Starting from the Planetary Governor

Chapter 1478: Chapter 840

Tai Shichen returned to the Wangyue Star Domain, and the first battle he fought was not a military one.

Instead of directly confronting the advance of the Green Skin Orcs, he first took on major figures like the Founding General, State Archbishop, Star Domain Head, and Mercenary Queen, along with dozens of Star Zone Leaders and Planetary Governors, all of whom were detained.

Objectively speaking, these people’s indecisiveness and self-serving agendas were things Tai Shichen had long anticipated.

Not only is the Wangyue Star Domain this way, but the other five star domains surrounding the Omgeria Star Realm, forming the Unbreakable Defense Line, are also acting similarly.

Looking back, throughout the Alliance’s Dark Side Expedition, things have been like this. In any place where the original ruling class of a planet, not yet subjected to Alliance reform, still holds most of the power, this is invariably the case.

This is human nature; it’s all very normal. Those rulers, before relinquishing their power, especially when they can passively or actively realize that their authority will inevitably vanish due to the ongoing Dark Side Expedition, will naturally use their ’final madness’ to do something.

Only after the world’s main production and violence have been taken over by the Alliance through reforms can things calm down.

The outcomes for these original rulers vary. Some are content ’as wealthy merchants’; others integrate actively into the Alliance system, fighting for it, and seeking new interests and hopes in the new environment of the system.

These could be considered good outcomes.

But there are also those, perhaps because their actions before joining the Alliance were too egregious or because they still continuously provoked trouble after joining, who were ultimately settled with and ended up in a miserable state.

Tai Shichen once wished for a good outcome for the Wangyue Star Domain, and even for the many surrounding star domains and worlds of the Unbreakable Defense Line.

Joining together, facing the alien enemy threatening everyone’s safety, fighting hard and achieving victory, during which the Alliance provides strong support and gradually transforms these worlds. The ruling classes and elites on the planets and within star domains actively integrate into the Alliance… isn’t this the best outcome?

Unfortunately, there are always those who want to stir things up.

Upon arriving in the vicinity of the Omgeria Star Realm, Tai Shichen initially did not take a determined stance to deal with these local forces mainly because he wanted to make a conciliatory start, and secondly because his forces were initially too sparse. The alien threat spilling out from the Omgeria Star Realm was quite fierce and urgently needed handling.

Uniting and mobilizing local forces to solve local issues has always been a set strategy of the Alliance’s Dark Side Expedition. After all, the Alliance has a manpower abundance but also more problems to solve. Being able to save a bit and use the Alliance’s main strength wisely is more efficient.

And after his forces were reinforced by the Western Expedition Army Command, making them abundant, the previously forced compromise strategy changed.

The Alliance reform and absorption of local forces have actually begun within the five star domains surrounding Omgeria.

But unfortunately, the Wangyue Star Domain was the first to have an incident before that.

This lesson must be learned.

Tai Shichen had already issued orders requiring the other four star domains to enhance their support for defense planets at various exits. The degree of planned troop strength, defense construction, and weapon supply must be implemented without any delay, or face the military tribunal.

This is no joke. After the incident in the Wangyue Star Domain, the elites of other star domains naturally felt uneasy. Over the past few months, the Alliance reform in those four star domains has at least started. Some ’special envoys’, ’economic experts’, ’military advisors’, and such roles have certain control over planets. If any particular world or force fails to meet the construction requirements for the Unbreakable Defense Line, Alliance agents will sneak in and detain people; or the stationed Alliance army will directly gather and demand they hand over people, with several real examples of individuals being dealt with.

With real processing records in front, after the chickens were killed, the remaining monkeys had to behave.

Once they behaved, support for the Unbreakable Defense Line became smooth and unobstructed, and also made the Alliance’s various special envoys’ reform actions toward these local forces and planets smoother.

Judging from the current situation, those four star domains remain relatively stable. After evaluation, Tai Shichen believes that even if another invasion of the same intensity comes to Wangyue Star Domain’s No. 7 exit, they should be able to withstand it, at least until reinforcements arrive.

Now, the remaining big problem is the Wangyue Star Domain itself.

In this case, Tai Shichen has instead let the Beastman army act freely.

The primary reason is to ascertain the main force’s location through the Beastman army’s operations, especially to find out where the Orc Warlord named “Ulu” currently is.

The secondary reason… If the local force in Wangyue Star Domain doesn’t suffer, doesn’t accept a heavy penalty, how can they docilely accept the Alliance’s strong reforms? How can it serve as a sufficiently strong warning to other star domains?

Of course, Tai Shichen absolutely does not wish for the entire Wangyue Star Domain to be decimated.

According to the initial plan, the offensive against Omgeria requires establishing a comprehensive Unbreakable Defense Line, ensuring the enemy is locked within the star domain; outside the star domain, with Wangyue and another five star domains as the bases, providing sufficient war resources for the future expedition against Omgeria. The Alliance’s main force is ready to arrive, leading the auxiliary forces recruited from these five star domains into the star domain, eventually annihilating all the Green Skin Orcs and Insect Race army within.

Under this plan, Wangyue Star Domain cannot be wrecked, otherwise, in future expeditions against Omgeria from this direction, a crucial link will be missing.

And the most important part is the Steel Flame Furnace in the Founding World.

While it is necessary to let Wangyue suffer, the Steel Flame Furnace must not be destroyed by the Green Skins. If it’s destroyed, the one suffering will be the Alliance.

Moreover, allowing a Green Skin army to occupy an entire Founding World… Tai Shichen can’t even imagine what terrible results would follow. After aliens defile such a large human mechanical technology center, how much will their weapons be enhanced?

Other than the Steel Flame Furnace, other areas can be relaxed somewhat.

However, after humans made such a war strategy, the Green Skins’ strategy on the opposite side was quite coincidentally similar.

The Ulu Military Governor was well aware that conquering a Founding World would earn him the true appreciation of the Bone Shattering King.

With this determination, he himself appeared on the battlefield.

However, due to the escape of the Founding General, the morale of the planet’s garrison at the Steel Flame Furnace was quite low. Additionally, with the Mechanical Ark taken away, along with the most elite batch of the Protection Army, the defense forces were severely lacking.

In the ground battles, the Sect of Mechanics’ forces were pushed back continuously.

Even when Wang Keren was judged, and Pirias, carrying the will of the Alliance, led the Mechanical Ark and the Sect of Mechanics’ elite back to the Steel Flame Furnace to re-engage in battle, they couldn’t change the tide of the war.

An escalation on this battlefield was inevitable.

Especially after Ulu appeared, Tai Shichen saw no need to hold back.

He decisively committed his main forces into the battle at the Steel Flame Furnace.

…

The Battle Group Leader removed his helmet and, through the deep red filter of the orbital scanner, could clearly see Ulu’s war machine—a moving fortress pieced together from thirty Battle Fortresses engulfed the entire foundry area. Mushroom spore cultivation tanks spread outward like a cancerous tissue from the Furnace Core, while Green Skin mechanics used rusty hydraulic pincers to weld the Protection Army’s mechanical arms to the base of the killing jar.

And the war banner representing Ulu himself was within that moving fortress.

Ulu was going all out.

It was now the second month since Tai Shichen led the main forces landfall.

The combat strength of the Alliance Vanguard he led was still strong enough. His fleet, working in full cooperation with the Mechanical Ark, had almost entirely expelled the Green Skin’s space forces.

At this point, Ulu should have realized that his assault on the Steel Flame Furnace had failed.

However, that Orc Warlord clearly refused to accept this result.

And the consequence was that his ground troops, which barely maintained an offensive posture, were suppressed as soon as the Alliance Vanguard landed. Now, they also face even more fierce space attacks, making it even harder.

Defeat was already inevitable…?

Ulu still didn’t think so.

The Orc Warlord made a reckless gamble, putting all his available forces, including himself, on the line.

The Green Skin War Fortress was not far from the core Founding City of the Founding World.

His charge indeed posed significant trouble for the human defenses, causing the human army to waver at one point.

But under Tai Shichen’s orders, the human defenses deliberately opened up, allowing this terrifying monster to close in freely.

Come on, come on, this is the death ground I prepared for you.

At a vantage point close enough to see the target, the Battle Group Leader’s white-green battle armor glimmered coldly on the dim bridge as Tai Shichen’s voice caused the metallic dust in the air to slightly tremble: “Two companies are to conduct a surprise attack from the south, I need you to cripple 80% of the Green Skin’s armor production within twenty-four hours.”

“And you, sir?” someone asked.

“I will lead the remaining troops to personally confront that loathsome beast under orbital cover.”

As he turned, his cloak swept over Ricardo’s genetic code on the data board.

The hydraulic gates of the underground pipeline slowly opened amidst corrosive steam, allowing the elite troops of the Spear of the Dragon King to file out.

The Spiritual Energy Long Sword of Intelligence Director Modeller Lazio illuminated the wall’s defaced God of All Machines relief, originally a solemn emblem of the Sect of Mechanics, now altered to a grinning Beastman face, with glowing green viscous liquid seeping from the gears.

With just a slight exertion, all the desecrated images were wiped away.

This person who shared the same last name as Ricardo was indeed related—Modeller was Ricardo’s uncle.

He was proud of his nephew.

Even if Ricardo died, he died as a warrior, there was nothing more to say.

And now, it was his turn to avenge his nephew as a warrior.

…