The "simple" victory once again underscored the terrifying power of invisibility; no matter how high the lethality rating of a weapon, it required striking the target to inflict damage, but against enemies undetectable by conventional means, even immense destructive power was useless.

Shielded by their stealth capabilities, Yang Ying's forces could materialize beside the enemy at any moment, delivering a fatal blow without fear of detection.

Currently, in the solar system, perhaps only the national apparatus wielding nuclear power remained capable of countering the stealth force.

After securing the battlefield, Howard led his troops onto the return journey.

Although Yang Ying had many thoughts about the battle that needed sorting out, he remembered the people back at the base were waiting for news.

Thus, he stood up from his seat, stretched his limbs, and said, "Connect me to Kalia."

The screen flickered, and Kalia's image appeared.

"Congratulations, that was a brilliant victory," Kalia said immediately upon seeing him.

"How did you know?"

"Howard's communication arrived slightly before yours; everyone at the base is celebrating now," Kalia replied.

Yang Ying smiled and shook his head, realizing he had been one step behind Howard.

"Commander, when would you like to release the news of the victory?" Kalia suddenly asked a question Yang Ying hadn't considered.

"Uh, what do you think?" Yang Ying tossed the question back.

"I believe we should release it now. It's six o'clock in the morning. The entire Asteroid Belt is still unaware that the two Laurel Fleets, including the Caesar Mercenary Corps, have been annihilated. If we announce it now, we can catch them completely off guard, and it will still be in time for the morning news," Kalia stated.

"I have no objection to that," Yang Ying granted Kalia full authority.

"Last time, the Caesar Mercenary Corps distorted our video footage through the media, creating a preconceived notion in the public mind. This time, we must deliver a decisive counterattack. The public believed Caesar because of their power and authority. Now that Caesar’s laurel has fallen into our hands, the public will likely believe we possess the power to challenge that authority," Kalia smiled and terminated the communication.

After the call ended, Yang Ying sat down, resting his chin in his hands, deep in thought.

"Commander, what are you thinking about?" The bridge door slid open, and Katerina entered, carrying a meal tray.

"I'm thinking about what will happen when we return to base," Yang Ying picked up a cup of tea from the tray, blew gently on the rim, and said softly.

"What else could happen?" Katerina smiled and placed the tray aside.

"It is precisely because I don't know that I'm thinking about it," Yang Ying chuckled. "Only one thing is certain: consecutively destroying two Laurel Fleets is an unprecedented event since the founding of the Mercenary Alliance, and the greatest defeat in the history of the Caesar Mercenary Corps. Its far-reaching impact is immeasurable. How the future will unfold is truly hard to guess."

With that, Yang Ying quietly sipped his tea, while Katerina sat silently beside him. For a long time, neither spoke further, but within that tranquility, their spirits seemed to communicate.

The intermittent electronic chirps of consoles echoed through the bridge as the Commodore, the Captain, and the staff silently attended to their tasks.

Meanwhile, under Kalia's direction, the news that the Tran Mercenary Corps had wiped out two Laurel Fleets was released, immediately shocking the entire Asteroid Belt!

The Caesar Mercenary Corps, one of the three Super Mercenary Corps, had a strength deeply ingrained in everyone’s mind, let alone their Laurel Fleets; the battlecruisers had always been the symbol of Caesar Group's technological might and their core competitive advantage. For the people of the Asteroid Belt to believe that the Laurel Fleets had been defeated by the relatively new Tran Mercenary Corps was almost as difficult as believing Mars was about to collide with Earth.

However, precisely at seven o'clock, the morning news on a certain prominent network broadcasted the story: "According to the latest intelligence, shortly ago, the Tran Mercenary Corps claimed to have annihilated two of the Caesar Mercenary Corps’ Laurel Fleets. The Caesar Mercenary Corps has not yet responded to this news, but regardless of the veracity of this claim, it is clear that a fierce conflict has erupted between the two corps. This network will continue to track and report on the developments between the two mercenary organizations."

As soon as the news spread, the entire Asteroid Belt convulsed like water in a pond struck by a massive stone. Countless reporters swarmed the entrance to the Caesar Mercenary Corps' headquarters, surrounding it completely, awaiting further updates.

At Worell, the Caesar Mercenary Corps Headquarters.

On a training ground, Ishtar, clad in tight black combat gear that accentuated his perfectly proportioned physique and muscles, lunged with his rapier against a fully armored fencing opponent. The clash of steel rang out clearly with every parry. After over a dozen exchanges, he delivered a fierce thrust, burying his blade into the opponent's shoulder, piercing even the thick protective padding made of reinforced plastic.

Prior to this, Ishtar had already wounded several sparring partners in succession, most of whom were currently nursing their injuries.

"Step down," Ishtar told the wounded swordsman.

The swordsman clutched his wound and walked off the field, narrowly brushing past Andre at the entrance.

Andre approached Ishtar. "Are you tense?"

"Is there any news on the Golden Flame and the Iron Hammer?" Ishtar adjusted his attire, deliberately avoiding Andre's question.

"None yet," Andre shook his head. "Contact was lost with the Golden Flame around two in the morning, and the Iron Hammer lost contact after communicating with you at five. We can confirm they are definitely in serious trouble."

"Ha!"

Ishtar roared, plunging his rapier into a wooden dummy nearby. He released his grip, and the point of the sword lodged deeply into the dummy's neck, nearly exiting the back.

"While the Tran Mercenary Corps' claim of two fleets being annihilated sounds alarmist, I don't feel optimistic about their situation either." Since receiving the news, Andre had been continuously analyzing why the Tran Mercenary Corps would lie about such a matter, concluding they had no reason or necessity to do so.

"The priority now is to ascertain exactly what happened. Guessing wildly here is meaningless," Ishtar’s expression gave no clue as to his thoughts. "We have a cargo vessel very close to the engagement zone. I’ve ordered the captain to change course and investigate what transpired on the battlefield. If there is any news, it should arrive quickly."

Stredle nodded. He glanced around. Seeing only the two brothers left in the training area, he said, "It seems you've injured all the sparring partners. If you still wish to fence, I can spar a few rounds with you."

Saying this, he stripped off his outer coat, revealing a gleaming white undershirt, then pulled a rapier from the nearby rack. He bent it slightly, testing its flexibility, then executed a flourish and adopted an en garde stance. "Come on. We haven't dueled since you became the representative for the Caesar Mercenary Corps."

"No, I've had enough. I apologize, I have something else to attend to," Ishtar refused without hesitation. He let go of his sword, leaving the tip embedded in the dummy, and turned to leave.

Andre watched his retreating back and sighed softly, returning his foil to the rack. "Fencing or any other combat sport reveals a person's state of mind. It seems you don't wish to share yours with me, my brother."

After leaving the training ground, Ishtar walked into a garden, his expression cold and detached, as if nothing could move him.

A hulking man in a black suit and dark sunglasses approached him directly and said, "Lord Ishtar, Captain Hess has news."

"Which Captain Hess?" Ishtar asked irritably.

"The captain of the cargo vessel closest to the battle zone," the man in black clarified.

"Him!" Ishtar pressed immediately. "What is the news? What happened on the battlefield? Why is there still no word from the two Laurel Fleets?"

The man in black looked troubled. "My Lord, perhaps you should ask Captain Hess directly. The situation is likely..." He had received definitive confirmation from Captain Hess and, precisely because he knew the details so clearly, dared not voice them before the notoriously severe Ishtar.

Seeing his hesitation, Ishtar had already guessed most of the answer. He snorted, waved his hand, walked past the man in black, strode across the garden, and entered a room.

The room was filled with modern equipment. A communicator was active, displaying the holographic image of an elderly captain wearing a large peaked cap and sporting a white beard stubble, his face etched with terror.

The first thing Ishtar did upon entering was scan the faces of everyone in the room, noting their expressions. Seeing that these elite intelligence personnel of the Caesar Mercenary Corps all looked ashen-faced, he paused slightly before moving to the communicator.

"You are Captain Hess?" Ishtar asked.

"Y-yes," the old captain on the screen nodded stammeringly. "I am Hess. Hess is me."

Ishtar had no time for pleasantries and asked directly, "What happened on the battlefield?"

The old captain said in a tone of disbelief, "There's nothing here but a vast field of wreckage from warships and fighters."

"Wreckage!" Ishtar's voice immediately rose an octave.

"Look, sir," the old captain bowed his head and pressed a few buttons.

Instantly, the image of the old captain vanished from the holographic screen, replaced by a view of outer space.

A massive piece of metal debris drifted across the screen, its external alloy armor severely warped, but faintly visible on it were the characters "Golden."

"That is the bow section of the Golden Flame!" Ishtar was intimately familiar with the Laurel-class battlecruisers and recognized the wreckage immediately.

The location where the old captain was situated was the designated rendezvous point for the two fleets and the site of the first engagement.