The star system surrounding Worrell was a scene of roaring assembly, the collective warships now numbering over three hundred. Still, every so often, one or two massive dreadnoughts, escorted by several mid-to-small craft, would emerge from the pitch-black void, joining the growing cluster.

“Time’s up. We wait no longer for stragglers. We broadcasted the word for ages; anyone still absent shows poor initiative. Sending them onto the battlefield would just be sending them to their deaths,” Old Locke of the Kowloon Mercenary Group stated contentedly, taking a long drag from his cigar and exhaling a perfect ring of smoke.

He was currently seated at a virtual conference table, surrounded by other figures of considerable standing within the mercenary community. Yang Ying occupied a seat at that same table, positioned prominently—second only to the Legion Commander of the Sigma Corps, Saint Ladis.

In the mercenary ranks, everything was dictated by raw strength, making seating arrangements a profoundly serious matter, which was why the Golden and Silver Paths existed at Worrell Port.

The might of the Trant Mercenary Group had been displayed to its fullest during the great battle six months prior; the Trants, previously ranked fourth among the Super Mercenary Groups, instantly leaped to second place.

The only reason they hadn't seized first was that the Sigma Corps remained an established powerhouse, renowned throughout the Asteroid Belt for over a century. Furthermore, their leader being a Paladin ensured they could barely cling to the top spot.

Many within the mercenary contingent had already proposed the Sigma Corps yield their position to the Trant Mercenary Group, but Yang Ying showed no enthusiasm for this, and naturally, the Sigma Corps offered no response to such demands.

With both Super Mercenary Groups maintaining a tacit silence, the suggestion dissolved into nothingness.

In the third seat sat Old Locke. He had been third for so long he was accustomed to it; even with the upper echelon shuffling its weight, he offered no objection.

The Kowloon Mercenary Group had suffered a devastating blow from the Pirate United Fleet previously. It was only through participation in Mu Yan’s retreat and the subsequent rearguard action that they managed to recover a sliver of vitality, but even now, they had not returned to their pre-Hellas-conflict scale.

As for the fourth seat, it was occupied by Andre. With the dissolution of the Caesar Family—Gaius, Lloyd, and Istah all dead—the Caesar Mercenary Group was swiftly overtaken by Kowloon.

At that time, Andre had seized the position of Caesar Mercenary Group Commander and also confiscated all of the Caesar Corporation’s industrial cities within the Asteroid Belt. These cities were essential for the logistics, repairs, and resupply of the Laurel Fleet.

Now, thanks to Andre’s efforts, the Laurel Fleet had been replenished to five full wings, strong enough to challenge Kowloon for the third position. The heavy caution visible in Old Locke’s frequent glances toward Andre betrayed this reality.

The old man had served as third his entire life and had no intention of slipping to fourth before his death.

The fifth seat was occupied by William, the rotating chairman of the Mercenary Alliance Committee. Despite his chairmanship, he still had to defer to the Super Mercenary Groups.

William tapped the table. “I support Old Locke’s suggestion. Shall we cease waiting?”

Yang Ying, Saint Ladis, and Andre voiced no objections, and the commanders of the large mercenary groups beneath William wouldn't dare contradict Old Locke; thus, the decision was finalized.

William glanced left and right, seeing no dissent. He nodded. “In that case, I declare the formation of our combined Mercenary Fleet. The two large mercenary groups who accepted the mission but failed to arrive at the rendezvous point will be considered in breach of agreement and automatically forfeit their participation. The Mercenary Alliance will demote their credit rating by one level.”

Such were the rules of the mercenaries; sometimes, a single statement from a Super Mercenary Group could determine the fate of a large one.

William paused, continuing, “Once the fleet departs, my old bones will be of no use. I will remain at Worrell and wish you all a successful mission and a safe return.”

With that, his image dimmed, and he withdrew from the virtual meeting room.

The others turned their gaze to the chief, Saint Ladis. The Paladin rose and gave a concise, clear order: “Depart!”

Instantly, the figures seated around the conference table began to fade one by one.

Yang Ying nodded a brief farewell to those next to him and exited.

The over three hundred warships maintained no fixed formation, simply holding their relative distance from surrounding vessels to prevent collisions. They moved in a disorganized mass toward the location of the military fleet.

The eight fleets dispatched by the military did not launch simultaneously but in staggered waves. The vanguard consisted of two second-tier main fleets, and the rear guard comprised two other second-tier main fleets, with the four first-tier main fleets positioned in the center mass. This created a three-hour staggered travel time between the front, rear, and main body.

The arrangement ensured rapid reinforcement if the vanguard encountered the enemy, allowed for a quick return sweep if the rear was flanked, and provided support for the central force should it be attacked by the Ancient Legion.

This formation was time-tested, having been used for millennia, and remained relevant even now.

The Mercenary Combined Fleet traveled alongside the main central military force. Occasionally, warships from the larger mercenary groups were dispatched to scout the upper, lower, left, and right flanks, ensuring early detection of any approaching enemy.

For Yang Ying, although his flagship had been upgraded to a Pacific-class battlecruiser, he still referred to it, along with his other two capital ships, as Number One, Number Two, and Number Three, just like his former ‘face ships.’

As Lieutenant General Howard—who had only been promoted one rank—put it, the old face ships were merely scrap metal; active heavy cruisers were superior scrap metal; and the Pacific-class battlecruisers were the refined essence of scrap metal. In reality, no matter their names, they were all scrap to Howard.

Any vessel below the Leviathan-class battlecruiser was indistinguishable to Howard; the nomenclature held no difference.

However, swapping to three Pacific-class battlecruisers did bring about tangible change. At the very least, the bridge was significantly more spacious, and the main gun energy yield had reached Level Six.

Now, with tens of thousands of Observers at his disposal, monitoring a battlefield was trivial for Yang Ying. He deployed one hundred formations, enveloping the areas around the vanguard, center, and rear guard, maximizing the distance of his surveillance.

At three in the morning, the fleet had not yet cleared the boundary of the Asteroid Belt. Most captains and crew members had already retired for the night. In their minds, the Belt was still territory firmly under human control; any hostile encounter would only occur upon reaching the outer solar system.

Inside the bridge of Ship Number One, a specialized seat had been installed beneath the captain’s station specifically for Yang Ying. He was currently resting there, eyes half-closed.

Now at the Apex Master realm, he could remain fully active for an entire day even floating in the vacuum of space; sleep was, for him, an entirely optional supplement.

“Sir, Observer intelligence reports a massive group of unknown fighters approaching from the high side—possibly the Ancient Legion!” a staff officer reported.

“How many? Confirm if they are hostiles. Have the Observers rapidly ascertain their nature,” Yang Ying commanded calmly.

“Yes, sir.”

Moments later, the staff officer returned. “Detailed information confirmed. Approximately ten thousand units, all Ancient Legion Viper fighters. However, they are currently withdrawing.”

Yang Ying snapped to alertness. “Immediately order the Observers to pursue! Send surrounding Observers to assist! Since they have appeared, we cannot let them flee!”

“Yes, sir!” The staff officer relayed the orders immediately.

“Withdrawing?” Yang Ying stood up, leaned forward, and drew out his voice in thought.

The Ancient Legion had clearly obtained knowledge of this covert deployment route. At this moment, the majority of the fleet was asleep, and even the awake personnel were relaxed. Why retreat from such a perfect opportunity for a surprise strike?

“Unless…” Yang Ying slowly sat back down. “They withdrew only after the Observers discovered them. Does that mean they sensed that the Observers had spotted them? This is troubling.”

The fact that they sensed the Observers immediately upon detection implied a perceptiveness that even a Master-level expert might lack.

Yang Ying muttered softly to himself, “Is there perhaps a Peak Ape Master within that flight of fighters?”

A little later.

“Sir, the Viper fighters are too fast; the Observers cannot catch up!” the staff officer reported.

Yang Ying had anticipated this. “Understood. That was expected. Recall the Observers to their posts.”

Meanwhile, the contingent of Viper fighters was speeding away toward the edge of the Asteroid Belt. Leading the formation was a gray, streamlined fighter, visibly distinct from the standard Vipers.

Inside the cockpit, the Ape occupant was tall, his eyes like pure gold, and his body corded with muscle that resembled interlocking blocks of iron. His expression was grim; if he were human, one might describe his visage as stone.

A holographic screen illuminated before him, showing another muscular Ape. “Lord Ongsari, why did you order an immediate withdrawal? We hadn’t even brushed against the target’s perimeter.”

“But the target has already brushed against ours, Gangdi. I know you are deeply pained by the loss of your fleet and wish to prove your worth through action, but questioning my decision is not the correct path,” the Ape Peak Master Ongsari advised with stern authority.

“Apologies, Lord.”

Since losing his fleet, Gangdi and the two other Ape Masters serving as fleet commanders had been under intense scrutiny. Though new fleets had been established, their command positions were gone.

Gangdi, having desperately sought to re-establish his reputation with this raid, was pulled back mid-maneuver by Ongsari and ordered into a swift retreat. He didn’t understand why and had initiated the communication channel to inquire.

Ongsari closed the holo-comm, murmuring to himself, “That form of invisible surveillance Heras mentioned is indeed potent. It feels like an unseen pair of eyes are fixed upon me, yet I cannot locate the gaze. If this surveillance remains when the human fleet engages Jupiter, it presents a massive hidden danger. I must devise countermeasures!”