long time, but he could never cross that threshold... That was the lingering aftermath of three years ago during that breakout, when he had forced open the "Near-Death Surge" to cover his teammates' retreat. "It's here," Qi Rourou tilted her head back and murmured a quiet reminder. In the diagonal sky, a moving black dot was gradually growing larger. Lao Jian swiftly judged the shuttle craft's landing position and distance. "Bear left roughly 2,500 meters, maintain steady speed... Ready..." The captain's order came over the communicator. "Three, two, one, devices fully open, all personnel accelerate!" "You guys—hey! Don't accelerate too much!" So this was what commanding supers felt like? Such a headache. Lao Jian grimaced in frustration for a moment, then raised his arm and shouted: "Charge!" *Whir, whir, whir, whir...* A continuous sheet of blue light flared. Foliage snapped and earth and rocks sprayed through the woods as Squad 1777's Third Formation pounced forward en masse. "Wen Jifei and gun in position," came Wen Jifei's uncharacteristically steady, serious voice over the communicator. He had already chosen his vantage point. Three years ago, his position had been perimeter lookout. "Stand by... Forget it, use your own judgment." Captain Lao felt exasperated again, tilting his head back to glare at the shuttle-shaped craft growing larger in the sky. "Third Formation, accelerate and take positions on the flank, stand by!" "First Formation, switch to attack formation, decelerate and stand by." "Second Formation, defensive formation, prepare to assault and flush them out." Crisp orders were relayed as fluidly as ever. Lao Jian raised his hand, waiting to issue the final attack command. "Wait, Captain Lao," Han Qingyu's voice suddenly spoke. "This craft seems a bit off." "A bit off?!" Lao Jian's voice grew excited, thinking to himself that that would be bloody brilliant. Yet when he looked up carefully and checked again and again, "There's nothing off." "The luster, texture, and shape all seem a little different. This one looks more formidable," Han Qingyu said. "Oh, that. You guys haven't chopped down Great Spikes in months, have you?" Captain Lao's voice held a tinge of disappointment, but he still explained patiently: "Over the past two months or so, they've all been like this. The craft look more badass, and we were spooked at first too, but in reality the black armors' strength is the same as ever... Besides, I heard that blue-sheened Great Spikes seem to be coming down more frequently than before." "Oh, so that's how it is," Han Qingyu's voice held a hint of embarrassment. The brief discussion between the two regarding the textural changes of the shuttle craft came to an inconclusive end. Yet if at this moment Liu Shiheng, who had once listened to alien stories from Ne, had also returned and were on the scene, the young master might well have swiftly reached another conclusion capable of shocking the world: [If most of the earlier craft were scattered vessels scouting from nearer distances, then the current ones should perhaps be called the vanguard. The true army from the Great Spikes' home planet is already drawing very near. A doomsday cataclysm for all humankind is drawing very near.] Coupled with the bizarre craft and the never-before-seen Great Spike that had appeared in Antarctica, this conclusion would be accepted by the vast majority of people. ... "Humankind is finally about to usher in a new era," Ne said to Young Master Shiheng during their chat that day.