"Reporting to the Grand Marshal, two low-ranking Zerg commanders have appeared on the defensive line of the 32nd sector of the 87th Star Cluster. Requesting reinforcements! Requesting reinforcements!"

"Kore, a Zerg King has appeared on the main defense line of the 89th Star Cluster. It has been determined to be a mid-tier Zerg King. Please provide immediate support!"

"Reporting to the Grand Marshal, a final-tier Zerg general has been discovered in the 32nd sector of the 95th star cluster. Requesting immediate reinforcements!"

...

Numerous requests for support were being sent to the northern military headquarters of the Oron Empire.

Meanwhile, Corey, using the teleportation channels connecting the northern main base to various star clusters, was traversing between them, constantly killing powerful Zerg.

"A mid-tier Zerg King? This is big trouble!"

Upon seeing the message, Corey's face turned grave. The Zerg attack had come too suddenly, leaving the defenses severely lacking. Left with no other choice, he immediately moved to the 89th Star Cluster to provide support.

As for other messages, their priority is lower than the second message, so they will naturally be processed later.

But Corey understood that things could change in an instant on the battlefield, and by the time he finished dealing with the mid-level Zerg King, the other defensive military bases that needed support would probably have already been captured!

There's no other way, because a mid-level Zerg King is almost equivalent to an Elder-level powerhouse, and it causes far more damage to the defensive line than two Zerg Generals!

Although Corey is an Imperial Grand Marshal, he already possesses the strength of an Elder, but his official rank has not yet been promoted.

As for why he didn't get promoted, the reason was that his battle record wasn't good enough.

If we kill the mid-level Zerg King that invaded the 89th Star Cluster this time, I will naturally become the new elder of the Empire!

However, killing a mid-level Zerg King is extremely difficult. Not to mention whether you can break through its incredibly tough armor, if things go wrong, the Zerg King can tear through space to escape, and it's incredibly fast. Even an elder-level expert would have a hard time catching up to it without teleportation technology.

Half an hour later, Corey arrived at the main defensive line of the Eighty-Nine Star Cluster.

but……

The entire defensive line had been largely destroyed by the mid-level Zerg. The scene was horrific. Along the defensive line, which stretched for hundreds of millions of kilometers, there were broken mechs, interstellar shuttles, and destroyed shield systems. Only a few defensive systems that could barely be maintained remained, making it look like a desolate wasteland.

The mid-tier Zerg Overlord's defenses are so strong that high-energy weapons capable of annihilating stars are completely ineffective against it.

Kore's face was full of anger. Without saying a word, he piloted his huge combat mech and in an instant, he traversed tens of millions of kilometers to reach the mid-level Zerg King.

He gripped a massive mecha sword that gleamed with a sharp, cold light, and charged menacingly at the Insect King. With a single slash, the entire universe seemed to shatter, revealing a pitch-black rift stretching for millions of kilometers, at the very end of which lay the Insect King.

The insect king flapped its wings, and its massive body vanished instantly, leaving behind a swirling silver-white spatial storm to counter Kore's sword attack.

But Corey, piloting that blue combat mech, also disappeared from the spot.

Destruction Thunder Mech

Combat Mech Tier: Apocalypse Combat Mech

The mech is 32.68 kilometers high and weighs 46,889,453 tons.

Spatial teleportation speed: 300 light-years per hour

Energy level of the energy reaction center: Low level, black hole level

Energy output value:

Maximum power enhancement multiplier:

Evaluation: General-class Doomsday Battle Mech

Energy Shield Strength: Low-level Black Hole

Weapons: Extreme Thunder Greatsword, Stellar Destruction Beam, Neutron Bomb, Space Teleportation Portal Maker

Other accessories: Advanced Spatial Teleportation Thruster, Thunderous Strike Wings, Multi-Matrix Energy Shield

"That's Grand Marshal Corey's mech! We're saved!"

Countless mech pilots and soldiers felt hope for survival, and their morale immediately surged, with the number of Zerg swarms being eliminated increasing at a visible rate.

"Nine-Element Heavenly Thunder Sword!"

A series of buzzing sounds emanated from the back of Corey's combat mech, with countless lights swirling and flashing, displaying images of intertwined lightning. The greatsword held by the mech was surrounded by red lightning, circling again and again, while the mech's aura surged.

Whoosh!

The mid-level Zerg King had just revealed itself when it was struck by this sword. The space around it was completely torn apart, and a dark void suddenly appeared. Immediately afterwards, the mid-level Zerg King's thick exoskeleton developed a web-like crack, and then caved in and collapsed!

"It turns out to be a mid-level Zerg king that has only recently evolved. I am fully confident that I can kill it!"

A look of excitement flashed across Kore's face. As long as he killed it, he could become an Imperial Elder! At that time, the commoner faction would have one more Elder.

"Kill! All Zerg must die!"

Having said that, Corey's massive mech resembled a bolt of blue lightning, transforming into a streak of blue light as it charged forward at incredible speed.

The mid-level Zerg King also reacted at this moment. The color of its body changed significantly, from black to crimson, and its body shape also changed, transforming into a complete combat form.

Its sharp claws traversed millions of kilometers, suddenly grabbing at the blue light.

Boom!

Boom!

Just as it was about to capture the Kree mech, the sharp, hard, dark red claws of the mid-tier Zerg King suddenly froze, then shattered like stones upon impact. The blue light that the Kree mech had transformed into pierced through the mid-tier Zerg King's massive claws and struck its body hard.

Half an hour later, the massive insectoid body of the mid-level Zerg King, spanning hundreds of thousands of kilometers, collapsed in outer space.

"Oh! Grand Marshal Corey has killed the Zerg King! We have won this war!"

"Grand Marshal Kore is simply amazing! He truly deserves to be called a great hero of the Empire!"

"He should be called Elder Corey now!"

"Oh right, our commoners faction will have another elder!"

Marshals, generals, and ordinary soldiers alike shared in the joy of these war victories.

However, what they didn't know was that this was only the beginning of the war, and the end of the war was still a long way off!

Or perhaps, this was originally a war that lasted for thousands of years, in which no one has ever won.

Northern Defense Base Headquarters.

"Senior brother, what's the current situation with the major star clusters in the north?"

Kore asked Marshal Nereus Lac.

"The situation is bad. Three sectors have already been severely damaged by the Zerg, and there are still nineteen sectors in the middle of war."

"I am looking at a star chart with lots of data," said Grand Marshal Niles Lak.

He used to be a scientist, and he was very familiar with the observation of this data.

"I killed a Zerg King, a newly evolved mid-level Zerg King. Normally, such newly evolved high-level Zergs wouldn't be sent to the battlefield, but this time it's a bit unusual!"

"If I'm not mistaken, the Zerg are definitely planning a major operation!"

Kore looked at Grand Marshal Niles Lak and voiced his vague guess.

"I have already informed my teacher about this matter, and I believe he will make his own judgment. This war has most likely only just begun. That newly evolved mid-level Zerg King was merely testing the waters, yet it has already caused us such heavy losses. I'm afraid our northern headquarters will have a hard time defending against the invading Zerg later!"

A red glint flashed in Grand Marshal Niles Lak's eyes as he kept his eyes glued to the star map on the screen.

The highest military headquarters of the empire.

This meeting was even more advanced than the Grand Marshals' Conference held in previous years; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it an elders' meeting.

Because all the elders and the Grand Elders from the Imperial Main Star region were present.

There were three Grand Elders and seven Elders at this meeting, as well as thirty-six Grand Marshals.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you have already seen the video and analysis report just now."

Elder Darren Jonah looked around and spoke.

"This may be a test of a large-scale Zerg invasion. The north has the largest population, but its defenses are relatively weak. For the past few hundred years, the Zerg have been attacking from all directions in our Oron system, but in recent years the frequency of their attacks on the north of the system has increased significantly. This attack will be an important signal!"

Elder Darren Jonah continued.

"You mean the Zerg are about to invade your north and want our reinforcements?"

Elder Byron Peckin's expression remained calm and unusually indifferent.

"Exactly."

Elder Darren Jonah glanced at his greatest adversary, then looked at the others, and nodded slightly.

"Heh, your strength has increased considerably recently. Surely you can defend the northern part of the empire?"

Elder Byron Peckin spoke calmly, with a somewhat insincere smile.

"I think this is not without reason. We should strengthen the defenses in the north, just in case."

A woman with a dignified appearance, dressed in a long, plain blue robe, spoke.

Her brows radiated gentleness and kindness, and her deep blue eyes held boundless wisdom and rationality, as if carrying an aura of mystery.

This is Elder Hanna.

"We are defending the eastern and southern parts of the Imperial system, covering half of the Empire's territory. If we were to divert troops to support them, we would have a hard time defending against a large-scale Zerg invasion."

"And all you've done is defend the north, is that not good enough?"

Elder Byron Peckin spoke calmly, as if what was happening in the north of the empire had nothing to do with him.

"Your defenses in the east and south are the furthest from other star system civilizations, and they don't even connect with the Zerg battlefield, so there's almost no pressure. But we in the north have to be constantly on guard against the Dylan Empire and the invading Zerg from the Zerg battlefield,"

"Furthermore, the East and South have the richest resources, while the North is resource-poor. You talk about defending the North, but if you're so capable, you can switch places with me. We'll protect the East and South, and you can protect the North!"

Elder Darren Jonah's eyes seemed to be spitting fire.

The three elders spoke the most at this meeting; with them present, the other elders and the Grand Marshal couldn't get a word in edgewise.

Ultimately, the meeting ended hastily, and Elder Darren Jonah did not secure much support. He only prepared to take one elder and eight grand marshals back to the northern part of the Empire for defense.

Of this elder and the eight grand marshals, three of the grand marshals were supported by neutral factions, while the rest were powerful members of the Larenx family, who had just joined the commoner faction.

"Chieftain, the commoners' faction is still very weak. Did we act too hastily when we agreed to let Elder Darren Jonah join their side?"

Back at the academy, the Dean of the Battle Mech Academy, Larenx Everina, and the Head of the Academy, Larenx Tavia, spoke.

“We’re betting on the future of our family. Mo Tianyun does indeed have the potential to become a powerful elder.” Lord Larenx Tavia paused, then sighed, “Alas, Darren Jonah has helped our family a lot over the years, but we never expected the Zerg invasion to be so sudden.”

"However, since we have already joined the commoners' faction, let's stick to it to the end. The day Mo Tianyun becomes a powerful elder will be the day we turn things around."

Shortly afterward, Elder Darren Jonah, Lord Larenx Tavia, and eight Grand Marshals set off for the northern part of the empire.

A day later, just as Grand Marshal Corey (still Grand Marshal for the time being) and Grand Marshal Nereus Rak had predicted, the scale of this Zerg invasion was unprecedented, far surpassing any previous one.

In the northern outer reaches of the Oron system, where there are no defensive measures such as space solidification, the Zerg directly built teleportation channels to reach the outer defensive front.

The appearance of the Zerg involved hundreds of low-level Zerg Kings, which is equivalent to hundreds of Grand Marshal-level powerhouses!

In addition, ten mid-tier Zerg Overlords and three high-tier Zerg Overlords appeared.

This is equivalent to ten elder-level experts and three grand elder-level experts!

If it weren't for Elder Darren Jonah and the other powerful figures who were prepared in advance, the entire northern defense line would probably have been breached by the Zerg at an extremely fast speed!

"Activate the space defense energy shield. All mech pilots below the marshal level and all interstellar shuttles below the black hole level must retreat behind the shield!"

"Get all neutron-class weapons ready. Also, prepare to unleash the black hole destructive wave!"

Elder Darren Jonah was directing things methodically.

"We need to request support from the Imperial Supreme Military Headquarters immediately!"

Elder Darren Jonah's expression was extremely cold, even frighteningly so. He took out a communicator and directly transmitted the message back to the Empire's highest military headquarters.

"That old man is truly corrupt and decadent. Faced with the interests of the entire empire, he only cares about the interests of his own noble faction!"

"If the entire northern part of the empire falls, he will be a sinner for all eternity, and his name will be infamous for ten thousand years!"

Elder Darren Jonah, piloting the Eternal Dawn mech, roared, his eyes blazing with fire, intimidating everything around him.

Many powerful figures from the commoner faction also heard his angry curses.

Even many powerful members of the commoner faction joined Elder Darren Jonah in cursing.

The most vicious of them all was Marshal Slave, whose manner was so fierce that he practically cursed Elder Byron Peckin and his ancestors for hundreds of generations and his descendants for thousands of generations!

If Elder Byron Peckin had listened to Elder Darren Jonah sooner, things wouldn't have been so rushed. By the time most of the Empire's forces arrived to support them, the best opportunity for defense had already been missed.

But things had come to this point, and they had no choice but to endure it while waiting for the Empire's support.

A great war broke out, the most intense war of all, except for the one fought by the Zerg a thousand years ago.

This battle, later known as the Battle of Defending the North, has profound significance.