Chapter 1686
Chapter 1686 - 1682: Vanguard
1,712 words
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9 min read
Life is full of surprises, but when they come at inappropriate times, they can turn into scares.
No matter the reason, the Eastern Country... humanity has received a precious opportunity for a direct counterstrike.
Everyone who knows about war understands that it’s best to have the conflict always on the enemy’s soil, not only for the protection of our logistics and finance but also to maintain the confidence and support of our civilian and military population.
"...No matter how terribly the frontline battles go, no matter how many of our people die there, as long as the war doesn’t reach our homeland, we can pretend it never happened."
This kind of social consciousness, combined with a certain degree of journalistic spin, allows for the portrayal of great victories no matter how badly the frontlines deteriorate or how long the conflict drags on.
Even if some feel that something is wrong, wondering why the more we ’win’ the closer the frontlines get to our homeland, or why fewer of our tribe return from battle, as long as the homeland is not in danger and key points remain unoccupied, it’s possible to claim victory in the press all the time.
Then, this war machine naturally won’t have any problems.
Then, the war is far from over.
Then, in the end, the war might completely destroy a nation... contrary to what many believe, a setback or defeat at the frontline of one country often doesn’t end a war, but rather leads decision-makers to double down.
War is often a state action, but it is also an act of authority by decision-makers and decision-making teams; the failure of war often also means the loss of authority and governance... To put it bluntly, whether it’s a king or a president, their fate is tied to victory in war, and they cannot declare the war lost even at the expense of the nation’s future.
"...The decision made by the Eastern Country back then was the correct one; Mercury 42 and Mercury 99 continue to bleed the Octopus Tribe."
Mercury 99 is the latest designation, a new world founded by the Free Fish People with the support of the Eastern Country and Mercury 42.
𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺
Like Mercury 42, it’s a thorn driven into the pan-Octopus world, continuously causing bleeding there.
At this moment, Lu Ping’an, as a member of the decision-makers, read the relevant intelligence immediately.
Even though he confirmed the relative advantage in social structure, there was no joy, but rather a deeper understanding of the absolute gap in power.
The Octopus have been fighting up till now, and their lords under command still serve although their mobilization is extremely low, their combat power and will to fight are tenuous, and their allied forces are as unmovable as mountains with a negative sense of organization... but they simply have too much of a strong foundation.
To put it bluntly, It has yet to show its health bar, while Earth is already sending out critical condition notices.
The Octopus, controlling countless universes and worlds, upon extending Its tentacles into Earth, caused an exodus of interstellar migrants; in their eyes, Earth may have already entered a countdown.
"Let me make one thing clear, those who feel that Earth will be ruined if this continues... that’s not a rumor!"
No matter how the official propaganda claims that a Great Counteroffensive is in the near future and things will get better, every being who genuinely understands the Multi-universe knows the situation will only worsen.
As the invaders’ anchor in the universe is secured, as they adapt increasingly to the environment, as the new generation of extragalactic arrivals get their "local birth certificates," the Foreign Invaders only need to keep piling on the numbers, and humanity, which may be several magnitudes fewer in number, will eventually be worn down to death.
This is the gap in absolute strength; once a certain threshold is reached, the emigration of gods and multi-world forces will speed up the avalanche, and in the end, Earth will end up like countless other colonial possessions of the Foreign Domain - barely alive for a few hundred years before becoming completely reduced to a "resource/livestock world"... What will be raised and sold there is probably best left unknown.
By that time, except for some humans who have fled to other empires in the Exotic Realm, "humankind" may well be packaged and sold as "gift boxes."
"There’s only one chance, and it’s from the very beginning..."
The only possibility for reversal is to block the "gate" while the opponent is still destabilizing their ingress.
As long as the cost for the invaders to enter is too high, losing one bunch for every one that comes, they will naturally hesitate and weigh their options... and it’s not the Octopus Forces that will hesitate, but the scattered great lords under Its command.
They have too many other options to consider; there’s no need to fixate on a world with high risk and low reward. If it really comes to that point, even if the war continues, the Earth people will be able to withstand it.
Conversely, if these great lords manage to gain an advantage, bringing back ample profit and resources, they will swarm in, escalate the war, and ultimately bleed Earth dry.
"Rationally, I know this is the only chance, but with other nations unable to ensure their own safety, how could they possibly spare their main forces to join in this counterattack..."
In movies, when crisis strikes, a united global Great Counteroffensive doesn’t happen; reality is that everyone looks after their own, and at most engages in a war of words and public support.
At this time, the Eastern Country didn’t have any expectations for the United Nations or other powerhouses... invitations for joint operations were continuously sent out, but no one expected them to actually send reinforcements.
Nowadays, the war upon the seas continues, with the echoes of a large number of airships being shot down.
The situation has developed beyond expectations; in fact, the Eastern Country did somewhat underestimate their opponents this time.
When news of the Eastern Country’s great victory spread, the major powers with reserves of strength realized that this was a unique opportunity.
And then, they were tempted.
This was not just an opportunity for a counteroffensive, but also an opportunity to secure an advantageous position in the post-war Order – "military commendations"... Part of international status is based on strength, the other part on history. The main chambers of the United Nations must consist of the victors from the previous World Wars; those who, in legal principle, hold the "right to govern the defeated."
Now, it’s the same. Any politician would say that not participating in this Great Counteroffensive means not participating in the reconstruction of the Order after the war, which amounts to voluntarily giving up the position of a global superpower.
The sounds of explosions continue, but a mass of airships still steadily advances.
These are fleets from Huaqi, Europa, and the South American Alliance. Indeed, they have launched counteroffensives from all directions – not only for the victory in this battle but also for the continuation of the "international Order" of the old era.
The differentiation of world lines has made international trade much riskier, and hence, the de-industrialization of certain countries hasn’t been as rapid. Although stellar colonization has siphoned off much of their Power, their overall military Power is actually stronger than on another timeline... After all, hypothetical enemies always exist, financial games haven’t been played excessively, and when necessary, powerful Civilian companies have effectively bolstered the armed forces.
As a result of having too much diffuse Power, although many times one feels helpless and unable to wield this strength effectively, at critical moments... for instance, now when it looks definitely profitable, somehow some strength can be mustered.
"Reinforcements from various continents are engaged in fierce combat. While the frontlines are not stable, some are indeed advancing steadily..."
This is undoubtedly good news for Dragon Moon Island, which is still making progress.
They don’t need to achieve many victories; just tying up a portion of the enemy reinforcements is terrific news.
"In fact, as long as they start attacking, they will be tied down."
"Do you mean the enemy needs to stay behind to prevent their ’Territory’ from being breached?"
"No, what I mean is, those border lords, they now have a plausible reason not to come to the support."
Although Lu Ping’an and the military commanders would like to focus purely on military matters without mixing in politics, the fact is that the two are often inseparable – military decisions made by various stakeholders for their own interests must take this into account.
The loose feudal system of the Exotic Realm is currently humanity’s biggest advantage. However, the cost is that once they are dealt a severe blow and face defeat, it is foreseeable that each will only look out for themselves.
"... Right, we also have to consider the scenario of competing for credit. Like, ’Huaqi was the first to strike back on the Australian continent!’"
Dragon Moon Island is already within striking distance of Australia’s perimeter. Witnessing the burning skies, Lu Ping’an has an epiphany.
Huaqi and Europa have indeed developed a lot over the years, with their astonishing number of airships that, despite suffering heavy losses along the way, indeed managed to reach across the sea.
Before Dragon Moon Island, there’s a classic scene of Sky Knights launching an airborne assault on the ground.
Unlike the slow-moving airships of past experiences, this time on the open decks of airships, numerous small-to-mid-sized spacecraft are rising and falling.
"Tsk, air carrier battle groups? They’ve really got the hang of this."
But obviously, they still didn’t fully understand.
As the eerie sky turns entirely red, the colossal phantom of the "Octopus" enveloping the Australian continent momentarily appears.
Countless white glares tear through the sky, and in just a flash, numerous carriers and flying craft become mere cannon fodder, igniting the entire world and the ocean’s physical properties.
"The Octopus... the octopus overlord with six mouths and three hearts."
— End of Chapter 1686 —