The exchange for the Silver Crystal was quickly settled by the third party, and afterwards, while Pang Qian was relaxing, Master Gong Qian took his leave.

It was nearly midnight Greenwich Mean Time, and according to the human biological clock, the officers and soldiers were extremely sleepy. Furthermore, the battle on Ganymede had lasted nearly twelve hours—a high-intensity engagement. The soldiers who had been on high alert for half a day could finally rest a little.

Just after seeing Master Pang Qian off, the battle report from Callisto arrived in Yang Ying's hands.

Although the 'G' Army and the Nine Dragons Mercenary Group had suffered considerable losses, they had managed to destroy the fortress on Callisto.

Callisto was an irregularly shaped small moon that lacked even a spherical form. Compared to Jupiter's four major satellites, it was not a vital stronghold. The only fortress there housed just one Ape Master to oversee things, and the garrison was mostly composed of combat robots. Nevertheless, they still held a distinct advantage over the combined forces of the two super mercenary groups.

To deal with this fortress, the 'G' Army Legion Commander, Saint Labens, personally led a small contingent of high-ranking Knights aboard an expensive cloaked airship to infiltrate the fortress and secretly sabotage the defensive fire control systems.

Then, the Nine Dragons Mercenary Group organized a battalion of death-squad members—several hundred men in total, clad in power armor—who stormed the fortress aboard a dozen fast attack craft to wreak havoc.

The external fleet took this opportunity to launch its assault, continuing to ferry troops into the fortress via the fast craft. Under this pincer attack from inside and out, the two mercenary groups still sustained significant casualties before they managed to destroy the fortress's critical sectors and execute a successful withdrawal.

The fortress on Callisto remained under the control of the Ancient Legion, but restoring its functions would require major repairs lasting at least several weeks.

A short while later, the Observer sent back another critical piece of intelligence: on the far side of Ganymede, the Ancient Legion fleet had begun to move, retreating toward Io. The last stronghold belonging to them on Ganymede, Fortress No. 3, seemed to have been abandoned.

"I think that's only logical," stated Howard, who was present when the commander received the news. "In the battle during the day, the losses between the two space fleets were approximately two to one. The Ancient Legion's ship casualties were half that of the Terran forces, meaning the Terran military strength still doubles that of the Ancient Legion. The current situation is that both armies occupy opposite sides of Ganymede. If I were Alexander, I wouldn't wait for rest; I would gather the available fleet immediately, swing around either the east or west, or north or south sides of the moon, and attack the Ancient Legion fleet on the other side from two directions."

"Fleets coming from two directions would match the Ancient Legion's total fleet strength. Either approach could threaten the Ancient Legion. If they form a pincer, even with the support of fortress firepower, as long as the Terran forces are willing to pay a slightly higher price, they could pin the entire Ancient Legion fleet right here. Without the protection of their fleet, relying only on the defense of those fortresses, they wouldn't last long against the combined might of the nine main Terran fleets," Howard analyzed in detail.

Yang Ying showed a flicker of interest and asked, "That tactic sounds very practical. Why didn't you suggest it sooner?"

"Because the Ape, Onshale, possesses extremely high strategic and tactical acumen, far superior to the generals of the Terran forces—a rare master strategist in the solar system. He would likely see what I just described. If the plan were to actually be implemented, it would be fine if I commanded the Terran fleet, but if Marshal Alexander were in command, he might well fall into a trap." As Howard spoke, his expression suggested he held little trust in the Terran military command.

He shrugged, "So I believe it's better for the Terran forces to proceed as they are now: relying on overwhelming numerical superiority, pushing forward step by step. With the Observer watching, the Ancient Legion's true state is an open book. We already have the advantage, so we don't need to fear Onshale employing tactics beyond common imagination."

Yang Ying reflected on the string of battles the Terran forces had fought since arriving at Jupiter. They hadn't truly outmaneuvered Onshale even once; the major victories they had secured were not due to tactical triumphs.

Finally, he nodded in agreement: "Very well. In any case, as long as we maintain the current momentum, driving the Ancient Legion out of the Jovian system is only a matter of time. It might be slightly more troublesome, but that's certainly better than turning a win into a loss."

The night passed.

The next day, the Terran ground forces set out again, accompanied by the escort fleet and the space fleet, launching an assault on Fortress No. 3. The massive contingent bravely advanced toward the fortress, pushing through line after line of defense under fire from automated defenses.

The Terran officers and soldiers had learned that this fortress was devoid of active defensive forces. All combat robots and Ancient Beasts had been transported to Io by the Ancient Legion's fleet. Even the fortress cannons had been dismantled, loaded onto transport ships, and anything that couldn't be taken was destroyed. All that remained were the worthless automated defense cannons or perhaps some deeply buried mines still functioning.

This operation was less about capturing Fortress No. 3 and more about boosting morale and mitigating the impact of the previous day's casualties.

The escort fleet's missiles precisely targeted and destroyed the automated defense cannons one by one; even deeply buried turrets were dealt with by deep-penetration missiles.

To detonate the mines, the escort fleet used overwhelming firepower to scour the ground inch by inch, essentially 'baking' the surface with energy beams. A safe corridor was quickly cleared, and the ground troops advanced as if on an outing, soldiers riding in armored vehicles while observing the scenery on either side.

This path led right up to the entrance of Fortress No. 3. The Nian Neng Shi led squads of special forces clad in power armor, using single-soldier rocket packs to fly down to the base of the fortress. They then used light swords to cut open an entrance and infiltrated the interior.

This specialized force was led by a Master, specifically to guard against any booby traps the Ancient Legion might have set, such as timed nuclear devices or nuclear mines. Having a Master-level expert leading the team allowed them to sense such threats early and formulate countermeasures with maximum speed.

After several hours, the Nian Neng Shi and the special forces swept through every part of the fortress, finding nothing of value. The entire structure was reduced to a mere shell.

No personnel, no documents, no usable equipment. Anything movable had been taken; anything immovable had been destroyed. Onshale apparently considered this empty husk not even worth the expenditure of a single nuclear warhead, simply abandoning it for the Terran forces?

Once more troops were stationed inside the fortress, the Terran command announced the successful recapture of the entire planet of Ganymede and sent the news back to Earth, sparking a massive reaction.

Within the Ancient Legion's Jupiter defense system—originally a robust cluster of fortresses composed of four major moons and several minor ones—more than half had now been lost. Of the four major moons, only Io remained, meaning the Terran forces had already secured a significant portion of Jupiter's territory.

Jupiter itself, being a gas giant, was unsuitable for life. Or rather, neither Terran humans nor the Ape race of the Ancient Legion had mastered the technology to establish colonies on Jupiter. Consequently, neither side maintained forces on the planet itself. Moreover, Jupiter's gravity was immense; even if a small warship were captured within Jupiter's gravitational sphere, it would inevitably crash toward the surface, with virtually no hope of safe escape.

The struggle for control of Jupiter's orbit hinged upon control of its moons.

The Terran forces had successively captured Callisto, Europa, and Ganymede. The Jupiter Campaign was more than halfway complete, and all media outlets devoted extensive coverage to the imminent, complete recapture of Jupiter.

In the glare of such a brilliant beacon, public opinion was firmly focused, and naturally, less attention was paid to the wounded and the fallen.

In a small town in Europe, a light snow was falling from the sky. A figure wearing a dark cloak and leather boots walked slowly down the main road in the center of the town.

This place was reputed to be an ancient town, seven or eight centuries old, which had unusually maintained its natural scenery. The houses appeared mottled and rich with history, their walls covered in moss, and the ground paved with bluestones. A small marble fountain stood in the town center.

Of course, while the town's exterior remained preserved as it was centuries ago, the residents...

The cloaked figure possessed extraordinary hearing, able to catch the sound of hearty laughter from a tavern in the square, and could discern from their chatter that the patrons were quite enthusiastic about the distant war, showering the Terran forces with praise.

"It seems everyone likes this outcome, discussing the distant war without reservation amidst a lively yet peaceful atmosphere."

Victory brought them joy; perhaps...

A passing hovercar behind him interrupted his thoughts. The vehicle glided slowly across the square and continued forward without stopping.

The cloaked figure looked up, and the military license plate on the back of the hovercar caught his eye.

What business would bring a military vehicle to this quiet little town? Curiosity stirred within him.

With a slight shift of his footing, the cloaked figure vanished from his spot, silently following the military vehicle.

This cloaked figure was one of the avatars Yang Ying had dispatched to travel far and wide.

The saying goes: reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. Seeing the world through his avatars had brought Yang Ying immense gains. Though the Master realm remained elusive, the people and events he witnessed everywhere broadened his horizons, making him marvel at the endless wonders of the vast world; both the natural scenery and cultural landscapes were precious treasures of Earth.

Now, even if traversing the realm served no purpose for reaching the Master level, he found himself utterly captivated by traveling the world.