After remotely shutting down all the robots, Yang Ying dropped down from the ventilation shaft, confirmed via the surveillance devices that there were no threats inside the building, and then collapsed into a chair.

Although he had only been transported here for three hours, the life-threatening dangers he had encountered surpassed those of the previous half of his life. Far from feeling fear, Yang Ying was instead surging with adrenaline, as if he were born for this very purpose!

Yang Ying’s heart yearned for battle; he was brimming with combat instinct. Even while being hunted by the Ape-men, he maintained a cool head for analysis. When attacked by laser beams, he dodged them as if he could foresee the incoming light; he could anticipate the enemy's movements and instantly devise countermeasures. This raw combat instinct was his greatest asset in slaying the Ape-men.

Despite all this, his physical stamina was completely depleted. Operating the control console remotely had wrung out his last reserves of energy. Now that the enemies were down, he could finally catch his breath.

Taking advantage of this respite, Yang Ying initiated the communication system. All the addresses on the list showed as unreachable; only one military channel, marked as Emergency, could connect. Through this channel, Yang Ying sent out a distress signal.

Soon after, an external communication connected. Yang Ying activated the screen and saw a military officer in his thirties, dressed in uniform, appearing before him.

"Who are you, Sir? How are you transmitting from the central control room of the Titan's Light HVAC Building?"

The officer looked utterly confused at the figure in civilian space gear on his screen; as far as he knew, this area had already been occupied by the enemy.

"I am a civilian of Titan's Light—at least, I was insignificant three hours ago. The reason I am here is obvious: I need rescue. There were only some D3-16 security robots here, and I shut down their master control system, which is why I can sit here and speak with you. I need to know what has happened in the city, and anything else you are willing to tell me."

Yang Ying replied, though his body and mind were exhausted, he showed no sign of it in his tone.

The officer maintained a strictly professional expression: "My apologies, civilian. This is a military secret."

"Then find your superior to speak with me!" Yang Ying sensed he was being brushed off and snapped, "Find someone with authority, and stop wasting my time."

"The higher-ups are busy with operational duties. Whatever you need, you can tell me." The officer paid no mind to Yang Ying’s words.

"I didn't fight my way here just to haggle with you." Yang Ying slapped the Ape-man's identification tag onto the console and let the words slip out casually, "You have two choices now. First, report what's happening here to your superior. Second, pretend you never saw me, but don't forget my current location—can you afford the charge of delaying military intelligence? Furthermore, I will no longer negotiate with you. I hear no sincerity in your words."

With that, Yang Ying immediately cut the communication. He began counting internally, and when he reached thirty, another call connected.

A female officer with a stern, meticulous expression appeared on the screen.

"I am Major Intelligence Officer of the Earth Federation Seventh Fleet, authorized to discuss intelligence regarding the Titan's Light incident with you. First, please state your identity." This female officer's demeanor was far more serious than the previous male officer's.

"Yang Ying, Mechanical Technician, ID Number..." Yang Ying recited his identification number, then removed his mask, showed his face briefly, and put it back on. There was nothing to hide; he had a legitimate identity in this world, and anything beyond his capability could be attributed to the awakening of his psychic power.

As time passed, he discovered more and more memories surfacing from within his body. The existence of psychic abilities was not entirely anomalous in this world. While rare, he wasn't the only one with mental strength; he even recalled a specific non-governmental agency named the Nengsi Temple responsible for handling affairs concerning awakened psychics.

The female intelligence officer checked her data and nodded. "Records confirmed. Let's start with the cause of the incident. Six hours and five minutes ago, a powerful surge of psychic energy swept across Titan's Light City. Simultaneously, an elite squad of Ape-men from the Ancient Legion, accompanied by numerous Ancient Beasts, appeared on the city's perimeter. Within the next thirty minutes, Titan's Light fell. Information about the elite Ape-men squad came from city officials who managed to escape Titan's Light. This squad consisted of about fifty Ape-men skilled in psychic abilities—a rare and powerful strike force in recent years."

Yang Ying had already grasped the capabilities of the Ape-men. If each of them brought along several beasts like the giant centipedes, they would constitute a force that could not be ignored. He then asked, "Where did that elite squad go? Why didn't I encounter them?"

"Reinforcements dispatched from the Titan Star Military Base are currently engaged in fierce battle with the main force of the Ape-men squad thirty kilometers north of Titan's Light, in the Anad Canyon. We assumed all the Ape-men in the city had been drawn out; I didn't expect you to have encountered one."

"The identification tag you possess belongs to an Ape-man from within the Ancient Legion. Did you kill it?"

"Yes."

The female intelligence officer raised an eyebrow. "Did you have assistance?"

"None."

The surprise on her face deepened. "Did the Ape-men have Ancient Beasts under their command?"

"One giant centipede. I killed that too."

The female intelligence officer was moved. "Any action that weakens the Ancient Legion will be recorded as military merit. We will verify the facts, and if true, your achievements will be remembered by the military. If you decide to join the military in the future, killing one psychic Ape-man could directly earn you the rank of Captain."

In the military, those with ability were always respected, and killing a psychic Ape-man went beyond merely being described as 'capable.'

"Ancient Legion?" Yang Ying had never heard this term before.

"That is what we call the force centered around the Ape-men beyond the solar system, who are adept at controlling various ancient creatures."

Yang Ying looked puzzled. "A force? Why call them a force? Aren't they aliens?"

The female intelligence officer replied, "No. The Ancient Legion is a product of genetic modification. Aliens used gene technology to revert various creatures native to Earth to their ancient forms, thereby gaining immense power. The Ape-man race is the brain and center of the Ancient Legion; they were created through the reversion and modification of human genes, possessing near-human intelligence and powerful physical strength. Because their composition resembles Earth's ancient organisms, calling them the Ancient Legion makes them extremely terrifying enemies."

Yang Ying asked again, "Why did the Ape-men elite squad come to Titan's Light?"

The female intelligence officer’s expression became grave. "That is highly classified military intelligence. I do not know either."

Yang Ying recognized the sincerity in her voice. Highly classified military intelligence—there was nothing he could do about that. The intelligence the female officer had already provided was detailed enough, exceeding his initial expectations.

However, the fact that it was classified meant the military clearly knew the Ape-men's objective. Titan's Light, being a colony city with minimal military presence, why would it harbor a target worthy of an elite Ape-men squad? This point alone suggested deeper implications.

Yang Ying then recalled that incapacitating the entire city required an extremely powerful psychic force, thousands, if not tens of thousands, of times stronger than the one he encountered in the Ape-man. So he asked, "Where did the psychic wave that caused the entire city of Titan's Light to pass out originate?"

The female intelligence officer shook her head. "Unknown, but it is highly likely a psychic user with considerable power released a mental attack across the entire city. Because the range was so vast, the attack strength against each target was low, only enough to knock people unconscious for about twelve hours."

Yang Ying picked up her thread: "In other words, in less than six hours, all the survivors in the city will wake up."

"The survivors... well, perhaps not," the female officer's tone showed considerable hesitation.

Yang Ying frowned. "As far as I know, there are a significant number of residential air conditioning units in the city. Even if the central HVAC system stops working, a large number of survivors should be protected by their home units."

The female intelligence officer said, "We are aware of that, but have you noticed the cooling trend in Titan's Light?"

"What do you mean?"

"Residential air conditioners have limited power. Generally, once the temperature drops below minus sixty degrees Celsius, even running at full capacity, they cannot raise the internal temperature above freezing."

Yang Ying’s heart leaped. He checked the thermometer—the outside temperature had already reached minus forty degrees!

The female intelligence officer continued, "The temperature in Titan's Light will drop below minus sixty degrees Celsius within three hours. According to intelligence projections, around three hundred thousand survivors sheltered by residential AC units are still alive. They are alive now, but in three hours, the temperature will drop to lethal levels. They will not survive the final three hours."

Yang Ying could hardly believe it. "Doesn't the military have any countermeasures?"

"The Titan Star military forces are blocked thirty kilometers north at Anad Canyon. The Ape-men have established an extremely solid defensive line there using dozens of Ancient Beasts. Based on the latest combat reports, it will take six hours to break through those defenses. As for the forces in space, our Seventh Fleet is the closest, but landing will require at least another three hours. Therefore, we are powerless against the disaster unfolding in Titan's Light."

"Perhaps I can restart the central HVAC system," Yang Ying mused.

"Sir, you are welcome to try, but please don't hold out too much hope. Given the Ape-men's usual methods, they likely already destroyed the air conditioning facilities beyond repair," the female intelligence officer stated. "We are already preparing for a retaliatory campaign."