The Almighty Ring

“A Galactic-type?!” Kaa’lna spat, nearly soiling herself.

“Calm down,” Jiang Fei quickly retorted.

“But, where… H-How do you know such a thing?” Kaa’lna stuttered as she asked.

“The less you know,” said Jiang Fei as he turned away.

“But, if there really is a Galactic-type coming, we will be swallowed in its wake!” Kaa’lna pushed on.

“Do you really think I’ll let it kill everyone here? Well… my soldiers, you, and Sarila. The others are excluded. I have a plan. In the event that I fail to fight it, I will take everyone with me and leave the system,” said Jiang Fei, revealing his secret plan.

“Leave? You can do that?” Kaa’lna gasped.

“Yes, I have a Hypercruiser in close orbit within the Ausvia System. I am in control of the ship and can teleport us all with a snap of a finger. However, I need you to remain quiet about this. I want to take this opportunity to conduct a test of loyalty on all my soldiers,” Jiang Fei paced closer toward Kaa’lna and said.

“I understand.” Kaa’lna sighed in relief. At that point, the mystery shrouding Jiang Fei’s entire character had grown thicker. How could a person being sentenced to remain at the Tallgeese Advanced Outpost own a Hypercruiser and even position it within the Ausvia System? What kind of person was he? Who had his back? How did he manage to get himself a return order and reject it blatantly?!

As shrouded as Jiang Fei was in mysteries, Kaa’lna remained confident in him. She was never more certain that Jiang Fei was the man she wanted to be with.

…

The transmission that was sent to Jiang Fei had a deadline for his reply. Despite Jiang Fei’s many preparations, it had already been twenty-two hours, and in two more hours, the deadline would be upon him.

“Sarila, gather the troops,” said Jiang Fei during those last two hours.

“Aye aye,” Sarila said before she left. Thirty minutes later, all of Jiang Fei’s soldiers gathered in the courtyard. With an unlimited supply of Ultralisk meat, Jiang Fei’s original squad, the infantry units of the 13th Division had grown so strong, even stronger than the other new soldiers. Concurrently, the 13th Division soldiers had reached an average combat level of 220,000 while the others were only at 200,000.

“Gather round,” Jiang Fei said, announcing himself to the crowd.

All the soldiers quickly got into a neat formation and saluted Jiang Fei.

“We’re ready for you, sir!” Sarila said, representing the entire 13th Division.

“At ease, ladies and gentlemen,” Jiang Fei said, smiling contentedly.

“So… does the taste of Ultralisk’s meat fare well?” Jiang Fei teased.

“All too well, sir!”

“Brilliant!”

“Superb!”

“A miracle meat! My strength has almost doubled since I’ve eaten it!”

“Me too!”

Everyone poured their praises on the alien meat, and while some could not deny the horrid taste of such a meal, they would gladly feast on it as it granted them strength! While the 13th Division soldiers had an unlimited supply of meat to consume, the other soldiers had also managed to get a hold of some. Although they were not able to grow stronger at an accelerated rate, they were still able to improve, even if just by a fraction.

“I’m glad everyone likes them. It just so happens that I have received a request! They want me to surrender our hard-earned loot to them! What should I do?” Jiang Fei asked.

“F*ck them!”

“Tell them to sod off!”

“Kill them!”

“I’ve haven’t had enough of it and someone else wants all of the Ultralisk meat? I’ll fight them for it!”

The entire courtyard exploded with rage. They had been tasting the sweet nectar of power that was the Ultralisk meat, and someone else wanted to rob them of their blessing. It was only natural for them to throw a fit and fight.

“I’m glad to hear that. It has been twenty-two hours since the last transmission, and in less than two hours, they will be coming for us,” Jiang Fei teased slowly.

“To arms!”

“Commander Jiang Fei! Give us the order to fight!”

“We will crush them!”

…

Jiang Fei had not mentioned the nature of their enemy. The soldiers just assumed that it was the leaders of other settlements on Dhiras and thought they held the absolute advantage.

“I’m happy to see everyone so hyped about defending our loot. However, I must warn you that our opponents are the leaders of four planets in the Ausvia System,” Jiang Fei revealed.

“Sh*t.”

“F*ck.”

“Mhm.”

“Ugh.”

The fire that burnt so violently not two seconds ago died down instantly. After living in the Outpost for some time, all of the soldiers had been briefed about the existence of other settlements on other planets, and of course, their leaders as well. Jiang Fei may have been strong, but the other leaders had credence to their names for being able to survive so long.

“So what if they’re from other planets? Commander Jiang Fei is the strongest one of all! Give us the order to attack, sir! We will fight them all!”

“That’s right! To arms! To arms!”

In comparison, many of the 13th Division soldiers were in support of Jiang Fei. One could even say that they were Jiang Fei’s diehard fans. Their reasoning was simple and straightforward. No one besides Jiang Fei had treated them so well! Who in the entire known universe would provide unlimited supply of Ultralisk meat to their soldiers? Furthermore, Judgement Day was getting closer, and if one could grow stronger, what was better than sticking with the leader who facilitated that wish? Jiang Fei himself had even displayed combat prowess that no other had shown before. More importantly, Jiang Fei was the benefactor and savior of all the 13th Division soldiers. A life debt was to be paid back in full. What better way than to repay that debt by showing their undying fealty to their savior?

“Give the order, sir! No matter the decision, I will always remain loyal to you and only you!” Kaa’lna joined the fray and chanted her thoughts. She knew about Jiang Fei’s secret plans. Since there was already a pathway to safety, there was no reason to doubt Jiang Fei anymore.

“We will too!”

“Count us in! To die in battle is to die with honor!”

With Kaa’lna pushing them further, the soldiers of the 13th Division, as well as the locals, pledged their fealty to Jiang Fei with fervor. However, there were a few men who separated themselves from the heated mass. Doubt filled their eyes as they did not want to participate in such a suicide mission.

“I, Jiang Fei, am honored to have such loyal soldiers. Please, stand with me if you wish to fight with me! As for those who are not willing, I will not force you to do so. Your life is your own to control, and if you wish only to protect yourself, I shall respect that wish and set you free,” Jiang Fei said. He was actually happy to see a group of soldiers unwilling to join the fight because 50,000 soldiers were a bit too many for him to handle.

The segregation continued, and those who were willing to fight with Jiang Fei gathered closer to the palace. The hesitant ones were shown the gate of the palace. Not even ten minutes into their departure, a few who had regretted their decision tried to return, but the doors were closed for good. If they wanted to return, they would need to wait until after Judgement Day.

“Sarila, please do a headcount,” Jiang Fei ordered once those who refused to serve left the palace ground.

“Aye,” Sarila acknowledged, and after a few minutes, she returned with a report. More than half of the original soldiers had left, and now, there were only less than 30,000. Even though Jiang Fei had expected that outcome, he was mildly infuriated at the fact that over 200 soldiers of the 13th Division left. Of course, he was not going to show his frustration publicly. Sarila, on the other hand, was screeching and howling like an angry… cat.