Planet 4344

Recapturing the three Wasteland Stars meant starting with the smaller planets, inching closer step by step, surrounding the major planets, and then striking in one decisive blow.

Every planet's placement and strategic arrangement in this endeavor had been meticulously planned by the rulers of the Haendeng Galaxy. It was like a game of chess—each move accounted for three steps ahead.

Planet 4344 was extremely close to Rose Star. All the neighboring small planets around Rose Star had already been occupied by the alien beasts, including Planet 4344. The beasts' first incursion into the Haendeng Galaxy had been at Rose Star, which they used as their lair to spread across the entire galaxy.

This assault on Planet 4344 was meant to tear open a gap in the beasts' stronghold. Humanity would use it as a foothold to expand their sphere of influence, shifting from passive defense to proactive offense.

This was a surprise operation—humanity's first proactive strike against the beasts.

It was also a gamble. Sending elite forces behind enemy lines would inevitably weaken the defenses left behind. Moreover, each planet they targeted required setting up a teleportation device before the troops could return, which took time. If the beasts launched a surprise attack on the rear during that window, the consequences would be dire.

The rulers weighed the pros and cons and decided to take the risk, reinforcing garrisons on all planets adjacent to the beasts to guard against emergencies.

Because of the operation's importance, the entire Haendeng Galaxy was watching closely.

Per tradition, every military operation was accompanied by drones with cameras that recorded video in real time and transmitted it back to the Main Planet for battle analysis and post-mission reviews. Occasionally, broadcasts were made to the public, but only at opportune moments.

For instance, scenes of humanity triumphing over the beasts, soldiers charging fearlessly, and heartfelt moments of camaraderie among troops—only these positive images were ever aired.

When Ye Hongci led a mission, the number of cameras doubled, because she was the spiritual pillar and driving force for everyone in the Haendeng Galaxy.

Every battle she fought was brilliant, always igniting the public's fighting spirit and their willingness to sacrifice for the galaxy. The commander-in-chief never hesitated to broadcast her battles live.

But this time was different from anything before. The stakes were higher—if successful, it would be a turning point in humanity's fate. The number of accompanying cameras was quadrupled compared to usual, and the commander-in-chief even approved full live coverage, allowing everyone in the Haendeng Galaxy to watch at any time.

At this moment, citizens across the galaxy had already flooded into the live streams, scanning the mechs for Commander Ye's black-gold one.

All troops had stepped into the blue light barrier, waiting quietly for the teleportation device to activate.

Cameras also gathered inside the teleportation zone, gliding low to give each soldier a close-up.

Most people couldn't recognize who was inside; every soldier was encased in a mech, and only those who frequently appeared in the media could be identified by their mechs' designs.

Ye Hongci's black-gold mech was unmistakable, and Tang Ying's red mech beside her was equally striking—everyone knew them.

The others left little impression.

Tu Ran slipped among the cluster of mechs, secretly taking in her surroundings.

This was her first time using a teleportation device—one capable of fixed-point, cross-space delivery.

This world's technology had advanced to the point of ignoring spatial distance.

Dazzled once again by this world's science, Tu Ran recalled her first day here, when she'd thought this was a world even more backward than the Federation.

She had overestimated the Federation and underestimated this low-key world.

The machine's whirring grew louder, the blue light around them intensifying until it nearly turned white.

Tu Ran's vision went blank—a sea of white—and the mechs around her vanished one by one.

The hum reached a near-deafening peak, and Tu Ran frowned, enduring it.

The next instant, the sound cut off abruptly.

The entire universe fell silent.

The light dimmed, and Tu Ran saw the mechs standing exactly as they had been.

They were in the same positions, Ye Hongci and Tang Ying still at the front.

But the environment around them was utterly transformed.

The light barrier was gone, the blue ring gone. What remained was a dark sky, gray-black ground, barren and desolate, devoid of life. Gazing into the distance, gray mountains looked as if they'd been bombarded by gunpowder, their shapes bizarre beyond belief.

Drones had already fanned out with cameras, scouting the area.

The drones moved swiftly, feeding real-time images back. Ye Hongci quickly scanned them, then looked up at the gray-black sky and issued humanity's first charge on Planet 4344 after decades of beast occupation: "Execute the plan! Move out!"

With a whoosh, everyone sprang into action.

Per plan, the forces on Planet 4344 were split into five teams with different tasks.

The First Team, also called the Construction Team, consisted of engineers and mech researchers. Their duty upon arrival was to start building the teleportation device immediately.

The teleportation device was vital to the retreat of all soldiers on Planet 4344, as well as the first step in establishing a human foothold. Only with the device built could they move to other planets, and if this planet became untenable, everyone could evacuate in time.

Additionally, the mech researchers were responsible for repairing damaged mechs.

The Second Team's task was to protect the Construction Team, staying at the construction site to guard against beast attacks on the device and the engineers.

The remaining three teams split into separate routes, advancing from three directions to locate, kill, and eradicate the beasts—leaving no survivors.

Tu Ran was assigned to Ye Hongci's team.

Tang Ying, as captain, led another team.

All five teams began their movements.

Tu Ran followed Ye Hongci's black-gold mech toward their chosen direction.

The terrain they traversed was mountainous and complex, like a maze, with beasts easily concealed. Everyone was on high alert.

Drones had gone ahead, streaming back reconnaissance images.

After about half an hour, Ye Hongci's voice suddenly came through each mech's cockpit: "The beasts are directly ahead. Accelerate."

Everyone pressed the acceleration button simultaneously, nearly sprinting toward their destination.

Five minutes later, Ye Hongci ordered everyone to halt.

They had reached a continuous mountain range.

From a human perspective, the mountains were towering, blocking out the sky. But from a mech's viewpoint, a slight jump would reveal what lay beyond.

According to the drone feed, there was a group of beasts on the other side of the mountains.