Some say that, to this day, the development of human technology is just boiling water, finding different ways to boil water, and recycling cooled water to keep boiling it.
The driving force of human progress is to give ourselves the ability to crack open the heads of dangerous animals, the heads of enemies, and the heads of all enemies, whether they were once allies or not.
The means of human warfare is to draw a slingshot, to draw a slingshot by means of boiling water, and to take the projectile or the slingshot itself in hand to crack open the heads of any enemies who stand in the way of boiling water.
As the most formidable fighter among humanity at present, Valianna used the "Black Coffin" in her hand to pulverize an abomination. The sheer force reduced it to a mist of blood, successfully cracking its head wide open.
She lofted the black, compressed machinery—its edges sharp and its surfaces smooth—allowing it to unfold, extend, snap shut, and lock. It transformed into a heavy, broad spear. The four-edged blade at the tip, shaped like a sharp star-flower, ignited with a brilliant silver-blue radiance. From beneath the most prominent edge, a long, tattered ribbon of light drifted out like a deep blue and gold plume or a battle standard.
The weapon, even heavier than the "New Sun," rotated fluidly in the tall woman’s hands. A single thrust impaled four or five abominations; as she wrenched it back, the counter-blade at the pommel shattered the carapace of a hard-shelled abomination amidst the floating gore.
She braced the spear’s shaft against her waist, exerted a sudden burst of power, and spun mid-air in a lateral pirouette!
The blade-light shredded the enemies as effortlessly as a ceramic knife slicing through paper.
She moved with heavy grace, crisp and decisive.
This was "The Champion."
As the strongest individual of the Orion Human Union, who for a century had defined the terms "bravest of the army" and "core of the battlefield," Valianna Belekov’s combat style was diametrically opposed to that of "Starstream," who had briefly held her title.
If Starstream’s combat required building momentum to grow stronger as the fight progressed, Valianna... she *was* the momentum, and she was powerful from start to finish. Before reaching the absolute end of her tether, she could always maintain herself at a peak level perfectly suited for slaughter.
This "level" could not even be called a "line," for very few could ever reach it. Such a surging murderous intent, coupled with the ability to exercise self-restraint at any moment, was the greatest talent of a warrior specialized in breaching enemy ranks.
Because of this ability, the First Legion led by Valianna had always been "First" in more than just name. The ability, presence, and decisiveness of a commander in battle were always the primary sources of morale.
With her as an exemplar, the First Legion truly achieved the status of "mighty soldiers under a fierce general." However, this also caused Valianna a flicker of worry—though the base lifespan of an A-rank Superpowered individual was three hundred years, what if something happened to her one day? Or what if she simply died from old injuries? What would happen to the Legion then?
She had forged this Legion into a spear, an indomitable spear, and the Legion Commander was its tip. With a staff of advisors present, the person standing in this position did not need to worry about the vast majority of tactical arrangements. What this person needed was the ability to judge and use people well, to be calm and rational, to know how to shoulder responsibility, to recognize the direction of progress, and to possess the personal quality of daring to lead the way.
They also needed the personal ability and aura to actually *be* the one at the front.
So, after her, who was fit to be that spearhead?
In this spiral arm already half-filled with entertainment and mutual contempt, who could become the next Commander of the First Legion? Who could be a qualified Commander and let this massive war machine take on a new color?
She needed a successor—an excellent, suitable successor who stood beyond the reach of ordinary men. And the First Legion needed a spearhead that would make it invincible.
To this end, Valianna had been searching for decades.
Countless avenues, countless selections, countless trials... so far, the candidate who satisfied her most was "Starstream" Evenheiler.
However, while he was suitable, he was not suitable *enough*.
Firstly, because his personality was, in her view, still too delicate and merciful. Secondly, because... her ideal successor’s gender was actually Beta. She did not trust the psychological stability of the vast majority of Alphas and Omegas. If a successor possessed the possibility of having their will influenced by factors outside of combat, it was practically a death sentence on the ever-changing front lines.
It didn't matter if one person died, but if they took an entire Legion down with them, she would probably be so enraged she’d claw her way back from the grave.
Therefore, even if she wanted to remain the Commander of the First Legion for another ten thousand years—and she could certainly stay in the position for at least another century—she still fretted over this issue. She even wanted to test the mettle of any promising young talent she encountered to mentor them; at the very least, she could bolster the First Legion’s officer reserves...
Valianna brandished her spear and let out a roar, charging through the battlefield in a blur of silver-blue light. She slammed a massive, heavily armored monster from one end of the battlefield to the other. A force akin to a starship’s impact shredded it. The blood mist splattered unevenly across her body. Under the flickering but still functional lights of the giant ship, her silhouette as she withdrew her heavy spear looked like a statue of a demon god.
A Superpowered mecha pilot, who had just been preparing to dodge the abomination’s attack only to find the monster gone, reacted without hesitation. Accustomed to such sights, he turned and cleaved a smaller abomination. Suddenly sensing something, he looked up.
He was startled.
"Commander!" Lei Ting heard a teammate shout over the comms. "That swarm floating in space is coming this way!"
"Let them come. We want to make some noise," Valianna said, pinning an abomination to the wall with casual ease. "They will keep coming here—once their corpses fill this place, their mission should be complete."
Aboard the derelict ship, under the flickering lights, before the obscured emblem... the metallic stars, now transformed into broad-based triangular pyramids, whistled like arrows through the wide space, shearing through every scattered abomination. Not far away, Lei Ting stood atop a corpse floating in the vacuum, leaning on his greatsword and tilting his head.
Valianna keenly noticed his movement. "Private Lei Ting, do you have a question?"
Lei Ting looked up at the massive breach in the ship’s hull. It had been somewhat damaged before they arrived, but now... it was even more dilapidated.
A dark red, near-black tide surged from the pitch-black deep space beyond. Historically, such a sight was the greatest source of despair for any civilization crossed by a Starry Behemoth.
"Reporting, ma'am," he said in a calm tone, speaking diplomatically given his status as an intern recruit. "To ensure the mission of 'filling this place with their corpses' is completed smoothly, should we formulate a plan?"
"Of course." Valianna affirmed his proactive thinking, then asked with interest, "What are your thoughts?"
Lei Ting fell silent for a moment, organizing his words. He knew that as a newcomer, he shouldn't speak this way, but... what did it matter? It was fine; he didn't care for social niceties, and he knew Valianna wouldn't either.
On the battlefield, when conditions permitted, one should resolve everything in the most direct and efficient manner. That was what they ought to do.
"There are clearly more abominations in space than inside this ship, and the ones inside are also converging here." Lei Ting stated the results of his perception—even if in minute amounts, these damn things had metallic elements in their bodies. "If we prolong the battle, we must reinforce the defense on one side and prioritize eliminating the opponents on the other. My suggestion is to prioritize the interior of the ship."
The numbers outside were too great; the battle could drag on for a long time. And while abominations could bypass terrain through destruction, their meager intelligence made it difficult for them to think of taking a detour.
"How will we reinforce it? Relying on your metal and my shield?" Valianna laughed. "Besides, you aren't the type to rashly propose such a simple plan. Tell me your real thoughts."
"My real thoughts are: let them in, you all go out, and I will kill them all." Lei Ting’s tone was as calm as if he were mentioning a book he had just read.
"..." The others processed this: "?"
"‘Double S’!" one teammate snapped, unable to hold back. He roared and took two steps forward. "Who do you think you are?! You are scorning our will and our abilities! You are scorning all of us!"
"No, I am not," Lei Ting said seriously. "I have a way to end this early. We should avoid unnecessary waste of time and allow life to be filled with more meaningful things."
*After the fight, I still have to go back to read and practice... Missions aren't boring, but it’s better to finish them early.*
He had to seize every moment to improve himself, to become that... uh, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in a tsunami?
...Alright, that metaphor was indeed quite "retro."
...
Valianna looked at him, her gaze behind the visor somewhat strange. After a moment, she seemed to finish her considerations.
"Then do it," she said.
"Commander?!" the other three teammates exclaimed in shock.
"It will take time for the nearest adjacent abomination cluster to reach here. If it doesn't work, it won't be too late to return to the original plan." As Valianna spoke, she lightly raised her hand. Silver-blue light flickered, and she simultaneously cast a layer of fluctuating silver-blue shielding over everyone except Lei Ting—including those at other locations on the giant ship.
Then, using her mental strength to operate her optical computer, she sent a temporary retreat message to all personnel involved in the mission and requested the pilot to plan a pickup route that would theoretically draw away fewer abominations.
In less than five seconds, a route map was sent to everyone’s optical computer, which automatically calculated the most suitable path based on the user's current status.
"Let us see what you can do, 'Double S'." The tall Commander took flight with her soldiers, her voice cold. "If you fail, I will punish you—though perhaps by then, you will no longer need my punishment."
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 瓦利安娜·别列科夫 | Valianna Belekov | Commander of the First Legion. |
| 黑棺 | Black Coffin | Valianna's weapon, a transforming mechanical device. |
| 第一军团 | First Legion | The elite military unit led by Valianna. |
| ‘冠军’ | The Champion | Valianna's title/epithet. |
| 猎户人联 | Orion Human Union | The human interstellar government (OHU). |
| ‘星流’ | Starstream | Evenheiler's title. |
| 伊文海勒 | Evenheiler | A high-ranking Superpowered individual, former candidate for the title of Champion. |
| ‘双S’ | Double S | Lei Ting's rank/nickname based on his power level. |
| 矛尖 | Spearhead | A metaphor for the leader of the First Legion. |
| 载核航母 | Nuclear-powered aircraft carrier | A "retro" metaphor used by Lei Ting. |
