With less than an hour remaining until 20:28, she did not return to her quarters. Instead, she took a brief rest in the tower’s lounge.
The purified Federation soldiers were deeply grateful for everything she had done, but they did not disturb her at a time like this.
The evening of October 26, 7238, by the Federation calendar.
At 20:10, all thirty-two Federation forces were ready.
At 20:15, every Federation unit began counting its personnel.
At 20:25, every Federation soldier stationed on the frontier planets began inspecting their weapons and combat mechs.
When the time on their optical computers shifted to 20:28, the thirty-two Federation forces stationed on different frontier planets launched their operations simultaneously.
Like the beastmen, the insectoids were creatures that emerged at night and rested during the day.
At night, they would halt their attacks on the Federation and return to their bases to rest. The Federation forces would use that time to recover their abilities as well.
But today was different.
Less than two hours after the day’s battle had ended, the Federation forces took the initiative and attacked the insectoids’ base.
The insectoids had no choice but to fight back.
While the insectoids’ attention was drawn to the thirty-two Federation forces, a fleet of spacecraft departed from the military port on Frontier Planet T05 and headed for the Insect Planet.
After several jumps, the fleet soon arrived at the barren planet nearest to the Insect Planet.
Any farther, and they might run into an insectoid patrol. The fleet therefore landed temporarily on the barren planet, waiting for Wu Zhengming’s next order.
Aboard the spacecraft in the middle of the formation, Wu Zhengming immediately ordered the ships in the first row to activate their detection systems.
Perhaps the insectoids had not expected the beastmen to approach the Insect Planet under cover of night. Or perhaps there was another reason. In any case, only a few minutes later, the ships in the first row began transmitting their reports one after another.
“Reporting, Commander. There are no insectoid energy fluctuations ahead.”
Wu Zhengming looked toward Si Zhao for confirmation.
Si Zhao said nothing, but Wu Zhengming felt considerably reassured. He ordered the fleet to make a brief reorganization before beginning their final jump.
The barren planet was close enough to the Insect Planet that the fleet would reach its destination after just one more jump.
Yunyang sat beside Si Zhao. The military spacecraft had no windows, but the two of them could still observe their surroundings through their optical computers.
The boundless river of stars stretched before them, while black holes appeared one after another in the fleet’s path.
The spacecraft entered a wormhole, and in the next instant, the surroundings changed completely.
For the first time, Yunyang saw the Insect Planet, which had troubled the Federation for so long.
It was different from what she had imagined.
Yunyang had assumed that a planet inhabited by hundreds of millions of insectoids would be pitch-black, just like the impression the insectoids themselves gave people.
But the Insect Planet displayed on the screen was a gentle blue-green.
Setting aside the fact that it was the Insect Planet, its appearance was no different from that of any other planet in the Federation.
Yunyang was somewhat surprised.
Before this, she had never searched for photographs of the Insect Planet on the Star Network.
The sight of the planet shattered her preconceptions. Suddenly, she felt something she could neither explain nor describe, as if…
Yunyang could not put it into words, so she turned her head toward Si Zhao.
At that moment, Si Zhao’s expression was grave. As the fleet continued to draw closer, the Insect Planet on the display grew larger and larger.
It was as though the spacecraft had passed through something. The blue-green planet suddenly transformed into a dark purple one.
Because they were so close, Yunyang could clearly see something slowly undulating across the planet’s surface.
That indescribable feeling vanished at once.
The entire Insect Planet on the display looked like a gigantic insect egg floating through space.
The fleet’s approach had finally attracted the insectoids’ attention. One by one, black insectoids emerged from the enormous egg.
They were densely packed, and Yunyang’s scalp prickled at the sight.
She felt as though she had suddenly developed trypophobia.
While observing the situation, Si Zhao still found time to explain to her, “What you saw just now was an illusion woven by the Insect Queen. This is the real Insect Planet.”
So it had been an illusion.
No wonder she had sensed something unreal just now.
On the Insect Planet, the scout insectoids determined the fleet’s numbers and transmitted the information throughout the planet using a method unique to their species.
Soon, even more insectoids began emerging from underground.
There was not even enough room for the fleet to land.
But that was no challenge for the Federation forces. The only thing Wu Zhengming was worried about was that the Insect Queens might be able to use some special method to notify the insectoids stationed on the frontier planets.
For that reason, neither side made the first move.
Along the way, Wu Zhengming had maintained a video connection with the other thirty-one commanders. Now, the commanders reported their situations to him one after another.
They knew why Wu Zhengming had not launched an attack immediately.
“Wu Zhengming, go ahead without hesitation. Before you return from the Insect Planet, not a single insect on the frontier planets will be able to leave.”
That was their promise—to Wu Zhengming and to the Federation.
Wu Zhengming naturally trusted his comrades. He decisively gave the order to attack.
The fleet formed a defensive formation, then slowly opened its rear cargo hatches.
One combat mech after another emerged in the form of a small aircraft. After hovering briefly in midair, they set off together.
Si Zhao, Yunyang, and Wu Zhengming remained aboard the spacecraft, overseeing the entire battlefield.
Since their target was the Insect Queen, the Federation forces launched a large-scale mech assault from the very beginning.
Most of the insectoid soldiers were still underground, guarding the seriously injured Insect Queen. The Federation forces quickly gained the upper hand and opened up an area on the ground where the mechs could land.
Deep inside the underground insect nest, the seriously injured Insect Queen opened her eyes. Her antennae gently nudged a female insect beside her, one several times smaller than herself.
The female insect opened her eyes. The Insect Queen then chattered something in a language only insectoids could understand.
The female insect’s green eyes shifted. Soon, she relayed the Insect Queen’s orders.
On the frontier planets, the Federation forces were locked in fierce combat with the insectoids when they quickly noticed that the insectoids’ offensive was growing weaker. Some even appeared to be trying to flee.
The commanders watched the scenes transmitted by the reconnaissance robots and immediately realized that the insectoids were attempting to return to the Insect Planet.
Leo sat inside the command tower and issued an order to the optical computers of every Federation soldier.
“At all costs, prevent the insectoids from jumping.”
The commanders of the other Federation forces issued the same order. The Federation troops rapidly adjusted their tactics and began encircling the insectoids.
The battle shifted completely.
On the Insect Planet, as the insectoids on the surface were killed, more and more emerged from underground.
Under the command of the level-nine insectoids, green spheres of light gathered between their antennae before they launched attacks at the Federation’s combat mechs.
Wu Zhengming issued an order at once. “Everyone, recall your combat mechs.”
The Federation soldiers received the order and recalled their combat mechs one after another, activating the defensive equipment they wore.
They were dressed in armor with a distinctly mechanical design, protected from head to toe. Even their eyes were shielded by pale blue goggles.
Defensive ability users advanced to the front, with offensive and support ability users following closely behind. Together, they used their weapons and abilities to fight the insectoids.
Clutching a level-five insect core, Yunyang gauged the distance, then used her ability on the defensive ability user at the very front.
