The sky over Tianhe City had never been so murky. The smell of gunpowder, the pungent odor of burning plasma flames, construction dust, and... a faint scent of blood mixed together, forming a nauseating aura of war. The once-bustling streets had turned into a labyrinth of ruins and flesh. Amidst the broken walls and debris lay twisted metal wreckage, charred corpses, and the occasional flash of muzzle fire, signifying that the resistance still continued.
The Recruit Company—this squad of Super Soldiers, carrying high expectations and meticulously crafted by Deno genetic engineering and the Super Seminary—was currently in a wretched state, holding a shopping mall ruin that had been half-blown away. They had just experienced an encounter so tragic it exceeded all imagination.
Their opponents were merely a small Taotie ground assault team, equipped with basic energy weapons and individual armor, numbering no more than twenty. According to their training and theory, having activated their Super Genes, they should have held an overwhelming advantage.
However, theory is pale, and actual combat is bloody.
Facing real interstellar enemies for the first time, whose sole purpose was slaughter; facing those cold, efficient energy beams that didn't hesitate; facing the cruel sight of comrades being struck down, injured, or even... nearly dismembered right before their eyes; the recruits' previous high spirits and Superman fantasies on the training grounds melted away like snow under the sun.
Liu Chuang roared as he swung his axe, indeed brave, splitting a Taotie Soldier's energy shield and crushing the person and armor into a pulp. But he was also grazed on the shoulder by an energy beam from the side; his armor was scorched, his flesh torn open, making him grimace in pain.
Zhao Xin was as fast as a phantom, weaving through the ruins and piercing several enemies with his spear. However, he was also forced into several close calls by the enemy's predictive crossfire. One failed dash resulted in an energy bolt grazing his calf, instantly turning it into a bloody mess and greatly reducing his speed.
Rui Mengmeng held her greatsword, her eyes red as she stood at the very front to buy space for her injured teammates. But facing the dense fire, she could only struggle to hold on, several more wounds appearing on her body.
Qi Lin occupied a high vantage point in the distance, calmly pulling the trigger. Every bullet accurately hit the relatively weak joints or energy nodes of the Taotie Soldiers, successfully suppressing several enemies and slowing their advance. But her sniper rifle had limited destructive power against Taotie individual armor, often requiring several hits in the same spot to cause effective damage. Once the enemy discovered her position, it would immediately draw fierce suppressive fire, forcing her to relocate frequently.
Cheng Yaowen tried to manipulate the power of the Earth to create obstacles, but in this high-intensity, fast-paced close-quarters melee, his ability—which required time to prepare and precise control—seemed inadequate. Several times, the earthen walls were shattered by energy cannons just as they rose, instead exposing his position.
Qiangwei... she was the calmest and also the one in the most pain. Using Micro-wormhole Transport, she appeared and disappeared like a ghost, each flash of her dagger bringing a spray of blue blood, saving teammates from crisis several times. But there was only so much she could do. Wormhole transport required calculation and energy. Facing enemy focus fire and rapid movement, her assassinations could often only cause harassment, making it difficult to deliver a killing blow. What made her even more anxious was that she had to distract herself to command this chaotic Recruit Company, which was fighting individually, trying to mold them into a whole, but with little success.
And Ge Xiaolun...
Wearing heavy Black Armor and holding that seemingly majestic greatsword, he was like a startled, clumsy elephant wandering on the edge of the battlefield. His Super Gene gave him the potential for an "Undying Body"; most of the Taotie Soldiers' energy guns hitting him only left shallow scorch marks, unable to cause any real effective damage. In theory, he should have been the most suitable tank for charging and drawing fire.
But he didn't dare.
When the first energy bolt whistled past his helmet with a piercing shriek, he was stunned. The "pain" simulated during training and the real, death-scented sensation of energy burning were two completely different things. He saw the blood spray from Liu Chuang's shoulder, heard Zhao Xin's muffled groan, and smelled the scent of charred flesh in the air... Fear, like a cold viper, instantly gripped his heart and crawled up his spine.
"I'm going to die... I'm really going to die..." This thought echoed frantically in his mind.
His sword swings became stiff and sluggish. Facing the charging Taotie Soldiers, his first instinct wasn't to parry or counterattack, but to clumsily dodge to the side, even raising his greatsword like a shield in front of him. A Taotie Soldier took the opportunity to circle to his side and fired an energy gun at close range, hitting his ribs. Although it failed to pierce the Black Armor, the massive impact still made him stumble back and fall onto his backside in the ruins.
"Ge Xiaolun! What the hell are you doing! Get up!" Liu Chuang's roar came from nearby.
Ge Xiaolun scrambled to his feet, his face pale and his lips trembling. He looked at the Taotie Soldier who had almost hit him; the other's cold, emotionless compound eyes were locked onto him. He let out a strange cry and actually... turned and ran! He hid toward the deeper, relatively safer part of the ruins!
"Xiaolun! Come back! That's a dead end!" Qiangwei shouted sternly through the Dark Communication, but she was busy dealing with two Taotie Soldiers flanking her and couldn't get away.
Ge Xiaolun turned a deaf ear, huddled behind a broken wall, clutching his greatsword, his body shaking uncontrollably. Every sound of explosion, roar, and scream outside was like a heavy hammer pounding on his nerves. Only one thought remained in his mind: Get out of here! Now! Immediately!
Just then, an urgent call and a muffled groan from Cheng Yaowen came through the communication channel; he seemed to have suffered a significant injury. Immediately after, Rui Mengmeng, who was responsible for flank cover, was also blown away by an energy cannon, crashing into a pile of rubble and falling silent for a moment. The Recruit Company's defensive line was on the verge of collapse.
"Retreat! Pull out first! Re-form the formation!" Qiangwei made a split-second decision, her voice hoarse with anxiety and anger. She continuously activated wormholes, transporting the injured Cheng Yaowen and the temporarily incapacitated Rui Mengmeng to a relatively safe area, while calling for the others to provide alternating cover for the retreat.
However, when the retreat order reached Ge Xiaolun through the Dark Communication, his brain, completely overwhelmed by fear, misinterpreted it as "permission to run for his life."
He suddenly poked his head out from behind the broken wall and saw his teammates fighting a bloody, difficult retreat, while more Taotie Soldiers were swarming in from all sides, trying to complete the encirclement.
It's over! It's all over! We're going to be surrounded! We're dead!
Extreme fear completely shattered his last shred of reason. He scrambled out of his hiding place, not to support his teammates, but to rush straight toward Qiangwei, who was organizing the retreat. His face was a mess of snot and tears, and his voice was distorted and out of tune with terror:
"Qiangwei! Qiangwei! Retreat! Retreat quickly! We can't hold it! We're all going to die here! Run!"
"This isn't our war. Let's retreat, let's just retreat."
"You've lost your mind to bloodlust, Qiangwei."
As he shouted, he actually reached out to grab Qiangwei, wanting to drag her along to "escape"!
Qiangwei, who was struggling to move the wounded, command her teammates, and fend off sporadic fire, heard Ge Xiaolun's completely frantic, cowardly cries. Seeing him actually try to interfere with her and pull her to "escape," an indescribable rage, disappointment, and even... a cold sense of disgust erupted in her chest like a volcano!
She whipped her head around, her eyes—always stubborn and sharp—now staring intently at Ge Xiaolun, who was right in front of her. In those eyes, there was no longer the usual annoyance or helplessness, but only a complete coldness, as if looking at a strange, filthy object, and... a dead silence after something had completely shattered.
"Shut up." Qiangwei's voice was very soft, yet as bone-chilling as ice.
Ge Xiaolun shivered from the chill in her eyes, his outstretched hand freezing in mid-air.
In the next second, under the unbelievable gaze of Ge Xiaolun, the stunned looks of Liu Chuang and Zhao Xin nearby, and even the somewhat bewildered stares of several Taotie Soldiers not far away—
Qiangwei lightning-fast raised the pistol she had been holding in her left hand for close-quarters self-defense. The muzzle was almost pressed against Ge Xiaolun's unprotected chest as she pulled the trigger!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The crisp gunshots rang out abruptly in the gaps between explosions—five in a row! The bullets struck Ge Xiaolun's chest solidly, making dull thudding sounds and kicking up a few faint sparks.
AI Model: gemini-3.1-flash-lite
Ordinary bullets, naturally, could not penetrate Ge Xiaolun's body, which was strengthened by his Super Gene, nor could they even leave a mark on his skin.
However, the impact force of every single bullet was clearly transmitted to Ge Xiaolun's body, striking like a heavy hammer against his consciousness, which had just been blank from fear and was now filled with even greater horror.
He staggered back two steps, looked down at his unscathed chest, and then looked up at Qiangwei.
Qiangwei's eyes remained cold and dead, her hand holding the gun so steady that it didn't tremble in the slightest, with faint blue smoke still rising from the muzzle.
That gaze made him feel more stinging pain and... fear than the energy guns of the Taotie Soldier.
It was not the murderous intent one feels towards an enemy, but a kind of... absolute negation, an indifference that said, "You are no longer worth me wasting any emotions on, including anger."
At this moment, Ge Xiaolun clearly felt that something in Qiangwei's heart—the last shred of expectation or tolerance regarding the "Power of the Galaxy," regarding "comrades-in-arms," or even regarding the person "Ge Xiaolun"—had completely and irrevocably... died.
"Get lost." Qiangwei holstered her gun, not even sparing him another glance, and turned to continue commanding the stunned Liu Chuang, Zhao Xin, and the others, helping up the wounded, and utilizing the complex terrain of the ruins to decisively and swiftly disengage, retreating towards the designated second line of defense.
Her movements were clean and efficient, without the slightest hesitation or delay.
Ge Xiaolun stood alone like an abandoned ragdoll on the edge of the ruins, which were gradually being reoccupied by Taotie Soldier.
The sensation of the impacts on his chest had long since vanished, but the cold feeling of being "executed" by those bullets, along with that final look from Qiangwei, were branded deep into his soul.
The surrounding Taotie Soldier seemed somewhat confused by this "tin can" that had acted abnormally just moments ago and was now standing frozen, so they did not attack immediately, but the encirclement was tightening.
...
A distant observation point.
Demon One, main control hall. Morgana, who had "watched" the entire short and tragic ground skirmish, wore an undisguised expression mixed with mockery, disdain, and a hint of absurdity.
"Ha! Power of the Galaxy? Is that all?" She sneered, curling her scarlet lips, "Scared shitless by a few toy gun bullets, fleeing the battlefield, and even trying to drag the Commander to run away with him? And in the end, 'executed' by his own people with a pistol? Tsk tsk... That dead pervert Karl, and those old fogeys at the Super Seminary, are counting on this piece of trash to fight the Void? To fight me? It's laughable!"
Ato and the other demon officers behind her also showed disdain.
In the values of the demons, power is supreme, and the weak are the prey of the strong.
You can be cruel, you can be cunning, you can betray everything for profit, but you must not... be cowardly, you cannot be a deserter.
Even the lowest-ranking demon soldier knows on the battlefield that one must either tear the enemy apart or be torn apart by the enemy; fearing battle and fleeing is more shameful than death and will lead to being despised and hunted by all demons.
"Queen, it seems Earth's 'hope' is even more fragile than we imagined," Ato said in a deep voice.
"The more fragile, the better!" A cruel light flashed in Morgana's eyes, "A 'protagonist' like this is more suitable to be crushed and become a stepping stone for the rise of my demon civilization! Keep observing, and see what other'surprises' Du Kao and those guys at the Super Seminary have for us."
...
Merlot Heavenly Court, Heavenly Blade Seven temporary observation outpost.
Angel Leng, Angel Zhui, and several other high-ranking Angels also watched parts of the combat footage (mainly the combat portion of the Recruit Company) through an encrypted channel.
When they saw Ge Xiaolun's performance, especially that final scene that left one speechless, even the Angel Warriors, known for their calmness and discipline, could not help but show obvious disappointment and a hint of... indescribable embarrassment on their faces.
They were warriors, Angel Warriors who fought for justice, for protection, and for their beliefs.
In their long lives and campaigns, they had seen countless mortals die bravely, had seen warriors fight unyieldingly, and had also seen base and cowardly villains.
But it was truly rare to see someone like Ge Xiaolun, who carried the "Power of the Galaxy," a Super Gene with such high expectations, perform so... unwatchably in his first actual combat.
"Is this... what Principal Jilan chose as the...'Sword that Slices Through Fear'?" Angel Zhui's voice carried disbelief.
"There might be strength and potential, but the mindset..." Angel Leng crossed her arms, shook her head, and said in a cold tone, "He doesn't even have the courage to face death, nor has he established the resolve to fight side by side... Even if such a 'God' grows up in the future, how much hope can he carry? What kind of decisions can he make?"
They couldn't help but think of the calmness, decisiveness, and even the slightly cruel precision Artoria showed when fighting Suma Li earlier.
Both were facing strong enemies (for Suma Li at the time, Artoria was the weaker one), and both were experiencing a life-and-death battle for the first time, yet their performances were worlds apart.
"No wonder the Queen and the Heavenly Base King value Artoria so much..." a younger Angel Warrior sighed in a low voice.
Angel Leng did not respond, but the meaning in her eyes was already very clear.
Strength might be accumulated over time and through resources, but a heart belonging to a warrior, a soul capable of shouldering heavy responsibilities, is not so easily forged.
Power of the Galaxy... the road ahead is still very long, and, the starting point seems to be... much lower than expected.
...
Lieyang Star, Yunxiao Hall.
Processed battlefield footage also appeared before General.
His focus was not on Ge Xiaolun's ugly display, but on the overall performance of the Recruit Company, and... Qiangwei's final, resolute "shot."
"First actual combat, poor performance, as expected." General's voice showed no emotion, "But the gap in mindset is fully exposed. Du Kao... it seems your 'Power of the Galaxy' project has run into a significant hitch."
"The Goddess does not seem to have been too greatly affected and is still acting according to the plan," Xuan Tianji reported.
"Hmm. That child, Leina, has a stronger mindset than this 'Power of the Galaxy'." General nodded slightly, "However, the water on Earth is getting murkier and murkier."
"Angel has drawn the line and stated its position. Demon is lurking in the shadows. The 'trump card' of the Super Seminary performed so... interestingly. We, Lieyang, also need to re-evaluate the intensity and method of our intervention."
"Then the safety of the Goddess..."
"No matter. As long as Keisha and Hexi are still here, as long as that Artoria is still here, Leina is safer on Earth than anywhere else." General cast his gaze towards the star map, "For now, we just need to... wait and see. Let's see what other tricks this farce can perform."
...
giant gorge, command center.
The screen in front of Du Kao was full of static; the encrypted communication with the Recruit Company on the front line had just been subjected to strong interference and was temporarily interrupted.
But through the previous clips and battle reports, he already roughly understood the situation. His face was livid, and his knuckles were white from clenching his fists.
Heavy casualties, the collapse of the defense line, he was mentally prepared for these. But Ge Xiaolun's performance... especially the scene where he was "shot" by Qiangwei (even though seen through residual footage), made this Nuo Xing God of War, who had weathered countless storms, feel a bone-chilling cold and... powerlessness.
Power of the Galaxy... cowardice in battle... deserter... "executed" by his own people...
These words were like poisonous thorns piercing his heart. The "future" he had spent countless efforts on, betting the last hope of Deno on, and placing such high expectations in, had actually revealed such a fatal flaw in its first real test!
"Commander..." Lian Feng's voice sounded from the side, filled with worry.
Du Kao took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his surging emotions, and said in a hoarse voice: "At all costs, restore communication with the Recruit Company! Confirm the casualties! Order all available nearby troops to spare no effort in supporting their retreat to the second line of defense!"
"Additionally..." He paused, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes, "Regarding Ge Xiaolun... keep it strictly confidential! Seal all video materials under encryption! Without my order, no one is allowed to access or leak them!"
"Yes!"
The order was given, and the command center became busy again. But the shadow in Du Kao's heart grew heavier.
He looked at the large swaths of red warning areas on the screen representing the Tianhe City war zone, and then looked at the eerie blue island representing "safety" at the Angel International Building, and an unprecedented sense of exhaustion and heaviness pressed down on him until he could almost not breathe.
The road seemed to be getting harder and harder to walk.
And for the "Power of the Galaxy," whom he regarded as his greatest hope, the road ahead seemed to be paved with even more thorns and... doubt.
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