哒哒哒——

One after another, cannon shells chased Dafees' figure, landing in the city and blasting out giant craters. Everywhere they struck, the closely packed skyscrapers shattered and collapsed, turning into a devastated wasteland, with flames erupting everywhere and screams mingling with cries of agony.

Accompanied by the torrential barrage, a series of drop pods descended from the sky, smashing through buildings like meteorites and embedding themselves in the ground with deafening crashes, sending rubble flying in all directions.

The hatches hissed open, and players from the Godoran Guild swarmed out like a black tide, surrounding Dafees and engaging him in another round of brutal fighting.

The planetary defense fleet also seemed startled, hastily opening fire on the guild's fleet. The two sides engaged in a fierce exchange in outer space, and the planet's orbital defense weapons were activated, sending dense electromagnetic railgun projectiles hurtling toward the guild fleet. From high above, anti-gravity vehicles could be seen launching from military bases near the besieged city, carrying ground troops to quell the large-scale battle unfolding within the city.

Although Beryl Star was a low-level colony, it still possessed a certain level of military defense. However, in terms of individual power, the strongest guardian was only Grade B. After all, the Feyn civilization was only a galactic-level civilization, with only a dozen or so Calamity Grades in total. They couldn't afford the luxury of having a Calamity Grade permanently stationed on such a marginal colony world. That would be tantamount to banishment.

On the communication screen of the guild's flagship, the governor of Beryl Star looked aghast, both shocked and furious. He opened his mouth to demand an explanation.

"How dare you violate the *Peace Treaty*! Are you trying to make an enemy of the Feyn civilization?! I demand that you immediately cease..."

Before he could finish, Jupite slammed his hand on a button, cutting off the communication.

His eyes bloodshot, he roared, "All reserve squads! Into the boarding pods! I want you to seize control of this planet's defense fleet through boarding actions! We'll take down anyone who gets in our way!"

Having made up his mind, he was determined to see it through to the bitter end, directly attacking even the colony's military and removing all obstacles preventing the guild from achieving the first kill.

Although the guild's number of warships couldn't compare to the planetary defense forces, their greatest advantage was their individual combat strength. As long as one or two players boarded an enemy warship, they could go on a killing spree, wipe out the entire crew, and seize the ship. They could also sustain themselves through warfare. After all, a low-level colony like this couldn't afford the luxury of stationing a Grade B super-powered individual on every warship.

"He's desperate, he's desperate..."

Poseidon muttered quietly to the side, voicing the sentiments of the guild's core members.

Jupite turned his head sharply, staring intently at him, his eyes flashing with dangerous light. He said, one word at a time, "What did you say?"

"Brothers, follow me and charge!"

Poseidon's facial features instantly became incomparably resolute. With a wave of his hand, he led a group of elites toward the boarding pods. His departing figure exuded an air of heroic tragedy, and his emotional shift was perfectly executed.

Soon, a series of boarding pods carrying players were launched like drill missiles, latching onto enemy ships. One after another, defense warships rapidly fell under the Godoran Guild's control and turned to continue providing fire support to the ground, making Dafees' situation increasingly precarious.

Some drop pods directly crashed into the bases controlling the orbital defense weapons. Squads of players went to paralyze Beryl Star's armed forces.

Outer space and the planet's surface were divided into numerous battlefields, with explosions rumbling continuously. One district after another in the city was reduced to rubble, and the heavens and earth were thrown into complete chaos.

The governor of Beryl Star was both furious and panicked. He hurriedly requested assistance from the nearest interstellar garrison base, while simultaneously uploading information about the attack on the planet to the Feyn civilization's intelligent core via an emergency military channel, which then forwarded it to several key departments.

Only two or three minutes passed before he received a serious call from a high-ranking official asking about the situation.

"What exactly happened? Who are the enemies?!"

"The enemies are a group of Undying Ones. According to reports from the security forces, they claim to be from the Black Star Army and are hunting down a Calamity Grade..." The governor of Beryl Star hastily relayed the situation, indicating that the cause was that he had received a message from an envoy asking him to protect Dafees.

He wasn't clear about the relationship between Dafees and the Feyn civilization, but the envoy's authority level was higher, so he had no choice but to obey. His words implied that he was only acting on orders and was not responsible.

After listening to the explanation, the Feyn civilization's high-ranking official's expression was uncertain. He said solemnly, "I understand the situation. Now, you must contain the attackers. The nearest garrison base will be mobilized immediately. Capture them and bring them to justice!"

Hanging up the communication, the governor of Beryl Star breathed a sigh of relief. Under the protection of his bodyguards, he quickly headed toward a secure bunker while signaling his secretary to contact Dafees.

At the same time, in the city, which had already become a battlefield, Dafees was suppressing his inner shock and battling furiously with the Godoran Guild players. In order to avoid the cannon fire raining down from the sky, he was fighting with his hands and feet tied. He was beginning to feel like he wanted to retreat.

He was shocked by the players' unbridled behavior. In his opinion, continuing to entangle himself with this group of lunatics was an extremely unwise course of action.

As the saying goes, the tough are afraid of the stubborn, and the stubborn are afraid of those who don't care about their lives. Dafees was increasingly regretting provoking this group of people.

Just then, the internal communication system in his mecha suddenly rang. It was the governor's secretary calling, relaying the governor's message.

After listening, Dafees' eyes flashed. He repeated the other party's meaning, "You're saying that the regular army is already on its way, so I should try my best to hold back this group of Undying Ones and wait for reinforcements to arrive, so that they can capture these thugs in one fell swoop?"

"Yes, the higher-ups have already mobilized the garrison. Support will arrive soon."

The secretary's attitude was respectful. Although this matter had been caused by Dafees, he was the only Calamity Grade on the scene, and he was also a member of the Feyn race. Beryl Star needed his help for the time being.

"...Alright, then I'll hold them back."

Dafees hesitated for a moment before finally agreeing.

It wouldn't be easy for him to escape now. The mecha's flight speed couldn't compare to the guild's fleet. If he left Beryl Star, he would be without help, and the risk would actually increase. He felt that it would be better to cooperate with the Feyn civilization here and wait for the regular army to intervene and wipe out this group of Undying Ones.

In any case, his condition was still relatively good, and these enemies wouldn't be able to threaten his life for the time being. Moreover, a large number of his subordinates had died, and he was furious. The desire to retaliate was difficult to suppress.

Hanging up the communication, Dafees stopped thinking about retreating. He roared and swung his mechanical whip-axe, plunging headlong into the players' formation. All that could be seen was a dance of lightning, and wherever it passed, blood gushed out.

...

At the same time, in the Black Star Army's territory, at the SWY-001 Research Institute.

"Master, something bad has happened!"

Han Xiao, who was studying the nervous system of SWY-001, received a message from Phillip. He shifted his gaze from the experimental report and turned to look at Phillip.

"What happened?"

"In the Endless Star Cluster, a group of Army Undying Ones are attacking a galactic-level civilization's colony world..." Phillip switched to the surveillance screen and quickly reported the situation.

"What, they spontaneously went to challenge a Calamity Grade?"

After listening to the whole story, Han Xiao narrowed his eyes, his expression somewhat complicated.

That day had finally come...

He had known for a long time that as the players' average strength increased, they would eventually spontaneously challenge Calamity Grades. This was an inevitable trend.

Players were always representatives of chaos. The more power they had, the more uncontrollable they became, gradually ignoring various constraints. The reason why they had behaved relatively well all along was because their previous strength was not enough to support too much initiative, and because he had managed them well.

Now, with the 5.0 version, the players' obedience was finally approaching its limit, and the chaotic tendency was beginning to rear its head.

In his previous life, this was one of the major triggers of the Superpower Calamity. Even with his influence now, it was impossible to change the nature of the "players".

"Tsk, this is going to be difficult..."

Han Xiao shook his head helplessly.

He already knew the cause and effect. The other party was an enemy who was preventing the players from taking over the black market. The players had teamed up to take him down, and there was nothing wrong with that in itself. Han Xiao would naturally not object.

But now, they were openly violating the conventions of interstellar society. That was what was giving him a headache... When you guys are fighting bosses, at least pay attention to the impact!

In this way, both rewards and punishments would have drawbacks. The former would make the players even more unscrupulous, while the latter would damage the emotions of the leeks and damage their sense of belonging to the faction. Neither of these was the result he wanted to see.

The person Han Xiao was most annoyed with now was Jupite, that lousy bastard...

"The Black Star Army is handling this, please show some respect"? Your face is bigger than mine, and you ate the Face-Giving Fruit?!

Even if you're determined to take down the Boss, at least don't reveal your identity!

At this sensitive juncture, causing such a thing under the name of the Army is making things too difficult for me.

Han Xiao was speechless for a while. He let out a breath and said slowly, "...Too reckless. No matter what, we can't take the blame for this. The most urgent thing is to try to erase the evidence and clean up after these bastards."

As he spoke, Han Xiao pressed his temples and entered the quantum network vision. Data streams, relayed by Phillip, rapidly descended upon the guild's warship.

...

The battle on Beryl Star grew increasingly fierce. The planet's defense forces had been largely dismantled by the Godoran Guild, and a large number of warships had been captured by the Godoran Guild, actually increasing the size of the enemy's fleet.

The battleground of the siege continued to move across the surface. Four cities had already been razed to the ground. Dafees, while desperately trying to escape, was also dealing with the Godoran Guild players' relentless attacks. His strength and stamina were being rapidly depleted. He had sustained injuries, and his condition was gradually deteriorating. His combat ability had inevitably decreased.

*Bang!*

Dafees spun around and slammed a martial arts player into a wall with his axe, panting heavily. He didn't dare to stop. He quickly retreated, dodging the concentrated fire of a dozen Gunners. The spot where he had been standing was blasted into a deep crater.

Not only were his muscles sore all over, but his brain was also throbbing with pain. After all, mental strength wasn't the strong suit of a Mechanic. The Godoran Guild's psionic and mental magic squads had made great contributions. Mental attacks of invisible substances were damaging Dafees' consciousness at all times. There was basically no way to dodge them. He could only endure the damage. This accounted for at least sixty percent of the damage output.

"Huff... huff... haven't the reinforcements arrived yet?"

Dafees felt his own terrible condition, and his face turned ashen.

The moment his condition slipped from its peak, the snowball effect began, entering a vicious cycle. He was starting to find it a little too much to handle from being swarmed by the players.

Without personally experiencing the feeling of being swarmed by players, it was difficult to realize how terrifying it was. Dafees was finally feeling this now. He had originally thought that he could resist for a long time, but now he understood that he had completely underestimated how troublesome this group of lunatics was, and had made a mistaken judgment about the relative strengths of the two sides.

If I keep fighting like this for a while and the reinforcements still don't come, I'm afraid I'm really going to fall here...

Dafees' heart was filled with awe. The thought of retreating arose in his mind once again.

But just then, he suddenly sensed something. He abruptly raised his head to look at outer space, his face showing surprise.

"They're finally here!"

A huge fleet was rapidly approaching, its formation neat and its military might imposing. It was the Feyn civilization's regular military force sent to support him, with a full two thousand warships. The scale was simply incomparable to the guild's fleet!

The governor of Beryl Star, who was taking refuge in the bunker, saw the scene on the battlefield and was overjoyed.

"The army has arrived! Hahaha, these thugs are finished!"

In the guild's flagship, Jupite also noticed this hostile force, and his heart rapidly sank.

Crap, this seems to be the local civilization's regular army!

We dragged this out for too long. It seems I underestimated the difficulty of the Boss. A free-roaming Calamity Grade is really too difficult to deal with. Was this operation a little too much for the guild after all...?

Looking at the overwhelming power of the reinforcements, Jupite felt a little despair. But then he gritted his teeth and ordered the fleet to continue firing on Dafees.

"Guild Master, aren't we going to retreat yet?" Poseidon asked in the channel.

"Retreat? We've fought to this point, how can we give up halfway? If we leave now, the resources we've spent will really be wasted... All troops, listen up! Even if we have to use up all our resurrection chances here today, you have to kill the Boss for me!"

Jupite gnashed his teeth and ordered his troops to stand ready, preparing to engage the reinforcements.

However, this huge regular army suddenly stopped at the edge of the battlefield, unmoving. Not only did they not open fire, they didn't even continue to advance.

Time passed, second by second. Dafees, the governor of Beryl Star, and Jupite and the other players were all gradually dumbfounded.

Wait, are these reinforcements here just to watch the show?

The Godoran Guild was completely confused, unsure what was going on. In any case, since they weren't attacking them, they weren't attacking them either. They quickly increased their firepower and focused on dealing damage to Dafees.

On the other side, the governor of Beryl Star was anxious.

"What are they waiting for? Why aren't they suppressing the enemy?!"

The governor of Beryl Star was at a loss. He repeatedly tried to contact the reinforcements, but all signals were lost without any response.

On the battlefield, the joy on Dafees' face gradually solidified, replaced by suspicion and uncertainty. He couldn't understand what was happening before his eyes.

In his shock, he couldn't help but let his imagination run wild, his mind racing.

Why aren't the reinforcements firing?

There's a big problem here!

If it weren't for waiting for reinforcements, he might not have stayed to hold back the enemy. Now that the reinforcements had arrived, they were watching coldly from the sidelines, with no intention of intervening... Could this be a scheme by the Feyn civilization, deliberately using this excuse to keep him here, killing two birds with one stone, using the Undying Ones to get rid of me?

Could it be that they think I know too much, and now that I've lost my usefulness, they're deliberately refusing to help me?!

Dafees was startled by his own speculation, and his mindset instantly fell into disarray!

"No, if I keep fighting, it's over. I can't rely on the Feyn civilization. I can't stay here!"

Dafees gritted his teeth, unleashing an overload. The surging strength sent the nearby players flying. He endured a barrage of concentrated fire, and his entire body soared into the sky. The mecha's thrusters operated at full power, turning into a stream of light as he flew toward outer space, wanting to escape the battlefield.

But just then, the Feyn civilization's reinforcements, which were located at the edge of the battlefield, suddenly opened fire. Their target was none other than Dafees, who had just escaped the atmosphere!

"What?!"

Dafees was shocked. He hurriedly activated his shield.

In the next moment, his figure was engulfed in cannon fire, taking a full load of damage.

*Bang bang bang!*

After a series of explosions, he fell from the sky and crashed to the ground with a deafening roar, kicking up a cloud of dust.

*Crack, crack...*

The already severely damaged mecha couldn't withstand the heavy impact. It shattered into pieces and scattered all over the ground. Dafees lay on his back in the center of the large crater, blood gurgling from his mouth and nose. He had suffered extensive burns all over his body. Many parts of him were already charred and brittle, emitting billowing white smoke. The bones and organs inside his body were a mess. His entire body had been severely damaged.

A large wave of players rushed over from afar, surrounding him. Seeing this scene, Dafees gritted his teeth and dragged his heavily injured body to his feet. He swayed unsteadily, not having recovered from the stun of the heavy blow. He was already a little unsteady on his feet.

Looking at the increasing number of Undying Ones, Dafees assessed his terrible physical condition. A miserable, bitter smile appeared on his disfigured face.

"Heh heh... I never expected that I would be betrayed by the Feyn civilization in the end..."

Dafees coughed painfully, knowing that his death was probably imminent.

The wily hare dies, the hunting dog is cooked!

Thinking of the bright future that the Feyn civilization had promised him, Dafees was filled with regret.

In the end, he had placed his trust in the wrong people...

Taking a deep breath, Dafees felt like a hero at the end of his rope, his heart filled with tragedy. He roared loudly at the surrounding Undying Ones.

"If you want my life, then come and get it! I won't stand idly..."

Before he could finish speaking, the players present attacked, various attacks coming from all directions.

*Rumble rumble—*

A series of explosions instantly engulfed Dafees.

In the instant he lost consciousness, Dafees was filled with intense unwillingness.

Couldn't you... wait for me to finish my last words?!

The explosions continued for more than ten seconds before everyone stopped. The dust slowly settled, and visibility gradually returned. A charred corpse lay on the ground, showing no signs of life.

Seeing this, the many players paused for a second before suddenly cheering.

"Awesome! We finally killed him!"

"We got the first kill! First kill!"

"I'm exhausted! Damn, this Boss even started adding drama to himself, almost making me confused."

"Who recorded the whole process? Send me a copy!"

In the guild's flagship, Jupite personally witnessed the guild kill Dafees. Only then did he finally put his mind at ease. The pent-up anger in his heart was finally released, and he stopped being hot-headed.

Taking the guild's first kill was worth the trip. The resources he had spent hadn't been wasted after all!

Then, Jupite looked at the Feyn civilization's regular army, whose intentions were unknown, and began to frown again.

They had recklessly killed the Boss, and the consequences seemed to be serious. Next, they had to consider the problem of escaping. This regular army probably wouldn't just watch them run away...

Just thinking about it made him feel that the possibility of escaping was ridiculously low.

Jupite scratched his head.

Should they... just commit suicide together?